Date: Sept. 29, 2013
Event: AAA 400 (Round 29 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Dover (Del.) International Speedway (1-mile concrete oval)
Winner: Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
SHR Finish:
Ryan Newman (Started 3rd, Finished 8th / Running, completed 400 of 400 laps)
Mark Martin (Started 29th, Finished 19th / Running, completed 397 of 400 laps)
Danica Patrick (Started 31st, Finished 29th / Running, completed 394 of 400 laps)
SHR Points:
Ryan Newman (7th with 2,101 points, 48 out of first)
Danica Patrick (28th with 529 points)
Tony Stewart/Mark Martin (not applicable)
Ryan Newman led the way for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) Sunday at Dover (Del.) International Speedway by finishing eighth in the AAA 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Newman, driver of the No. 39 State Water Heaters Chevrolet SS, earned his 14th top-10 finish of the season and his 12th top-10 finish in 24 career Sprint Cup starts at the 1-mile concrete oval.
Mark Martin, interim driver of SHR’s No. 14 Mobil 1/Bass Pro Shops Chevrolet SS as he subs for the injured Tony Stewart, finished 19th.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 29th. It was Patrick’s 39th career Sprint Cup start and her third at Dover. Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished 12 spots behind Stenhouse, who placed 17th.
Jimmie Johnson won the AAA 400 to score his 65th career Sprint Cup victory, his fifth of the season and his eighth at Dover.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished .446 of a second behind Johnson in the runner-up spot, while Joey Logano, Jeff Gordon and Kyle Busch rounded out the top-five. Kevin Harvick, Matt Kenseth, Newman, Greg Biffle and Clint Bowyer comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were four caution periods for 21 laps, with six drivers failing to finish the 400-lap race.
Newman is representing SHR in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and entered the third race of the 10-race Chase ninth among the 13 Chase drivers, 47 points behind Chase leader Kenseth. Newman gained two positions at Dover and sits seventh in the standings, 48 points behind Kenseth.
With seven races remaining before a champion is crowned after the season finale Nov. 17 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the top-13 drivers competing for the title rank as follows:
1. Matt Kenseth (2,149 points) +/-0 positions
2. Jimmie Johnson (2,141 points, -8) +1
3. Kyle Busch (2,137 points, -12) -1
4. Kevin Harvick (2,110 points -39) +2
5. Jeff Gordon (2,110 points, -39) +3
6. Greg Biffle (2,108 points, -41) -1
7. Ryan Newman (2,101 points, -48) +2
8. Clint Bowyer (2,098 points, -51) +2
9. Kurt Busch (2,094 points, -55) -2
10. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2,092 points, -57) +1
11. Carl Edwards (2,084 points, -65) -7
12. Joey Logano (2,083 points, -66) +/-0
13. Kasey Kahne (2,071 points, -78) +/-0
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule – the fourth race of the 10-race Chase – is the Hollywood Casino 400 Oct. 6 at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City. The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with a pre-race show at 1 p.m.
