Dover: Newman wins on monster mile

The Penske South driver fought off Jeff Gordon, Bobby Labonte and Tony Stewart on the final restart with six laps to go to take the victory at the track dubbed the monster mile. Newman gained his second victory of the season and became the second driver to win from the pole.

The best show of the day, however, was a stirring charge from the rear by Stewart, who was penalized out of the lead and put a lap down to the leader for pitting outside his box (barely) under caution on Lap 140.

Stewart made up his lap on a restart at Lap 219, then inched to the front, taking third place just before the final green-flag stops. Team-mate Labonte took third away with an outside move at the last restart.

Newman took control amid a battle with Labonte and Gordon with about 100 laps to go. Labonte passed Gordon for the lead on 286, then Gordon passed Labonte on 320, Newman following to second. Newman then muscled by Gordon on 328 to take the lead for good.

Gordon twice tried to pass Newman in the closing laps, on 385 and 386. Caution on 390 slowed the action, and none of the challengers could make a run on Newman in the final sprint.

"It was just getting in clean air," Newman said of the restart. "Our car was a little tight, and that enabled me to be fast out front. I knew the start was critical, but obviously the first person who could get to clean air and keep it was going to have the best shot to win the race. Luckily I did."

Newman drove the last 185 laps with his power steering failing, as he also had to do at Atlanta earier in the year.

"My back hurts, my arms hurt, my neck hurts," he said. "But I wasn't about to pull in the garage and say that's it, guys. This thing pays a lot of money."