Stewart came into Phoenix only three points behind Edwards in the championship standings, and even though Edwards finished just one spot ahead of Stewart, the one bonus point Stewart earned for leading the most laps kept the title race tight heading into next Sunday’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“We led the most laps and did everything we could do. We missed it by two spots, but it was still an awesome day for the Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevy,” Stewart said. “We’ll just keep doing what we’re doing. We have a third and two wins in the last three races, so we’re going to keep the pressure on him (Edwards) and we’ll make him sweat it out.”

Three races ago at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, Stewart overpowered five-time and reigning Sprint Cup champion Jimmie Johnson in the final two laps to score his third win of the season. In the next race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Stewart led seven times for a race-high 173 en route to the ninth back-to-back victory of his career. Along the way, Stewart lopped 16 points off Edwards’ lead.

And after starting eighth at Phoenix – one spot ahead of Edwards – Stewart picked up right where he left off at Texas. After only 36 laps, Stewart was leading the 43-car field. He set the pace for seven laps until pit stops jumbled the running order. It proved of little matter, however, as Stewart proceeded to lead for four more stints – laps 46-94, 98-157, 182-221 and 291-294.

The race’s second-to-last round of pit stops came during a caution period on lap 221. Stewart took four tires and fuel, with the lone adjustment being a tweak to the air pressure in the right-front tire.

Stewart emerged in third place, first among the drivers who opted for four tires. Paul Menard and Kurt Busch restarted 1-2 after taking only two tires. Edwards was just behind Stewart in fourth.

“We got out of balance on the second-to-last stop and just lost that little bit that we needed to stay up there and keep Carl honest,” Stewart said. “We just made an air pressure change and got too far on it.”

Stewart fell to fourth while Edwards made a charge for the lead, finally taking the top spot on lap 279 and staying there for 12 circuits around the 1-mile oval. Soon, however, a final round of pit stops was necessary to fuel each car to the finish.

After leading laps 291-294, Stewart pitted for fuel only. He returned to the track in fourth, and then doggedly pursued third-place Jeff Burton, finally passing him on the next-to-last lap.

Meanwhile, Kasey Kahne, silently strong all day, augmented his fast racecar with smart pit strategy to take the lead on lap 299. Edwards was a distant second, with Burton serving as his buffer against Stewart.

Once Stewart passed Burton, the buffer was gone. Stewart’s one bonus point for leading a lap and second bonus point for leading the most laps kept Edwards in check. Even though Edwards finished ahead of Stewart, Stewart’s bonus point tally of two to one kept Edwards’ margin the same as it was when the two entered Phoenix – a scant three points.

“We had an awesome day. We just came up two spots shy,” said Stewart after recording his eighth top-five finish of 2011 and his eighth top-five result in 20 career Sprint Cup starts at Phoenix. “I don’t know how you could’ve asked for a better day, really. We led the most laps and we were on the same pace we were last week. Just fought as hard as we could all day.”

Also fighting hard was Stewart’s teammate, Ryan Newman. The driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Veterans Day Chevrolet Impala for SHR rallied from his 30th-place starting spot to finish fifth. It was Newman’s ninth top-five result of 2011 and his seventh top-five in 19 career Sprint Cup starts at Phoenix.

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.

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

Edwards finished .802 of a second behind Kahne in the runner-up spot, while Stewart, Burton and Newman rounded out the top-five. A.J. Allmendinger, David Reutimann, Marcos Ambrose, 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.

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.

“We did not get on the pole, but we had a nice, solid lap and that’s what we needed to do,” said Stewart, who won at Phoenix as a Sprint Cup rookie in November 1999. “I would like to have been a little better. I think our car is a little better than that. I was a little too free to run a faster lap than that. It was a solid run and we’re in good shape right now.”

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army Veterans Day Chevrolet Impala for SHR, will start 30th after turning a lap of 26.764 seconds at 134.509 mph.

“Not the lap we wanted,” said Newman, who won at Phoenix in April 2010 to score his first win in the No. 39 Chevrolet and the 14th of his Sprint Cup career. “There’s not a lot of grip in the track and we found that out.”

