Ryan Newman speaks his peace at Talladega; is he right?

Who can blame Ryan Newman for being upset when a car once again lands on top of his race car after doing barrel rolls in the last laps of the race Sunday at Talladega Superspeedway? 

In a crazy closing laps crash caused by Ricky Stenhouse misjudging the distance to take his car four-wide, numerous cars were sent spinning, Kurt Busch's car flipped over and landed on top of Newman's car. Thankfully, no one was hurt in the melee.

"They can build safer race cars, they can build safer walls. But they can't get their heads out of their asses far enough to keep them on the race track, and that's pretty disappointing. I wanted to make sure I get that point across. Y'all can figure out who 'they' is," Newman said. 

"That's no way to end a race. Our car was much better than that. That's just poor judgment in restarting the race, poor judgment ... I mean, you got what you wanted but poor judgment and running in the dark and running in the rain. That's it, thank you," Newman said.

NASCAR will likely not take kindly to Newman's remarks following the race at Talladega. They will probably attribute his statement to his anger over a poor finish that resulted in Newman's top 5 potential turning into a 32nd place finish. Undoubtedly there is that, but that is only part of it. Newman has long been frustrated about NASCAR's inability to keep the cars from getting airborne. Indeed there have been numerous instances of racecars flying into other cars and even with parts flying into the stands injuring fans. There seems to be no real solution in sight--just bandaid fixes. 

NASCAR has a history of penalizing and fining drivers that make remarks they deem to be disparaging. They have been wrong in the past and they will likely be wrong again if they penalize Newman for speaking the truth. 

Perhaps it is time for NASCAR to stop worrying so much about appearances, stop thinking about racing as just another stunt show, and start getting concerned with the safety and the future of racing in general. 

Talladega bites Newman again

Image via WikipediaIts Talladega, a wildcard race 

Once again, high hopes were dashed at Talladega for Ryan Newman. 

At least the drama surrounding the crash that ruined his day was minimal, with all four wheels still on the ground, thank goodness. 

The race started out so promising, with Newman and Tony Stewart working together and leading laps. They seemingly figured out how to make it all work. Who would have thought that a mistake by the boss man would ruin Ryan's day? 

Newman's quick short-cut from one end of the track to the other after being nudged in just the wrong way by Stewart, resulted in so much front end damage. Newman didn't even hit anything. But, what a mess! Leave it to Newman's rocky relationship with Lady Luck to screw up his day. 

Race Buddy

One of the positives about watching the race this weekend was Race Buddy. It was nice to see Race Buddy back on ESPN after it wasn't excluded from last week's coverage on ABC. Race Buddy is a real enhancement to enjoying the race, especially one at Talladega. It is sometimes difficult to follow a specific driver, who doesn't happen to be the ever-popular Dale Earnhardt, Jr. no matter where he is on the track and who is talked about incessantly by commentators. I really Race Buddy allowing me to enjoy enjoyed riding with Tony Stewart as he pushed his teammate to the lead several times. The varied camera angles make watching racing much more enjoyable. I hold my breath though, with the hope that this service remains consistent and free. 


Image via WikipediaCongratulations to Clint Bowyer,...

While the last lap of the race was stellar, and it was great to see Clint Bowyer win again, the racing at Talladega leaves lots to be desired. Tandem running really isn't racing. For drivers to have to rely on other drivers to achieve success at this track, taking their own driving prowess out of their own hands, just doesn't seem right. 

That isn't to say that parts of the race weren't exciting. I have to admit that I enjoyed much of the race, even though it was a very different kind of enjoyment. It is certainly an improvement over the single-file stay-in-the-back-until-the-end kind of racing it used to be. But, it would be nice to watch drivers back in control of their own destiny. 

Uneasy about upcoming NASCAR Talladega race after death of IndyCar's Dan Wheldon

Image via WikipediaI’ve been unable until now to write about the IndyCar crash Sunday at Las Vegas that took the life of Dan Wheldon. Suffice it to say that for anyone with an interest in racing, this was an unspeakable tragedy. The loss of this young race car driver was just too tragic, almost to bear. My heart is broken for his family, his friends, and everyone who knew and loved him.

While I have not been an IndyCar follower, I certainly had heard of Dan Wheldon. I knew a little about his career and had admired the milk mustache he wore after his first Indianapolis 500 win, which seemingly came out of nowhere. His name and face were familiar.

I do follow NASCAR, closely. While there are a few differences between the two series, there are more than a few similarities.

