Hello Newman, 97 days til Daytona

It's over! 

There are so many things to take away from the final race of the 2014 #NASCAR season at Homestead.

Congratulations to Kevin Harvick for capping off a great season and for exonerating NASCAR, freeing them from having to explain how a winless driver could take the title. Then again, Ryan Newman, who finished second wouldn't have been winless if he had just had another .5 seconds. 

Ryan Newman didn't win the race or the championship, but he certainly did the next best thing. In fact, he couldn't have done any more or any better. There were likely many who were surprised by Newman's performance. I wasn't one of them. I've watched him race the same way during the entire season. I have been a Ryan Newman fan since 2004 and have rarely, if ever, seen him not give it his all. 

As some have pointed out in media reports, Newman had a 10th place car that he drove to a 2nd place finish. That is just what Newman does. Thing is, he has never been on the media radar before. Television viewers have rarely ever hear Newman's name. 

It was said yesterday, and I've written it previously in CHonTrack that Ryan Newman is NASCAR's Rodney Dangerfield. Ryan Newman is not a typical NASCAR driver. His remarks are not always predictable, never scripted, and certainly not controlled. Newman is a free spirit and isn't afraid to speak his mind. He is also quick-witted with a dry sense of humor, which isn't always easily understood. Personally, I find those traits endearing, but I can see where NASCAR would have a problem, especially since NASCAR is so fond of controlling every aspect of their sport. 

Ryan Newman simply won't be controlled. NASCAR is fortunate however, because Newman loves what he does and causing it harm is likely the furthest thing from his mind. He just won't be manipulated.

Once the viewing public gets to know Newman, they will respect and admire him. They got a little glimpse of who he is in the final race because he had a spotlight shone on him. His situation of earning enough points to be a championship contender while not winning a race all year put him in such a unique position. It almost didn't happen. To earn the final point he needed to advance to the final round of the Chase for the Championship, Newman drifted up the race track on the last lap to move Kyle Larson out of the way. Passing one more car was all he needed to advance. 

Jeff Gordon fans were off the wall about how Newman cheated Gordon out of his rightful place in the final round, despite the fact that Newman did nothing out of the ordinary and certainly nothing other drivers hadn't done. 

So had that incident with Kyle Larson not opened up the can of drama that it did, Newman likely would have continued to fly just under the radar. No one would have ever gotten to see what his fans have always known--that Newman never gives up, gets the most out of his race car every single race, earns every point he gets, and was certainly entitled to contend for the championship. 

His grace under fire is always evident too, as seen in this NASCAR video. 

During post-race interviews, the disappointment and fatigue clearly showing on his face, Newman still managed to smile and acknowledged the bright side of the entire season. Make no mistake; Newman wanted to win the race and the title, but he didn't cry about coming in second. 

In one interview, Newman even joked about his loss being Jeff Gordon's fault, because had Gordon won at Phoenix, Harvick wouldn't be in the chase and he would have finished first of the four that were. That was Newman's way of poking fun at all the negative comments that were leveled against him by Jeff Gordon fans after the Phoenix race.

NASCAR came out a winner too

It appears NASCAR got it right when they changed the Chase format. There seemed to be more interest in the final races of the season. There was certainly more excitement and certainly more drama. That translates into interest which will hopefully will fill the increasingly empty seats.

As it turned out, winning was the necessary component needed to earn the coveted Spring Cup Championship trophy. There was ultimately no need to backpedal, make excuses, or apologize. Had Harvick not prevailed, Newman would have ended his winless streak, thus making the entire point moot. 

So, 97 days til Daytona!

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!