Ryan Newman took plenty of hits this week

It was looking like a good points day for Ryan Newman Sunday at New Hampshire, with the potential to get closer to the cutoff for the Chase for the Championship, just eight races away. That is until Kurt Busch got into him and took him out. Valiant efforts by Newman's team to repair the car were futile, resulting in a 39th place finish, moving him from 16th in points down to a three-way tie for 18th. 

What could have been a top 10 finish and possibly contention for the win, was lost in one brief instant, so close to the end of the day. 

Newman and his team were careful to massage their strategy at the same time adjust on the chassis to get the car to handle. Finally, as they got the WIX #39 car into position for a good finish, it was over. 

If that wasn't disheartening enough, I read this morning the ridiculous remarks by Kyle Busch during a Satellite radio program.

"I really hate it that Kurt got tore up and I felt like he had the best car here today," Kyle said to ESPN of his brother, who led a race-high 102 laps. "He was definitely good. He could definitely roll the long runs for sure and I was proud of those guys, but man just stupidity.

"I mean Ryan Newman is the biggest stupid idiot out here. And he's a big ogre and he can do whatever he wants because he can probably kick anybody's butt, so no sense in getting into a fight with him. But glad he is out of a job," Busch said.

WHAT? 

I was pleased to read the responses much like my own--responses that indicate Busch has no idea what he is talking about, such as those in this story. Busch obviously opened his mouth before seeing the replay of the incident that clearly indicates it was Kurt Busch that, to borrow a Newman phrase, "ran out of talent."

Despite his disappointment, Newman was interviewed after the incident, where he managed to smile and be a gentleman about it. Newman knows how to take it like a man, which is something the Busch brothers could learn from him.

While I will admit that Kyle Busch has had some spectacular moments on the race track, they have been balanced by some real boneheaded moves as well. He has wrecked--purposely wrecked--more cars than anyone in recent times and has shot off his mouth about nearly everyone around him. He can't even get along with his own brother.

Had the wreck been Newman's fault, perhaps Busch would have had something to gripe about. But that wasn't the case. There is no excuse for his remark about being glad Newman is out of a job. How dare him say such a thing?

Indeed, this was not a good week for Newman, who just learned days before what he probably already knew, that he would not be driving a race car for Stewart-Haas Racing next year. Instead, Tony Stewart, co-owner of Stewart-Haas decided to fire Newman, his friend, in favor of a friend with funding--Kevin Harvick. It is all about the money--one of the things I really hate about NASCAR and one of the things that will probably drive me away altogether one day. Tony's decision to field Danica Patrick and Kevin Harvick next year was strictly about GoDaddy and Budweiser, Danica and Kevin's sponsors respectively. Atilla the Hun could have been the drivers and it wouldn't have mattered. Had Ryan had his own sponsor, the decision might have been different.

I'm not really concerned that Ryan will find a place to go next year. He is a good, competitive, intelligent race car driver and given good equipment, will drive into Victory Lane. 

Clearly, Stewart-Haas dropped the ball on the new Generation 6 car at the same time Stewart-Haas was making changes in personnel in order to accommodate Danica Patrick. 

So, while I am disheartened over the lost potential for Ryan Newman at New Hampshire and concerned about the remainder of his 2013 season, I'm sickened by Stewart's decision to oust Newman in 2014 and really angry at Kyle Busch's ill-thought remarks. Ryan Newman deserves better. Busch owes him an apology, thought I doubt that will ever happen. If he finds himself spinning one day, I doubt there will be many tears shed.

Stewart-Haas displays sense of humor

NASCAR is fortunate to have teams that can exhibit a sense of humor.

Take Stewart-Haas Racing, for example. 

Stewart-Haas Racing posted, via Twitter, a photo of Ryan Newman's banged-up #39 race car following last weekend's night race at Richmond, (see details), where Juan Pablo Montoya intentionally smashed into Newman's race car. Newman's car was then accidentally hit by another race car, driven by his former teammate Kurt Busch. The result of the damage caused Newman to finish the race in the 20th position. He had been running eighth when Montoya ruined his day.

