Newman: Alltel Team Has Been 'Throwing The Wrong Lure'



MOORESVILLE, N.C. (June 27, 2006) - Ryan Newman's passion for fishing is no secret, so when asked during Tuesday's Dodge Motorsports teleconference to describe the Alltel team's first half of the season, he equated it to "throwing the wrong lure."

"It's hard to get the fish to bite if you're throwing the wrong lure," Newman continued in explaining his analogy to reporters. "Once we got the right lure on, you've got to throw it in the right spot, and we're finally getting around to doing that. The fish are there and they're starting to bite."

Newman's remarks came two days after he finished second in the season's first road course race. It was just Newman's second top-five this year with his other coming in the season-opening Daytona 500. In the season's first 16 races, the Alltel team has produced only one pole and five top-10 finishes. But this weekend, Newman and his team return to the site of their first top-five - Daytona.

Newman said that in the season's first 16 races his team "caught a couple of fish, no real big fish but a couple of keepers."

"We've had to look really hard for the fish," he continued. "The fish finder tells us they're there, but they're not biting. The bottom line is we were trying to fish, but we weren't fishing really hard at the beginning of the season. We were trying hard, but we weren't getting the results."

However, at Infineon Raceway, Newman and teammate Kurt Busch both obtained good results. Busch grabbed the pole position and a fifth-place finish, while Newman parlayed his fourth fastest qualifying effort into second at the checkered flag.

"Basically, if you look at the 2 and 12 efforts, we've definitely rounded the corner and it's getting a little bit better as far as our performances and qualifying," Newman said. "That's a good sign for any Penske racing fan. It's just a matter of us from this point forward of putting the right effort forward, which we always do, and getting the results, which we don't always do."

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

NEW ORLEANS (July 11, 2006) - Ryan and Krissie Newman have been named spokespeople for the National Spay/Neuter Response Team, which on Tuesday unveiled a mobile spay/neuter clinic in the New Orleans area.

Krissie, who led an animal rescue group to the Gulf Coast last fall, was in New Orleans to greet the new 53-foot mobile clinic. The clinic's arrival kicks off a major spay/neuter program in the Gulf Coast region, which is still attempting to recover from the devastation caused by hurricane Katrina.

The NSNRT sends groups of trained veterinarians and technicians around the country to help non-profit organizations open spay/neuter clinics.

"It was a very special opportunity for me to return to the New Orleans area to kick off this spay/neuter clinic and do something positive for the people who were hit so hard by hurricane Katrina," said Krissie, who made the trip with Ryan Newman Foundation Executive Director Rosalie De Fini while Ryan was testing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. "The Ryan Newman Foundation gave $19,000 in grants to animal rescue groups in Louisiana and Mississippi who were part of the Katrina rescue efforts.

"We came down for a week last September with a truck load of pet and people supplies and another truck load of donated Purina pet food to distribute to families who stayed through hurricane Katrina because they couldn't take their pets to emergency shelters. It was a humbling experience to drive through the devastated areas distributing supplies. We also brought back a bus full of surrendered Katrina dogs that were adopted by families in the Charlotte area.

"This trip not only gave us the opportunity to kick off this wonderful low-cost spay/neuter program, but it also allowed us to visit the Humane Society of South Mississippi where we camped and volunteered after hurricane Katrina. At the time, they were in the process of building an animal shelter and a spay/neuter clinic with help from the Humane Alliance's National Spay/Neuter Response Team. It was great to tour the new facility now that it is finished, but they still need donations because a lot of people who pledged money to their capital campaign prior to Katrina had to pull their pledges due to the loss of their homes or jobs because of the hurricane."

The NSNRT is an initiative of the Humane Alliance, a non-profit, public, low-cost spay/neuter clinic in Asheville, N.C. Humane Alliance's clinic in Asheville has sterilized 150,000 animals since its inception 12 years ago. It also has reduced the euthanasia rate in the Asheville area by 82 percent. Through the NSNRT, the Humane Alliance has already helped groups across the country begin operations for 12 model clinics in one year.

"Across the nation, county animal shelters have to put dogs and cats to death because there aren't enough homes for all of the puppies and kittens being born each year," Ryan said. "The only statistically proven way to stop the animal overpopulation epidemic is by spaying and neutering pets. We have to prevent unwanted breeding to save lives."

