Ryan Newman to contend for Championship in NASCAR-created controversial Chase

Oh boy, #NASCAR, what a race it was at Phoenix! 

Honestly, I don't remember anything but the last lap, and of course its controversial aftermath.

I suppose if I was a Jeff Gordon fan, I too would be disappointed. Disappointed is one thing, but the vitriol against Ryan Newman has shocked me. 

Get a grip people! I've watched replays, read all the articles, and even made a few comments to set the record straight. 

For the record, Ryan Newman did not wreck Kyle Larson. No one was more disappointed at the finality of the race than Jeff Gordon., but even he agreed that Newman didn't wreck Larson.

"Well, he ran him wide. I don’t know if I’d say he wrecked him. He certainly ran him up the race track," Gordon said in a post race interview. 

What Newman did was race hard, which is his job. The video of the incident shows that Newman drifted up toward Larson's #42 in an effort to get around him. It appears as if Larson got loose, hit the wall, recovered, while Newman sped past him, gaining the one point he needed to advance to the final round in his quest for his first championship. It must be noted that Larson not only finished the race; he only lost two spots in the process. 

While the terms, "bumped, rubbed, and moved out of the way" are appropriate, it is wrong to characterize what happened as Newman wrecking the rookie Kyle Larson. 

Newman did nothing different than any other driver in the garage would have and has done. In fact, Kyle Larson did the same thing to Marcos Ambros the lap before. 

There was a championship on the line for Newman. He drove as hard as he had to to remain in contention. 

There is one thing Newman did, however, that other drivers don't normally do. Newman issued his regret for having to race that hard. With his characteristic good humor, in contrast to his appearance, sitting against a curb disheveled and exhausted, Newman justified the move as payback for Larson doing the same thing to him, costing him a $9,000 win in an Eldora dirt race. 

Winning isn't necessary

NASCAR has said it wants to reward winning. That sent mixed signals, since each round of the Chase for the Championship took away the perks for previous wins. 

Newman questioned NASCAR's move to reset the extra points for past race winners during the championship contender rounds, which indicates his open-minded fairness, since such a change would have hurt him and Matt Kenseth, who was also winless this season. 

Newman cannot be blamed for contending for the championship with no wins during the season. In fact, consider that Newman had to work even harder to gain points without a win. His consistency in making the most out of whatever hand he was dealt made the difference. The stats prove that too, as he was second overall in passing for points, behind Logano who won five races. Gordon, who was just one point behind Newman in the current standings was only sixth best in earning points. That statistic is a legitimate one, because it gauges passing other cars for position. Using that criteria, which NASCAR has done this year, winning appears much less important. 

Since the cars are so evenly matched, which is also NASCAR's doing, the only way to win is through strategy, using every advantage, such as for gas mileage, tire wear, fast pit stops, leading laps, and often times, aggressive driving. 

Chase for the Championship created drama

This year's Chase for the Championship has done what NASCAR intended it to do. It has raised the level of excitement to a fever pitch. I've been watching NASCAR since the Chase began and never has the bar been raised so high. The last three races ended in controversy over aggressive driving, though this was mild compared to the previous weeks. 

There was no potential violence between Newman and Larson. Quite the contrary in fact, as I've been told that Larson congratulated Newman on making it as a contender for the Championship.

That can't be said for the last two weeks, where Brad Keselowski's aggressive driving actually drew blood. At Charlotte two weeks ago, Matt Kenseth went after Keselowski. Last week it was Gordon that chased him down, resulting in both being bloodied about the face. NASCAR even issued fines against some of the crew members of teams that participated in the brawl.

Make no mistake, the stepped-up emotions of drivers, teams, and fans this year, is the doing of NASCAR's tweaking of the Chase for the Championship. 

UPDATE--Kyle Larson quote: 
"Coming to the finish, there were a lot of cars racing really hard. I knew the 31 was right around me, and knew he needed to gain some spots to keep from getting eliminated from the Chase. It's a little upsetting he pushed me up to the wall, but I completely understand the situation he was in, and can't fault him for being aggressive there. I think a lot of drivers out here would have done something similar if they were in that position."

