Engine swaps send pair back
Sunday, Mar. 07, 2010
Though both drivers made the 2009 Chase last season, Stewart-Haas Racing competition director Bobby Hutchens felt that Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman kind of nosed-over a little bit late last season.
Newmans continued nose-over prompted engine changes and sent both to the back of the field to start the race on Sunday. The Stewart-Haas organization leases engines from Hendrick Motorsports.
Newman qualified seventh and Stewart 15th on Friday. But Newmans margin for error has gotten slim.
After the March 21 race at Bristol, Tenn., teams outside the top 35 in owner points must qualify on speed to make the races.
Stewart began Sunday's event 11th in owner points and he is solidly locked in. Newmans 32nd-place standing was worrisome enough that Hutchens wouldnt take any chances with a possible valve-train issue.
We decided to err on the side of caution and change the engine (Sunday) morning," Hutchens said.
Newman and Stewart led the series in completing 99.77 percent of the 10,492 laps run in 2009. But an accident knocked Newman out of the Daytona 500 and an engine failure ended his race early at Fontana, Calif., the following week.
Newman was 33rd in points after three races in 2009 but rallied to finish ninth overall.
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