Newman Wins Michigan 400 on Fuel Strategy

BROOKLYN, Mich. August 17, 2003; Mike Harris writing for the AP reported that Ryan Newman had enough fuel and Kurt Busch didn't. Newman grabbed his series-leading fifth victory of the year, stretching his final tank of gas 52 laps on the 2-mile oval at Michigan International Speedway to win the GFS Marketplace 400 on Sunday.

Busch came up a lap short and wound up 18th.

"I heard (Busch) was going to be pushing his luck more than we were," Newman said. "We were close. It will be interesting to see what's left (in the gas tank)."

Matt Borland, Newman's crew chief on the No. 12 Penske Racing South Dodge, said, "Ryan saved quite a bit of fuel there at the end. He's real good at that and still carrying a lot of speed.

"With four laps to go, we just told him to go for it and we'll see what happens."

Most of the leaders pitted during a caution period on the 149th lap of the 200-lap race, and Busch and Dale Jarrett came back onto the track behind only Jimmy Spencer, who stayed out.

Busch easily passed Spencer for the lead on the restart on lap 150 and Jarrett moved to second the next time around the high-banked track. Jarrett, a four-time Michigan winner, then took the lead from Busch on lap 152.

But Busch wouldn't let Jarrett get away, finally repassing him for the top spot on lap 157. He stayed there nearly to the end, building leads of up to 3.3 seconds before Jarrett was forced to pit on lap 188, giving Newman the runner-up spot.

Newman, last year's top rookie, was 3.2 seconds behind when he moved into second, but quickly began to reel in Busch, moving up to the rear bumper of the leader's No. 97 Roush Racing Ford on lap 197 and charging past the slowing Busch on lap 198 after a short side-by-side battle.

On lap 199, Busch slowed and drove onto pit lane for a splash of gas. Newman easily held on to beat Kevin Harvick, who made his last stop on lap 149, to the finish line by 1.652-seconds - about 10 car-lengths.

"Our car was about the best at the end, but I was sure he was going to make it," Harvick said.

Jimmie Johnson, who led a race-high 50 laps and also pitted on lap 149, ran out of gas on lap 198 and finished 27th.

Tony Stewart, the reigning series champion, finished third, followed by rookie Greg Biffle, Steve Park and Robby Gordon, who won a week earlier at Watkins Glen.

Series leader Matt Kenseth, who also ran the last 52 laps without stopping, wound up ninth after running back in the pack most of the day. With Earnhardt finishing 32nd, eight laps off the pace, he fell from 258 points behind to a whopping 329 back with 13 races remaining.

The winner averaged 127.310 mph in the race slowed by eight yellow flags and a total of 42 laps of caution.

Most of the yellows were caused by debris or minor incidents, but two of them were spectacular.

The first, on lap 63, began when Todd Bodine tried to go between Busch and Kenny Wallace racing off of turn two.

Busch became loose and tapped Bodine, sending him into a half-spin and hard into the wall directly in front of Wallace. Wallace slammed into Bodine's front bumper and pushed it up the concrete barrier, where it nearly overturned.

As the entangled cars slid, Wallace burrowed under Bodine and Wallace's engine compartment burst into flame, nearly engulfing the front of his car.

Both drivers scrambled from their cars and neither was injured.

On lap 78, during a caution for a crash involving Ricky Craven and Casey Mears, Rusty Wallace damaged his car when he suddenly changed his mind about pitting and tried to get back onto the track. He pulled right in front of Dale Earnhardt Jr. and the two slammed together, causing serious damage to Earnhardt's car.

Wallace, Newman's teammate, stayed on the lead lap but, on lap 106, the engine on his Dodge blew and started another fire, filling the cockpit with flame. Wallace was able to ease the car to a stop in the infield grass and scramble to safety without injury.