Five animal welfare organizations have joined together to provide $3.2 million in support of spay/neuter programs in the hurricane affected areas in Mississippi and Louisiana.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Trout Unlimited receives grant from Ryan Newman Foundation


(Statesville, NC – August 7, 2006) When Ryan Newman, NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver of the Penske Racing #12 Alltel Dodge, isn’t racing he can often be found fishing in the company of his dogs.

Newman’s favorite pastime has become one of his passions that is supported by his charitable foundation, which he co-founded with his wife, Krissie, in 2005. The mission of the Ryan Newman Foundation is to educate and encourage people to spay/neuter their pets and to adopt dogs and cats from animal shelters; to educate children and adults about the importance of conservation so the beauty of the great outdoors can be appreciated by future generations; and to provide college scholarship funding through the Rich Vogler Scholarship program to students interested in auto racing careers.

Recently the Ryan Newman Foundation awarded a $10,000 grant to Trout Unlimited whose mission is to conserve, protect and restore North America’s trout and salmon fisheries and their watersheds. The foundation is also working with the conservation organization to develop programs that enable individuals to help protect rivers, lakes and streams.

Newman says, “I’m a lifetime member of Trout Unlimited because I believe in the work they do to protect the great outdoors. A couple years ago Penske Racing and Motorsports Authentics partnered with us to sell special Ryan Newman/Trout Unlimited merchandise on my souvenir rigs to raise money for TU. I’ve met a lot of NASCAR fans who are avid fisherman like me, and they know how important it is to protect the beautiful land and water that we enjoy today so our grandchildren can enjoy it in the future.”

Trout Unlimited accomplishes their mission on local, state and national levels with an extensive and dedicated volunteer network. TU’s national office, based just outside of Washington, D.C., and its regional offices employ professionals who testify before Congress, publish a quarterly magazine, intervene in federal legal proceedings, and work with the organization’s 152,000 volunteers in 400 chapters nationwide to keep them active and involved in conservation issues.

One program in which Newman is especially interested is Trout Unlimited’s Back the Brookie program to restore the population and range of Appalachia’s only native trout. Brook Trout need the clean, cold water found in mountain streams, and the program teaches people about conservation and protection of these beautiful fish.

Trout Unlimited's Gary Berti explains, "Our volunteers and staff work to restore the conditions brook trout need, and in doing so, create clean water, healthy watersheds and provide downstream conditions favoring other fish like bass, bluegills and sunfish."

“The Ryan Newman Foundation is holding a charity fishing tournament on Lake Norman, NC in December,” explains Newman, “and we’ve invited Trout Unlimited to come out and provide an educational program in the afternoon for the kids. Conservation education is really important.”

For more information, please visit www.ryannewmanfoundation.org.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Aug. 26, 2006) - Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel "Fastap" Dodge Charger, raced through the field on Saturday night to secure a top-10 finish in the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The 500-lap race didn't start off quite as Newman had hoped. During time trials on Friday, his car would not give him the speed he needed for a good qualifying run and he started halfway through the field in the 21st position.

Newman said earlier in the day, "We're going to the front one way or the other because we're starting halfway towards the back and at Bristol, it's real easy to get lapped here and find yourself dealing with the leaders even if you're dead last."

Fortunately for Newman, when the green flag dropped, he was moving forward instead of backward and by lap 23, he had made his way into the top 15.

"It's a little bit too tight, mostly in the center," he said.

Crew chief Matt Borland and Newman discussed possible changes for their first pit stop, including wedge and track bar adjustments and air pressure changes in the tires.

When Newman brought the car down pit road for the first time on lap 62, Borland called for one round in the right-rear track bar and a half pound out of the right-rear tire to control some of the tightness Newman was feeling. As Newman was coming to a stop in his pit stall, the right-front brake locked up and he slid further than he wanted. That forced him to have to back up after the changes were made and slowed the pit stop to a 14.48-second stop. Newman, however, only lost one spot with the trouble and came out of the pits in 15th.

When the race restarted, Newman said the car was still a tick tight, but he was happy with it.

On the second pit stop, Borland called for another round of right-rear wedge, four fresh tires and fuel. After coming in 11th, Newman went back out in the 17th position due to the top-15 cars remaining on the track during the round of pit stops.

On lap 157, for the first time during the event, Newman drove into the top 10.

"The car is pretty good," he relayed to his crew. "Maybe just a tick tight."

With a 12.84-second stop the third time around on lap 202, Newman was able to pick up a spot after the crew gave him four fresh tires, fuel and a half round of right-rear wedge. Newman restarted in the seventh position.

Newman would hover around the seventh spot for quite a while. The car was a little loose and a little tight, but he wasn't worried about the looseness.

