Ryan Newman and the Watckins Glen International

Welcome to Watckins Glen International located in Watkins Glen, NY.

Ryan Newman and his Penske Racing #12 Kodak Dodge will be racing here this weekend in the Centurion Boats at The Glen.

With 5 races under his belt here at Watkins Glen, Newman has achieved 2nd, 8th and 9th place finishes. His lowest starting position was 13th and the rest were top ten and top five starts. With the Chase right around the corner, these numbers should equal a good run for Newman this weekend and help him close in on the important 12th place in points!

Watckins Glen International

-Location : Watkins Glen, NY
-Completed : 1948
-Distance : 2.45 miles
-Shape : Road course
-Seating : N/A


-Nextel Cup Top Race Speed : 103.03 by Mark Martin on 8/13/1995
-Nextel Cup Top Qualifying Speed : 124.58 by Jeff Gordon on 8/8/2003


MANUFATURER WINS AT Watckins Glen International SINCE 2002
PONTIAC = 1
DODGE = 0
FORD = 0
CHEVROLET = 4


RYAN NEWMAN'S STATS AT Watckins Glen International

Ryan Newman's Stats
At Watckins Glen International		At Road Course Tracks
STARTS	5	11
POLES	0	NA
WINS	0	0
TOP 5	1	3
TOP 10	3	7
AVG START	7.6	10.4
AVG FINISH	15	12.2
LAPS COMP	451	NA
% COMP	-1.0022	NA
LAPS LED	19	NA

Good luck to Ryan Newman and the Penske Racing's #12 Kodak Dodge NASCAR Nextel Cup Team at Watckins Glen International for the Centurion Boats at The Glen this coming week and weekend!!!

Mike Pratt

Ryan Newman - KODAK Podcast

Join NASCAR's Ryan newman -- driver of the No. 12 Kodak Dodge in Nextel Cup racing -- for a glimpse at the pursuits and passions of a race car driver.




Go to Kodaks Podcast Site and Take a look.

Newman: Vick Should Be Neutered, Supporters Are Dumb

NASCAR driver Ryan Newman says that everyone is innocent until proven guilty, but ... with regards to Michael Vick:
"His little group has made it clear they fight dogs. People who defend that are slugs. This separates the smart people from the dumb."
Newman and his wife Krissie, who raise funds for animal welfare through The Ryan Newman Foundation and serve as volunteer board members for The Humane Society of Catawba County, hope that the Michael Vick case will bring more attention to dog fighting.

They'll call some attention to it themselves by sporting the t-shirts they had made last week that say: "7 to life" on the front and "Neuter Vick" on the back, which Krissie says Ryan will wear through the end of the season.

Like the Newmans, Greg Biffle and his fiancée Nicole Lunders, founders of The Greg Biffle Foundation, are also outspoken animal rights advocates. Biffle recently spoke out saying that Vick deserves the stiffest punishment available--if found guilty.

Lunders had this to add:

"The accusations against Michael Vick are sickening ...I have seen the after pictures and stories of animal fighting ring busts and it is disgusting and heartbreaking. The torture that the animals endure is horrible. The unfortunate thing is that this has been going on for quite awhile and most dog fighting rings are underground. This case has gotten everyone's attention and I hope that whether he is found guilty or not that people stand up and demand harsher penalties for this crime. I also hope that it will help put an end to this barbaric torture of animals."
As a non-Vick supporter, my hope is for a "smart" jury and swift sentence from a judge like this one, who assigns a punishment that befits the crime.

Newman's Team Earns Pit Crew Challenge Win at Pocon

No. 12 team takes top honors in Checkers0x00ae/Rally's0x00ae Double Drive-Thru Challenge
Ryan Newman's team took top honors in the Checkers0x00ae/Rally's0x00ae Double Drive-Thru Challenge during Sunday's Nextel Cup event at Pocono Raceway.
The Alltel team spent the least amount of time on pit road during the Pennsylvania 500 (230.512 seconds), claiming its second win of the season in the weekly competition.

"The guys have worked so hard all year long and we've had great pit stops during each and every race," said Newman. "I'm proud of this crew. They've really stepped it up this year and I'm glad that they're on my pit crew because I know I can count on them during the races to do the best job they can."

