Newman Outlasts Harvick and Wins

Ryan Newman and an empty gas tank spoiled Kevin Harvick’s bid for three consecutive Chicagoland Speedway victories, with Newman pulling away at the end to win the NASCAR Winston Cup Series Tropicana 400 Sunday in Joliet, Ill.

Newman and Harvick both pitted to top off their tanks on Lap 198 of the 267-lap race, hoping to stretch the fuel to the end. Newman made it, and Harvick didn’t.

Newman got out of the pits first and took the lead for good on Lap 210 when the drivers ahead of him all pitted under caution.

In all, Newman led twice for 67 laps, averaging 134.059 mph.

Harvick worked his way to second on Lap 225 and was close behind when the green flag waved on Lap 240 for a restart following the last of seven caution flags in the race.

Harvick is one of only four drivers who have won the first two races at a new track since NASCAR’s modern era began in 1972, but he couldn’t catch Newman’s Penske Racing South Dodge.

Newman kept edging ahead, moving out to a lead of more than one second before Harvick’s Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet suddenly slowed three laps from the end.

“He had a fast race car and I was really worried about him until he ran out of gas,” Newman said. “I got out there in the clean air and that was pretty much the biggest thing.”

Asked why he made it to the end and Harvick came up short, Newman shrugged and said, “It could have been them not getting all the fuel in the tank. It could have been us having better fuel mileage. I don’t know.”

Tony Stewart, who started from the pole in a Chevrolet, was unable to challenge for the lead and finished in second place 3.177 seconds -- about 20 car lengths -- behind Newman.

“I think we had the fastest car in the race,” said Stewart, who led a race-high 80 laps. “We were proving it at the end with our lap times, but it was just a case of scenarios.

“Ryan and Kevin got away on the restart. I’m happy with the way the weekend went, but it was too bad because we were bad fast.”

Hendrick Motorsports teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon finished third and fourth in Chevrolets as Harvick made a quick stop for gas and finished 17th, a lap down at the end.

It was the fourth victory of his career and third of the year for Newman, matching Kurt Busch for the most wins in 2003. Busch, driving a Ford, went out the race with a blown engine and finished 39th in the 43-car field.

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Paul Tracy ran away with the Molson Indy on the streets of his hometown, winning in Toronto for the first time in 10 years and widening his lead in the CART series standings.

Tracy had no trouble at all in his Ford-Cosworth/Lola -- at one point building a 59-second lead over the rest of the field.

He led every lap while easily beating Michel Jourdain Jr., also in a Ford-Cosworth/Lola, to the finish line at the winding 1.755-mile temporary street course at Exhibition Place.

He made a leisurely celebratory lap, waving to his loyal fans, then jumped on top of his car to salute them when he finally came to a stop.

He then fell into the arms of his crew members, who surrounded him to help celebrate Canadian-based sponsor Player’s first victory in Canada. Player’s will leave the CART series later this year because of a ban on tobacco advertising.

Tracy, in position to win his first CART title, won for the fourth time this season and opened a 15-point lead over Bruno Junqueira.

Junqueira, who finished third in a Ford-Cosworth/Lola, began the weekend eight points behind. He was in second most of the race, but never came close to challenging Tracy.

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After crashing in the first race of the day, Ruben Xaus of Spain bounced back to win the second World Superbike Championship race at Laguna Seca Speedway.

Pierfrancesco Chili of Italy won the first race by more than three seconds on a Ducati. He finished in 40:35.653.

In the second race, Xaus, riding a Ducati, completed 28 laps around the 2.2-mile circuit in 40:43.876, winning by more than 11 seconds.

Neil Hodgson of Britain, also on a Ducati, finished second in both races.

The first race was halted briefly after five riders crashed on the first lap. Eric Bostrom dislocated a shoulder in the crash, although no one else was injured.