Stewart-Haas teams stack awards at New Hampshire

Strategic calls on the pit box and hard driving helped both Cup Series teams from Stewart-Haas Racing collect two post-race contingency awards to go along with their top-10 finishes on Sunday at the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Strategic moves by crew chief Tony Gibson of the No. 39 team proved key to winning Gibson's second DIRECTV Crew Chief of the Race Award, presented to the crew chief of the driver who demonstrates the best qualifying and race effort as determined by the average of qualifying result and race finish.

Stewart

Likewise, hard driving, pit stop timing and some good fortune enabled Tony Stewart and the No. 14 team to come from as far back as 33rd to capture the runner-up spot and the O'Reilly Auto Parts Position Improvement Award presented to the eligible driver who improves the most positions from their starting position to their finishing position.

The awards are part of the NASCAR Prize Money and Decal Program, also referred to as the contingency program, which provides teams prize money and weekly awards based on performance in several categories.

For Ryan Newman, the strong qualifying effort had the No. 39 starting fifth with the same car that won earlier this season at Phoenix. After battling some handling adjustments throughout the majority of the race, Gibson's decision to pit twice during the long green flag runs, take four tires and make adjustments improved the handling of the car and thus Newman's position on the track. With just 20 laps remaining, Gibson pulled the No. 39 into the pits for two tires and air pressure and returned Newman to the track in eighth place, where he avoided trouble during an incident on track and brought the car home sixth.

"The Haas Automation Chevrolet was really a good car all day," Gibson said. "We really only had to make minor adjustments that helped Ryan to turn better in the corners. At the end, we had the choice to take four tires, two tires or to stay out, and we were confident that our car was good enough to make it on two tires so we were able to hold on to our track position.

Newman

"At the end of the race, the track position was really the most important thing and our car was good enough that we took two tires and were able to restart in the top five. The pit crew did a great job, Ryan did a great job and it was really a team effort all the way around. We're definitely in the hunt for a spot in the Chase, and we have to make the most out of every one of these races. We're a team that doesn't give up and we're going to fight right up to the end, and we proved that at New Hampshire."

Stewart, who started 25th, found himself back in the pack early but was able to make his way back up to the top five during a 201-lap green flag run. Just when Stewart had to relinquish track position due to off-sequence pit stops, a caution on Lap 240 and a call by crew chief Darian Grubb to stay out on the track enabled the No. 14 to get back on the lead lap and set up the push to the front.

"I appreciate everybody's work at Stewart-Haas," Stewart said. "Nobody has quit on this deal and we all just dug deeper."

The last time both Stewart-Haas Racing cars finished in the top 10 was October 2009 at Martinsville Speedway.

The Stewart-Haas Racing teams return to Daytona International Speedway for the Coke Zero 400. Stewart has won four of the past 10 races at Daytona International Speedway including last year's Coke Zero 400. He has also claimed three consecutive victories in the February NASCAR Nationwide Series races at Daytona and recorded a top-10 finish at the 2009 Daytona 500. Teammate Ryan Newman won the Daytona 500 two years ago.

For a complete list of New Hampshire award winners, click here.