Matt Kenseth captured his seventh career Sprint Cup pole, his third of the season and his first at Phoenix by posting a lap of 26.258 seconds at 137.101 mph.

A.J. Allmendinger will start on the outside of row one as he timed in at 26.384 seconds at 136.446 mph. Marcos Ambrose was third (26.411 seconds at 136.307 mph), while Mark Martin (26.455 seconds at 136.080 mph) and Martin Truex Jr., (26.455 seconds at 136.080 mph) rounded out the top-five.

Forty-six drivers attempted to qualify for the Kobalt Tools 500k. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Scott Riggs, David Stremme and Andy Lally.

As far as manufacturers went, Ford took the top-three spots thanks to Kenseth, Allmendinger and Ambrose. Chevrolet was next best at the hands of Martin. The top Toyota was Truex, and carrying the flag for Dodge was 12th-quick Brad Keselowski (26.585 seconds at 135.415 mph).

The Kobalt Tools 500k gets underway at 3 p.m. EST on Sunday with live coverage provided by ESPN beginning with a pre-race show at 2 p.m.

Following the Aug. 27 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), had just finished 27^th or worse for the second time in three races. In addition, he was 10^th in the point standings, winless on the season, and barely eligible for the fast-approaching Chase for the Sprint Cup.

The Cardinals went 23-9 over their final 32 games, including 18-8 in the month of September, while the Braves collapsed going 9-18. Both teams were tied entering the season’s final day and, while the Cardinals easily dispatched the Astros 8-0 in Houston, the Braves lost at home in 13 innings to the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cardinals headed to postseason play while the Braves went home.

While the Cardinals were in the midst of their magical September run to the playoffs, Stewart finished third on Sept. 4 at Atlanta Motor Speedway and then seventh one week later at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, thus ending the “regular season” ninth in points to secure a coveted spot in the Chase.

Entering their respective playoffs, both the Cardinals and Stewart knew it didn’t matter how you made the postseason, but what you did once you were there. And both the Cardinals and the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot team had veteran leaders with experience winning championships.

Tony La Russa, the Cardinals manager, entered the playoffs with two World Series rings, the first coming in 1989 with the Oakland Athletics and the second coming with the Cardinals in 2006. Coincidentally, Stewart also had two championships entering his playoff run, having won Sprint Cup titles in 2002 and 2005.

The Cardinals methodically worked their way through the playoffs, defeating the Phillies 3-2 in the five-game division series before taking down the Brewers 4-2 in the best-of-seven National League Championship Series to earn a trip to the World Series.

It turned out to be one of the most exciting World Series to ever take place as the Cardinals defeated the American League’s Texas Rangers four games to three in an epic seven-game series that saw the Cardinals twice just one strike away from elimination in game six. They rallied in the sixth game, however, and won a four-hour, 33-minute classic on David Freese’s 11^th-inning home run to give them a 10-9 victory.

Like the Cardinals, Stewart is making the most of his playoff run and gaining confidence each time he takes to the track. He ripped off wins in the first two Chase races at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., and New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon and found himself first in the standings with eight races remaining.

A 25^th-place result at Dover (Del.) International Speedway, followed by a 15^th-place finish at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City one week later, dropped him to seventh in the standings, but not out of contention.

He rattled off top-10 finishes at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway and Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway before scoring wins at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway and last week at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Suddenly, Stewart is second in the standings, just three points behind (ironically) Missouri-native Carl Edwards.

And while the Cardinals were trailing 3-2 in the World Series entering games six and seven, Stewart is in the exact same position entering races nine and 10. And like the World Series, it should be an epic showdown – right down to the final lap of the season finale Nov. 20 at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

This week, Stewart, Edwards and 41 other competitors will take part in the Kobalt Tools 500k at the newly repaved and slightly reconfigured Phoenix International Raceway. With fresh pavement and the apex of the famous dogleg on the backstretch extended outward 85 feet farther than it was when the series races at Phoenix back in February, the race is truly a wild card. Despite Stewart’s long history at Phoenix in USAC, IZOD IndyCar Series and NASCAR competition – he won the Sprint Cup race at the mile oval in November 1999 – the old notes don’t work anymore.

Essentially, it’s a wild-card race and no one can predict who will be fast and successful, though Stewart was fastest of all drivers during the Oct. 4-5 open test.