Checkers/Rally's will present Newman's over-the-wall crew with an $11,000 check for winning the weekly challenge. An additional $111,150 prize will be presented to the pit crew with the most wins at the completion of the 36-race Nextel Cup schedule.

The No. 12 crew, out of the Penske Racing stable, includes: Britt Goodrich (jackman), Scott Reiniger (front-tire carrier), Ben Brown (front-tire changer), Trent Cherry (rear-tire carrier), Joe Piette Jr. (rear-tire changer), George Whitley (gasman), Bryan White (catch can) and Michael Warren (eighth-man). Cherry and Bob Pressley are the pit crew coaches.

Mark Martin's/Regan Smith's No. 01 crew leads the season-long Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge standings with four wins.

To win, teams are required to finish on the lead lap while spending the least amount of time on pit road. Checkers/Rally's is in its third season as title sponsor for the Pit Crew Challenge.

2007 Checkers/Rally's Double Drive-Thru Challenge Winners -- Nextel Cup Series
Daytona (2/18) Martin Team
California (2/25) Martin Team
Las Vegas (3/11) Martin Team
Atlanta (3/18) Johnson Team
Bristol (3/25) Hamlin Team
Martinsville (4/1) Earnhardt Team
Texas (4/15) Martin Team
Phoenix (4/22) Hamlin Team
Talladega (4/29) Busch Team
Richmond (5/6) Gordon Team
Darlington (5/13) Gordon Team
Charlotte (5/27) Hamlin Team
Dover (6/4) Newman Team
Pocono (6/10) Gordon Team
Michigan (6/17) Kyle Busch Team
Infineon (6/24) Harvick Team
New Hampshire (7/1)Johnson Team
Daytona (7/7) Mears Team
Chicago (7/15) JHarvick Team
Indianapolis (7/30) Sorenson Team
Pocono (8/5) Newman Team
***

Newman Looks Forward To Watkins Glen

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Aug. 7, 2007) There are only two races a year that require NASCAR Cup Series drivers to turn right, Infineon and Watkins Glen.

The June race at Infineon for Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Avenger, didn't turn out the way the team had hoped. This week, the team gets another chance at its second road-course race of the season in Sunday's Centurion Boats at Watkins Glen International.

"I like racing at Watkins Glen," Newman said. "We're taking the same car that we had at Infineon and I think we'll have a good shot at winning this Sunday.
"We had a good run at Infineon, but our fuel strategy didn't pay off like we thought it would."

Newman will make his sixth start at the New York track and his 210th in the Cup Series. He has an average start of 7.6 and an average finish of 15 at The Glen, and has led 19 laps in three races. Out of 452 possible laps, Newman has completed 451, giving him a 99.8 percent completion rate since he first raced at Watkins Glen in 2002.
Crew chief Mike Nelson and the No. 12 Kodak Dodge team will take chassis PRS-517 to New York, the same car Newman drove in Sonoma, Calif., in June. The back-up car is PRS-511. This chassis was tested at Virginia International Raceway and Kershaw, S.C., earlier this year.

Newman will also race the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Charger in NASCAR's Busch Series event on Saturday, making his third Busch start at The Glen and his 35th in the series.

Newman has started both of his Watkins Glen Busch races in the top five. His average start is 4.5 and his average finish is 21. Newman won at The Glen in 2005, but finished 41st last year after a fiery incident on lap 29.

"Last year, we had a freak accident that caused the engine to basically explode, but we won there two years ago and we're looking to do that again," said Newman, who has led nine laps in the two Busch races and has completed 111 laps of a possible 165, leaving him with a 67.3 percent completion rate.

I like driving the road courses and I think Watkins Glen is a better road course to race at than Infineon. There¿s more opportunity to pass and I think the racing is a little more competitive. I'm looking forward to getting back to The Glen.

Crew chief Matt Gimbel and the No. 12 Kodak Dodge team will take chassis PBC-005 as their primary car and PBC-009 as the backup. Neither car has been on the track this year.

ESPN2 and MRN Radio will cover the Zippo 200 at The Glen on Saturday beginning at 3 p.m. EDT. ESPN and MRN Radio will broadcast Sunday's Centurion Boats at The Glen live at 1 p.m. EDT.

WATKINS GLEN/THE CENTURION BOATS AT WATKINS GLEN/ZIPPO 200 PREVIEW

The Centurion Boats at Watkins Glen International will be Ryan Newman's second NASCAR Cup race in the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Avenger. This will be Newman's sixth start at the New York road course and his 210th in the Cup Series.

