Tony Stewart 24th in Coca-Cola 600

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), finished 24th in his 18th and final Coca-Cola 600 Sunday at Charlotte (N.C) Motor Speedway.

 

Stewart qualified 21st but started 39th in the 40-car field after NASCAR cited the team for an unapproved body modification during prerace.

 

When the green flag flew in the late afternoon sun, Stewart rushed toward the front, climbing to 25th by the lap-25 competition caution. Unfortunately, that was the only caution in the first 115 laps. The leaders’ fast pace put Stewart a lap down at lap 87 as he raced in 24th.

 

“The car feels like it is up out of the track,” Stewart reported while manhandling his machine as it struggled in the center of the track’s 24-degree banked corners.

 

The No. 14 crew made numerous changes in the opening pit stops of the 400-lap race. By halfway, Stewart raced two laps behind the leaders in 22nd place. A speeding penalty on pit road at lap 206 dropped the No. 14 to 29th.  Nonetheless, Stewart remained focused on getting the best finish possible.

 

As night fell, Stewart battled to regain the lost laps but couldn’t find the key to unlocking the No. 14’s handling challenges. By the end of the longest NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season, Stewart was 24th – four laps behind the leader.

TSC PR