Date: Nov. 3, 2013
Event: AAA Texas 500 (Round 34 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth (1.5-mile oval)
Winner: Jimmie Johnson of Hendrick Motorsports (Chevrolet)
SHR Finish:
Ryan Newman (Started 13th, Finished 9th / Running, completed 334 of 334 laps)
Mark Martin (Started 33rd, Finished 11th / Running, completed 334 of 334 laps)
Danica Patrick (Started 30th, Finished 25th / Running, completed 331 of 334 laps)
SHR Points:
Ryan Newman (12th with 2,224 points, 118 out of first)
Danica Patrick (25th with 611 points)
Tony Stewart / Mark Martin (not applicable)
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet SS, led the three-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth by finishing ninth in the AAA Texas 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Newman started 13th and led once for two laps en route to scoring his fifth top-10 in 21 career Sprint Cup starts at Texas. It was also his 17th top-10 this season.
Mark Martin, interim driver of SHR’s No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS as he subs for the injured Tony Stewart, finished 11th.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 25th. It was Patrick’s 44th career Sprint Cup start and her third at Texas. Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished nine spots behind Stenhouse, who placed 16th.
Jimmie Johnson won the AAA Texas 500 to score his 66th career Sprint Cup victory, his sixth of the season and his third at Texas. Johnson led 255 laps, the second highest amount in Texas history behind Stewart, who led 278 circuits en route to victory on Nov. 5, 2006.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. finished 4.390 seconds behind Johnson in the runner-up spot, while Joey Logano, Matt Kenseth and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top-five. Brad Keselowski, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Newman and Clint Bowyer comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were five caution periods for 26 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish the 334-lap race.
Newman is representing SHR in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and entered the eighth race of the 10-race Chase 12th among the 13 Chase drivers, 106 points behind Chase leaders Kenseth and Johnson, who were tied for the point lead. Newman leaves Texas still in 12th, 118 points behind Johnson, who is seven points ahead of second-place Kenseth.
With two 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. Jimmie Johnson (2,342 points) +/-0 position
2. Matt Kenseth (2,335 points, -7) -1
3. Kevin Harvick (2,302 points, -40) +1
4. Kyle Busch (2,290 points, -52) +1
5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2,280 points, -62) +2
6. Jeff Gordon (2,273 points, -69) -3
7. Clint Bowyer (2,273 points, -69) -1
8. Greg Biffle (2,269 points, -73) +/-0
9. Joey Logano (2,251 points, -91) +2
10. Kurt Busch (2,246 points, -96) -1
11. Carl Edwards (2,226 points, -116) -1
12. Ryan Newman (2,224 points, -118) +/-0
13. Kasey Kahne (2,209 points, -133) +/-0
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule – the ninth race of the 10-race Chase – is the AdvoCare 500 on Nov. 10 at Phoenix International Raceway. The penultimate race of the season begins at 3 p.m. EST, with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with a pre-race show at 2 p.m.