Newman has an average start of 7.6 and an average finish of 15 at Watkins Glen.

Newman has led three races for a total of 19 laps. He has completed 451 laps of a possible 452 for a 99.8 percent completion rate since he first raced at The Glen in 2002.

The No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger pit crew won its second Checker's/Rally's Double-Drive Thru Challenge for spending the least amount of time on pit road at Pocono.
Last weekend, in Pocono Lake, Pa., Krissie Newman and friends helped raise money for the Ryan Newman Foundation by waiting tables at Moyer's Country Kitchen. Owners Donnie and Jeri Moyer – friends of the Newmans – "hired" Krissie and Michelle Croom, executive assistant for RNF, to work at their new restaurant that opened on July 7. The RNF raised $600 from the women's tips, which was matched by Krissie's parents, Jim and JoAnn Boyle.

Crew chief Mike Nelson and the Kodak crew are taking PRS-517 to Watkins Glen. This is the same car Newman used at Infineon Raceway in June. PRS-511 is the backup car. It also served in that role at Infineon. It was tested at Virginia International Raceway and Kershaw, S.C., earlier this year.

Newman's Remarks On Watkins Glen: "We had a good run at Infineon, but our fuel strategy didn't pay off like we thought it would. I like racing at Watkins Glen...we're taking the same car that we had at Infineon and I think we'll have a good shot at winning this Sunday."

NASCAR Busch Series
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Charger, will make his third Busch Series start at Watkins Glen International and his 35th in the series.
Newman has started both of his races at Watkins Glen from the top five. His average start is 4.5 and his average finish is 21. Newman won at The Glen in 2005, but finished 41st last year after a fiery incident on lap 29.
Newman has led nine laps in the two events. He has completed 111 laps of a possible 165, giving him a 67.3 percent completion rate.
Neither the primary car nor the backup car going to Watkins Glen for the Zippo 200 has been on a track this year. The primary car is PBC-005 and the backup car is PBC-009.

Newman on Watkins Glen: "I like driving the road courses and I think Watkins Glen is a better road course to race at than Infineon. There's more opportunity to pass and I think the racing is a little more competitive. I'm looking forward to getting back to The Glen. Last year, we had a freak accident that caused the engine to basically explode, but we won there two years ago and we're looking to do that again."

Newman wants to capitalize, move into Chase field

CONCORD, N.C. - Ryan Newman finished seventh in the Pennsylvania 500 and still lost ground on the two guys he's battling to get into the Chase For The Nextel Cup.

Newman's Penske Racing teammate, Kurt Busch, won the race to move into 12th, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second and dropped to 13th with just five races remaining before the 12-driver Chase field is set.

 

Newman's Penske Racing teammate, Kurt Busch, won the race to move into 12th, while Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second and dropped to 13th with just five races remaining before the 12-driver Chase field is set.

 

Earnhardt Jr. is seven points behind Busch, and Newman is 90 points behind Busch.

 

"We just have to stay focused and be doing what we've been doing and take it to the next level," Newman said Monday at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where he was testing for Goodyear. "We've had good runs, but we didn't capitalize on the guys we need to capitalize on, and that's what it's all about."

Newman had started fourth in the race at Pocono, while Busch started second.

 

"It was a great run for both Penske drivers," Newman said. "It wasn't the finish I thought we were capable of, but it was a good run for both teams."

The series heads to its final road-course race of the season this weekend at Watkins Glen. Michigan, Bristol, California and Richmond also remain before the Chase.

 

And with two short-tracks and a road-course race, Newman believes it's wide open as far as who makes the Chase.

"Crazy stuff can happen between Bristol, Richmond and the road course," he said.

Four Cup drivers take on Goodyear tire test at Lowe's

CONCORD, N.C. (Aug. 6, 2007) - With late-afternoon temperatures approaching 100 degrees and track temperatures exceeding 140 degrees, NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series drivers Ryan Newman, Martin Truex Jr., Brian Vickers and David Ragan tested Goodyear tires Monday at Lowe's Motor Speedway in preparation for the Bank of America 500 on Saturday night, Oct. 13.

Even though the four teams had an eye on 2008 as they tested NASCAR's Car of Tomorrow, a portion of what they learn during the two-day session will apply to the current cars that will be used here this fall.

