Stewart-Haas Racing Kobalt Tools 500k Race Report

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent at Phoenix International Raceway by finishing third in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Stewart led five times for a race-high 160 laps en route to his eighth top-five finish of 2011 and his eighth top-five result in 20 career Sprint Cup starts at Phoenix.

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Veterans Day Chevrolet Impala for SHR, finished fifth. It was Newman’s ninth top-five result of 2011 and his seventh top-five in 19 career Sprint Cup starts at the 1-mile oval.

The last time both SHR drivers finished in the top-five was in July at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon when Newman won and Stewart finished second.

Kasey Kahne won the Kobalt Tools 500k to score his 12th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his first at Phoenix.

Carl Edwards finished .802 of a second behind Kahne in the runner-up spot, while Stewart, Jeff Burton and Newman rounded out the top-five. A.J. Allmendinger, David Reutimann, Marcos Ambrose, Paul Menard and Clint Bowyer comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were eight caution periods for 30 laps, with 10 drivers failing to finish the 312-lap race.

Stewart and Newman are both in this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup and came into Phoenix second and 12th, respectively, in the Chase standings. Stewart was three points behind Chase leader Edwards while Newman was 103 points out of the top spot. Stewart leaves Phoenix still in second and still three points behind Edwards. Newman moved up three spots to ninth in the standings and is now 107 points out of first. Both Newman and Kurt Busch have 2,252 points, but because Busch has two wins this season compared to just one for Newman, Busch is awarded eighth place.

Just one race remains before a champion is crowned following the Nov. 20 Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Heading into the season finale, the top-12 Chase drivers rank as follows, with only Edwards and Stewart still eligible for the title.
1. Carl Edwards (2,359 points)
2. Tony Stewart (2,356 points, -3)
3. Kevin Harvick (2,308 points, -51)
4. Brad Keselowski (2,294 points, -65)
5. Jimmie Johnson (2,291 points, -68)
6. Matt Kenseth (2,289 points, -70)
7. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (2,257 points, -102)
8. Kurt Busch (2,252 points, -107)
9. Ryan Newman (2,252 points, -107)
10. Denny Hamlin (2,249 points, -110)
11. Jeff Gordon (2,247 points, -112)
12. Kyle Busch (2,224 points, -135)

The Ford 400 begins at 3 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with a pre-race show at 2 p.m.