Tony Stewart unable to bounce back from recent slump in opening Chase race

LOUDON, N.H. – Stewart-Haas Racing’s Tony Stewart said his No. 14 team would be able to bounce back from disappointing races before the Chase For The Sprint Cup.

But after another tough day in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, perhaps it won’t be so easy. Stewart finished 14th in Sunday’s Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after a mechanical issue forced an extended pit stop and cost Stewart precious track position.

Stewart led four times for 52 laps in Sunday’s race, but an axle cap on the left-rear wheel came loose. Crew chief Darian Grubb said a crewman simply forgot to fasten it properly before the race, and the team had to replace it under the race’s seventh caution.

"We had some definite lows because of the mechanical issue with the car,” Grubb said. “Something got missed when we assembled it. The car came apart and we had to fix it, so we gave up all that track position on pit road just to fix that, and after that we struggled the rest of the day to get halfway through the field."

Stewart left the track without speaking to reporters, and Grubb said he doesn’t blame his boss for being upset.

"I haven't seen him yet,” Grubb said. “I'm sure he is upset, just as much as I am. He should be. We let him down. We have to assemble that car to the utmost of our abilities and we missed it."

Stewart lost four spots to sixth in the Chase standings, 74 points behind leader Mark Martin. He led the Cup standings for 13 consecutive weeks until the points were reset for the Chase.

But since winning at Watkins Glen, Stewart’s best finish is 11th.

Grubb said the team will simply try to do what it always does in the coming races.

“We are always trying to do everything the best we can,” Grubb said. “[We will] go to Dover and try and go out there and get the win."