On lap 302, after avoiding wrecks all night, Newman radioed in that he had hit a piece of debris on the straightaway. Newman never saw the debris and he didn't know exactly what it was, but the car started getting tighter, although there was no visible damage to it.

Newman brought the car back down pit road on lap 326. This time, the crew took a half round of wedge out of the left rear, dropping Newman to the 11th position, but it wouldn't take long for Newman to return to the top 10.

The car went to the loose side for Newman and he began falling backwards, but he remained in the top 15.

The wedge adjustment on the previous stop was obviously not working for Newman, so when he came back down pit road on lap 382, Borland called for the Alltel crew to take one round of wedge out of the left rear.

Near the end of the race, Newman and Borland discussed their final pit strategy. Newman wanted to do the opposite of the leaders in order to gain track position. Borland agreed with him, but told him to wait and see what happened.

Borland called Newman back down pit road on lap 448 and told Newman he was giving him right-side tires only.

"Ryan, the reason we're coming down with the leaders is because there are only three cars behind us on the lead lap, so if we stay out, we don't have much of a buffer between us and the leaders," Borland informed Newman.

The move took Newman from 12th to the eighth position, where Newman would stay for the remainder of the race.

The eighth-place finish gave Newman his fourth top-10 at the 0.533-mile track in 10 Cup races. Newman also moved up three spots to 15th in the drivers' standings, unfortunately, he is 463 points out of 10th, which mathematically eliminates him from Chase contention. However, he is only 373 points from the 11th spot.

Next week, Newman heads to Fontana, Calif., for the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway. NBC and MRN Radio will air the race live beginning at 7 p.m., ET.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Aug. 25, 2006) - Ryan Newman led once for 95 laps, survived two on-track incidents and a broken wheel to finish sixth in Friday's Food City 250 NASCAR Busch Series race at Bristol Motor Speedway.

The broken wheel occurred on lap 185, just four laps before the 10th of 14 caution flags.

"We had a really good car tonight," said Newman, who started on the pole. "Had it not been for the wheel problem we had, we would've either had a top five or we could've won the race. This team did a really good job tonight. All season they've given me fast cars and tonight was no different."

Newman's Alltel "Fastap" Dodge Charger was running fifth when he told crew chief Matt Gimbel he thought he had a loose right-front wheel. Gimbel told Newman to pit during the 10th caution period - laps 189-192 - so the car could be checked, four tires changed, a can of fuel added, a round of wedge added into the car's right rear and tape pulled off the left front of the grill. It was then that the crew discovered the center of the right-front wheel was broken.

When the race restarted on lap 193, Newman was 23rd.

"The car is good, but I might have to use it up," Newman radioed in right before the restart.

"Just bring back the steering wheel," Penske Racing South President Don Miller instructed him.

"You don't really need it," Newman replied.

On lap 201 of the 250-lap race, Newman had made it to 17th. When the 11th yellow flag waved on lap 210, Newman's Alltel "Fastap" Dodge Charger had squeaked through a multi-car accident on the backstretch but still sustained severe damage to its right-front headlight and fender areas. The issue during the six-lap caution period and 10-minute and 15-second red flag was whether to pit to repair the damaged fender that had the sheet metal ripped off.

When NASCAR displayed the red flag, Newman pulled up near Kenny Wallace and Kyle Busch so both of them could look at the damage for him. The opinions were mixed. Wallace didn't think the damage would cut the tire, but Busch didn't think the car would make it to the end.

It was finally decided to leave it alone, because if Newman pitted for repairs, he would have to restart so far back in the field that he couldn't make it back to the front to challenge for the lead. Gimbel, however, said if smoke began coming from the car's right front due to a tire rub, Newman would have to pit and have the sheet metal removed.

Newman restarted 10th and the rub never materialized. He remained in 10th through the 12th caution period. He had advanced one more position to eighth by the time the 13th caution period ended on lap 240. When the race returned to green on lap 241, Newman shot around the outside of David Reutimann and took over seventh.

The final caution period occurred when Newman tagged Denny Hamlin's car as they exited turn four on lap 244. Hamlin spun on the frontstretch and Clint Bowyer's car was collected in the accident.

"There are only so many times you can cut me off," Newman said on the radio.

After the race, Newman said, "I didn't mean to spin him out. He kept blocking me and he was trying to stop me from passing him and I just got into the back of him and spun him out. I didn't want that to happen, but he shouldn't have been blocking me, either."

