Q&A With Ryan Newman
Q&A With Dodge Motorsports' NNCS Driver Ryan Newman From Daytona 2nd Session's 3rd Day Of Testing
Clear!Blue Communications For Dodge Motorsports, Press Release
RYAN NEWMAN (No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger)
OPENING REMARKS
“Testing is always different from racing, but you can learn from it, and I think we’re stronger now than we were at this time last year with our Alltel Dodge. That same car got us to third place in the Daytona 500 last year, so I think we’ve made some gains in the off season. We’ve got a new nose and a new tail, and I’m sure it will be better for us for the entire season, and I look forward to that change as well. Testing is a little on the boring side, but it’s a good experience for the team and a good experience for me working with the team and Michael Nelson as the new crew chief. For the other new guys on the team it’s important to create that chemistry right off the bat and get a good start on the season.”
COMMENT ON THE COT TEST AT PHOENIX
“I thought the Goodyear tire test was good. I think the car of tomorrow is going to bring some new challenges to Goodyear that they’re ready and waiting for. I think those challenges are the car has a little bit less downforce and we’re still making the same amount of horsepower so they have a little bit different challenge of making the tires live and hooking the tires up to the racetrack. I think they made some good changes with the alternate compounds they brought to the test. We spent most of our time at the test working with the load cells they have and doing that you don’t get a chance to test all the alternate tires and compounds they have to offer. At the end of the day we were part of their analysis with the best three scenarios. Hopefully we helped them make the right decision, but it’s still their ultimate decision.”
COMMENT ON BEING FASTEST IN PRACTICE TUESDAY AFTERNOON
“I haven’t looked at the time sheet all day, whether it was qualifying practice or race practice, but I think that it’s just an opportunity to build on. It’s a good thing. It shows we’re capable of doing that. Of course we only did it by a thousandth of a second, but I’ll take that. It’s just another opportunity to come down here and show what you’ve got. We’re not hiding anything. We’re doing what we have to do to make the car go faster. I feel the Alltel Dodge is better now in testing than it was last year in testing. If that was good enough for a third-place finish (in 2006 Daytona 500), hopefully it’s good enough for a first-place finish in the 500.”
COMMENT ON SHARING INFORMATION AT TESTING
“At the Memphis test with the car of tomorrow, it was the first time we’d ever switched drivers in cars. I’d driven Rusty’s cars before, but he had never driven mine. It was a great opportunity to get an understanding of our language and our definitions of loose and tight and things like that. When Kurt feels like he’s happy with his car and it’s a little bit loose and that’s drivable for me. It was a great test. It’s opened my eyes in this off-season’s testing to what we could have done better and what we are doing better. That’s information sharing with a great relationship between Michael Nelson and Roy McCauley and the race engineers as well. That’s something I really look forward to as far as the entire two teams working together.”
COMMENT ON BENNY PARSONS
“Benny and I never went out and had dinner, but he did come out to our property when we had cookouts sometimes. He brought his wife and his dog and we got to hang out. I considered him a good friend, and I think he was a great person. Obviously he’s done a lot for the sport, and I’ve said before he’s more than just a Cup champion. He’s a champion in many ways and a great family man. I’m going to miss him for sure. I’m sure there will be many tributes and ways to remember him, but seeing his face on TV was one of the best.”
COMMENT ON YOUR FIRST LAPS AT DAYTONA
“I remember my first test at Daytona was in an ARCA car. It was 2001 because that’s when we won the race. It was my first race at Daytona and it was a great team at the time. It’s a neat track. When you’re first out there by yourself you think it’s easy and then you get about 20 cars around you and they’re all going for the same spot it’s a little bit difficult and a little bit tough. The track has so much character and historical significance. It’s definitely a great place to race.”
COMMENT ON THE SHOOTOUT
“I think the Shootout is more of an indication of what to expect of the racecars and the tires and how things are going to play out. We’ve got a different situation this year with the 17-gallon fuel cell. Who’s going to have the fuel mileage and who doesn’t, things like that. It will be more of an eye-opener rather than who’s going to be the guy to beat at Daytona in the 500.”
DID YOU THINK YOU HAD A GOOD SHOT AT WINNING LAST YEAR’S DAYTONA 500 WITH A FEW LAPS TO GO?
“I know I had a great shot at winning it. I hadn’t been in that position many times before if any to try to win a restrictor-plate race from second place with a couple of laps to go. I thought I did everything right with the exception of Casey (Mears) going with Jimmie (Johnson) instead of me. That’s just racing. You can’t predict that. You can hope for it, but you can’t predict it. If I had to do it all over again, I’d still go for the win. I wouldn’t sit there and ride in second.”
THOUGHTS ON THE SEASON
“I think we’ll definitely be a stronger team than last year. We’ve tested a lot during the offseason, and I think we’ve made some good changes with the racecars. Our biggest problem last year was the racecars weren’t fast enough. When the racecars go faster it makes everybody happy. Hopefully all that stuff will work out.”
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Ryan Newman, Daytona 500 Champion!!
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I am really liking all of the positive comments coming out of the Penske camp this off season. Really sounds like they are working hard to turn things around. 
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