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Ryan Newman's consistency should not be controversial

Ryan Newman Pit-Stop
photo courtesy of Quicken Loans Racing

One of the least controversial characters in the #NASCAR garage area is Ryan Newman. So why is it that controversy follows him like hunks of bread from the hands of Hansel and Gretel?

It isn't Ryan Newman's doing. Just ask any member of the growing #NewmanNation.

The latest fluff in the media is about the fact that Newman is currently second in points in NASCAR's prestigious Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, which has just three races left. And Newman is win-less for the season.

For anyone that is aghast at the fact that Newman is ranking so high on consistency, but not in the wins column, it really doesn't matter. So what if he hasn't won a race in the 2014 season. I can say that because in so many ways, winning a race is simply a formality; the exclamation point is on all that took place in the previous 500 laps or so, depending on the race track of course. In that regard, Newman and his Richard Childress Racing team has excelled. Despite NASCAR's many tweaks of the format, and hoped for emphasis on winning, the real result comes from consistency and strategy. Newman excels at both!

Since NASCAR has fiddled with the racing rules, the cars, the tracks, and just about everything possible, stock car racing is no longer strictly in the hands of the driver. The sport has strayed far from its roots. Today, racing is probably governed by 50% driver skill, 40% team strategy, and 10% luck. Some say even those percentages should be reversed. Gone are the days when pit stops were just about turning wrenches. On race day, the pit box is littered with expensive equipment, computer programs, and technical advances far beyond what could have ever been envisioned by the Alabama gang or their compadres from the good ole days.

Racing is no longer just all about driving hard and running fast, though those things are certainly factors. NASCAR has made the cars, and teams so equal and administered so many rules, that teams have had to resort to doing the best they can with what they have. In Ryan Newman's case, that means being consistent. 

Newman and his team have mastered the delicate dance of driving skill, strategy, managing tires, fuel, speed, down force, side force, track and air temperature, monitoring the weather, and the all-important balance of the race car in all the varied conditions during a race. And they have done it consistently. That takes smarts. Newman and his team have smarts. 

The one thing that Newman hasn't employed is being overly aggressive. If he drove that way--if he was willing to cut off an opponent or wrecklessly bump people out of his way as others have done, he would have won races. How many times have spectators expected Newman to retaliate against another driver? He doesn't stoop to that level. 

Newman and his team have evaluated the game and is playing by the rules NASCAR devised. He need not make any apologies for his string of top 5's and top 10's, often times by overcoming adversity. He can be very proud of his achievements. His fans certainly are. While he may not have a room full of trophies for 2014, he doesn't need to. Despite NASCAR's desire to make winning the focus of this year's chase, they failed to make that happen. Even Newman was critical of the format that reset the points at each level of the Chase without rewarding for wins. That is what he advocated for, despite that stance potentially harming his own position. That too is laudable.

The bottom line is, Newman can win it all. He can win it all without having to compromise his driving style. He can be victorious by being who he is. I for one, certainly hope he does! 

Ryan Newman may finally get noticed

I'm finally breathing again, as is all of #NewmanNation; which means it is safe to reflect on Ryan Newman's excellent performance at Talladega. 

Just after the Newman's fifth place finish and stellar performance, last weekend, NASCAR announced that Newman's car had failed its post race inspection. Apparently the height on both sides of his car, in the rear, was too low. Panic was short-lived however, as Tuesday morning NASCAR revealed that the height difference was due to damage from a crash Newman was involved in during the race, a seemingly uneventful crash by the way, that did little to slow his momentum on the track.

Newman went into the weekend in good shape; he emerged from it even better. He has still not won a race this year, but a win is certainly not out of his reach. Each week he finishes closer to the lead. He now stands third in points, as he advances to the next round of NASCAR's Chase for the Championship. 

Some of us are not surprised by this turn of events. Others never imagined that Newman would advance farther than Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhard, Jr., or Kasey Kahne. 