NASCAR’s Chase for the Championship race comes to Talladega Motor Speedway Sunday. I admit that after watching the crash that took the life of Dan Wheldon, and seeing the entire racing community mourn his loss, I feel a little uneasy about this weekend’s race. Talladega usually always has some kind of drama attached to it. This year, to add to the unknowns, NASCAR has instituted new changes—opening up the carburetor restrictor plate—which will add horsepower. This may actually translate into safer racing, and a better race, which is its aim.

At Talladega, there is always talk about the “big one,” which might be defined as a nail-biting multi-car wreck involving major damage to numerous race cars. Drivers generally emerge from the crumpled metal relatively unscathed. But it is impossible to predict what will happen at this unpredictable track.

I will never forget 2009 at Talladega, both in the spring and the fall.

Ryan Newman is the driver I root for each week. Both his spring and fall races at Talladega in 2009 left images in my mind that I can’t forget.

In the spring, Carl Edwards’ car went airborne, crashing into Newman’s car. Pieces of Edwards’ car then went flying into the catch fence, injuring fans sitting on the other side. Little was said about Newman, who finished third, as usual, despite Newman who was racing for the win only to get a race car in his windshield. He went on to finish third. http://youtu.be/c9FsYDEIZWk

Later that year, in the fall, Newman’s car was hit from behind. It went airborne, rolled several times, and landed on its hood. For a few gut-wrenching moments, there wasn’t a sound from Newman’s radio. He later explained that the antenna was knocked off the race car in the crash. When he was able to check in with Greg Newman, his father who was his spotter at the time. I think I forgot to breathe for a moment. Hearing him say he was OK brought a real sense of relief. http://youtu.be/S8BljwffrGc

Newman is only one driver that has been victimized by on-track incidents at Talladega. So many others have been involved in similar incidents there as well. There is even a video about them all. http://youtu.be/RCPRdKMgfSo

The danger in racing is palpable. I’m grateful that safety for drivers is a high concern in NASCAR. I hope some of that trickles down to IndyCar racing. And, I’ll be glad when Talladega concludes and hopeful that Newman has a good finish.

Related articles

• Heartbreak On The Race Course: UPDATE (annem040359.wordpress.com)
• Blount: The great unknown that is Talladega (espn.go.com)
• IndyCar Racer Dan Wheldon Dies In Fiery Crash (buzz103.radio.com)

Ryan Newman: a strong contender at Talladega

Ryan Newman was a contender for the win Sunday at Talladega, AL. That is, until Lady Luck stepped in.

It certainly looked as if Newman would get a good finish at the unpredictable race track where anything can happen and often times does. Newman ran a great race.

The single car, bumper-to-bumper racing at Talladega has been replaced by tandem racing, where two cars line up and run as one, combining horsepower for maximum speed.

Newman described the new style of racing at Tallagadega simply as 'different.' He is far less critical of tandem racing than he was about the bumper-to-bumper draft that used to categorize restrictor-plate racing. Restrictor-plate racing was mandated by NASCAR to slow the cars by reducing using a device to restrict the amount of air that flows into the carburetor.

Dual racing took root this year at Daytona due to changes in the aerodynamics of the cars. It takes some of the control away from drivers, but not nearly as much as the way it used to be, where a driver was completely at the mercy of all the other cars around him. The two-car draft returns control to drivers, even though the control is shared in a type of buddy system where a driver is reliant on whomever he chooses to work. Running together compensates for the subtracted horsepower implemented by the restrictor plate. Newman is among many drivers that dislike restrictor plate racing. Talladega and Daytona are the only two tracks that require it. 

Working with various partners during Sunday's race, depending on who was nearby during restarts, Newman was especially fast, paired with Denny Hamlin. Hamlin pushed Newman to speeds nearing 200 mph. The two easily made their way from the back of the pack toward the front.

That was their intention in the last laps of the race, but with about 20 left to go in the 188-lap race, as Hamlin got to Newman's bumper, Newman got turned around.

At that instant, Newman and everyone watching him, had visions of the November 2009 race when close racing resulted in Newman's car spinning around backwards and lifting off the ground, standing vertical and doing numerous pirouettes as it landed on its hood in the infield. Newman was unhurt in the heart-stopping crash.

