Not quite Top 10

When Ryan Newman doesn't finish a race in the top 10, it takes me a few days to recover enough to write about it. That was the case with Saturday night's race at Texas Motor Speedway. 

Newman finished in 14th place--not far from the top 10--but not quite in it either. Considering the night he had, 14th was a great finish. It was a hot and windy night, which didn't help the lack of grip and mostly tight conditions that led to Newman's unhappy relationship with his race car for the 500-mile race.

Newman and the #39 team struggled to improve the car's balance, probably exacerbated by weather conditions, a mediocre starting spot, and daytime practice for a nighttime race. The team couldn't quite reach the right balance needed to maximize speed, though it isn't because they didn't try. Adjustments were made on the car at every pit stop. Newman said on the radio that it felt like the wheels were traveling in different directions. 

Newman wheeled the car the best he could, bringing praise from Crew Chief Tony Gibson. Following the race, Gibson recognized that Newman got "everything and more" out of the unyielding race car.

Newman's disappointment had to be magnified by the knowledge that his team has made major improvements to its intermediate track program in other recent weeks. Newman fell one point in the standings to seventh in points. He is 233 points out of first place.

Carl Edwards sits precariously in first place just nine points ahead of Kyle Busch. Edwards finished third, which is great considering he was feeling ill. He mentioned after the race that he didn't want to throw his mother under the bus but she cooked something for dinner that didn't agree with him. Ouch! I hope Mom isn't too hard on him for that remark on national TV.

The only other noteworthy event in this week's race were the uncharacteristic mistakes by Tony Stewart. Stewart was caught speeding on pit road. Serving the drive through penalty took him out of contention for what could have been a win. Then on the last lap, he ran out of fuel, causing him to finish a disappointing twelfth. He had been running third.

Overall the race was seemed long and pretty unexciting to watch. 

That is not the case however for Matt Kenseth fans. For them, this must have been nirvana. Kenseth led most of the laps and cruised his way to victory with ease. 

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Ryan Newman soldiers on to finish Sunday's race

It was really hard to watch the latter part of Sunday's NASCAR race at Martinsville, VA. 

Kevin Harvick fans are elated at Harvick's second consecutive win.

Followers of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. can certainly relish his finish, especially after he passed Kyle Busch for second place in a stellar move. In the after-the-race interview, Junior seemed disappointed at not winning the race. Who can blame him; he was oh-so-close? This is the best finish he has posted in a long time, so he shouldn't be as dejected as he appeared. If nothing else, he should be proud of that pass. He could have come in third. 

For those of us who follow the #39 team, our thrills were short-lived. 

It was on lap 328 of the 500-lap race when Newman radioed to his Crew Chief Tony Gibson that he was losing the engine. A short time later, Kevin Harvick got into him cutting Newman's tire, causing him to spin. Lady Luck didn't completely abandon him, as Newman was able to keep the car off the wall.

Numerous pit stops, both under green and yellow racing conditions to diagnose the engine issues and replace tires put Newman into a deficit situation that was impossible to make up without horsepower. He did however, make the most of his bad day, by completing the race and salvaging a top-20 finish.

Despite the early appearance of another great finish and perhaps a trip to victory lane, suddenly all bets were off. Newman's strong competitive nature had to take a back seat to a different kind of skill--to try to coax the ailing race car to complete the final lap.

Newman started the race with high hopes and great expectations. He had a great season so far. In five races, Newman finished all but one in the top 10. He finished three of those in the top-five. He was second in the points' standings. It looked like the trend would continue. He was clocking some of the fastest speeds on the track, hovering in the top ten all day. The crew was on their game as well, since Newman was able to maintain the track position he earned after pit stops. 

Newman seemed to hold a prescription for success going into Sunday's race. A good record at Martinsville, Newman has nine career top-10 finishes; three in the top-5. He started Sunday's race on the front row, qualifying second, just a fraction behind pole-sitter Jamie McMurray. It didn't take Newman long to get out in front to lead laps.

Until his engine mishap, he clocked some of the fastest speeds on the track. He hovered in the top ten all day.

A true champion is measured not by how he handles the wins, but how he deals with adversity. Newman has shown that he knows how to soldier on. 

Newman lost four spots to sixth in the points standings, but only 16 points behind leader, Kyle Busch. 

My thanks to Jerry Connor for the photo

Ryan Newman's season--no surprise for his fans

While there seems to be a real media buzz about Ryan Newman's fast start to great results this season, I can't help but wonder, where have all these pundits been? 

Ryan Newman has always had the potential and the skill to drive fast, drive well, and win races. 

But as it is so often noted, scoring a great finish is all about teamwork. The driver may be the most visible member of the team, but he can not do it alone. All of the elements that make up a race team have to be in sync to achieve success in such a close and hard-fought competition. 

I've been watching Newman for the last several years. I detest and have attempted to dispute, some of the criticism I've heard, often in this very blog.  
 
I've witnessed his frustrations with bad pit stops that lose precious positions on the field; an out-of-balance race car where tight conditions won't allow the car to turn or loose conditions that make it impossible to consistently stay in the gas; wrecks that were not of his doing; mechanical failures; tire issues; etc. The list goes on.

The only difference this season, is timing. This season, Newman and his entire team are on the same page, working together. That means, not just the driver, but the crew chief and all the crew members from the tire changer to the gas man, the engine-builders, the chassis builders, and even Lady Luck, the one that has turned on Newman so many times in the past.

Anyone who follows Newman knows that he is not doing anything differently than he ever does. He is going for the win every week, but sometimes the wind is in your back and other times it is in your face. Newman just happens to have the wind at his back for now. I hope it continues throughout the season.

Good luck at Martinsville!

  

Third top-five finish; 2nd in points

A good day for Ryan Newman

As Ryan Newman was introduced at Sunday's NASCAR event, the Auto Club 400 in California, who would have thought he would have such a great run?

Newman started in the 9th position and finished 5th.

Of the five races this season, Newman has finished in the top 10 for four of them, three of which were in the top five! 

Newman's third top-five in California this weekend, catapulted him into 2nd in the points' standings.

Newman was fast!

Not only did Newman run in the top 10 all day, but got out in front and led laps. One of those was the fastest lap of the afternoon. He was clocked at 180.737 mph.

The only one who had a better day than Ryan Newman was Kevin Harvick

Harvick breathed life into a race that was pretty much lifeless for 400 miles. The race had been 500 miles before the decision was made last year to shorten the event. At almost the last moment, on the last lap, Harvick pulled around the outside of Jimmie Johnson just in time to meet up with the checkered flag. It was a beautiful thing to watch, giving a whole new complexion to the afternoon. 

Harvick now stands in 9th place in the driver points' standings.  

*My thanks to my friend Jerry Connor for the photo