Stewart-Haas Racing Review-Did Kansas performance contribute to Bobby Hutchens release?

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Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart both ended the day at Kansas Speedway disappointed after another race day where a pit road mistake and an ill-handling car left the Stewart-Haas Racing drivers hugging the bottom of the NASCAR Sprint Cup standings.  Monday Stewart-Haas Racing released Bobby Hutchens, its director of competition.

Tony Stewart finished eighth in the STP 400 Sprint Cup NASCAR race at Kansas Speedway after he was forced to make a late-race pit stop for a splash of fuel.  Krissie Newman tweeted some unflattering words from hubby Ryan Newman about his car that finished 15^th on Sunday. 

Stewart had a shot at the win but had to pit for a splash of fuel during a green flag run because a problem getting the fuel tank full resulted in Stewart being off sequence with the rest of the drivers.  Even race winner Brad Keselowski said he did not realize Stewart had pitted until he saw the scoring column with two laps to go.

"We didn't get all the fuel in it to make it to the end,” Stewart said. “We had a problem getting the fuel in and we didn't get it full at that second to last stop so we had to pit there with about 10 to go. There's nothing you can do.”

Newman struggled with the handling of his racecar from the drop of the green flag. He started 12^th but soon lost several spots because he said his car was too tight in the center of the corners. By lap 40, Newman had dropped to 19^th place.

“It was a disappointing day for all of us,” Newman said. “We hung in there, but it just wasn’t what we were hoping for out of our Haas Automation Chevy.”

Stewart-Haas Racing released Bobby Hutchens, who has served as the team’s director of competition since 2009, and promoted MattBorland to that position June 6. Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas Racing withGene Haas, said there has been a restructuring of management within the team’scompetition department.

Stewart-Haas Racing has promoted Matt Borland to vice president of competition,” Stewart said. “Bobby Hutchens, who served as our director of competition since 2009, has been released.” “Bobby played an integral part in building Stewart-Haas Racing into a team that wins races and contends for championships. We’re grateful for all his hard work and dedication, and I am personally appreciative for the responsibilities he took on Friday through Sunday that allowed me to be just a driver. We wish him nothing but the best.”

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