Stewart-Haas Racing Review-New Hampshire Win Made ‘A Perfect Day’


Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart finish 1-2 at New Hampshire
Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images for NASCAR
The way the weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was progressing for the Stewart-Haas Racing team, the win by Ryan Newman in the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 July 17 could have been expected.  Newman and his teammate/owner Tony Stewart started the race from the front row and Newman won the Whelen Modified Tour event from the pole on Saturday.
The only drama Sunday was whether the caution laps had left the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet with enough fuel to make it to the end.  After Newman took the checkered flag ahead of Stewart for his first win of the season, he still had enough fuel to do his burnouts to celebrate the first one-two finish for the SHR teammates.
“It was a perfect day for the organization for sure. This is a perfect way to go into an off weekend, for sure.  Especially going into Indy, man, this is big for everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. Big thanks to the Hendrick engine and chassis department for everything they do for us.”
In finishing second, Stewart perhaps gained some of the momentum that is expected of him in the summer months when he typically has better finishes.  But if anyone doubted that Stewart was racing Newman in a car he owns as hard for the win as he would any other driver, Stewart set the record straight.
”I was happy, period. I mean, you know when you're in that situation as an organization, it can't get any better than that. I can promise you, I didn't leave anything out there. That was as hard as I could run till the end. I couldn't get the rest of the way. I couldn't get any further than that.”
The win puts Newman in a good position to make the Chase for the Championship unless he has some really bad luck going forward.  He is currently eighth in the standings and the one win is crucial if he should slip out of the top ten and need to rely on a wild card spot.
Stewart is hanging precariously near the bottom of the Chase cutoff in 11th spot with David Ragan the only driver outside the top-10 but in the top-20 with a win.  If the Chase were to begin today, Ragan would jump to 11th and Stewart would claim the 12th and final spot since he has not won this year.
The NASCAR Sprint Cup drivers have a rare weekend off before the two SHR drivers head to their home state of Indiana for the Brickyard.

Rosalie Thompson covers Stewart-Haas Racing for Skirts and Scuffs and Examiner.com.  Follow her on Twitter @RosalieT of Google + for all the latest in SHR news.
Stewart-Haas Racing Review-New Hampshire Win Made ‘A Perfect Day’ Stewart-Haas Racing Review-New Hampshire Win Made ‘A Perfect Day’ Reviewed by Rosalie Thompson on Monday, July 18, 2011 Rating: 5