Stewart-Haas Racing NASCAR Banking 500 Race Report

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 TRANSFORMERS: “Revenge of the Fallen” Chevrolet Impala SS, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., by finishing 11th in Saturday night’s NASCAR Banking 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. It was Newman’s 20th top-15 finish of the year.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, finished 13th to score his 24th top-15 finish of 2009.

Jimmie Johnson beat Matt Kenseth by 2.303 seconds to win the NASCAR Banking 500 and score his 46th career Sprint Cup victory, his series-leading sixth of the season and his sixth at Charlotte. The three-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion is now tied with two-time Sprint Cup titlist Buck Baker for 13th on the all-time win list for NASCAR’s top division.

Kasey Kahne finished third, while Jeff Gordon and rookie Joey Logano rounded out the top-five. Clint Bowyer, Casey Mears, Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., and Kurt Busch comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 10 caution periods for 42 laps, with four drivers failing to finish the 334-lap race.

Both SHR drivers are represented in this year’s Chase for the Championship. Stewart remained fourth in the standings, but is now 155 points behind Chase leader Johnson. Newman climbed two spots to eighth and is 288 markers out of first.

With five races remaining before a champion is crowned following the season finale Nov. 22 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the top-12 drivers competing for the title rank as follows:

1. Jimmie Johnson (5,923 points) +/-0
2. Mark Martin (5,833 points, -90) +/-0
3. Jeff Gordon (5,788 points, -135) +2
4. Tony Stewart (5,768 points, -155) +/-0
5. Kurt Busch (5,746 points, -177) +1
6. Juan Pablo Montoya (5,728 points, -195) -3
7. Greg Biffle (5,655 points, -268) +/-0
8. Ryan Newman (5,635 points, -288) +2
9. Kasey Kahne (5,592 points, -331) +2
10. Carl Edwards (5,582 points, -341) -2
11. Denny Hamlin (5,551 points, -372) -2
12. Brian Vickers (5,438 points, -485) +/-0

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Oct. 25 Tums Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway. The race begins at 1:30 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by ABC beginning with its pre-race show at 1 p.m.