Stewart can't hold off Penske Dodges on Daytona 500's final lap
DAVID POOLE
The Charlotte Observer
Sunday, Feb. 17, 2008
Kurt Busch (facing camera) reaches out to hug teammate Ryan Newman after Newman's victory in the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. JEFF SINER/The Charlotte Observer
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - Ryan Newman knew what was happening.
"I got that tingly feeling," Newman said Sunday after winning the Daytona 500. "You only get that at certain times."
Like when you're leading NASCAR's biggest race with your teammate Kurt Busch's car jammed up your tailpipe giving you "the push from heaven" into the lead on the final lap.
Like when your father is spotting for you, trying to do his job to help you do yours while both of you know how much what might be about to happen would mean to the both of you.
Like when you're about to hand car owner Roger Penske, who has won the Indianapolis 500 on 14 occasions but had failed for 23 years to win stock car racing's closest equivalent, a victory in the 50th running of Sprint Cup racing's signature event.
"I don't have the words," Newman said when asked to describe his emotions following yet another fantastic finish at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.
"It's awesome. It's probably the most awesome thing that's ever happened to me."
Fifteen years ago, Newman said, he came to Daytona with his dad, Greg, and sat in the grandstands to see this race. Sunday, in the drivers' meeting that preceded it, he saw the collection of former winners who had gathered for this year's celebration of its history.
Now, he's part of it.
How that happened was, in typical Daytona 500 fashion, a dizzying blur.
Kyle Busch led for 86 laps and showed all day that his No. 18 Toyota had the power and handling he might need to become, at age 22, the youngest driver to ever win this race.
But he elected to hit pit road on a late caution to get fresh tires, leaving him ninth for a restart with 20 laps to go.
Dale Earnhardt Jr., trying to win in his first points race with Hendrick Motorsports after flourishing in the run-up events during Speedweeks, stayed on the track and took over the lead.
Roy McCauley, Newman's crew chief, chose to leave his driver out, too, anticipating more wrecks were likely and that track position might prove beneficial.
McCauley was right about the wrecks. There were three more cautions following that restart on Lap 181. He was right about the track position, too, for when the field lined up for the final restart with three laps left Newman was still fourth and within sight of the front.
Jeff Burton was leading, but when the green flew to start Lap 198 one group went low and another went high. Both went rifling past Burton's No. 31 Chevrolet going into Turn 1, and the race was most definitely on.
Stewart jumped high with Newman and had Kurt Busch coming with him. Kyle Busch, Stewart's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, went low.
Burton moved to block that low advance and Kyle Busch was forced toward the yellow line that marks an out-of-bounds area for making passes at this track.
Rather than flirt with a penalty, Busch had to ease out just for the blink of an eye, and that blunted not only his run but showed those who had elected to go with him to the low side as well.
Stewart steamed to the lead. He carried it back to the white flag, signifying one lap to go, and rolled off Turn 2 on the final lap still at the front of the pulsing pack.
At that point he had a choice to make. He chose poorly.
"I tried to get down in front of Kyle. I thought I would get a push down there," he said. "I made the wrong decision."
Newman did not. He went high and wound up right in front of Kyle's older brother, Kurt, who had started last and been forced to battle back from a pit-road speeding penalty to get his Dodge into contention late.
"For one instant, I honestly thought we had a shot of winning the Daytona 500," Kurt Busch said. But then, another blue Dodge pulled in front of him. It was Newman's No. 2.
"I thought it was the most beautiful thing in the world," Kurt Busch said, "because I knew one of us Penske cars was going to win at that point."
Newman hadn't won in his past 81 Cup starts, not since New Hampshire in September 2005. Hed come close a couple of times last year, leading late at Charlotte in October before spinning out, for example, but hadn't closed the deal.
Penske had fielded cars in 23 previous Daytona 500s without winning. His cars had never won a restrictor-plate points race here, or at Talladega, for that matter.
"We have tried for many years and we have come close," Penske said. "We have just never executed at the end."
Newman, with Kurt Busch's help, took care of that. They pushed clear of Stewart and Kyle Busch coming off the final turn and came across the line nose-to-tail for Penske Racing's first 1-2 NASCAR finish.
"I could hear the tears dripping over the radio," Newman said as he heard his father urge him toward the checkered flag.
Greg Newman came as fast as he could from the spotter's stand to find his son, now a Daytona 500 champion.
"He told me he loved me and said he was proud of me," Newman said. "Then he gave me a big hug."
Cue the tingles.