But consider that Newman is rarely talked about. I have often complained that Newman is the Rodney Dangerfield of NASCAR, that he gets no respect. And that has continued, although his performance this year can't be denied. 

While those that have not watched closely enough, this appears to be a brand new, Ryan Newman, one that is hungry for a win and even hungrier to win a championship. It is all that is left for him. He has already won the Daytona 500 and the Indianapolis 500. Can a championship be far behind?

So many Newman naysayers counted him out, but he is proving them all wrong. I am delighted that people are finally getting to see the Ryan Newman I have always seen. I've always known that he is capable, skilled, strategic, smart, and likes to drive fast. 

But there is now a spotlight on him that is illuminating the Ryan Newman I have known since about 2004 when my son introduced me to NASCAR. I never got to see Ryan's amazing 2003 season where he logged eight wins and 11 poles. But, I certainly heard about it. Still, I was intrigued by him. I still am. I like his personality, his sense of humor, his love of family, and his affection for old barns, farm life, and animals of every kind. He isn't a pushover; he doesn't always say what people want to hear. He tells it like it is. He isn't afraid to express his opinion. Those are all qualities that have caused me to want to know more. So, I have read all there is to read about him. I've watched him race. I've read post race interviews. I listen to his radio traffic during races. I watch his race times and speed during the race. I try to understand how he races. 

Without that level of interest, there is little being said about Ryan. Announcers rarely talk about him. He isn't interviewed often. NASCAR isn't fond of some of the things Ryan has said, so they ignore him. Reporters, most of whom answer to NASCAR's big-whigs, go the other way when Ryan walks toward them. They either don't like what he says, or he jests over their heads. His sense of humor isn't for everyone. I happen to like it. 

NASCAR is keeping the "most popular driver" thing going, since all they ever talk about is Dale Earnhardt, Jr. That isn't the case with Ryan Newman. Just for fun, sit in front of your television set and count the number of times Earnhardt's name is mentioned and compare it to the number of times Newman's name is said. You will be amazed. Ryan Newman flies below the radar.

The truth of the matter is that Ryan isn't really doing anything any different than he ever did. The difference is his team. Now with Richard Childress Racing, Ryan joined a team that had already worked out the kinks before he got there. His driving style hasn't changed. His problem at Penske Racing was that Dodge wasn't supporting their product. Roger Penske was largely absent. When he went to Stewart/Haas Racing, everything was new. Equipment was new, personnel was new and there were always changes. 

He is finally with a team that is on the same page with him. The equipment is proven. The reputation is proven. And Luke Lambert, Newman's crew chief is also proving to be top notch. 

Since Talladega, Lambert has pulled ahead of three other crew chiefs in the contest for "problem solver of the year." He is in contention for the $100,000 MOOG Award sponsored by Federal-Mogul Motorparts, a division of Federal-Mogul Holdings Corporation.

Let's hope the good streak continues, on into Martinsville, this week, a track where Ryan can win as he did in 2012. 

Drama at Charlotte

This year's #NASCAR Chase for the Championship certainly does seem to be jam-packed with drama.

Saturday's night race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, which started out with a dud, certainly picked up during the night, and ended with a crescendo that has kept people talking. I wonder if those who watched Matt Kenseth do his ninja move on Brad Keselowski between the haulers even remembered the aggravation of missing the green flag.

NASCAR driver Brad Keslowski. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NASCAR driver Matt Kenseth Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Such a pathetic start to the race 
The fact that the beginning of the race wasn't seen by the millions of viewers when and where it was supposed to be broadcast, is inexcusable.

Race fans tuned into ABC which was airing a college football game. The race coverage started just as NASCAR instituted its first competition caution more than twenty laps into the race. NASCAR brass mouth off continuously about the fans, but the fans who were missing the start of the race were furious, and rightly so. For a sport that likes to reward consistency, NASCAR needs to rethink its own playbook.

Practically speaking, how does it benefit the viewing public to start a race that millions can't see? Oh, how I miss Speed TV! Fox Sports I and ESPN puts auto racing into the pot with every other sport known to man. It was so nice to be able to tune into the Speed Channel and know it was dedicated to what NASCAR fans cared about--racing!

