Newman Finishes 16th at Michigan Rain Delayed, Rain Delayed Overtime 3M Performance 400

Ryan Newman, driver of the #12 Penske Alltel Dodge finished Tuesday's race at MIS in 16th position.  Newman's average finish for MIS before today's race was 16.7.  Newman started in the 34th position and brought a bad handling car up to 16th.

 

Newman's teammate Kurt Busch won the race after dominating and leading 92 laps.

 

Newman managed to stay out long enough on green flag pits to lead a lap and gain 5 bonus points.

 

Towards the end of the race Newman was getting a lot of work done on his car and dropped back to 21st, one lap down.  Later, Matt Kensith spun Gordon (Gordon said it was his fault after the race) and Newman was the Lucky Dog.  Newman restarted 20th on the lead lap.  With 2 laps to go Gregg Biffle got loose and spun.  This set up the Green, White Checkered finished which Newman managed to gain a couple of positions and finish 16th.

 

This was not a good points day for Newman.  His battle for 12th in points between teammate Kurt Busch, Martin Truex JR., Dale Earnhardt JR and himself was a disaster.  Kurt Busch won the race with Martin Truex JR finishing 2nd.  Dale Earnhardt JR finished 11th. 

 

This is where the points standings lay after today's race at Michigan International Speedway

11th - Martin Truex JR

12th - Kurt Busch /33 points behind Truex JR.

13th - Dale Earnhardt JR ./ -163 from 12th

14th - Ryan Newman / -8 from 13th and -171 from 12th

15th - Gregg Biffle / -296 from 12th

 

Todays Race Results affecting Newman - After MIS -

-Kurt Busch finishes 1st

-Martin Truex JR finishes 2nd

-Dale Earnhardt finishes 11th.

-Gregg Biffle spins setting up the green, white checked and settles for a 19th place finish.

 

Ryan Newman has been consistent this year.  Every time he gets close to the 12th position, he drops back to 14th or 15th.  That happened again today.  While he only dropped one position, he and Dale Earnhardt JR both fell farther away in points from 12th.  Before today's race, Newman was in 13th -96 from 12th and JR was in 14th -100 points for 12th.

 

Things have really shaped up to have Newman and JR doing some serious battling in the next three races at Bristol, California and Richmond.