"This test today is important because I believe in testing in the extreme," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "The track temperature is about 145 degrees up there in the fourth turn, and that's about as extreme as it will get here. Even though it will be a lot cooler in October, this track is notorious for changing quickly and this is a good test for that.

"I'm particularly glad the Car of Tomorrow is here," Wheeler added. "The Bank of America 500 will be the last race for what I call the 'Twisted Sister' car and I'm glad to see it head down the road."

Offering a bit of relief from the scorching heat, Wheeler distributed popsicles to the drivers, crew members and Goodyear engineers and showed off an ice carving that resembled a Goodyear tire.

"It's really hot and that makes it kind of miserable inside the race car," said Newman. "It's hard to stay focused, but we're getting Goodyear some good feedback and data for the Car of Tomorrow. I don't think there is anything different for this fall, but for next year there are some options that we are working on. The actual tire we ran in May still feels like a really good tire with this car.

"Honestly, the temperature is not going to be much different when we are here in the fall. I've seen it be 90 to 95 degrees then," Newman added. "It cools off at night a little more, but I think we are still going to see plenty of temperature."

Wheeler said the extreme temperatures were having a greater impact on the drivers and crews than the race cars.

"Look at the way Ryan Newman is sweating," he said. "I'll bet he'll lose 12 to 14 pounds of water just being in that race car. It's 130 to 140 degrees inside the car and that's like working up on a roof, pouring hot tar. On top of that, they're running 300 feet a second and the concentration and focus is a tremendous strain."

When asked about the hottest he's ever been in a race car, Truex Jr. responded, "Probably today. I guess it's because the car is not set up to race and doesn't have all the heat shields and the insulation in it. Fifteen laps feel like 800 miles to me."

Ragan, a Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year contender, said he would like to run the Car of Tomorrow in the Oct. 13 Bank of America 500.

"It's a shame we can't run the COTs here in the fall," Ragan said. "The COT car doesn't handle as badly here as I was anticipating. Usually, Lowe's Motor Speedway is known as a hot, slick track during the summer months, but with this car it's not that bad.

"The biggest thing for me is to just make some laps because this is the first time I've been in a COT car on a track bigger than Dover or New Hampshire."

The tire test is scheduled to continue through Tuesday afternoon with the same four drivers expected to once again battle the elements.

Tickets for the Oct. 13 Bank of America 500, round five of the 10-race Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup, can be purchased by calling the speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS or visiting www.lowesmotorspeedway.com. Tickets for the Dollar General 300 NASCAR Busch Series race on Friday night, Oct. 12, and Bojangles' Pole Night on Thursday, Oct. 11, are also on available.

Pocono II: Dodge teams race quotes

Ryan Newman (No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger), Finished 7th

COMMENTS ON HAVING A TOP 10 CAR THROUGHOUT THE RACE -- "It was a good run. It should have been a great run. We should have done better than that. Congratulations to Kurt. His team did an excellent job. We just have to keep going. Obviously the No. 2 was a little better than the No. 12 today."

***

Juan Pablo Montoya (No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Charger) Finished 16th

COMMENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA 500 -- "It was okay. The car was okay. We're struggling needing a little bit of horsepower. That's where we are, we just need to make it better over the next few races."

***

Scott Riggs (No. 10 Valvoline/Stanley Tools Dodge Charger), Finished 24th

COMMENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA 500 -- "We just had to keep working on the car all race long. Through the start we battled tight condition after I made contact with another car on the opening laps and knocked in the left front fender. But we kept digging. The crew had some great stops and we just kept working on it. Toward the end we had the best handling car that we had all day and ended up salvaging 24th. It wasn't exactly what we were looking for but it was a strong team effort."

***

Kasey Kahne (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger), Finished 27th

COMMENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA 500 -- "We had a good car through the first half of the race and ran in the top 10 much of the time. I don't know whether it was tires or we missed it on our adjustments, but the car was loose with no rear grip. I think part of it was a tire problem on the right front. It wasn't the finish we were looking for, but there were some positive things that happened today. The crew did a good job on pit stops. We had a good setup in the car at the start of the race. It's back to the car of tomorrow at Watkins Glen, so we have a little time to do more work on our Dodge Charger."