With two races to go, Stewart and Co., will look to continue to its championship charge while always remembering the “Cardinal Rule:” It’s not how you get in the playoffs, but how you finish.

TONY STEWART, Driver of the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing:

How careful are you in practice and in race traffic with two races to go?
“We’re not really worried about it. I’m going out to win these last two races. I’m going at it just like I do every week. There’s no reason to do anything differently. There’s nothing you do now that you didn’t do before. It’s just the end of the year and there’s more on the line, but you still do the same things that got you here.”

When you return to Phoenix, it will be a very different racetrack from the one you visited back in February – new pavement and an altered layout. What do you think of the changes?
“If it makes the racing better for everybody, then it’s a positive thing. But, I’m an old-school guy. I didn’t like it when they changed the dogleg. I hated it when they took the Goodyear bridge down – the cross-over bridge over turn four. Those were things about Phoenix that made it unique and made it special. That side has already been changed. Changes now really aren’t going to be different. It’s already lost its original look, to me, but if it makes it better and it makes it better for the fans, how can you not be excited about it?”

You participated in a Goodyear Tire Test at Phoenix in August and in an open Sprint Cup test at Phoenix in October, where you posted the fastest lap. What is the new track like?
“The exit of turn two is a lot more open. You definitely make the apex of the corner a lot sooner, and it leads you out off the corner – it’s a lot easier to get off of turn two than it used to be. With the dogleg, it’s a little different. It’s somewhat like a roller-coaster with how it’s got an elevation change, going from the banking on the outside to down on the bottom and then back to the outside. After that, the rest of the track is pretty similar to the way it was. They did a really good job in laying the pavement down. It’s really smooth.”

You’re batting .500 in the Chase and coming into Phoenix with back-to-back wins. What kind of a message does that send to Edwards?
“We’re not counting on them to make mistakes. We’re controlling our destiny. We’re worried about what we’re doing. We’re not worried about what they’re doing. We’re just running our race and that’s what we intend to do these next two races. It’s theirs to lose, now, and we’re going to take it if we want it. Texas was a perfect example. We took five points off that deficit. We have that ability to do that these next two races.”

You’ve been in two championship runs before and won both of them. Is this one the most fun?
“I think so. The good thing is we’ve been in this position a lot of times. This isn’t the first time we’ve been in this deal. We have that ability.
I didn’t think we belonged in the Chase to start with. I didn’t think we were a factor. What do we have to lose? We don’t have anything to lose. I don’t care about second or third in the points. After you’ve won it, second doesn’t really matter. To me, it’s about going out, getting that championship, doing everything you can to accomplish that goal. We’re not a group that’s going to sit here and say, ‘We’ll take the easy road and settle for second.’ I’d rather finish sixth or seventh in points knowing that we did everything we can to win. That’s what we’re going to do these last two races.”

This battle between you and Edwards is pretty impressive.
“It shows what this Chase is going to be about. It’s a good battle right now. If you’re Brian France (NASCAR CEO and Chairman) right now, I would say he’s giddy. If not, he should be because this is the perfect scenario. It’s the perfect storm, so to speak, going into these last two weeks. That’s what you want. This is about as exciting as it gets – to have two guys who are down to three points with two races to go.”

How much is the experience of having already won two championships playing into your hands now?
“It’s definitely an advantage, but I’m not going to tell you why because that’s what I’m going to take to the next two races with me. We win this thing, I’ll tell you what the advantage is and why, but not until then.”

TONY STEWART’S PHOENIX PERFORMANCE PROFILE

× Race length extended due to green-white-checkered finish.

Schumacher’s U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster will carry the Vietnam Veteran faces at the NHRA season finale — the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals in Pomona, Calif. (Thursday-Sunday) while Newman’s No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet will carry the same paint scheme in the Kobalt Tools 500k Sprint Cup race at Phoenix International Raceway (Friday-Sunday).

“What a cool way for us to say ‘thank you’ and honor the Vietnam Veterans,” said Newman, a 15-time NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner. “History tells us that many who served in Southeast Asia were not properly recognized upon their return. It will be a sincere privilege and inspiration for our race team to have the Army Strong Vietnam Soldiers ride along with me in the Phoenix race.”