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By MIKE HARRIS
AP Auto Racing Writer
2 hours, 7 minutes ago
FONTANA, Calif. (AP)—A week after winning the Daytona 500, Ryan Newman added a 10th-place finish in the rain-delayed Auto Club 500.
That left Newman second to Kyle Busch, Monday’s fourth-place finisher, in the season standings, trailing by six points as NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series heads for Las Vegas next Sunday.
“The car was just OK,” Newman said. “At times we were a seventh-place car and, at other times, we were a 15th-place car. If you average it out, I think we did a little bit better than we could have.”
Tenth was exactly where Newman’s Penske Racing Dodge was late Sunday night when NASCAR decided to postpone the conclusion of the race following an unsuccessful five-hour attempt to dry the two-mile Auto Club Speedway.
They had run 87 of 250 schedule laps to that point.
“Our car just held it’s own. We spent an extra day and an extra 168 laps and ended up in the same spot, so it’s all right,” Newman added.
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After battling multiple rain delays, which forced the Auto Club 500 to be completed on Monday morning at California's Auto Club Speedway, Ryan Newman drove his Penske Racing No. 12 Alltel/Samsung HDTV Dodge to a 10th-place finish.
The result was Newman's 100th career top-10 finish in the NASCAR Cup Series.
“After about 12 hours and 163 more laps, we ended up in the same spot that we finished last night, so that’s not too bad,” Newman said. “At times we had a seventh-place car and at other times we had a 15th-place car, so we will take the average and be happy to come out of here with a top-10 finish. (Crew chief) Roy McCauley said it on the radio after the race – top 10s win championships, and that is our goal this year.”
With his win in the Daytona 500 and a 10th-place finish this week, Newman currently sits second in the NASCAR Cup Series points standings. He is six points behind current series leader Kyle Busch.
The key for the No. 12 Alltel/Samsung HDTV Dodge team during the Auto Club 500 was adjustability. Throughout the course of the race weekend, Newman struggled to get the perfect handle on his Dodge Charger.
After rain cancelled qualifying, Newman started in 13th-place based on last year’s final Cup point standings. The race finally saw the green flag on Sunday after a nearly three-hour delay.
With the uncertain weather and varying track conditions, Newman and McCauley knew going into the race that being able and prepared to adjust the car would be crucial in order to get a good result.
Four laps into the Auto Club 500, Newman told McCauley that the car was handling was too tight.
When a caution flag waved on lap 14, Newman was able to bring his Dodge Charger, which had been running in 14th place, to the attention of his team. While making adjustments to the track bar, wedge and air pressure, the pit crew also changed four tires and added fuel all in the hope of helping Newman’s ill-handling car.
With all the refinements made to his car, Newman returned to the track in the 14th spot.
On lap 21, he narrowly avoided the spinning car of Casey Mears. Newman came over the radio and told his crew that he got through the cars without sustaining any damage.
“My car is definitely better,” Newman said during the caution. “I feel like we have a pretty decent car. I’m just in so much dirty air right now back here in traffic that it’s hard to gauge what we’ve got.”
Following the wreck, NASCAR red-flagged the race for 70 minutes to clear the debris and work on the track, which had been “weeping” water from the previous rainfall.
When the drivers took the green flag again at lap 25, Newman was in the 11th position. Newman hung around the top 10 over the course of the next 15 laps, despite continuing to battle a tight-handling condition and having his car’s temperatures running too hot.
On lap 39, the caution flag waved once again for rain. Under the caution, Newman came down pit road for another wedge and air pressure adjustment, four tires and fuel. The crew also used the stop to take tape off the grill and to clean the grill in hopes of helping to control the car’s high temperatures. The quick stop put Newman back on track in ninth-place.
By lap 47, the race was back under the green flag. Again, Newman rotated spots, racing for seventh, eighth and ninth each lap. At lap 62, Newman told his team that the handling of his car was not to his liking.
Newman was finally able to bring the Alltel/Samsung HDTV Dodge to his pit crew’s attention when a caution flag slowed the field on lap 69. Newman was running in 10th place when he entered pit lane. Once again the crew made multiple adjustments to help the tight-handling race car. They also changed four tires and added fuel.
“We are just way too tight,” Newman explained to his crew.
Newman restarted the race running 16th, and with each lap, he seemed to gain a position. By lap 82, when the caution flag waved for rain again, Newman had moved up to 12th place.
The No. 12 team elected to pit under the caution for four tires, fuel and tape on the grill. Newman returned to the track in 10th place, before the race was red-flagged due to more weather and eventually postponed until Monday morning.
