Date: Oct. 12, 2013
Event: Bank of America 500 (Round 31 of 36)
Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Location: Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval)
Winner: Brad Keselowski of Penske Racing (Ford)
SHR Finish:
Ryan Newman (Started 7th, Finished 8th / Running, completed 334 of 334 laps)
Danica Patrick (Started 35th, Finished 20th / Running, completed 332 of 334 laps)
Mark Martin (Started 22nd, Finished 42nd / Engine, completed 80 of 334 laps)
SHR Points:
Ryan Newman (12th with 2,147 points, 78 out of first)
Danica Patrick (28th with 554 points)
Tony Stewart / Mark Martin (not applicable)
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS, led the three-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent Saturday night at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway by finishing eighth in the Bank of America 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.
Newman started seventh and led two laps en route to scoring his 10th top-10 in 26 career Sprint Cup starts at the 1.5-mile oval. It was also his 15th top-10 this season.
Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 20th. It was Patrick’s 41st career Sprint Cup start and her third at Charlotte. Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished seven spots behind Stenhouse, who placed 13th.
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 42nd after his engine expired only 80 laps into the 334-lap race.
Brad Keselowski won the Bank of America 500 to score his 10th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his first at Charlotte.
Kasey Kahne finished 1.022 seconds behind Keselowski in the runner-up spot, while Matt Kenseth, Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch rounded out the top-five. Kevin Harvick, Jeff Gordon, Newman, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were four caution periods for 20 laps, with seven drivers failing to finish.
Newman is representing SHR in this year’s Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup and entered the fifth race of the 10-race Chase 12th among the 13 Chase drivers, 73 points behind Chase leader Kenseth. Newman leaves Charlotte still in 12th, 78 points behind Kenseth.
With five 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 (2,225 points) +/-0 positions
2. Jimmie Johnson (2,221 points, -4) +/-0
3. Kevin Harvick (2,196 points, -29) +/-0
4. Jeff Gordon (2,189 points -36) +/-0
5. Kyle Busch (2,188 points, -37) +/-0
6. Greg Biffle (2,167 points, -58) +/-0
7. Kurt Busch (2,166 points, -59) +/-0
8. Clint Bowyer (2,162 points, -63) +1
9. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2,159 points, -66) -1
10. Carl Edwards (2,158 points, -67) +1
11. Joey Logano (2,150 points, -75) -1
12. Ryan Newman (2,147 points, -78) +/-0
13. Kasey Kahne (2,144 points, -81) +/-0
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule – the sixth race of the 10-race Chase – is the Camping World RV Sales 500 Oct. 20 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with a pre-race show at 1 p.m.