When the race restarted on lap 248, Newman was sixth and that's where he remained for the event's conclusion. he tried for the final three laps to pass Jason Leffler in order to get a top-five finish, but Leffler was able to hold off Newman and the 39 Alltel "Fastap" Dodge Charger came home in the sixth position.

"The bottom line is we had a right-front wheel that broke, we pitted and that put us further back," said Newman, who had part of the front grill pushed in at the start of the second caution period on lap 25.

"Still, it was a good run for us. The guys did a great job, and we'll just keep going."



Ryan Newman earned his first Busch Series pole this year a few hours before Friday's Food City 250.

The finish was Newman's fourth top-10 finish in the Busch Series at Bristol.

Newman has run his last scheduled Busch race of the 2006 season, but he hopes to add more before the year ends.

Newman tied with Kasey Kahne for the top lap-leader award in the event that had four lead changes among five drivers. The 14 yellow flags consumed 85 laps in the event won by Matt Kenseth.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Newman May Be Out Of Contention, But Still Has Many Chances To Visit Victory Lane
Penske Racing South, Press Release

NNCS Notes:

· Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Sony HDTV Dodge Charger, will make his eighth NASCAR Cup Series start at California Speedway on Sunday and his 177th in the NASCAR Cup Series.

· Only one of Newman’s seven starts has come from outside the top-15 – a 28th in the September 2005 race. The other six starts included four top-10s and two top fives, including the pole in April 2002. Newman’s average start at California is 10.5.

· Newman has only one finish outside the top 20. In April 2003, after starting fourth in the Auto Club 500, Newman finished 42nd after an accident. Three finishes have been in the top 10, including two top-fives. Newman’s best finish at California came in May 2004 when he placed third after starting from the seventh position. Newman’s average finish at the 2-mile track is 15.9.

· In seven races, Newman has led three of them for a total of seven laps. Of 1,755 laps run at the track, Newman has finished 1,540 of them. This gives Newman an 88 percent completion rate.

· Matt Borland, crew chief of the No. 12 Sony HDTV Dodge Charger, and the Sony team will take chassis PRS-048 to this weekend’s Sony HD 500. Two weeks ago, this car was driven at Michigan International Speedway in the GFS Marketplace 400. Newman started fourth, but finished 25th after dealing with a variety of problems during the race. This car was also tested at Kentucky this year, but before that, it had not been on a track since the 2003 season. In September 2003, Newman drove the car at Loudon where he started on the pole and finished ninth. In November of that year, he started on the pole at Phoenix and finished third.

Newman on California Speedway:

“This team had a great run last weekend at Bristol – in both races. We were able to get out with two top-10 finishes. The Cup car was especially challenging because it wasn’t good all weekend and we qualified pretty average. We couldn’t do anything to the car to make it run a fast lap, but once the race came around, the car felt really good. It was a little tight during most of the race, but it was manageable and we came out with an eighth-place finish. It was a run this team needed.”
“We’re out of the Chase this year, but we’ve still got 12 more races to run. Everyone plans on focusing on one race at a time and now our job is to win races and prepare for next year. We may be out of contention for a championship, but this team knows how to win and we still have many chances to visit victory lane before Homestead in November. This weekend, at California, we’ll try to win our first race of the year and hopefully, contend for the 11th-place finish in the points at the end of the year.”

Quick Stats:

California Speedway: 7
Races Led/Laps Led: 3/7
Best Starting Position: 1 (April 2002)
Best Finishing Position: 3 (May 2004)
September 2005 Start: 28
September 2005 Finish: 18

This Press Release and any images that are used,
are used with permission. Do not duplicate or
redistribute in any form without permission or credit.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

(Sept. 9, 2006) - Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel "Fastap" Dodge Charger, struggled early with balance issues in Saturday's Chevy Rock & Roll 400, eventually having to settle for a 20th-place finish in the 400-lap event at Richmond International Raceway.
The top-20 finish came after Newman emerged the victor in a battle with Robby Gordon for the final 75 laps. Newman, however, dropped one position in the drivers' standings to 17th, 550 points out of 11th.

"We just couldn't get the car right," said Newman.

Newman, who started 23rd, got as high as third in the race's second half via pit stop strategy during the race's sixth caution period, but he was unable to maintain the position once the race restarted on lap 263. When the race's seventh and final caution period began on lap 322, Newman was 23rd. Once the race restarted on lap 328, Newman fought with a couple of other cars for the Lucky Dog award should another yellow flag wave, but the race went caution-free the rest of the way.