By Monday, the rain in Southern California had cleared. Under the sunny skies and in the chilly breeze, the Auto Club 500 resumed to complete its final 163 laps. Newman restarted the race in 10th place.
A new day and the change in weather meant a change to the handling of Newman’s No. 12 Alltel/Samsung HDTV Dodge. Now battling a loose-handling race car, Newman fell from 10th to 17th before the crew was able to bring him down pit road for a regularly-scheduled green flag pit stop on lap 121.
The crew changed four tires, added fuel and made a track bar and wedge adjustment. By the time the green flag pit stops had cycled through, Newman was shown in 15th place.
Just a few laps into the run, Newman told McCauley that the adjustment had helped him improve getting into the turns, but he still needed help.
When the caution waved again on lap 134, Newman brought his car back to the pits for four tires and fuel. The team also made a track bar adjustment and added tape to the grill. Newman restarted the race in the 13th spot.
Just 15 laps later when the caution flag was again displayed, McCauley and Newman opted to take only two tires in an attempt to gain track position. The quick stop allowed Newman to get off pit road first and take the lead on the track. He was awarded five bonus points for leading a lap.
“Ryan, I think taking two is the best move we could make,” McCauley told his driver on the radio. “The worst thing that can happen is we fall back to where we were.”
Newman told McCauley he agreed with the call.
But soon after the stop, Newman told his crew that the car was loose getting into the corner and too tight in the center of the turns. As he lost a spot on the track, Newman drove his No. 12 Charger too hard into the corner and scraped the wall, causing cosmetic damage to the right rear quarter panel. Newman dropped to fifth following the scrape up.
“I was just trying too hard,” Newman said after the race. “We finally had the track position but my car wasn’t handling just right and I drove it in there really hard and tagged the wall.”
Newman told McCauley that he just couldn’t get the grip he wanted to help him maneuver his race car around the track.
On lap 169, Newman came down pit road under the caution flag for four tires, fuel and another track bar and wedge adjustment. He restarted the race in 14th place.
Just three laps after the restart, Newman was able to break free from a three-wide pack and move into 10th position.
Despite continuing to battle a tough-to-handle car that was both tight and snapping loose, Newman was able to hold his position on the race track.
“I know it’s not right,” McCauley told Newman at lap 192,”but it’s the best you’ve been during this race. Keep your rhythm and we’ll be just fine.”
Newman pitted under the green flag at lap 207 for a regularly schedule pit stop. Again, the pit crew adjusted the track bar, changed four tires and added fuel. Newman returned to the track in 10th place after the green flag stops were completed.
A few laps later, Newman told McCauley that the adjustments had made his car a “tick too tight” and he needed to be freed up. A caution on lap 221 allowed the Penske pit crew to make changes in hopes of giving Newman a car that he could make a run with in the closing laps.
Newman restarted the race in 13th place, and he was able to make his way back up to the top 10 before the checkered flag.
“This was a good finish as far as points go,” Newman said. “This is probably the best start to a season that I have had since I have been Cup racing, but we still have work to do.”
Newman and the No. 12 Alltel Dodge will return to action on Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The green flag waves on the UAW-Dodge 400 at 4:30 p.m. EST. The race will be seen on FOX and heard on PRN radio.
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Ryan Newman Scores Top-15 Finish at Las Vegas Motor Speedway
LAS VEGAS, Nev. (March 2, 2008) - Ryan Newman, driver of the Penske Racing No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, battled an ill-handling race car throughout the day and fought his way to a hard-earned 14th-place finish on Sunday in the UAW-Dodge 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
"We just couldn't get a handle on our Alltel Dodge today," Newman said.
"Junk was the word I used on the radio. We were a top-10 car for part of the day, and then we weren¿t and we just never got it back. After the way the car handled, we're satisfied to come out with a top-15 finish. We have to keep having solid finishes each week to make the Chase later in the season."
With his 14th-place result, Newman is third in the NASCAR Cup point standings after three races, trailing series leader and Las Vegas race winner Carl Edwards by 41 points.
Newman started the UAW-Dodge 400 in 15th place on Sunday afternoon. Only four laps into the race, Newman radioed to his crew that his Alltel Dodge was too loose. He also told crew chief Roy McCauley that he didn¿t like the feel of his left front shock, which would hamper Newman¿s efforts throughout the day.
When the caution flag waved on lap nine, the Alltel pit crew had their first of several opportunities to adjust the handling of the race car. Newman, who was running in 16th place, came down pit road for a track bar adjustment and fuel.
