Stewart-Haas Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500k Race Report

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent at Phoenix International Raceway by finishing 20th in Sunday’s Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, finished 25th after being involved in a nine-car accident on lap 171. While the No. 14 team repaired Stewart’s Chevrolet as best as possible, he finished two laps down.

Three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson beat Jeff Burton by 1.033 seconds to win the Checker O’Reilly Auto Parts 500k and score his 47th career Sprint Cup victory, his seventh of the season and his fourth at Phoenix.

Denny Hamlin finished third, while Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr. rounded out the top-five. Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Juan Pablo Montoya, Jeff Gordon and David Reutimann comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were four caution periods for 23 laps, with six drivers failing to finish the 312-lap race.

Both SHR drivers are represented in this year’s Chase for the Championship. Stewart remained fifth in the standings and is now 285 points behind Chase leader Johnson. Newman maintained his ninth-place standing and is 411 markers out of first.

Only the Nov. 22 season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway remains on the 2009 schedule, and the top-12 drivers who made up this year’s Chase currently rank as follows:

1. Jimmie Johnson (6,492 points) +/-0
2. Mark Martin (6,384 points, -108) +/-0
3. Jeff Gordon (6,323 points, -169) +/-0
4. Kurt Busch (6,281 points, -211) +/-0
5. Tony Stewart (6,207 points, -285) +/-0
6. Juan Pablo Montoya (6,203 points, -289) +/-0
7. Greg Biffle (6,171 points, -321) +/-0
8. Denny Hamlin (6,140 points, -352) +/-0
9. Ryan Newman (6,031 points, -411) +/-0
10. Kasey Kahne (6,016 points, -476) +/-0
11. Carl Edwards (5,972 points, -520) +/-0
12. Brian Vickers (5,826 points, -666) +/-0

Johnson has nearly clinched a NASCAR record fourth consecutive title, as his 108-point lead over second-place Martin is almost insurmountable, for Johnson needs only to finish 25th or better in the final race to capture the championship.

The season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway starts at 3:15 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by ABC beginning with its pre-race show at 2:30 p.m.