This time though, Newman saved it, despite his race car positioned at nearly 90-degrees from the direction he was headed, the car bounced off the tire of Juan Pablo Montoya. Newman righted it, much to the shock of the announcers, spectators, other drivers, and probably Newman himself. No caution was called so he kept on racing, losing suprisingly little time. The impact however, resulted in enough damage to cause his tires to rub. When one of them let go, Newman headed for the wall, but again, he saved it. Check out the video at NASCAR.com.

Those two saves were epic, even though they caused him to finish a mere 25th.

Despite the lackluster finish Newman remains in 7th place in the points standings, only 42 points behind leader Carl Edwards.

But this was Talladega. Not only did Newman finish the race, but his once mediocre results at super speedway tracks is behind him. Newman was bad fast. He just needs a little better relationship with Lady Luck.

Critics just don't 'get' Ryan Newman

Why do so many people like to pick on Ryan Newman?

Perhaps it has to do with his easy-going attitude. Or maybe it is because he doesn't quite fit into the same neatly-tied package as other race car drivers on the NASCAR circuit. Or, it is possible that some just don't 'get' Newman's sense of humor or understand the way he thinks.

Personally, I think all of those things are what make Ryan Newman unique. That combined with his skills behind the wheel is why he is my favorite driver. I 'get' Newman, which is why I like to challenge his critics.

The latest unfair rant against Newman was the one this morning from Michael Lowe of the Savannah Morning News at: http://savannahnow.com/share/blog-post/michael-lowe/2010-04-27/ryan-newman-wrong-about-talladega-racing

Lowe said Newman was wrong about Talladega. He criticized Newman's suggestion that races at Talladega should be eliminated from the points standings because what goes on there is not racing. He went on to give a brief history of the track and some of the great racing that has taken place there.

Lowe saying Newman blamed the Talladega track itself for the late-race crash that took him out of the Aaron's 499.

Newman went into the race 16th in the points standings. His momentum was positive, especially after a recent win at Phoenix and a top 12 finish at Texas. Of course Newman was ticked-off when he got booted by Joey Logano one too many times and got turned around.

But I say it is Lowe who got it wrong.

Newman was not criticizing the storied Alabama race track. In fact, Newman is very respectful of all of NASCAR's history. He was criticizing the nature of restrictor plate racing, which continues to undergo changes, seemingly at the whim of the sanctioning body. Newman didn't say the racing was bad at Talladega. In fact, he said quite the opposite, recognizing that it is a fan favorite, filled with excitement rich with on-track action.

Lowe's criticism that Newman blamed the race track for his own misfortune is just flat out wrong. As was stated in Bob Pockrass' column for SceneDaily.com entitled "Plenty of shared blame for multi-car wrecks" at http://nbcsports.msnbc.com/id/36785738/ns/sports-motor_sports/ Newman blamed "restrictor-plate racing in general."

That is more to the point. Look at some of the incidents that have taken place at restrictor-plate tracks in general and at Talladega in particular. Newman could write a book about his own incidents at Talladega. Newman has been involved in some of the most dramatic incidents there, and not of his own doing. But not just Newman, there have been countless other drivers as well. The racing during Sunday's race was spectacular. It was extremely exciting to watch. The Harvick/McMurray finish was stellar.

But I think Newman made that point. He doesn't want to stop racing at Talladega. He recognized that it is a crowd-pleaser. But, winning a championship, which is the ultimate goal of all of the drivers at the track that is based on points, should be under the control of the driver and his team. It should be based on their individual and combined skills. At Talladega, it is, as Dale Earnhardt, Jr. pointed out, "a lottery."

A successful NASCAR career should not be dependent upon a roll of the dice, a crap-shoot, or a lottery. It should be under the drivers' and teams' control.

Newman is right.

Drivers and race teams should be able to control their own destiny in the sport. And that isn't possible during a restrictor-plate race when speeds are manipulated, rules are imposed, and drivers are dependent on the actions of the others around them for which they have no control. Being pushed down the back stretch is not driving. Relying on a push to make your car go faster is not driving. And not driving is not racing.

Newman is a race car driver, not a fast bumper-car pilot.

NASCAR must cope with Talladega

No other race track on NASCAR's 36-race circuit gets as much publicity as the Talladega Super Speedway in Talladega, Alabama. While it is one of NASCAR's most popular tracks, what is being said is far from good news.

NASCAR's present controversy surrounding safety at last Sunday's race on the high-banked oval, has ramped up along with race speeds, of about 200 mph. Two cars went airborne in separate accidents in what Talladega fans refer to as the inevitable "big one.”

