The four young men averaging 23.25 years in age had just recorded an accomplishment that many drivers only fantasize about: They had secured a position in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Chase for the Championship for the first time in their careers.
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“That’s what’s so special about it”, he said, who started from the pole and led the last 86 laps (189 total) on the way to his third victory of the season, his third at the.75-mile track and the 29th of his career.
In an interview after the race, Newman, whose chances of making the chase were spoiled, went off on Stewart, calling him “bipolar” and saying Stewart has “anger issues”.
“I guess he thought he was in a sprint auto again and didn’t know how to control his anger”, Newman said after the two made contact three times before finally wrecking. When he attempted to bump-and-run past Tony Stewart, however, the soon-to-be retiring veteran wrecked him and ended his playoff hopes.
“I didn’t think staying out was the right thing to do, but great call there”, Hamlin said.
“I thought for sure we had too many laps on our tires”, Hamlin said to NASCAR. Stewart’s auto caught fire and Dylon Lupton’s vehicle came to a rest on the hood of Newman’s auto.
And honestly, you should probably expect to see the same thing over the next three months.
And, his reaction for Newman’s suggestion that Stewart should be retired already?
He’d had time to cool down before addressing the incident and Newman’s comments, joking Newman will get “his wish in 10 weeks” for Stewart to retire. “Three times? That’s two more time than I normally let somebody run into me”.
“It’s a stressful night for him; he’s trying to make the Chase”, Stewart said when asked about Newman’s outburst.
Austin Dillon (13th), Chase Elliott (18), Jamie McMurray (7th) and Chris Buescher (24) clinched the final four spots in the 16-driver Chase. There are three spots available tonight – four if Buescher falls below 30th – and a first-time race victor would snag one of the open slots.
Sunoco rookies Chase Elliott and Chris Buescher both weathered some tense moments to qualify for NASCAR’s 10-race playoff, the first time two rookies have ever been included in the Chase field-and the first time any rookie has made the Chase since Hamlin accomplished the feat in 2006.
Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top five.
Kyle Busch gave Toyota its first Cup title last season, and the first championship for team owner Joe Gibbs in a decade. They’ve led over 4,000 laps and again routed the field in the regular-season finale at Richmond by leading 385 of 407 laps in a Denny Hamlin win. Although six-time champion Johnson came into Darlington with back-to-back top-10 finishes, he hasn’t won since Fontana (the fifth race of the season) and had a hot-and-cold summer.
Several speeding penalties were handed out on pit road, as well as several drivers having to serve penalties for uncontrolled tires, including Jimmie Johnson, Matt Kenseth, and Aric Almirola, with Harvick, Truex and Khane getting nailed for speeding. Matt Kenseth was running at the front of the field but a cut tire sent him into the Turn 3 wall after contact with Brad Keselowski…
“Ryan and I have been good friends”.
The 10-race Chase begins September 18 at Chicagoland Speedway.
There’s nothing at all to suggest Harvick won’t be in the final four at the November 20 finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
Be Civil – It’s OK to have a difference in opinion but there’s no need to be a jerk.
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