He restarted the race in the 18th position.
While Newman struggled to pick up spots on the race track, he told his crew that the car didn¿t have any grip. By lap 50, as green flag pit stops began, Newman was in 11th place but he was now dealing with a tight race car that was tough to handle.
The Alltel pit crew went to work on lap 55. The team changed four tires, added fuel and made an air pressure and wedge adjustment in hopes of helping the car. When the green flag stops cycled through, Newman was shown in 16th place.
The adjustments appeared to help Newman's difficulties with the car as he worked his way up to 10th place on the track when the yellow flag waved again on lap 69.
Newman told his crew that the car was now "a tick on the free side." But the 2008 Daytona 500 winner said his biggest problem was that it didn't feel like he was using the left front of his car at all.
After pitting for two tires, fuel and another air pressure adjustment, Newman returned to the track in ninth place.
The adjustments were not enough to help Newman gain any more ground. The car remained a little too free and Newman slid back to 11th place, so the team pitted once again under the caution at lap 110. This time, the No. 12 crew changed four tires and made an air pressure adjustment.
However, as Newman took to the track, the car once again was too loose especially when cars were behind him. Newman struggled to find a line where the Alltel Dodge would perform at its best.
On lap 145, Newman pitted under caution for four tires, fuel and air pressure and track bar adjustments. He returned to the race track in the 11th position, but Newman radioed McCauley that the car again was way too loose.
You've got to tighten me up," Newman said when the caution flag waved for a wreck that happened directly behind the No. 12 Alltel Dodge a few laps later.
Newman returned to pit lane on lap 163. The Alltel crew changed right side tires and made another track bar adjustment. Newman was nearly pinned in his pit box by the No. 41 Dodge driven by Reed Sorenson, who was in front of him. The problems in the pits led to Newman restarting the race in 13th place.
The difficulties with the loose-handling car continued for Newman.
"We're going to get a good finish out of this," McCauley told his driver. "Just stay calm and find your rhythm."
As the laps ticked away on the board, Newman told his crew that his biggest problem with the car was that it was loose getting into the turns. He still didn't like the feel of the left front shock and he was lacking grip, and the car was too loose to make any moves on the race track.
The crew made a series of pit stops during the next 100 laps to try and fix the car's handling.
"I just don't like the way it handles," Newman told his crew at lap 233 when he came in for yet another stop. This time, the crew changed four tires, added fuel and made wedge and track bar adjustments.
Following this pit stop, Newman was penalized by NASCAR for being too fast entering pit lane. He was sent to the tail end of the longest line and he restarted in 20th place with just 30 laps remaining in the race.
Again, Newman told his crew that the car didn't really improve with the changes. He was still loose getting into the corners and he still couldn't find any grip on the track. Newman was running 19th.
When the caution waved for a wreck on lap 257, the team debated coming down pit road to change the left front shock that Newman had complained about during the course of the race. However, the team called off the stop and Newman drove straight through pit road. He restarted in 12th place on lap 262.
"Just five laps later, Newman took the checkered flag in 14th place for his third consecutive top-15 finish to start the season.
"Thanks for the effort and for just hanging in there today," McCauley told Newman after the race. "I'm sorry we didn't do a better job adjusting the car for you, but this is something we will work on."
After two days of testing at Phoenix International Raceway on Monday and Tuesday, the No. 12 Alltel Dodge will return to action at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 9 for the Kobalt Tools 500. The race can be seen on FOX beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET and heard live on PRN Radio.
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Last edited by mrsmopar12 : 03-03-2008 at 10:29 AM.
Reason: spacing err or
Hampton, Ga. - Ryan Newman, driver of the Penske Racing No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, fought back from an on-track incident late in the running of Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway to score his second consecutive 14th-place NASCAR Cup finish.
The incident occurred approximately 100 laps from the finish when Newman was running in fifth place. Juan Pablo Montoya (driver of the No. 42 Dodge) shot up the track on lap 226 and into Newman’s left fender. Newman was able to avoid hitting the outside wall, but the contact to the left side of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge created a severe tire rub, forcing Newman to give up his top-five spot in the running order to pit under green in order to fix the problem.
Newman lost a lap to the leaders due to the unscheduled pit stop. Although he was unable to get that lap back in the closing stages of the race, Newman fought to a 14th-place result. The No. 12 finished as the first car one lap down to the leaders.
