LONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- Late caution flags helped Ryan Newman stretch his gas to the end, allowing him to barely hold off hard-charging Kurt Busch and win Sunday at Pocono Raceway.
Newman, who started on the pole, would not have been able to make the final 46 laps without stopping. But crashes involving rookie Casey Mears and Bobby Labonte slowed the field for a total of 12 laps in the Pennsylvania 500.
Newman used the same strategy to win two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway, and Jimmie Johnson won with a fuel economy run last Sunday in New Hampshire. Newman said he wasn't thinking entirely about fuel as Busch made a determined bid after the race went green for the final 12 laps.
"The 97 there at the end, I had to do some stuff to keep his nose in the dirty air," Newman said. "Fuel mileage and track position paid off."
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