In a reversal of last year's Chase race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Tony Stewart was able to save enough fuel and capitalize as race leader Clint Bowyer ran out of gas with two laps to go.
"You can take a breath, I've got this," Stewart said on the final lap coming to the win.
"I know exactly how he feels right now," Stewart said of Bowyer running out of gas. "That's not how you want to win it for sure, but we're in the Chase right now and we'll take them any way we can right now."
Taking the checkered flag for the second week in a row, Stewart opened the 2011 Chase with back-to-back wins to become the points leader – the first driver to do so since Greg Biffle in 2008.
After an impressive performance in the spring, Stewart said he felt this weekend was "a good opportunity" to make gains in the Chase, but admitted "it's way too early to count your chickens."
Here is how they finished (Chase drivers in bold):
- Tony Stewart
- Brad Keselowski
- Greg Biffle
- Jeff Gordon
- Brian Vickers
- Matt Kenseth
- David Ragan
- Carl Edwards
- Juan Pablo Montoya
- Regan Smith
- Kyle Busch
- Kevin Harvick
- Jeff Burton
- Joey Logano
- Kasey Kahne
- Martin Truex Jr.
- Dale Earnhardt Jr.
- Jimmie Johnson
- Bobby Labonte
- Paul Menard
- AJ Allmendinger
- Kurt Busch
- Jamie McMurray
- Mark Martin
- Ryan Newman
- Clint Bowyer
- J.J. Yeley
- David Reutiman
- Denny Hamlin
- Marcos Ambrose
- Mike Bliss
- David Gillilandf
- Landon Cassill
- Andy Lally
- Dave Blaney
- Joe Nemechek
- Michael McDowell
- David Stremme
- Josh Wise
- Robby Gordon
- Scott Speed
- Casey Mears
- Travis Kvapil