“We had a good a car – a top-10 car most of the day. Montoya couldn’t hold the steering wheel straight going down the back straightaway and drove up into me and knocked my fender in,” Newman said. “We had to pit – we had a tire rub – it’s unfortunate that we couldn’t get a yellow late in the race to get on the lead lap.
“I’m positive that our Alltel Dodge Charger was better than 14th - I guarantee you that.”
With his fourth top-15 finish in four races this season, Newman is sitting fourth in the NASCAR Cup point standings, just three points out of third place.
Newman started the Kobalt Tools 500 in 12th place on Sunday afternoon. Although he quickly moved into the top 10, Newman radioed his crew that the Alltel Dodge was too loose early in the race. Despite battling the loose condition, Newman was turning solid lap times and was able to keep his Dodge in the top 10.
When the caution flag waved at lap 39, Newman brought the Alltel car to the attention of his pit crew. The team made a wedge adjustment, changed four tires and added fuel.
“I need to tighten it up just a little bit,” Newman told the team. “Tighter I think will be better for me.”
Newman restarted in the ninth position. The Alltel Dodge remained in the top 10 over the course of the next 30 laps. However, at lap 65, Newman told his crew that the car had now gone too far to the tight side.
A caution at lap 85 gave the No. 12 pit crew the opportunity to go to work on Newman’s Alltel Dodge once again. The team changed four tires, added fuel and made a track bar adjustment, in an attempt to loosen up the car.
Newman restarted in the 13th spot and just laps after taking the green flag, he radioed his team that the adjustments were not enough – the car was still a tick too tight.
Another caution at lap 114 gave the pit crew the chance to make another wedge adjustment, change four tires and add fuel.
“We’ll keep getting you freed up to where you are happy,” crew chief Roy McCauley told Newman. “You just keep doing what you are doing on the track.”
Newman continued to turn solid, competitive laps on the race track, and his crew worked on the car at every opportunity, trying to get the handling just right. By lap 220, Newman had moved back into the top 10.
A caution on lap 221 sent the No. 12 team to work for the sixth time on the Alltel Dodge, which was once again too loose. The pit crew made a wedge adjustment, changed four tires and added fuel. The team’s quick work helped Newman gain four spots on pit road. He restarted in fifth place, his highest running order of the race.
Just moments after celebrating a solid gain in the pits, Newman’s crew was jolted into unexpected action after the contact on the back straightaway with the No. 42 Dodge left Newman with left-side damage. Heavy smoke from a tire rub that was only getting worse forced Newman to give up his spot with the leaders and come to pit road.
The crew changed the left side tires and pulled out the damaged fender. Newman returned to the track in 20th place, one lap down.
Despite the frustration of being taken out of contention for a top-five finish, Newman did not waver. In the closing laps of the race, he battled back to the 14th spot and was the first car one lap down, but he was never able to get a caution flag which would have put him back on the lead lap.
“Thanks for hanging in there,” McCauley told Newman following the race. “We had a tough break today.”
After two days of Goodyear tire testing at Darlington Raceway on Monday and Tuesday, the No. 12 Alltel Dodge will return to action at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 16 for the Food City 500. The race can be seen on FOX beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET and will be heard live on PRN Radio.
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BRISTOL, Tenn. – Ryan Newman, driver of the Penske Racing No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, finished 33rd in Sunday’s Food City 500 NASCAR Cup event at Bristol Motor Speedway. Although Newman’s run looked promising as one of the fastest cars of the .533-mile oval, a wreck near the midpoint of the race took Newman out of contention.
“It was a rough ending for the Alltel Dodge Charger,” Newman said after the race. “We had a fast car all day, but just got caught up in a wreck. When you race here you have to have your car in one piece in at the end, but we just had some bad luck in the middle of the race.”
Following five NASCAR Cup races, Newman is currently eighth in the 2008 point standings, 147 points behind leader Kyle Busch.
After rain cancelled qualifying, Newman was scheduled to start in 13th-place based on the final 2007 NASCAR Cup point standings. However, due to an engine change during the second practice on Saturday afternoon, Newman and the Alltel team had to start at the rear of the field for Sunday’s race.
“Bristol is not the track where you want to start last,” Newman said following the engine change. “But we’re going to do the best we can. We just have to be patient and calm.”
At the start of the race, Newman had his work cut out for him and he patiently worked his way through traffic and was able to hang on to the lead lap pack despite being stalked closely by the leader.