Stewart-Haas released the picture with the statement, "Thanks Juan. Crumpled sheet metal makes for a great gift. We'll add this to our Target registry." 

Newman demonstrates class; Montoya, not so much; Jury still out on NASCAR

Ryan Newman tries to maintain his composure, evidenced in this video, when reporters ask him about multiple confrontations on the track with Juan Pablo Montoya.

Montoya clearly and intentionally destroyed Newman's chances for a top-10 or better finish at Saturday night's race at Richmond.

Newman indicated frustration on the radio as he predicted the #42 would intentionally come after him and try to wreck him--not once but twice. 

That wasn't so much prophetic as it was simply knowing Montoya's modus operandi.

Montoya is known for aggressive, driving. 

The incident occurred just after the first 100-lap mark when Newman, running in the top 10, got into the back of Montoya. According to Newman, it was unintentional. At the time it occurred, Fox commentator Darrell Waltrip noted that Newman's brakes were aglow, indicated that Newman attempted to avoid hitting Montoya. The incident was clearly unintentional at the fast-paced short track.

Montoya's reaction however, was clearly deliberate one hundred laps later when he aimed his car directly at Newman's #39 car, causing it to spin. Newman hit the wall, got the car stopped, and was then hit by Kurt Busch who apparently couldn't avoid it.

Newman's pit crew did a yeoman's job at making repairs. Several stops on pit road allowed Newman to stay on the lead lap. He even got back into the top 10 at one point, although the damage was so extensive that speed and handling he enjoyed during the first portion of the race caused him to finish in 20th position.

Newman was clearly frustrated during and after the race. 

It is one thing to be caught up in an incident caused by someone else, but to be intentionally wrecked is quite another. He went to the NASCAR hauler directly after the race, seeking fairness from the sanctioning body. NASCAR has been known to penalize drivers for unnecessary aggression on the race track. 

It is not clear if anything will come of it. 

I can just about predict that nothing will come of this. I would hope that NASCAR would evaluate the circumstances of this incident and penalize Montoya for his bad attitude on the race track--a bad attitude that can get somebody hurt. They have instituted a new policy however, which is known as 'boys have at it.' To me, that is little more than a loophole in the rule book that allows NASCAR officials to remain arbitrary in their handling of these kinds of situations.

Newman is not one of the 'chosen' drivers.

Sadly, I doubt anything will happen. After all, this dustup between Newman and Montoya makes for good headlines. 

It was the interesting 'news' coming out of the Richmond race. It is almost common occurrence for Kyle Busch to win there. Another Busch win isn't going to boost ticket sales, but a race track feud just might.

Daytona thoughts

Alright, so Daytona proved not to be the race where Ryan Newman would cast aside whatever brings out the evil at Super speedways. I have to say that I am getting pretty tired of watching the carnage. If NASCAR wants to sponsor a demolition derby, perhaps the speeds are a little high.

My previous blog post may have been just a little too optimistic, but my hope really does spring eternal. I cannot imagine a Chase for the Championship without Ryan Newman in it. So I won't. He is only 80 points out of 12th, and there is plenty of time. So, we who watch the #39 so enthusiastically will just have to eat a few more tornadoes and just bide our time. It won't be easy, but is anything worth doing ever easy?

At least Newman didn't have to endure the spoils of Daytona's bad side all by himself. He was able to commiserate with the other 18 drivers whose cars also got wrecked.

I'm glad my Arkansas neighbor Mark Martin was OK. His role in the drama apparently looked much worse than it was.

My congratulations to Kevin Harvick who ran a great race. And how 'bout that Dale Jr.--finishing 4th? There will be plenty of people happy about that, although according to the post race interview, he didn't seem to be one of them.