For seven-time NHRA champion Schumacher, driving the U.S. Army Top Fuel dragster is always a powerful reminder of what it means to be Army Strong.

“It’s truly inspiring to represent our Soldiers who served in Vietnam,” Schumacher said. “Many of the Vietnam Veterans are drag-racing fans who grew up at the height of the muscle-car and hot-rod era. We see many Vietnam veterans at our NHRA races, and that’s why this paint scheme will carry a special meaning for our U.S. Army team.”

The special paint scheme will serve as an extension of Veterans Day (Nov. 11) when, as a country, we honor and remember the heroism, courage and dedication displayed by our Veterans. While the nation remembers the service of its Veterans, the millions at home and at the track watching Newman and Schumacher will get a chance to see some of the faces who represent true heroes.

“Every time these guys drive with the Army colors, they represent the more than one million men and women who proudly serve our nation,” said John Myers, Director, Strategic Communications and Outreach, U.S. Army Accessions Command. “For these races, with these paint schemes, we pay tribute and say thank you to our Vietnam heroes as well as all past and present Soldiers and their families. Each picture, each face, is a reminder of the sacrifice and service of the millions who have made our Army strong and our nation free.”

Vietnam Army Veterans, along with their families, friends and loved ones, were given the opportunity to submit photos of the men and women who have embraced the call of duty and helped build and protect our country at www.goarmy.com/yourphotohere. All Vietnam Veterans shown in uniform were eligible for inclusion among the photos in the special paint scheme. Images were collected through Sept. 16.

And while the outcome wasn’t the exact same, Newman and his No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet had another impressive run at the 1-mile oval, as they finished fifth. Newman led twice for seven laps during the 312-lap race, and he fought his way to his third consecutive top-five finish at Phoenix, and his first top-five of the season.

“It was a good run today for the Tornados Chevrolet, and a good day for Stewart-Haas Racing as a whole – we had two cars in the top seven,” Newman said following the race. “We didn’t have the greatest stops today on pit road, but we fought back and we fought hard and in the end it paid off. We got better during the day, and I’m proud of everyone on this Tornados/U.S. Army crew.

“This is the best start to the season that we’ve had in a long time, and it was a good points day, and that’s important. If we can keep running strong and getting consistent finishes, it’s going to make a big difference in our season.”

Newman started Sunday afternoon’s race 14th in the 43-car field. He quickly reported to crew chief Tony Gibson that his car was a little loose getting into the turns, a little too sung in the center and a little too loose getting off the turns. Newman’s first pit stop came under caution at lap 22 as he pitted for right side tires and a track bar adjustment. Newman restarted the race in 13th at lap 25.

Within five laps, Newman had moved into the top 10 for the first time of the afternoon. However, the No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet was still too free for Newman’s liking. When the caution waved at lap 33 for a spin, Newman and Gibson opted to come back down pit road for an air pressure adjustment, four fresh tires, a wedge adjustment and fuel. Unfortunately, a miscue in the pits cost Newman and his No. 39 team as they lost multiple spots and returned to the track in 24th place for the restart at lap 38.

Newman described the early stages of the Phoenix race as “intense” and “crazy” as there were several multi-car crashes in a quick series of events. Luckily for Newman and his team, the No. 39 narrowly escaped getting collected in either of the big wrecks despite being right in the middle of the pack.

During the course of the multiple yellow flags for the multi-car pileups, Newman stayed on the racetrack and was able to gain spots on the field. By lap 72, Newman was in second. Two laps later, he took the race lead for the first time. Newman stayed in the top two and held the lead on two different occasions, before giving up the lead for the final time at lap 92. Newman remained in the top four.

When the caution waved at lap 126, Newman told his crew that his car’s biggest problem was a tight-handling condition in the center of turns one and two. He was also battling his car being loose coming off of turn four. Under the caution, Gibson brought Newman down pit road for four tires, fuel, an air pressure adjustment and a wedge adjustment. Newman returned to the track in sixth-place and remained in the top 10 for the rest of the day.