At lap 50, NASCAR threw a mandatory caution flag for teams to check tire wear due to constant rains on Friday and Saturday. Newman, who was sitting in 35th-place, told his crew that his No. 12 Alltel Dodge was handling a bit too tight and did not rotate through the center of the corners as well as he would like. Newman pitted and the Alltel crew made adjustments to the air pressure and track bar, as well as changing four tires and adding fuel. The No. 12 restarted in 31st place.
“We were stuck in traffic quite a bit there,” Newman told crew chief Roy McCauley after the stop. “We have a better car than what we’re showing.”
After the race restarted, Newman continued to methodically make his way through the field and was in 23rd-place when the third caution of the day came out at lap 93. Newman told the Alltel team that the car was still a “tick too tight,” but that it was definitely better than it had previously been.
The Alltel pit crew made another air pressure and track bar adjustment, changed four tires and added fuel. Newman restarted the race in the 22nd spot at lap 100.
When a quick caution came out at lap 120, Newman and the team elected to stay out and pick up valuable track position at the Tennessee short track rather than pit. Newman gained seven spots and restarted in 13th-place.
Although the Alltel Dodge Charger was still battling a tight handling condition, Newman was able to move into the top 10 for the first time by lap 140. However at lap 190, two cars wrecked while battling for position and Newman was left with no place to go except straight into the five-car wreck.
The altercation left the No. 12 Alltel Dodge with heavy damage to the left rear quarter panel and the left side of the rear bumper, as well as right front-fender damage.
“The 26 and the 40 (cars) got crossed-up and turned around,” Newman said. “Then the 15 (car) spun in front of me and I had nowhere to go and I hit him. Then I got T-boned – that was pretty much our day. “
Under the caution period following the accident, Newman made three pit stops so that the Alltel team could pull out and repair damaged sheet metal, change tires, add fuel and adjust the track bar.
When the race restarted on lap 197, Newman was in 35th-place, one lap down to the leader.
Newman’s bad luck continued on lap 214 when NASCAR black-flagged the No. 12, requiring them to stop and to repair more damaged sheet metal from the accident. The team made the required pit stop under green flag conditions, at which point the Alltel team taped up the battered sheet metal, did additional repair work and made a track bar adjustment to assist Newman’s now loose-handling condition.
Following this extended pit stop, Newman returned to the track in 39th spot, four laps down to the leaders.
The bad luck did not dissuade the Alltel team, as Newman continued to drive hard, with lap times comparable to the top-five contenders.
“Ryan, I know this isn’t any fun, but you’re doing a good job out there,” McCauley said. “We’re picking up spots, so keep doing what you are doing.”
The Alltel team continued to work on the No. 12 car and an extended caution period at lap 278 provided an opportunity to make a series of pit stops to work on the front-wheel toe of the car. The work helped Newman pilot the car for the remainder of the race.
“We have a fast car if we can get it fixed right,” Newman said before coming down pit road. “We should be pretty close to where we were if we can get the steering back right.”
Over the course of the next 200 laps, Newman patiently worked to gain as many positions as possible. He moved as high as 30th before enduring another setback at lap 450, when his right front tire slowly lost air and went flat, forcing the team to pit for two right side tires. This green flag pit stop cost Newman three more laps to the leaders and put him in 34th place.
Only one more position could be gained before the checkered flag waved and Newman finished 33rd.
“It was a fast race car,” Newman told his crew at the end of the race.
The NASCAR Cup Series has the week off next week for the Easter holiday. Newman and the No. 12 Alltel Dodge team will return to action at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday, March 30 for the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at 2 p.m. ET. The race can be seen on FOX and heard live on MRN Radio.
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Newman Battles Ill-handling Race Car, Finishes 19th At Martinsville
MARTINSVILLE, Va. – Ryan Newman, driver of the Penske Racing No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, struggled with an ill-handling race car throughout the course of the Goody’s Cool Orange 500 at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday afternoon, finishing in 19th place.
It was a tough top-20 finish for the No. 12 Penske Racing team, which included a spin-out incident near the mid-point of the race.
Newman is currently 11th in the championship driver points standings, 174 points behind leader Jeff Burton.
“We just missed it today – plain and simple,” Newman said. “I had my hands full all day with the Alltel Dodge. Looking at the day, it could have been a lot worse and we did recover to get a top-20 finish, but I know we are a lot better than that.”
Newman had qualified the No. 12 Alltel Dodge in 13th place, but he wasn’t able to hold on to his position once the green flag dropped. By the time the first caution flag waved on lap 20, the No. 12 had slid back 12 spots to 25th place and Newman radioed his crew that the car was too tight in the center of the corners and upon corner-exit would snap to a loose-handling condition, which affected his ability to gain positions on the race track.