In the closing laps of the race, Ryan Newman's #39 went backwards into the air, back-flipped onto the hood of the #29 car driven by Kevin Harvick, skidded upside down into the wall, where it rolled and pirouetted several times, finally coming to rest in the grass, on its roof. Radio silence immediately after the crash added to the heart-stopping action as emergency workers hurried to aid the driver. The top of the roof had to be cut off to gain access. Race cars were stopped seemingly in their tracks, on the field in a red flag condition. Silence fell over the grandstands while safety crews righted Newman's car. He emerged sore, but uninjured.

Then on the last lap, veteran driver Mark Martin's #5 car, bumped from behind, rolled over, righted itself again, enabling him to simply get out and walk away. A dozen other cars were involved. Newman's wreck took out five.

Talladega in the spring

Sunday's race was reminiscent of last spring when 17-year old Blake Bobbitt suffered a broken jaw after a crash that caused parts of a crumpled race car to hurl toward her through the fence. This too, was in the last laps of the race as the #99 car driven by Carl Edwards was bumped from behind. His car went airborne just as Newman was racing to the checkered flag along with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Brad Keselowski. Edwards' car flew into Newman's windshield, which propelled it higher and into the fence. The fence held, but debris shot through it, hitting Bobbitt in the face. Several other fans were injured as well, though not severely.

Following the spring crash, Newman, one of the only drivers with an engineering degree, made an impassioned plea for work on the design of the cars to ensure they stay on the ground. Ironically, it was Newman's car that left the ground on Sunday, the very next trip to Talladega.

NASCAR controversy

Part of the controversy surrounding racing at Talladega involves NASCAR as a sanctioning body. Supporters laud NASCAR's safety innovations and rules that were evident by Newman walking away from such a horrific wreck. There are also the detractors. Some claim NASCAR needs to do more to ensure driver safety. Others want the many rules repealed.

Commentator Larry McReynolds was the first to say that perhaps NASCAR has made too many rules.

NASCAR has mandated the design of the cars, to take away any aerodynamic advantage for race teams. The race car is in its first full year. Known as the COT (car of tomorrow), it was developed over a few years. It is anything but a stock car, which is what NASCAR, the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing stands for. The inspiration for the COT car was safety.

Another NASCAR mandate is to slow the engines at super speedway tracks—Talladega and Daytona. A restrictor plate is used to limit the engine's horsepower by decreasing the amount of air that flows through the carburetor.

The draft, when one car tucks up tightly to another, manipulates the air flow over both, has become a product of restrictor plate racing, however. Drafting, reduces the drag of the first car, resulting in more speed. Another product is bump drafting, which is a push from the second car to propel the first forward. It must be done squarely, or it can turn the car, causing disastrous consequences. It has long been prohibited in the corners, but just hours before Sunday's race NASCAR officials said bump drafting in the corners would bring driver penalties.

NASCAR has also banned driving below the yellow line, between the racing surface and the apron, if it means advancing a position. This rule contributed to the crash in the spring. Brad Keselowski refused to drive his #88 car below the yellow line. Had he done so and finished first, the infraction would have cost him the win. So when Edwards tried to block a hard-charging Keselowski. Edwards' car went flying. Keselowski won the race.

Potential mayhem results in boring racing

Talladega is known for spectacular wrecks. To avoid the potential mayhem on each lap, drivers have elected to just ride around for most of the race until it is time for a mad sprint toward the finish line in the last few laps. Until then, cars are lined up in one long line, nose-to-tail, much like rush hour traffic on a busy interstate, but at speeds teasing 190 mph. NASCAR fans complain that the race has become boring, except for the spectacular endings and "the big one" for which restrictor-plate racing has become known.

Just driving during a race adds another element in NASCAR's controversy corner.

Three-time champion Jimmy Johnson has been criticized for running at the back of the pack for the entire race. Diehard NASCAR fans have little patience for a champion that plays the strategy game in a race.

Johnson finished sixth, earning enough points to all but ensure a likely fourth consecutive title.

Should a championship race car driver be respected for playing the smart and safe strategy or chastised for hiding out at the back of the pack?

Newman's remarks

After Newman was released from the in-field care center Sunday, his remarks added fuel to the controversy.

"It's just a product of this racing and what NASCAR has put us into with this box and these restrictor plates with these types of cars," Newman said. "The more rules, the more NASCAR is telling us how to drive the race cars, the less we can race, and the less we can put on a show for the fans."

