Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) drivers Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart finished 10th and 12th, respectively, in race one of Thursday’s Gatorade Duel – twin qualifying races that set the 43-car field for the season-opening Daytona 500. Forty-eight NASCAR Sprint Cup Series drivers were evenly split among the two Duels, putting 24 drivers in each 150-mile race at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. The results mean that Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala, will start 21st in Sunday’s Daytona 500, while Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala, will roll off 25th. SHR avoided disaster on the second lap when Newman spun exiting turn two while Stewart was drafting behind him. In order to achieve maximum speed, it … Read entire article »