In a race that featured multiple red flags for inclement weather, Ryan Newman was unable to overcome a mountain obstacles — including multiple on-track incidents and a late speeding penalty — driving his Oscar Mayer Ford to a 30th- place finish Sunday afternoon at Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The 400-mile race — originally set to begin at 3:30 p.m. ET — did not get fully rolling until after 8 p.m. ET. After a delay to start the race, five laps were completed before a 2-hour plus red flag was displayed for lightning. Following the return to the track, Newman had a right rear tire go down at lap 20, bringing out the caution, which resulted in the competition yellow, originally scheduled for lap 25.
Following service on his Oscar Mayer Ford, Newman fired off at the tail end, before lightning again brought out the red flag at lap 33. The lightning eventually made its way out of the Homestead area, as Newman drove his way up to 14th by lap 50. He finished the segment 15th, reporting he was mostly loose.
Under the stage break, Newman was boxed in on a very busy pit lane, forcing him to restart 22nd for stage two. After it ran green to start, Newman was the first to hit pit road for service again at lap 118. He went on to finish the stage in 23rd, one lap down, reporting he was mostly tight on entry.
Just a few laps into the stage, Newman was blocked by the No. 22 machine down the back straightaway, resulting in a caution at lap 170. After suffering nose and right-rear damage, Newman restarted 28th at lap 175. He later pitted for his final stop at lap 230 – in which he was caught speeding – before going on to finish 30th.
With no midweek race this week, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action next weekend at Talladega Superspeedway, the first restrictor-plate event since the Daytona 500. TV coverage on Sunday begins at 3 p.m. ET on FOX. Coverage can also be heard on MRN and SiriusXM Channel 90.
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