Ah, Lady Luck. Someone should put her name on the front of their race car, or perhaps a decal on or near the spoiler or rear quarter panel. She seems to contribute more to races than just about any sponsor.

On to Chicagoland. Make it a good one Ryan Newman and tell Lady Luck where to shove it.

Ryan Newman profile

I had the occasion to write for an on-line writing service. I noticed that other drivers were profiled, but when I couldn't find Ryan Newman's profile listed, I wrote the following:

Ryan Newman was born to race. Not only was that the vision of a proud father the day his son was born, but it has been the experience of the 31-year old driver who stepped into his first racing machine -- a go-kart -- at the tender age of four.

Ryan Newman was born Dec. 8, 1977 in South Bend, Indiana, the first of two children of Greg and Diane Newman. Ryan has a younger sister, Jamie.

Today, Newman is one of the top drivers in NASCAR's elite Sprint Cup series, driving the #39 U.S. Army Chevrolet.

The two blue Penske cars
were unstoppable.Ryan Newman went
on to win the Daytona 500

Greg Newman was an auto mechanic who owned a repair shop. Greg's penchant for racing must have been part of his DNA because Ryan certainly inherited it. Today, Greg makes his living as an employee of Stewart-Haas Racing, Ryan's race team. His job is a vital one. He has a hand in helping to guarantee his son's safety.

Greg is Ryan's spotter on race day. He sits high atop the racetrack with binoculars honed in on his son's car as it races around the track. Greg literally acts as the eyes in the back of Ryan's head. Because of all the safety gear, once strapped into a racecar, Ryan has little vision to the rear or peripherally. He sees directly in front of him, but Greg watches the rest. Greg alerts Ryan to accidents on the track that may be out of Ryan's view. Greg advises him whether to go low or high on the track to avoid being caught in the melee. Greg sees for his son when Ryan is temporarily blinded by smoke, dust, or intense light from the setting sun. At speeds nearing 200 mph there isn't much time to react, so correct and rapid information is key. Greg scopes out the drivers behind Ryan, letting him know how fast a car is coming. And if there is one passing, Greg describes its location precisely. Greg knows what Ryan wants to know and he tells him via radio communications.

Ryan Newman has had a storied racing career. From an early age, he has excelled at every level of the sport, stringing together successes like a strand of pearls. By age 10, he had already won 75 races and two championships in various Quarter-Midget classes. Quarter midgets are scaled-down versions of the open-wheel Midget car that is especially designed for young racers between the ages of five and 16. The cars comply with specific safety standards and run about 30 mph.

When Newman was 11, he won the U.S. Quarter-Midget National championship. At 15, he won the All-American Midget Series championship. In 1999 he won the USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Championship and achieved Rookie of the Year honors. At the same time, he was also working toward his eventual engineering degree at Purdue University in South Bend.

Newman had enjoyed the open-wheel racing of his youth, but he really had his sights set on stock car racing. And as it turned out, stock car racing had its eye on him as well. New talent is always being sought in the racing world. And it just so happened that Don Miller, President of Penske Racing South, owned by Roger Penske, a legend in auto racing. Miller was impressed with what he heard about Newman's talent. He was even more impressed when he watched Newman race. He arranged for Newman to test in a Penske stock car in April 2000 at Gateway International Speedway near St. Louis, MO. NASCAR legend Buddy Baker was
invited to the test. He was impressed as well. As a result, Newman became one of the newest drivers for Penske Racing that year.

In 2000, Newman won three out of five races in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. He made his Winston (now Sprint) Cup series debut in Phoenix that year.

The following year, Newman made seven starts in the Winston Cup series. He earned a pole, the top starting spot in a race based on the fastest qualifying speed in one lap, in May at Charlotte Motor Speedway (Lowes). In September of that year, Newman earned a second-place finish at Kansas.

