Teammates tied for 3rd place in standings

NASCAR stats this week following the Bristol race is a thing of beauty, at least in my mind.

Ryan Newman is tied for third place with teammate/bossman Tony Stewart. 

Beautiful is probably not the descriptor for Tony Stewart or his fans, however. Stewart came into the Tennessee race leading in points, but an ill-handling race car and a tangling in front of him that caused him to slam into the back of Newman's car, combined to give Stewart a less than stellar run at Bristol. He finished 19th despite leading the field in an early practice.

Newman's race car wasn't quite right either, though a good pit strategy allowed him to lead a couple dozen laps. That was in stark contrast to a little bounce off the wall, but saving it. Ultimately, Newman finished 10th. Despite poor handling, both Stewart-Haas teammates had fast race cars.  

Newman and Stewart have both commented about their affection for racing at Bristol. Both have a good short-track history.

Despite their 10- and 19-place finishes, Stewart-Haas Racing is off to a good start in the 2011 season.

Congratulations to Kyle Bush for his win at Bristol. Now it is off to California.