When Tony Stewart announced the formation of Stewart-Haas Racing, the NASCAR community let it be known that new teams do not prosper for the first year or more.
Stewart has proved them all wrong.
Both he and his teammate and employee Ryan Newman have made this year’s Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Stewart was at the top of the point standings going into the final regular race of the season at Richmond, while Newman was in 9th. Stewart was already locked into a Chase berth and Newman raced his way to a top-10 finish at RIR and the Chase.
Now that the points have been switched to Chase mode, Stewart is 2nd in the standings and Newman is 10th.
It is nothing less than extraordinary that both Stewart-Haas drivers have made the Chase for the Sprint Cup in the team’s first year of existence.