***

Reed Sorenson (No. 41 Target Dodge Charger), Finished 28th

COMMENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA 500 -- "We got hit by the 99. Something happened with three or four of them up in front of us. I guess the tunnel turn there being so slow and everybody bottlenecking down in there. Three or four of them were hitting and caused a wreck."

BEFORE THE WRECK -- "We were moving up. I think we were 18th after that last pit stop. I think we could have finished in the top 15th."

***

Elliott Sadler (No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger), Finished 32nd

COMMENTS ON PENNSYLVANIA 500 -- "We just couldn't get the car hooked up with the track. The car had no rear grip. We took advantage of every stop to make adjustments and we made some progress, but never got the car hooked up with the track they way we were able to do during practice on Saturday. I don't know what happened, but we just couldn't get through the corners and got behind early. We never had the opportunity to get in position to recover."

-credit: dodge motorsports

PENSKE RACE REPORT - POCONO

Kurt Busch owned Pocono Raceway Sunday, dominating the Pennsylvania 500 in his Miller Lite Dodge Charger in unprecedented fashion to claim his 16th career Cup victory and move into Chase eligibility with five races remaining before the title battle begins.
Ryan Newman also produced a top-10 finish in his Mobil 1 Dodge Charger in the 200-lap race on the 2.5-mile track to remain in contention for a top-12 spot in the standings. Newman finished seventh in the event to hold on to the 14th position, 90 points behind Busch.
"We had a top two or three car today, but we made the wrong adjustments for our second-to-last run and it really hurt us" said Newman, who led once for one lap. "The guys did an excellent job in the pits, and (crew chief) Mike (Nelson) made good calls all day. I wanted the car freed up just a little bit and we just went a little too far on our track bar, but it was still a good run for the Mobil 1 Dodge and we're still in a good position to make the Chase, so the day was good...just not great."
Busch, however, did have a great day, leading seven times for a record 175 laps. The only time Busch didn't lead was when green-flag pit stops cycled through the field and after a slow stop during the fifth of seven caution periods. By leading all but 25 laps on the tricky, triangular-shaped track, Busch broke the record of 164 laps led by Jeff Gordon en route to his 1998 Pennsylvania 500 victory.
Busch's first victory this year and his second at Pocono moved the Las Vegas native into 12th in the point standings, this year's cutoff position for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup. He is now 38 points behind 11th-place Martin Truex Jr. and a mere seven points in front of the 13th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr., who finished second Sunday.
"It was a great team win and I am so proud to be driving the Miller Lite Dodge for Penske Racing," said Busch, who has finished in the top two in four of the last five Pocono races. "I'm proud of all my guys; all the guys back in the shop who help prepare these cars, all the guys over on the engine side, who continue to give us that great Penske-Jasper horsepower, and all my immediate team members who give it their all here at the race track every week.
"I am so pleased and proud of the unbelievable job (crew chief) Pat Tryson has done coming in here and leading our team. Pat is due much of the credit for our strong performance here today. We're really hitting our stride and it's coming at the right time."
Busch also cited Roy McCauley and Troy Raker for their contributions to the team. McCauley began the season as Busch's crew chief, but stepped aside when his wife, Amy, was diagnosed with Leukemia and he decided to stay home to assist her with her battle. Raker stepped in as the team's interim crew chief until Tryson was hired.
"It's so neat to still have them working and nurturing our team along," said Busch, who finished 4.131 seconds ahead of Earnhardt Jr. to break a 51-race winless streak. "We have a great team behind us and we think this is just the beginning of much future success."
Once the green flag waved on Sunday's race, it was clear Busch was the class of the field.
"I can honestly say that when the green flag dropped and we flew off into turn 1 and made the outside move work around the (No.) 8 car (Earnhardt Jr.) to get the lead, I did say to myself, 'Man we really have something for them here today,'" Busch admitted after recording his seventh top-five at Pocono and his fourth of the season.
Busch grabbed the lead from pole-winner Earnhardt Jr. on the first lap and had built a 3.9-second lead over Newman by the time the first round of green-flag pit stops unfolded. He possessed a 12.1-second lead on Newman when the second yellow flag fell on lap 54 for debris.
Busch continued to hold the point through another two rounds of green-flag stops, with the team making minor air pressure and wedge adjustments to counter the track becoming tighter.
At the halfway mark in the 200-lap race, Busch possessed a 4.2-second advantage over Denny Hamlin, who won both Pocono races last year.
Busch fell behind on lap 139 during a 14.582-second pit stop under the fifth yellow. Restarting eighth on the lap 143 return to green, Busch drove to the inside, outside and went three wide in turn 2 on lap 144 to advance back to fourth. He picked off Matt Kenseth for third on lap 145 and got around Reed Sorenson for second on lap 146.
Busch chased down Earnhardt Jr. and made the pass in turn 3 on lap 153 to regain the lead.
"Kurt kept his cool when we got behind," Tryson said. "We went from leading, all the way back to eighth on the restart, but it didn't get him rattled. He knew that he had the best car out there.
"To tell you the truth, he made exciting moves, particularly over there in the tunnel turn, that were amazing. We had some of the TV guys telling us after the race that he made some impossible passes out there in playing catch-up.
"I certainly have the utmost confidence in Kurt's abilities, but I even have to admit that I don't know if I've ever seen anybody pass that many cars running through (turns) two and three here in that little number of laps. It was incredible with what he was able to do behind the wheel of our Miller Lite Dodge."
Busch noted his team was trying to only look ahead, not behind.
"We have some really good tracks coming up and we hopefully, can continue to climb on up the points ladder" Busch added.
Busch and Newman will have double-duty next weekend at Watkins Glen, competing in Saturday's Busch Series race and Sunday's Cup event. Busch is the defending champion of Saturday's race and Newman won the event in 2005. ESPN and MRN Radio will provide live coverage of both races.