Newman continued to fight an ill-handling racecar throughout the course of the race. For the most part, the Tornados Chevrolet was a little too loose for Newman’s liking. The crew made a series of pit stops throughout the afternoon to try and improve the handling of the car with a variety of wedge, track bar and air pressure adjustments, but never quite got the right balance.

Despite the handling woes, Newman had a super-quick No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet and clocked times as fast as the leaders as he ran in the top 10. At lap 284, Newman came down pit road for the final pit stop of the day, taking on four fresh tires, fuel and making one more track bar adjustment to help the car’s loose-handling condition. Newman returned to the track in fifth place and remained there for the race’s duration.

Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala for SHR, led four times for 59 laps before finishing seventh.

Jeff Gordon won the Subway Fresh Fit 500k to score his 83rd career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his second at Phoenix. The victory ended a 66-race winless streak for the four-time Sprint Cup champion, as his last victory came on April 5, 2009 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Gordon is now tied with Cale Yarborough for fifth on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series all-time win list.

Kyle Busch finished 1.137 seconds behind Gordon in the runner-up spot, while Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Newman rounded out the top-five. Kasey Kahne, Stewart, Kurt Busch, A.J. Allmendinger and Dale Earnhardt Jr., comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were eight caution periods for 43 laps, with 10 drivers failing to finish the 312-lap race.

With round two of 36 complete, Stewart jumped from 12th in the Sprint Cup championship standings into a tie for third with Allmendinger. Stewart and Allmendinger each have 69 points and are 11 markers behind series leader Kyle Busch. Newman gained 12 spots to climb to seventh in the standings where he is tied with Bobby Labonte and Juan Pablo Montoya. Each has 64 points, 16 back of Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch leads his older brother, Kurt, by three points, marking the first time since February 1988 that family members occupy the top two spots in the standings. Following the 1988 Daytona 500, Bobby Allison had the top spot while his son, the late Davey Allison, was second.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the March 6 Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 2:30 p.m.

But when the yellow caution flag came out for debris on lap 287, Stewart’s strategy was sunk. The ill-timed caution period allowed those behind him to catch up, and with all having taken four tires to Stewart’s two, the driver/owner of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) was a sitting duck.

When the green flag dropped for the final restart on lap 291, it took less than a lap around the 1-mile oval for Kyle Busch to make his way past Stewart. Soon enough, Jeff Gordon went by, then Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick, Stewart’s SHR teammate Ryan Newman and, finally, Kasey Kahne.

When the checkered flag dropped on lap 312, Stewart was seventh — a tough pill to swallow after leading four times for 59 laps.

“Once that caution came out, we were done,” said Stewart, who started the race from 18th in the 43-car field. “The two tires gave us good track position, but we took them under green and once that caution came out there at the end, any advantage we had was gone.”

It was Stewart’s 10th top-10 finish in 19 career Sprint Cup starts at Phoenix and his first top-10 finish of 2011.

Newman’s rally to fifth brightened the day somewhat for Stewart, for it put both SHR cars in the top-10. The last time both SHR cars finished in the top-10 came in last year’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Newman finished seventh, while Stewart was eighth.

Newman now has three straight top-five finishes at Phoenix, dating back to his victory in this race a year ago where he piloted his No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet Impala to his 14th career Sprint Cup win.

Jeff Gordon won the Subway Fresh Fit 500k to score his 83rd career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his second at Phoenix. The victory ended a 66-race winless streak for the four-time Sprint Cup champion, as his last victory came on April 5, 2009 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Gordon is now tied with Cale Yarborough for fifth on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series all-time win list.

Kyle Busch finished 1.137 seconds behind Gordon in the runner-up spot, while Johnson, Harvick and Newman rounded out the top-five. Kahne, Stewart, Kurt Busch, A.J. Allmendinger and Dale Earnhardt Jr., comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were eight caution periods for 43 laps, with 10 drivers failing to finish the 312-lap race.

