Racebeat (07/27/03)
by Rich Romer

NASCAR Winston Cup: Late caution flags helped Ryan Newman stretch his gas to the end, allowing him to barely hold off hard-charging Kurt Busch and win at Pocono Raceway.

Newman, who started on the pole, would not have been able to make the final 46 laps without stopping. But crashes involving rookie Casey Mears and Bobby Labonte slowed the field for a total of 12 laps in the Pennsylvania 500. Newman used the same strategy to win two weeks ago at Chicagoland Speedway, and Jimmie Johnson won with a fuel economy run last Sunday in New Hampshire. Newman said he wasn't thinking entirely about fuel as Busch made a determined bid after the race went green for the final 12 laps. Busch never let up in a battle between the biggest winners this season on the Winston Cup circuit.

Newman parlayed his series-leading fifth pole of the year into his fourth victory. He and Busch came into the race leading the circuit with three wins apiece. Newman's Dodge beat the Ford of Busch by .307 seconds -- about six car-lengths _to take the $4.2 million event. He led 88 of 200 laps in just his fourth Cup race on the 21/2-mile track.