This is the final year for ESPN, and there will be big changes next year, so hopefully, this kind of thing won't happen again. I just wonder how many NASCAR fans have been permanently lost by an inability to even figure out when a race will be run and where it can be viewed. The times and networks are all over the field, and are subject to change. Where is the consistency in that?

Then there is Race Day which is a great setup before a race, except whoever knows when it will be on and where to watch it. I used to be a dedicated Race Day fan, but no more. It just isn't worth the aggravation. Thank goodness for the internet. NASCAR.com has proven to be an invaluable tool for finding where the race will be broadcast. And even that can be cumbersome. There is always Twitter! Who isn't thankful for Twitter?

While on this subject of fans being able to watch the races, what about the fans who can't afford cable or satellite service, or who live in an area where those aren't available? I wonder how many of those fans have lost interest and won't return once a more reasonable schedule exists.

The ending may have made up for the pathetic beginning
The ending to Saturday's race was, at the very least, interesting. I have to wonder what made Brad Keselowski turn into some kind of mad man. I'm sure we don't know the whole story. We have seen Denny Hamlin ticked off, numerous times, but rarely does Matt Kenseth go after someone like that. And then there were the team members...Oh, I suppose this was just the boys having at it. Too bad NASCAR never really defined what that meant. If they really want to let 'the boys have at it,' why do they employ all those officials to stop them from going after one another. It isn't like they will fight to the death. But, perhaps some of these hot heads need their clocks cleaned once and for all. A couple thousand dollars in fines obviously doesn't have much of an effect.

Don't get me wrong, I don't agree with violence. Nor do I even understand the need to retaliate or react in the way we saw Saturday night. I believe in keeping a cool head.

Perhaps that is why I am a Ryan Newman fan. Ryan isn't a hot head. He uses his head for problem solving, rather than intentionally destroying a 3,000 lb. race car or swinging his fists.

Speaking of Ryan Newman, how about that consistency
There is nothing I'd like more than to see Ryan Newman win a championship. Not only is he deserving, but the reaction that NASCAR would have to such an event would be priceless.

Ryan gets so little respect as it is. Personally, I think his intellect and sense of humor is way over their heads. If he were to become champion by the rules they set up, NASCAR would have to respect him. Pundits would have to interview him. Newman would be an excellent spokesperson for the sport he loves,. He'd be a great champion.

Ryan Newman position always a nail-biter

I apologize for being lax in posting lately. Truth is I have been immersed in a quilting project, see CHQuilts that has taken all my time and effort. I didn't keep me from watching racing however. I vowed to myself that I wouldn't write about racing until I finished my quilt. That just happened yesterday, so,...

Chase races

Of course, the chase to the championship has begun. I'm thrilled that my favorite driver, Ryan Newman, is hanging in there. In fact, he is advancing. He is now in 12th place after two races. He started dead last, in 16th. Leave it to Newman though to keep his fans on edge as he hovers just at the in/out line. Newman always makes it fun for us!

Ryan's performance has been stellar, especially at Chicagoland when two tire issues left him three laps down. He was able to pull it out to finish 15th, and on the lead lap. His driving was amazing! His car was bad fast!

New Hampshire was a disappointment. Newman's car was fast; Loudon is one of his favorite tracks. But after being involved in a wreckfest, not of his making, his potential to repeat his previous wins at Loudon, hit the wall. It just wasn't meant to be, apparently, though it was still a good day for him. He advanced to 12th in the points. The race itself was something to watch. What looked like a largely green-flag race fell into a series of mishaps with a series of cautions, hurting most of the chase drivers, Newman included.

Actually, he is tied with Kasey Kahne in points for 11th place, though Kahne was scored higher because he had a win during the regular season.

If Newman can hold his place or advance it, he will make it to the next round of the Chase--the Contender Round. Presently, he is within one point of A.J. Almandinger and within two points of Carl Edwards and Matt Kenseth. It is really close, but I feel confident that Newman has what it takes to make the next round.