Associated Press

Kurt Busch is congratulated after winning the Lenox Industrial Tools 301, his first Cup victory of the season.

LOUDON, N.H. -- Tony Stewart walked out of the garage Sunday alone and truly under a dark cloud. The thunderstorm that shortened Sunday's race soaked him and typified his fortunes this season.

While fuel strategy and rain conspired to extend Stewart's career-long winless drought to 31 races, it rewarded those in need of help.

Kurt Busch, in jeopardy of missing the Chase, celebrated his first NASCAR Sprint Cup victory in 10 months. Michael Waltrip, who had not finished better than 23rd this season, placed second. J.J. Yeley, who failed to qualify for two of the last three races before this weekend, finished third.

That's right, the winning trifecta at New Hampshire Motor Speedway was Busch (not Kyle), Waltrip (not Darrell) and Yeley (yes, Yeley). Anyone forecast that?

"Hey, you take them when you can get them because you get burned plenty of times the other way,'' Kurt Busch said after his 18th career series victory. "Luck is definitely a player in racing.''

Luck was merely part of the ensemble in Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301. Juan Pablo Montoya retaliated for some roughhousing by wrecking points leader Kyle Busch and later was penalized by NASCAR. Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s car was rear-ended as he slowed to pit. Rain stopped the race 17 laps from the scheduled finish.

Stewart, who led a race-high 132 of 284 laps, sat in his car until series officials called the event. Even as large rain drops doused the track in a heavy barrage, Stewart waited, hoping for another chance to keep racing.

He won't get it until this week when the series competes at Daytona, which marks the season's halfway point.

It's already been a tough year for Stewart, who finished 13th Sunday. He's come within six miles of winning the Daytona 500 and Coca-Cola 600 but lost both. He was passed for the lead on the final lap at Daytona and relinquished the lead at Charlotte three laps from the end because of a flat tire. Two other times he's wrecked while running second after contact with Kevin Harvick, costing Stewart numerous positions and points.

"It's just been the oddest year I've seen for this race team,'' Stewart told TNT as crews and fans ran to get out of the rain. "It's just frustrating. Nothing you can do.''

The one good thing for Stewart, though, was he climbed two spots to ninth in the season standings. Yet, he's only 41 points ahead of Matt Kenseth, who is 13th in the season standings and trying to climb back into the top 12 for the Chase.

Busch gained four spots to 18th with his win, but is 222 points from the final transfer spot for the Chase.

"We've got our backs up against the wall,'' he said.

Fortune turned his way in an unexpected manner.

Stewart led when the caution came out on lap 218 for Aric Almirola's spin. Stewart and most of the leaders did not pit. Busch was 13th but pitted. Only one other driver ahead of him stopped. A few others behind him did.

A full load of fuel, though, left Busch about five laps shy of making the distance. That Busch was playing a fuel strategy gamble shows how much his team has improved in that area. The Penske cars haven't been the most fuel efficient this season but constant work has helped the team find ways to save some gas.

One caution and he might not need to stop, while those that stayed on the track would still have to pit again.

Those cars did after Jamie McMurray wrecked Earnhardt 29 laps from the scheduled end. That moved Busch into the lead followed by Waltrip, Yeley, Martin Truex Jr. and Elliott Sadler.

Two laps after the restart, Busch's teammate, Sam Hornish Jr., clipped Clint Bowyer and wrecked him. Then came the Kyle Busch-Montoya brouhaha down the frontstretch. As the field ran under caution, the rain forecasted throughout the day finally arrived.

That gave Busch the win and Stewart another twist of fate, while Waltrip and Yeley rejoiced in an unexpected finish.