Busch wins to tie lead

Kurt Busch was the big gainer, and Tony Stewart the big loser as NASCAR's 10-race "playoff" began on Sunday in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire Speedway. Busch shot from seventh in the initial rankings (30 points behind leader Jeff Gordon) to a tie for the lead with Dale Earnhardt Jr. by winning Sunday's race, Earnhardt finishing third

Sep 19, 2004, 10:50 PM

Stewart, on the other hand, had nowhere to go when a dispute between Robby Gordon and Greg Biffle erupted on Lap 64, damaging the cars of contenders Stewart and Jeremy Mayfield in a multi-car crash. Stewart's team was unable to repair his car, and he ended up 39th, falling from fourth in the regular-season standings to eighth in the current ones, 124 marks out of the lead.

Others who fell from favour were Mayfield (who finished, but 49 laps down after repairs, falling from ninth to 10th), and Ryan Newman, whose engine failed with 38 laps to go, leaving him ninth in the standings, 136 out of the lead.

It can be argued, however that all three are better off than they would have been under the former format. Stewart, although fourth, had been 192 out of the lead, with Mayfield 409 behind and Newman 416 out.

Although tied with Busch for the top spot, Earnhardt is shown as the leader according to the tiebreaker, with Earnhardt having four wins to Busch's three.