Despite these handling issues, the team elected not to pit and Newman restarted the race in 17th place.
Another caution period a mere 20 laps later gave the Alltel team their first opportunity to work on the No. 12 Dodge and its tight-handling condition. The pit crew changed right side tires, added fuel and made a track bar adjustment, returning Newman to the track in 13th place.
By lap 70 Newman was able to briefly move into the top-10, but the same handling issues continued to hamper his efforts, contributing to his slide back through the field.
Under the fifth caution period at lap 105, Newman pitted to address the No. 12’s handling and the crew made wedge and air pressure adjustments and added four fresh tires and fuel.
However, the changes didn’t help Newman’s problems, and the No. 12 Alltel Dodge fell one lap down to the leaders at lap 169. When the caution waved again at lap 180, Newman had fallen back to 31st place.
“We need some pretty big changes,” Newman told crew chief Roy McCauley. “This car just isn’t good.”
McCauley and the team elected to pit soon thereafter for substantial wedge and track bar adjustments, an air pressure adjustment and four tires and fuel. Over the following 100 laps, Newman continued to battle with the car and the rest of the field as he attempted to pick up spots on the track and put himself in the position to gain his lap back. By lap 292, Newman had moved into the 25th spot, the first car one lap down and was poised to get back onto the lead lap.
Bad luck struck on lap 295 when Greg Biffle attempted to go three-wide with Newman and Jimmie Johnson. Biffle tagged Newman in the left rear quarter panel, causing both the No. 12 Alltel Dodge and Johnson’s car to spin.
“He was going three-wide, and I had someone on the outside of me,” reported Newman. “That’s what is going to happen. It’s just a racing deal.”
Following the spin, Newman came down pit road for yet another track bar and wedge adjustment, four tires and fuel. He restarted the race in 31st place, still one lap down to the leaders.
Unfortunately the No. 12 Alltel Dodge never got better, although the team made several more pit stops and adjustments in hopes of improving the car. Newman patiently worked to find a racing line that suited the car and would help him gain spots on the race track.
Despite handling problems, Newman was able to break into the top 20 before the checkered flag waved, finishing in 19th place.
“The car just never felt good all day,” Newman said. “It didn’t even feel like the same car that I drove in practice all weekend, and we just couldn’t get a handle on it. The pit crew did a good job making all the changes, and we were able to recover and get a top 20 out of it. We need to get back on the right track in Texas next week.”
The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday, April 6 for the Samsung 500. The race will air live on FOX at 1:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast live on PRN Radio at 2:00 p.m. ET.
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FT. WORTH, Tex. – Ryan Newman and the No. 12 Penske Racing team overcame adversity during the course of the Samsung 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sunday afternoon to score a fourth-place finish.
With this strong result, Newman moved into a tie for eighth position with Greg Biffle in the NASCAR Cup points standings, 164 points behind points leader Jeff Burton.
Despite struggling with a tight race car all day and even falling a lap down to the leaders at one point in the 500 mile race, Newman and his Roy McCauley-led team refused to give up. Their determination resulted in the team’s second top-five finish of the 2008 season.
“Today was a good team effort for the Alltel/Samsung team,” Newman said. “We didn’t have a great car at the start of the race and we even struggled a little bit in the pits today, but the guys kept working on the car and making it better all day.
“And in the end, I was at the right place at the right time to pick up some positions. I’m really happy to come home with our second top-five of the year."
Newman started the 500-mile race in fourth place, marking his best qualifying effort of the season. Just five laps into the race, Newman began sliding back through the field. He told his crew that the No. 12 Alltel/Samsung Dodge was too tight coming off of turn two and also tight throughout turns three and four. The tight-handling condition caused Newman to fall back to 11th place by lap 25.
The crew had their first opportunity to work on Newman’s ill-handling race car when the caution flag waved at lap 28. The team made a track bar adjustment, a tire air pressure adjustment, changed four tires and added fuel. After the pit stop, Newman restarted in 12th place.
Just a few laps into his post-stop run, Newman told his crew that his Dodge was still too tight. The adjustments had helped, but he needed more to help the car roll through the corners at the 1.5-mile oval.
In an effort to keep up with tightening track conditions and assist Newman’s handling, the team opted to make another track bar adjustment and a tire air pressure adjustment under a green flag pit stop at lap 82, also changing four tires and added fuel. Following the pit stop, Newman returned to the track in 11th place.
