NASCAR at Phoenix 2017 winner: Ryan Newman wins Camping World 500, plus full finishing order

Propelled by a late-race gamble not to pit for fresh tires, Ryan Newman snapped a 127-race winless streak and scored an upset victory Sunday at Phoenix International Raceway.

When a caution for Joey Logano’s accident in Turn 1 set up a two-lap overtime finish, Newman, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., and Martin Truex Jr. all elected not to pit and inherited top-three positions. On the ensuing restart, Newman got away cleanly while the field behind him stacked up, giving him enough cushion to hold off Kyle Larson, who pitted for two fresh tires and had restarted fourth.

“I’ve lost count; that’s how long it’s been,” Newman said. “… I got emotional on the back straightaway. I haven’t gotten emotional since yet. I’m planning on not to.”

Newman credited crew chief Luke Lambert with the call that kept him on the track and jumped him up the leaderboard. Initially Newman wanted to pit for two tires, but Lambert deduced that track position was more important and overruled his driver.

“A heck of a gutsy call by Luke Lambert,” Newman said. “It’s his first win as a crew chief in the Cup Series. I think making a gutsy call like that makes it that much more special for him.”

The win was Newman’s first since July 2013, and the 18th of his career. It also snapped a 112-race dry spell for Richard Childress Racing, whose last victory occurred November 2013 -- also at Phoenix with former RCR driver Kevin Harvick, who’s since moved to Stewart-Haas Racing.

Larson finished second for the third consecutive race and moved into the Monster Energy Cup Series points lead. Kyle Busch, Stenhouse Jr., and Brad Keselowski completed the top-five finishers. Busch led a race-high 114 laps and was comfortably ahead when Logano blew a right-front tire and crashed into the outside wall with four laps remaining.

“Just too many cars that stayed out,” Busch said. “If it was just two (drivers) that stayed out maybe, but we really needed the outside (lane) like Larson had. Overall, we should be proud of our run today and we will move on.”

Completing the top 10 were Ricky Stenhouse Jr., Brad Keselowski, Harvick, rookie Daniel Suarez, rookie Erik Jones, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin. Keselowski’s car failed to meet weights and measures in post-race technical inspection, and NASCAR officials will announce subsequent penalties likely on Wednesday.

That the decisive caution involved Logano and cost Busch a potential win was a bit ironic considering the two entangled in a post-race fracas last week at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Logano sideswiped Busch on the final lap, causing Busch to spin down pit road coming to the checkered flag.

Upset over what he perceived as Logano’s over-aggressiveness, Busch confronted Logano and threw a punch afterward on pit road before being tackled by Logano’s crew members. Busch emerged from the scrum bleeding from a cut on his forehead. NASCAR did not penalize either driver, but warned both about any retaliation.

On Sunday, the two largely avoided one another with the only encounter of note when Busch ran down and passed Logano for position during the middle stages. Busch continued his charge and took the lead shortly thereafter, while Logano’s day began to go south. The Team Penske driver, who started on the pole and led 82 of the first 84 laps, was first penalized for speeding on pit road and later had the tire failure.

Eight cautions slowed the race for 45 laps.

NASCAR’s top division heads to Southern California for next weekend’s race at Auto Club Speedway.