RELATED: Coverage of Stewart's accident, comeback | Updated Chase Grid
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 14th of 26 regular-season races.
WHAT JUST HAPPENED
Stewart started Monday's rain-postponed race in sixth, his best starting position of the season. And the No. 14 Chevrolet was firmly esconced in the top 10 until misfortune hit on Lap 92. Following a restart in which cars went up to five wide at Pocono Raceway, Stewart's car got shuffled to the middle line and got loose, causing him to slow. Stewart-Haas Racing driver Danica Patrick, who had reported brake issues all day, couldn't get the No. 10 slowed down fast enough to avoid hitting Stewart from behind. Stewart spun.
Patrick and Stewart both took their cars to the garage eventually, and both returned to the race. Stewart re-entered the race in 38th place and finished 34th. Stewart entered the Pocono race 35th in the points standings and lost one place, finishing the day at 36th.
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 36th in the standings, 71 points behind David Ragan for 30th place.
WHAT'S NEXT
"Smoke" heads to Michigan (June 12 at 1 p.m. ET, FS1, MRN, Sirius XM NASCAR Radio), where he has one win in the Irish Hills, in his third race there in 2000. In his 32 starts there, he also has 12 top fives and 20 top-10 results.
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