“I’m still tight in the center and tight off (turn) two,” said Newman, who had moved into the top ten by lap 105. “It’s getting better, but the track is tightening up, too.”
A caution just laps later allowed the team to make additional adjustments to the track bar and a tire air pressure change in an attempt to help Newman’s handling. The team also changed four tires, added fuel and Newman returned to the track in 13th place.
Newman continued to battle a tightening race track and a tight race car. At every opportunity, the crew worked on the No. 12, making a series of track bar, wedge and tire air pressure adjustments, to free up his handling condition.
Despite all the changes, Newman couldn’t keep up with the leaders and fell one lap down at lap 293. However, a quick caution gave Newman the “Lucky Dog” pass, putting him back on the lead lap in 11th place at lap 299.
As the race laps ticked off the board, Newman tried to make his way through lapped traffic to pass the cars in front of him. A caution at lap 329 put Newman in the top ten and extended the race beyond its original 334-lap scheduled distance.
McCauley opted to bring Newman down pit road for a track bar adjustment and two tires in hopes of making a run in the closing laps of the race. The team also added tape to the grill of the No. 12 Dodge. This quick pit stop put Newman back on track in seventh place for the restart at lap 337.
The late-race caution meant the race would end with a green-white-checker finish. When the green flag waved, Newman went to work on the cars in front of him and moved up to sixth spot on the first lap. An accident on the final lap in front of Newman moved the No. 12 Alltel/Samsung Dodge into fourth place when the checkered flag waved.
“This is what happens when the whole team sticks with it,” McCauley told the crew following the race. The fourth-place finish was Newman’s third top-five at Texas Motor Speedway.
“It was tough out there today,” Newman said after the race. “The cars are a handful. Our Allte/Samsungl Dodge was good for most of the race – it was just tight and we were freeing it up all day. At one point we got off and we went a lap down, but the guys stuck with it and didn’t give up. We’re really working on our intermediate program, and this finish shows the improvement. Getting our second top-five of the year is huge.”
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Ryan Newman and the No. 12 Penske Racing Alltel Dodge started on the pole position and looked to have a car that would contend for victory on Saturday night in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, but an engine failure at lap 134 relegated the team to a 43rd place finish.
“Tonight was really unfortunate because we had an Alltel Dodge that was a top-10 car at worst, and I think it was better than that,” Newman said. “It’s just really disappointing. I was hoping that it was a power steering problem and we could get back out there, but it was an engine.”
With eight races completed in the NASCAR Cup Series, Newman is 12th in the 2008 NASCAR Cup driver point standings, 300 points behind leader Jeff Burton.
On Thursday, Newman scored his first pole of the 2008 season at Phoenix, the 43rd pole position of his career. After two strong practices on Friday, Newman and the Alltel team were confident heading into Saturday’s race.
When the green flag dropped on Saturday night, Newman led the first 30 laps of the Subway Fresh Fit 500. At lap 31, after losing the lead to eventual race winner Jimmie Johnson, Newman told his crew that the Alltel Dodge was handling a little loose in general but tight in the center of turn three and four. By lap 40, Newman had fallen to third.
When the caution waved at lap 41, Newman came down pit road for four tires, fuel and track bar and air pressure adjustments. A quick pit stop by the Alltel crew sent Newman back on track in the lead, however, Newman couldn’t hold on to the lead as the changes hampered the car’s handling. Newman lost the lead at lap 50.
“It doesn’t feel good,” Newman said over the radio at lap 60. “It’s too tight in the center (of the turns) and too loose off. We’re getting killed in the center (of the turns).
The difficult handling condition caused Newman to lose spots. By lap 75, Newman had dropped to 12th-place. “We need pretty big changes the next time we come in,” Newman said.
At lap 113, the caution flag waved and the Alltel pit crew got the opportunity to help Newman’s handling issues. The team elected to make track bar and wedge adjustments as well as a tire air pressure adjustment. The team also changed four tires and added fuel.
Newman restarted the event in 10th place at lap 121. It appeared that the adjustments had helped Newman as he quickly began making his way through the pack of cars. But at lap 133, trouble struck for Newman and the No. 12 Alltel Dodge. Smoke began pouring from the No. 12 machine, the caution flag waved and Newman came down pit road.
After looking under the hood, the crew diagnosed the problem to be terminal. Newman and the Alltel team were out of the race.
After a week off, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to action at the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway on Sunday, April 27, 2008 for the Aaron’s 499. The ace can be seen live on the FOX television network at 1:30 p.m. EDT and heard on the MRN radio network at 2 p.m. EDT.
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