C'mon media, give Ryan Newman a break!

Ryan Newman 

One week ago, Ryan Newman beat Jimmy Johnson to the checkered flag. The media seemed to roll all over itself with glee at the possibility that Newman could perform such an awesome feat. That just shows how little they know about him. Perhaps if they weren't so busy fawning all over Johnson, Danica, and Junior, they might notice the effort made by some of the other drivers.

I'm here to tell you, that it was not a colossal feat that Newman won the prestigious Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis last week. For those of us that follow his career, we know that it was just a matter of time before he bested the field. We were pleased as punch, though not surprised at all. Newman has far more talent than anyone in the broadcasting booth apparently recognizes.

That said, it was wonderful to finally watch the media not ignore Newman, which is usually the case, or worst yet, accentuate instances like his dust-up with Kyle Busch recently when Busch called Newman an ogre. Often times Newman is involved in a racing incident that is not of his making. The media is quick to assign blame only to clarify it later after the damage has been done.

Their latest harangue is about Newman being congratulated by well-wishers, but receiving no sponsorship offers. Oh please! This is barely August. There is lots of racing to go. Anyone who thinks potential sponsors are going to call Newman on the phone to play 'let's make a deal' in the middle of the racing season is fooling themselves. Any deals will be made among the driver, a potential team, and the sponsor's go-to guy, will take place long before it is ever made public. Give the guy a break for pete's sake. Let him enjoy his win and work on the next one before adding to the pressure of a very pressured situation. Newman is thoroughly engaged in the 2013 racing season. That has to be his priority for now.

Offers will come when the time is right. Ryan Newman will be just fine. He is a talented driver, even when the media doesn't notice.

Related articles

• Indiana's Newman wins at Brickyard from pole
• First at the start, first at the finish; Ryan Newman wins at the Brickyard
• MST: Ryan Newman wins Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis
• Ryan Newman wins the 2013 Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway
• Newman: Indy win "gives us more hope" of making Chase

Still complaining? Give me a break Jimmy Johnson!

RYAN NEWMAN AT TEXAS
 (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

I couldn't believe Jimmy Johnson's initial response after the Texas race when he complained that Ryan Newman raced him too hard. It is even more amazing that almost a week later, Johnson is still in a snit about it.

Get over yourself Jimmy.

You didn't win because you made mistakes. Not only that, Greg Biffle, who actually won the race, was better than you. Newman raced him hard too, but he isn't crying about it!

You wanna be a champion again, act like one, Jimmy.

NASCAR drivers are said to be among the finest drivers in the world. So why is one of them being criticized for doing his job?

Must Jimmy Johnson and his fans be reminded that Newman won the race at Martinsville after being a lap down. Newman is the Bill Clinton of racing; he is a real comeback kid. It is not inconceivable that given the right circumstances, Newman could have ended up with a top-5 or top-10 finish. With 20 laps to go, anything can happen, and often does. With the surprise endings to races, often times with unlikely winners, numerous late-race cautions, and a performance-sensitive points system, every lap, every position is vital.

While it is true that Newman battled an unwieldy race car, throughout the race, it is his job to race. It is in his DNA to race hard every single lap. He should be praised for his fortitude, not criticized.

On a really sad note, I actually read one news item that said Tony Stewart, Ryan's boss and team mate, was in a tenable position because Jimmy Johnson has such a good relationship with Rick Hendrick. Hendrick supplies engines and parts for Stewart-Haas Racing. I couldn't believe my eyes when the writer suggested that Stewart would throw Newman under the bus to keep Hendrick happy. He questioned whether Ryan's job could be in jeopardy because of this incident. All I can say is, what a stretch! What an irresponsible piece of work!

Ryan Newman not why Johnson failed to win at Texas

FORT WORTH, TX - APRIL 12: Ryan Newman, driver of the #39 US ARMY Chevrolet, sits in his car during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Samsung Mobile 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 12, 2012 in Fort Worth, Texas. (Image credit: Getty Images via @daylife)

In the course of doing his job, Ryan Newman is getting some flack for ruining Jimmy Johnson's potential to win at Texas.

Johnson has already been quoted as saying he can't understand why Ryan Newman was racing him so hard when Newman was already a lap down and Johnson and Biffle were the class of the field.

I'll tell you why Jimmy...NEWMAN WAS RACING!

That is his job. That is why he was racing hard. He was trying to prevent going two laps down--a much more difficult thing to overcome if a caution came out. Don't forget, Newman was a lap down at Martinsville and came back to win the race.

Just because Newman was a lap down doesn't mean his race was over?

Give me a break. The reason Johnson didn't win the race is because he hit the wall while racing with Biffle. I do not want to hear any blame placed on Ryan Newman for Jimmy Johnson's coming in second.

It was nice to see Greg Biffle win the race. He has raced hard for so long and deserved the win.

I don't know what happened to Newman, except that he was unhappy with his car from the first lap to the last. The situation went from too loose to too tight to way too tight. It was a bad night for Newman--everybody has them. I'm sure he will rebound next week at Kansas.

Aside for this incident, there is little to say about Saturday night's racing at Texas. This was not one of the most exciting races of the year. With so few cautions, positions really didn't change much.

Generally, after a week off, I am anxious to see some really good, competitive racing. This race was far from satisfying. So, on to Kansas.

Related articles

• Johnson not thrilled with second place (foxsportssouthwest.com)

Sprint Cup race at Indy was boring

Friday night's Truck race and Saturday's Nationwide race at O'Reilly Raceway Park was great. Not so much for the Sprint Cup race Sunday at the beautiful 100-year old Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In face, the race was b-o-r-i-n-g. And I am an avid race fan.

There was some side-by-side racing, but passing was virtually impossible. Tire wear was not a problem this year -- thank goodness -- due to extensive testing by several teams and folks from Goodyear, but perhaps a few extra cautions -- with double-file restarts -- would have livened things up a little. It is sad that one of the most prestigious tracks on the circuit was home to a dull race. Even the end, because Mark Martin was unable to slip past or even run neck-and-neck with Jimmy Johnson, was not worth watching.

I even felt sorry, for the first time ever, for Juan Pablo Montoya who got robbed by a speeding penalty after he carried almost the entire race single-handedly. I actually wanted him to win because he earned it.

Personally, I'd like to see the COT scrapped. But, if we must be stuck with the COT, and NASCAR wants to keep fans interested, then races should be shortened or super speedways eliminated from the circuit.

There are some bright sides for me, anyway. My favorite driver Ryan Newman maintained his points standing. Tony Stewart, who is now my second favorite driver, had a great run and is probably the 2009 champion, and I got to get some work done on my latest crocheting project.