Top-10 finish at Pocono leaves Newman in contention for Chase

LONG POND, Pa. – Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, was disappointed by his seventh-place finish in Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway, but the team remained in contention to make the "Chase for the Championship" with just five races left before the cutoff.
"We had a top two or three car today, but we made the wrong adjustments for our second-to-last run and it really hurt us," Newman said after climbing from his car on pit road. "The guys did an excellent job in the pits, and [crew chief] Mike Nelson made good calls all day. I wanted the car freed up just a little bit and we just went a little too far on our track bar, but it was still a good run for the Alltel Dodge and we're still in a good position to make the Chase, so the day was good…just not great."
Newman, whose car sported a special Mobil 1 paint scheme for the race, remains in 14th position with five races left until the championship starts. He is 90 points behind teammate Kurt Busch, who snapped a 51-race losing streak Sunday, took the checkered flag and moved into the 12th and final sport for the Chase.
Newman, who qualified fourth at the 2.5-mile, triangular-shaped track, moved up to the second position as soon as the green flag waved, falling in behind Kurt Busch to lead the field. The car was a little tight in turn two and Busch was able to get away from him and the rest of the field, but Newman hung on to second for a good portion of the race. In fact, the only time Newman fell out of the top 10 was during green-flag pit stops while the field was cycling through. The first time he dropped out of the top five was on lap 145 when his car was too loose after the track bar adjustment.
For most of the race, Newman's Dodge was too tight and the condition kept him from gaining ground on Busch, who led a record 175 laps en route to victory lane. The car's tightness seemed to remain even after two pit stops to correct the problem. On Newman's third stop, Nelson called for two rounds of wedge out of the left rear and two rounds up on the right-side track bar, but those changes seemed to make Newman's car too loose until the sun popped out from behind the clouds. Then, all of a sudden, the car became too tight, again.
When Newman pitted for the fourth time – on the third green-flag stop of the day – he crossed the start/finish line as the race leader and earned five bonus points with the help of Nelson and Newman's spotter, who assisted in making the strategy call to get Newman the extra points.
On that same stop, Nelson had the Alltel crew put a half-round of wedge into the left rear, which seemed to help the car a great deal. Newman told his crew at one point that the car felt "pretty nice," but it would only be a few more laps before the car tightened up again and gave him more problems.
The next stop was on lap 140, which was when the track bar adjustment occurred that caused Newman's car to get too tight and dropped the Alltel Dodge out of the top five. When Newman came down for his last stop on lap 170, Nelson reversed the previous adjustments, but the move wasn't enough to help Newman fight his way back into the top five.
With only 30 laps remaining after his last stop, Newman fought off a charging Clint Bowyer. He was able to pass some lapped cars and get traffic in between him and Bowyer, but with less than 10 laps remaining, Bowyer passed the lapped cars and was coming on strong. Fortunately, Newman held on to earn his ninth top-10 finish of 2007.
Next weekend, Newman will drive the No. 12 Dodge Avenger in Sunday's Centurion Boats at The Glen at Watkins Glen International. ESPN and MRN Radio will cover the race beginning at 1 p.m. EDT on Sunday.
Newman will also drive the No. 12 Dodge Charger in Saturday's Zippo 200 at The Glen in the NASCAR Busch Series. ESPN2 and MRN Radio will broadcast the race live on Saturday afternoon beginning at 3 p.m. EDT.