Soon after the race began, Newman reported that his car was tight in the center and loose off, but he was more concerned about the tightness. Chassis adjustments began immediately with crew chief Matt Borland calling for one round of wedge in the right rear, along with four tires and fuel on the first pit stop. With a 13.68-second stop, the Alltel crew provided Newman with a two-position pickup.

There also was a concern over the brakes on Newman's car early in the event. Borland noted the brakes were glowing, but not really bad.

By lap 81, Newman had cracked the top 15, but after moving up to the 13th position, his car became tight again and he started falling back in the field. Newman and Borland discussed possible changes to be made on the next stop with Newman wanting the track bar raised.

"The car was a lot better to start off with," Newman said. "It got too tight, though."

The Alltel crew provided Newman with 2.5 rounds out of the track bar on the team's third stop on lap 121. A sub13-second stop moved Newman from 15th to 12th for the restart on lap 126 following the third caution period. Initially, Newman reported that he thought the car felt the best it had all night.

"It's a tick on the free side, especially up high," Newman said. "Balance and speed-wise, it's the best it's been. As far as grip goes, though, it's loose in the center and off."

Newman bobbled among the top 15 for a good portion of the run, getting as high as 11th, but then the car went extremely tight and he had a problem with little grip. On lap 252, when the sixth yellow flag waved, Borland told Newman to do the opposite of the lead-lap cars in front of him. When everyone but Ken Schrader and Casey Mears pitted on lap 253, Newman remained on the track. Newman, however, wasn't in his fuel window. Borland informed him they needed 25 more laps before they could go the remainder of the race on fuel.

When the race returned to green on lap 263, Newman was third, but he was unable to maintain the position for very long. By lap 288, he had fallen out of the top 10.

"I just don't like the car," Newman said.

By lap 309, Newman was in 20th and he had lost a lap to the leader. Two laps later, he was out of the top 20. By this time, the Alltel "Fastap" Dodge Charger was "real tight in the middle and real loose off." The remainder of the race, Newman fought for a top-20 finish, which he obtained.

Next week, Newman and the No. 12 crew return to New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, N.H., for the Sylvania 300. TNT and MRN Radio will broadcast the race at 12:30 p.m., EDT.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Newman's fast lap good sign during slow season
Rocketman qualifies fourth, hopes to continue success at Dover
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
September 22, 2006
06:25 PM EDT (22:25 GMT)


DOVER, Del. -- If Ryan Newman could have won his third consecutive Bud Pole Award at Dover International Speedway Friday afternoon, it might have gone a good ways toward beginning to recapture a season gone bad.

By anyone's account, Newman's 2006 Nextel Cup Series campaign has been well below his expected standard -- if not downright miserable.

In no statistical category has Newman come close to achieving the marks to which the driver of Penske Racing South's No. 12 Dodge has become accustomed.

So when he qualified fourth behind pole winner Jeff Gordon -- whose third career Dover pole in 27 starts equaled Newman's total in only nine races -- Newman said he could see some light in what's become a dim weekly outlook.

"I'm pretty sure I lost a little time in [Turns] 1 and 2, but we gained some of it back in 3 and 4," Newman said. "You can't hit it perfect every time."

This season, Newman might be happy to have hit it perfectly every third week or so. The man who has 28 poles in the previous three seasons has only two so far this year.

He's averaged 17 top-10 finishes a year and a dozen top-fives each season for the past three years, yet has only seven and two, respectively, so far this season.

So when he recovered after nearly wrecking on his qualifying attempt he said it was definitely time to seize the moment.

"We got a little bit sideways on the first lap [but] not much," Newman said. "I steered the wheel a little bit to the right. By the time the car landed I was still pointed right and the car took off up the hill a little bit and I had to correct."

While that twitch cost him his 38th career pole, Newman's love for Dover has not been ill spent.

After qualifying 38th in his inaugural race here, in June 2002, he's qualified in the top five in every other attempt. In nine races he has three wins, five top-five and seven top-10 finishes.

"I still love this track," Newman said. "It's a great racetrack for everybody -- the drivers, the teams, the fans.

"Pit road is a little tight, but we've got to have something to complain about."

Newman's last victory came more than a year ago, when he kicked off the 2005 Chase for the Nextel Cup with a win at New Hampshire. As he sits 16th in the standings, he thinks his next could happen Sunday at Dover.

"It would be nice if we could win here again," Newman said. "We'll keep going and keep working on it.

"It hasn't been a good year for us, but we can finish up strong and make it a good year."