With round two of 36 complete, Stewart jumped from 12th in the Sprint Cup championship standings into a tie for third with Allmendinger. Stewart and Allmendinger each have 69 points and are 11 markers behind series leader Kyle Busch. Newman gained 12 spots to climb to seventh in the standings where he is tied with Bobby Labonte and Juan Pablo Montoya. Each has 64 points, 16 back of Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch leads his older brother, Kurt, by three points, marking the first time since February 1988 that family members occupy the top two spots in the standings. Following the 1988 Daytona 500, Bobby Allison had the top spot while his son, the late Davey Allison, was second.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the March 6 Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet Impala, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent at Phoenix International Raceway by finishing fifth in Sunday’s Subway Fresh Fit 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Newman led twice for seven laps en route to his sixth top-five finish in 18 career Sprint Cup starts at the 1-mile oval and his first top-five finish this season.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevrolet Impala for SHR, led four times for 59 laps and finished seventh. It was his 10th top-10 finish in 19 career Sprint Cup starts at Phoenix and his first top-10 finish of 2011.

The last time both SHR cars finished in the top-10 came in last year’s season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Newman finished seventh, while Stewart was eighth.

Jeff Gordon won the Subway Fresh Fit 500k to score his 83rd career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his second at Phoenix. The victory ended a 66-race winless streak for the four-time Sprint Cup champion, as his last victory came on April 5, 2009 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. Gordon is now tied with Cale Yarborough for fifth on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series all-time win list.

Kyle Busch finished 1.137 seconds behind Gordon in the runner-up spot, while Jimmie Johnson, Kevin Harvick and Newman rounded out the top-five. Kasey Kahne, Stewart, Kurt Busch, A.J. Allmendinger and Dale Earnhardt Jr., comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were eight caution periods for 43 laps, with 10 drivers failing to finish the 312-lap race.

With round two of 36 complete, Stewart jumped from 12th in the Sprint Cup championship standings into a tie for third with Allmendinger. Stewart and Allmendinger each have 69 points and are 11 markers behind series leader Kyle Busch. Newman gained 12 spots to climb to seventh in the standings where he is tied with Bobby Labonte and Juan Pablo Montoya. Each has 64 points, 16 back of Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch leads his older brother, Kurt, by three points, marking the first time since February 1988 that family members occupy the top two spots in the standings. Following the 1988 Daytona 500, Bobby Allison had the top spot while his son, the late Davey Allison, was second.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the March 6 Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EST with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 2:30 p.m.

With cloudy skies overhead, Newman hit the track 24th in Saturday morning’s qualifying session, laying down a lap good enough to place him sixth in line to start the Bashas’ Supermarkets 200 later that day. As the field took the green flag, Newman immediately wheeled his Dollar General Chevrolet into the top-five, where he would race most of the afternoon. By lap 22, Newman had radioed several times that his Impala was free in the center of the corners and suggested the Dollar General crew go down on the track bar and make air pressure adjustments. Crew chief, Stewart Cooper, told his driver they would fix his free condition on the first pit stop.

When the field finally saw the day’s first caution flag on lap 55, Newman was called to pit road for four tires, fuel and adjustments. The No. 30 restarted the race in the sixth spot and, within three laps, Newman had shot to the third position.

Holding down the third position until the next caution flag waved on lap 107, Newman radioed to his crew that his Impala was very loose when it was in traffic. When pit road opened, Newman came in for four tires, fuel and another track bar adjustment. The No.30 restarted the race in the fifth position.

After the final yellow flag of the afternoon was displayed to the field on lap166, Newman lined his Dollar General Chevrolet up in the sixth position for the final 30-lap sprint to the finish. When the checkered flag finally flew on lap 200, the No. 30 was listed in the fourth position, the team’s second consecutive top-10 finish in as many races.

“It was good day for this No. 30 Dollar General team. We were loose a majority of the afternoon, but we were able to get up there as high as third for a while. We kept trying to tighten it up on each run, but were never able to get it exactly right,” said Newman after the race. “These Turner Motorsports guys worked really hard all weekend! I would really like to thank Steve Turner and Dollar General for giving me the opportunity to jump into the No. 30 Dollar General Chevrolet here in Phoenix. I’m glad we could bring home a solid top-five for them.”

Next Stop: The NASCAR Nationwide Series teams head Sin City next weekend for the Sam’s Town 300 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Saturday afternoon race will be broadcast LIVE on ABC and on PRN Radio affiliates. LIVE coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. EST with the green flag scheduled to drop at 3:00 p.m.