Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Partners for Youth Success (PaYS) Chevrolet Impala, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif., by finishing fifth in Sunday’s Auto Club 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Newman led once for eight laps en route to his third top-five finish of the season and his fourth top-five in 17 career Sprint Cup starts at Fontana.
Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala for SHR, finished 13th. Stewart ran among the top-five for much of the event and led four times for 11 laps, but faded in the final 15 circuits around the 2-mile oval with an ill-handling racecar.
Kevin Harvick won the Auto Club 400 to score his 15th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his first at Fontana.
Jimmie Johnson finished .144 of a second behind Harvick in the runner-up spot, while Kyle Busch, Matt Kenseth and Newman rounded out the top-five. Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Brian Vickers, Kasey Kahne and pole-sitter Juan Pablo Montoya comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were four caution periods for 16 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish the 200-lap race.
With round five of 36 complete, Newman moved up one spot to second in the Sprint Cup championship point standings and sits just nine markers back of new leader Edwards. Stewart fell three spots to sixth in the standings and is 17 points back of Edwards.
Stewart-Haas Racing PR
- Talladega Superspeedway Weekend Schedule - April 14, 2024
- Odd Tony Stewart Talladega Post Race Q&A - May 7, 2012
- Team Chevy Post Talladega Race Rundown - May 7, 2012