"I will go back in the day, Richard Petty, Bobby Allison, Dale Earnhardt, Darrell Waltrip, all those guys, they respected each other. In the end there were some big accidents, but geez, we don't need the cars getting upside down like this. This is ridiculous." Newman said, adding that there is technology available that can help. He said it was a shame that not more is being done.

With three races left in the season, NASCAR will likely have to spend some of the off-season dealing with issues associated with restrictor-plate racing at Talladega, such as long periods of single-file racing, keeping the COT cars from going airborne, a review of rules, fan discontent, and the ever present driver safety.

Ryan Newman wreck in Sprint Cup race at Talladega

Something must be done about Spring Cup races at Talladega Super Speedway. For the second time this year, Ryan Newman has looked death in the eye. Thankfully, it blinked.

Newman caught twice at Talladega through no fault of his own

In the spring race, Newman's race car plowed into an already airborne wreck piloted by Carl Edwards. The result was injury to fans as the car flew into the catchfence. Yesterday, close racing resulted in Newman's car spinning around backwards and lifting off the ground, standing vertical and doing numerous pirouettes as it landed on its hood in the infield. Newman was uninjured.

After the first incident, Newman, an engineer was critical of the car, saying that not enough has been done to keep the car on the ground. His point was proven Sunday after this wreck and a last lap wreck that turned Mark Martin's car onto its roof only to be righted again. Several other race car drivers were also caught up in the melee.

Carnage excluded, racing at Talladega was boring

These horrific wrecks occurred in the last laps of the race. The rest of the race, prior to these incidents, resembled the stereotypical non-NASCAR fan description of a NASCAR race--a bunch of guys driving in a circle making left turns. Watching the race was like sitting on an interstate watching traffic funnel through a construction zone. That isn't fun!

Both the fly-through-the air wrecks and single-file, half-throttle, traffic-resembling display are poor examples of good racing.

NASCAR's answers are 'make new rules'

Perhaps NASCAR's answer to all things, "make more rules" is the wrong answer. Ryan Newman was angry after he had to be cut out of his race car. He reminded the viewing audience of his remarks following the spring race at Talladega, about doing something to keep the cars on the ground. He said they never go through the wind tunnel backwards in their tests, stating that perhaps they should. Newman is right. This wasn't Talladega racing as it has typically been. If as commentators claim, the technology has gotten away from us, then let's do what Newman suggests--use technology to our advantage to make the racing better. This is a problem to be solved by engineers, not the decision-making body.

NASCAR at Talladega, always thrilling, sometimes scary

Originally written April 27, 2009 NASCAR racing at Talladega Super Speedway this weekend did not disappoint. It was all about action Sunday as a 13-car melee occurred on only the seventh lap, taking out cars whose drivers had a real potential to win. 

Another multi-car wreck occurred near the end of the race, which took out another 10 cars. Ryan Newman, who started this season with hideous luck that weighed on his performance, wheeled past his competitors to make his way to the front of the pack in both Saturday's Nationwide race and again Sunday in the Sprint Cup event. 

For his fans, it was exhilarating. In both races, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. was glued to Newman's back bumper, which added push to Newman's already fast run. Saturday Newman drove the #33 car for Kevin Harvick, Inc. Leading into the last lap, Newman had to settle for second place after a photo-finish pass by David Ragan who received a triumphant push by rookie Joey Logano. 

Newman and Earnhardt, Jr. were in the same position Sunday, but finished third after being involved a dramatic last lap crash. For Newman supporters, anticipation was high; the adrenalin flowed. But it was quickly replaced with a horrible sick feeling. During the last lap, Newman's car was passed by what must have seemed like a freight train made up of two bumper-to-bumper race cars driven by Carl Edwards and rookie Brad Kezelowski respectively. 

They shot past him. The two tangled as the car piloted by Edwards went airborne just ahead of Newman who plowed into the flying racecar. As Edwards' car sprung off the front end of Newman's car, it sailed viciously toward the fence headed for unsuspecting fans. 

Fortunately the fence held, though some were injured by flying debris. The injuries were not serious or life-threatening, according to reports. Newman and Edwards were unhurt. A similar take-off occurred in Saturday's race when David Ragan's car touched that of his teammate Matt Kenseth, causing it to roll several times along the back straightaway. He too was unhurt. Though the result was not his preferred option, Newman's points position soared. He ended the race 13th in points after starting 17th.