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Tony Stewart returned from a back injury in April and the three-time champion is in pursuit of one of the 16 spots in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in his final season. Here's a look at where the driver of the No. 14 Chevrolet stands in his pursuit after the season's 13th of 26 regular-season races.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED
Stewart faced adversity early in Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, as he was forced to start the 600-mile event from the rear due to unapproved body adjustments to the No. 14 Chevrolet. Undeterred, "Smoke" made his way from the back to mid-pack, making a three-wide move for 21st place at Lap 36. But a pit road penalty halfway through the race and lightning fast frontrunners didn't bode well for the No. 14 Chevrolet and he ultimately finished 24th, four laps down. Nonetheless, the result did allow Stewart to jump two spots in the driver standings to 35th.
WHAT HE NEEDS
Stewart received a waiver from NASCAR for Chase eligibility. The surest way into the Chase is by winning before the end of regular season (at Richmond International Raceway on Sept. 10) and climb into the top 30 in the points standings. En route to his 2015 championship, Kyle Busch faced a similar path after missing the first 11 races with a leg injury. Currently, Stewart is 35th in the standings, 60 points behind David Ragan for 30th place.
WHAT'S NEXT
"Smoke" heads to Pocono Raceway on June 5 (1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio). Stewart is a two-time winner at "The Tricky Triangle," his last trip to Victory Lane coming in 2009. In his 34 starts, he also has 12 top fives and 23 top-10 results.
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