Stewart-Haas Racing posts its first team-wide top-10s (cont'd)

Balancing life as a team owner and a driver ultimately vying to make the Chase is an ongoing challenge and still new territory Stewart is conquering with each race. After Sunday's race it was unclear if Stewart the driver would be upset he didn't get the win or Stewart the team owner would be happy to have both his cars in the top six.

Stewart was feeling both sides but only after the checkered flag dropped. While racing hard behind Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin, waiting for them to slip, he was completely unaware that his driver and teammate, Newman, had broken into the top 10.

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... All the people at Stewart-Haas now is making a difference and making the cars faster."

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RYAN NEWMAN

"I didn't know until we took the checkers," Stewart said. "I never saw him all day which was a good thing ... that meant he was still on the lead lap and still coming. On a caution every now and then I could see where he was track-position wise but I had no idea he had such a strong run there at the end.

We were more worried about ourselves at the time. It's not that you're not worried about Ryan but you've got a job to do and it takes 100 percent of your concentration."

Newman seemed to have a different car during the second half of the race and admitted there wasn't much he could do early on with his No. 39 Chevy, it was so tight.

"The guys did a good job making adjustments," Newman said. "The bottom line is we stayed headstrong and got our positioning back and got up to sixth. There at the end it came to us and we had a pretty good long-run car, too. We just made the best of it [Sunday]."

Newman said he and his team have overcome some adversity since their rough start in Daytona and better days are to come.

"The most rewarding part is just seeing it develop and watching everybody's smiles turn into grins and their grins turn into laughter and laughter turning into Victory Lane," he said. "We're not there yet but that's the ultimate goal ... all the people at Stewart-Haas now is making a difference and making the cars faster."

Relationships are growing stronger as well as the camaraderie. Stewart said the trust is only increasing between him and his crew chief, which is crucial progress for a new team.

"He is very sure of himself and sure of his decisions. It's more me being patient and sitting back and trusting him to do his job and not second-guess him," Stewart said of Grubb. "There are times when I think one thing and he is thinking something else so the good thing is being able to have that trust in him. Even though you question it you accept it and go out and feel like, 'Wow he did know my car and the way I wanted it.'"

Pleasantly surprised is one way to describe Stewart's sentiments after six races into the season, then again when he looks within his operation and the people he is surrounded by success is expected.

"If you looked at it on paper and said these are the resources, this is the equipment that we have, this is the people that we have on paper, it's supposed to work just fine," he said. "Obviously, when you get to the race track and you get the personalities involved, there are a lot of things that can be different and you realize how many good teams there really are out here.

"So, from a certain standpoint, yes, I have been surprised, but at the same time when we did our homework last year and before we made the decision to make the switch, we looked at it saying we feel that the right resources are in place to do well. I think it was just a question of how long was it going to take to gel and become successful."

The team continues to be a position to win each week and Stewart knows the consistency eventually will turn into a victory.

"We are inching up closer," he said. "It's not exactly where we want to be, but after six races in I'm pretty proud of where we are at."