In 2002 Newman had a full-time ride in the #12 Alltel Dodge in the Winston Cup Series. He set an all-time record for the number of poles by a Rookie of the Year candidate. He earned six which beat the record five set by Davey Allison in 1987. He edged out Jimmie Johnson to become Raybestos Rookie of the Year. And he won the 2002 All-Star Race. On Sept. 15, Newman won his first Cup victory at New Hampshire.

In 2003, Newman had his best season so far. He earned eight wins, 11 poles, 17 top-five finishes and 22 top-10 finishes. He earned the nickname Rocketman because of his fast-lap qualifying prowess. He was named SPEED Channel's American Driver of the Year, the National Motorsports Press Association's Driver of the Year, and the Daytona Beach News-Journal Driver of the Year.

Newman decided in the middle of 2008 to take a huge gamble with his career. He decided to change teams, to walk away from Penske Racing where he had enjoyed so much success. But things were different. Newman hadn't changed his driving style, but he was no longer achieving the results he wanted. He was frustrated. Don Miller had retired. The only crew chief he had ever known, Matt Borland was no longer with the organization and other changes in personnel made Penske a different organization.

Newman made the difficult decision to go with a new, start-up team, one that would be co-owned by fellow Indiana native, Tony Stewart. Stewart would be Newman's teammate as an owner/driver at Stewart-Haas Racing. Despite the speculation, early indications are that it was a good move for Newman who is back to top-five finishes and leading laps. He has regained his confidence and feels it is only a matter of time before he goes to Victory Lane.

There is no question that Newman will have many more good moments ahead in his racing career, but there is one he will never forget and it can never be equaled. It came at the beginning of 2008, his final season driving for Roger Penske, when he won the Daytona 500. Not only is the Daytona 500 the most prestigious race for a driver to win because it holds a distinctive history in the stock car racing world, but because 2008 marked the 50th running of what is known as the "Great American Race."

The Daytona 500 has always eluded Roger Penske. Victory has always been just out of Penske's reach. Bobby Allison came close to a win in a Penske car in 1975. And Penske always thought veteran driver Rusty Wallace would get the coveted win. But Wallace retired three years ago, unable to achieve that dream. Allison came in third in 1975. But, although the Penske team tallied 82 poles, 57 victories in the past 927 races, they could not muster a win at Daytona International Speedway - until Newman did it in 2008.

And the thing that made the win especially sweet for Penske was that when Newman crossed the finish line it was with the help from his teammate Kurt Busch, in Penske’s #2 Miller Lite Dodge.

The two blue Penske cars were unstoppable when it mattered most, in the last laps of the race, as they squeezed up to the top of the track like a two-car freight train, pushing past the man who would ironically become Newman's new boss, Tony Stewart. Stewart led the most laps in the race and was the expected favorite to win. It would have been his first Daytona 500 win as well, but it wasn’t to be.

Newman was able to share the moment with his father, Greg, who he heard on the radio, pulling for his son, rooting him on, knowing what it would mean to him to win this race of all races. When Greg told Ryan, "you could win this thing," it was heart-stopping. Ryan said he could hear his father's tears fall onto the radio. When Newman crossed the finish line and took the checkered flag, he was a new person, humbled by achieving a moment he had only dreamed about. His father ran to Victory Lane to share the moment with his son, exploding into a huge bear hug. And Roger Penske, who in many ways was like a father to Newman, beamed with pride. Ryan's wife Krissy sobbed. His mother couldn't be there, but he tried to talk to her on the phone. She was so overcome with emotion that she could barely speak.

Ryan Newman has seen struggles, and he has overcome odds. He has walked away from horrific accidents. And he has achieved so much, but he will not rest on his laurels. He still has a goal -- to win the Sprint Cup championship. He is in the position to do just that. But even if it doesn't happen this year, there is always next year or the next. But, as determined as he is, Ryan Newman will be a NASCAR Sprint Cup champion one day.