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

Chase hopefuls Busch, Kahne, Johnson, Junior strong in practice
By Dave Rodman, NASCAR.COM
October 13, 2006
08:07 PM EDT (00:07 GMT)


CONCORD, N.C. -- Ryan Newman's 2006 difficulties with the Nextel Cup Series' intermediate racetracks continued in practice Friday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, as Newman wrecked his primary No. 12 Dodge after only six laps of preparation for Saturday night's Bank of America 500.

But after going to his backup car, which Newman said he last used at Lowe's for the Coca-Cola 600 in May, Newman rebounded in Happy Hour to run 30 laps and post the 11th-best speed out of 43 competitors.

"The backup car's OK -- it's the same car we had here for the 600, which at times was a good car, but we failed a wheel bearing and never got a chance to prove it," Newman said. "It's one of our better cars that we've seen all year -- and it feels better than the car that I crashed, obviously.

"We've got a little bit more work to do to be a little bit more consistent through a run -- and a little faster -- but we had one run there that seemed to be pretty decent, so I'm pretty happy about that."

A pair of drivers who are contenders in the Chase for the Nextel Cup and who have better intermediate stats this season than Newman paced the one-hour opening practice and the 45-minute final session.

Kyle Busch, who never had a chance to show how good his No. 5 Chevrolet was in May's Coca-Cola 600, turned the best lap in the opening session on the 1.5-mile speedway, 29.378 seconds, an average speed of 183.811 mph on his 32nd of 34 laps.

Kasey Kahne, whose five victories this season in his No. 9 Dodge have all come at intermediate tracks -- including a victory in the Coke 600, was second in the opening session and fourth-best in final practice.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has three career intermediate victories and who's on the verge of a much-needed breakthrough in the Chase, turned it on in Happy Hour as he ran 34 laps in his No. 8 Chevrolet, with the day's best, 29.357 seconds, 183.943 mph.

Chase contenders dominated the top five in both practices, with Busch second in Happy Hour.

Robby Gordon, Clint Bowyer and Chase contender Jimmie Johnson, who's won the last two October races at Lowe's, rounded out the top five in the opening session.

Three Chase contenders -- Denny Hamlin, Kahne and Johnson -- rounded out the top five in Happy Hour. While he bemoaned the laps he lost in the first session after crashing in Turn 4, Newman said he saw enough in Happy Hour to cite his own favorites for Saturday night.

"I think the 8 car is pretty good and the 5 car has looked good," Newman said. "The 48 [Johnson] and the 9 -- those guys are definitely good -- so it all depends on how things go.

"I felt like Goodyear's brought a better tire here, and it feels like it's more forgiving, even though I was one of a few guys that did hit the wall [Friday] -- but the tire does feel better for grip and forgiveness.

"I think that will make for better racing and driving for everybody."

But for his own part, Newman said he wasn't sure if his funk over the 2006 Dodge Charger would be broken Saturday night or not. In the opening practice, Greg Biffle spun in Turn 4 without contact and there was a caution for oil on the racetrack before Newman's mishap.

"It just got loose," Newman said. "Before the center of the corner, it just snapped loose on me, and that was it -- all she wrote. I was on the loose side, but it never stepped out [before the crash].

"Usually when it steps out a little bit, you can save it -- but this was weird, it just was gone [and] there was no chance of bringing it back."

The wrecked car was the pole winner from Dover in June, where Newman said it also raced well. He said he rued the missed practice time lost in the longer opening session.

"We had a whole list of things we wanted to try, and never got a chance to," Newman said. "So yeah, the testing procedure we have now hurt us in that respect, and we didn't get the answers we needed -- so we'll have to run what we brung."

Nearly half of Newman's 12 career victories and 37 career Bud Poles have come on intermediate ovals -- but Newman has no wins and only two poles this season, with both of those coming at mile ovals.

So while Happy Hour was a cause for some optimism the bulk of the season has been overwhelming for the team that won 11 races during the last three seasons.

"Based off this year, I don't really feel comfortable about [Saturday night]," Newman said. "But this car does feel better and I won't say pretty good -- but it's good. I think in the right conditions this car will be pretty good.

"It seems like we struggle with the dirty air more than most of the other teams -- and the other manufacturers do, for that matter."



Ryan just has not had a good year this year. I know that it happens to all drivers, but when it happens to yours.......Well I am still a die-hard Newman fan and I have faith that next year things will be better! Is it 2007 yet?!?!?!?!?!?!

__________________

To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.
Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 5 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.