Newman surges to win Sprint Cup race

Associated Press

Avondale, ARIZ

Ryan Newman broke a 77-race Sprint Cup winless streak Saturday night at Phoenix International Raceway, taking the lead after a late caution and holding off Jeff Gordon in a two-lap shootout.

Kyle Busch was cruising to what would have given him a weekend sweep when a caution flag came out with three laps remaining. When the lead-lap cars pitted, Busch took four tires and came out eighth — behind seven cars that took only two tires.

Gordon beat everybody out of the pits, but Newman went inside and took over the lead, and held on. Gordon finished second and series points leader Jimmie Johnson, who won four of the previous five races at Phoenix, was third.

Newman’s last victory was the 2008 Daytona 500.

Denny Hamlin raced 10 days after having surgery to repair the torn ACL in his left knee, and skipped a chance to get out of the car during an extended pit stop for repair work on the car.

When there was a caution for debris on lap 135, Hamlin came in for his crew to repair damage behind the front right tire and attempt to solve an ongoing electrical problem by changing the batteries.

Hamlin opted to stay in the car, not giving way to relief driver Casey Mears who was standing by if needed.