Ryan Newman Finished 7th At the Pennsylvania

Ryan Newman and the Mobile 1 Dodge team had a great day at Pocono for the Pennsylvania 500 finishing 7th and earning his 9th top 10 finish of the season.

Newman ran in the top 5 for most of the day and fell off just a little at the end of the race.

Newman even managed to grab 5 bonus points for leading a lap and maintain his 14th position in the points standings.

Even with a top 10 finish and 5 bonus Newman dropped to 100 points behind 12th. Kurt Busch moved up to 12th. Dale Earnhardt JR finished 2nd but fell to 14th after Kurt Busch's win. JR is only 7 points behind Busch.

Kurt Busch, Newmans teammate, by far had the strongest car today. He led 175 laps of the 200 lap race and ended up in victory lane.

Not a bad day for Rodger Penske having Kurt Busch in the winners circle and Ryan Nemwan finishing up 7th.

Ryan Newman Finishes 7th and Kurt Busch dominates at Pocono

Busch dominated the Pennsylvania 500 from start to finish, earning his first Nextel Cup Series victory in more than a year and in the process put him in contention – at least for now – for a second series championship.

He also set a NASCAR record, leading 174 of the 200 laps. Jeff Gordon held the record, leading 164 laps on the way to a win in July 1998. Busch’s win is the 16th of his career and first since March 26, 2006 at Bristol, Tenn.

Busch pulled ahead of Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 4.131 seconds to take Sunday’s win. The victory allowed him to move ahead of Earnhardt Jr. for the 12th and final spot in the Chase for the Nextel Cup with five races remaining before the field is set after the 26th race.

Denny Hamlin finished third, Jeff Gordon fourth and Jimmie Johnson fifth.

RESULTS:

Fin Str Car Driver Team Laps Pts Bns Total Award Status Times Laps
1 2 2 Kurt Busch Miller Lite Dodge 200 195 10 $212,108 Running 7 175
2 1 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Budweiser Chevy 200 175 5 $218,708 Running 1 8
3 6 11 Denny Hamlin FedEx Express Chevy 200 165 $157,200 Running
4 11 24 Jeff Gordon DuPont Chevy 200 160 $155,136 Running
5 7 48 Jimmie Johnson Lowe’s Chevy 200 155 $148,936 Running
6 24 20 Tony Stewart Home Depot Chevy 200 150 $136,361 Running
7 4 12 Ryan Newman Mobil 1/alltel Dodge 200 151 5 $127,350 Running 1 1
8 15 7 Clint Bowyer Camping World Chevy 200 147 5 $88,925 Running 1 1
9 25 1 Mark Martin U.S. Army Chevy 200 138 $87,325 Running
10 8 25 Casey Mears National Guard/GMAC Chevy 200 134 $94,475 Running
11 18 31 Jeff Burton AT&T Mobility Chevy 200 130 $111,391 Running
12 3 5 Kyle Busch Kellogg’s/CARQUEST Chevy 200 132 5 $87,650 Running 1 2
13 20 88 Ricky Rudd Combos Ford 200 124 $104,533 Running
14 37 17 Matt Kenseth DeWalt Ford 200 126 5 $122,191 Running 1 1
15 17 96 Tony Raines DLP HDTV/Rush Hour 3 Chevy 200 118 $81,100 Running
16 9 42 Juan Pablo Montoya # Texaco/Havoline Dodge 200 115 $106,425 Running
17 23 29 Kevin Harvick Shell/Pennzoil Chevy 200 112 $114,186 Running
18 21 21 Bill Elliott Air Force Ford 200 114 5 $89,214 Running 1 1
19 32 66 Jeff Green HAAS Automation/Garmin/Samsung 200 111 5 $94,958 Running 1 4
20 19 22 Dave Blaney Caterpillar Toyota 200 103 $95,483 Running
21 29 99 Carl Edwards Office Depot Ford 200 100 $76,625 Running
22 13 1 Martin Truex Jr. Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats 200 102 5 $94,170 Running 1 1
23 12 16 Greg Biffle Dish Network/DOG The Bounty 200 94 $83,375 Running
24 16 10 Scott Riggs Stanley Tools/Valvoline Dodge 200 91 $75,350 Running
25 34 40 David Stremme Target Dodge 200 88 $67,525 Running
26 35 15 Paul Menard # Menards/Energizer Chevy 200 85 $66,775 Running
27 5 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 200 82 $110,616 Running
28 10 41 Reed Sorenson Target Dodge 200 84 5 $88,533 Running 1 5
29 28 83 Brian Vickers Red Bull Toyota 200 76 $66,125 Running
30 26 43 Bobby Labonte Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge 199 78 5 $103,411 Running 1 1
31 43 36 Jeremy Mayfield 360 OTC Toyota 199 70 $62,825 Running
32 14 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge 198 67 $83,520 Running
33 36 6 David Ragan # AAA Insurance Ford 198 64 $99,550 Running
34 42 45 Kyle Petty Marathon Dodge 198 61 $73,933 Running
35 27 18 J.J. Yeley Interstate Batteries Chevy 198 58 $90,033 Running
36 41 70 Johnny Sauter HAAS Automation Chevy 198 55 $61,900 Running
37 30 7 P.J. Jones Menards/MAPEI Ford 198 52 $61,725 Running
38 39 55 Michael Waltrip NAPA Auto Parts Toyota 194 49 $71,147 Running
39 33 38 David Gilliland M&M’s Ford 192 46 $88,689 Running
40 22 26 Jamie McMurray Crown Royal Ford 177 43 $69,325 Accident
41 31 0 David Reutimann # Burger King Toyota 159 40 $61,180 Fuel Pump
42 40 44 Dale Jarrett UPS Toyota 151 37 $61,030 Fuel Pressure
43 38 4 Ward Burton State Water Heaters/LUCAS 109 34 $61,197 Engine

Newman, Biffle watching dogfighting case against Vick with interest

LONG POND, Pa. - Ryan Newman and Greg Biffle have a keen interest in the federal case against Atlanta Falcons quarterback Mike Vick. Both are heavily involved in animal rescue operations, and they said dog-fighting charges against Vick will bring much-needed attention to their cause.

Newman, along with his wife Krissie, had t-shirts made this week that read: "7 to life" on the front and "Neuter Vick" on the back. Krissie Newman said he will wear the t-shirt throughout his trial.

"Everybody is innocent until proven guilty," Ryan Newman said. "But his little group has made it clear they fight dogs. People who defend that are slugs. This separates the smart people from the dumb."

Krissie Newman joined other wives of Dodge drivers Saturday working at local restaurant. Their salaries and tips were donated to local Humane Society.

"If nothing else, everyone knows about dog fighting now," Krissie Newman said. "It has a face, and it's Michael Vick."

Biffle said he's troubled by people who compare dog fighting to ultimate fighting, or people who believe it's not a problem.

"I have read the indictment," Biffle said. "I got so mad when I read it. This will be a high-profile case. If it was anyone else, it wouldn't be a national story. If it's true, it's galling. If it's true, he's great athlete who made some very poor decisions. If he did it, he has to pay for it."

NASCAR teams prepare for tire test at Charlotte

LONG POND, Pa. - Four NASCAR Nextel Cup teams are scheduled to participate in a Goodyear tire test at Lowe's Motor Speedway Monday and Tuesday.

All four manufacturers are represented in the session. Penske Racing's Ryan Newman (Dodge), Roush Fenway Racing's David Ragan (Ford), Dale Earnhardt Inc.'s Martin Truex Jr. (Chevrolet) and Team Red Bull's Brian Vickers (Toyota) will participate in the session.

"This is the most important tire test in the 48-year history of the speedway," said H.A. "Humpy" Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway. "The track has changed dramatically since it was paved. It has become much faster and, even though it has more grip, we've seen several drivers crash by themselves. Why this is happening we don't know, but I suspect it's a combination of the loose nature of these old 'twisted sister' race cars, the speeds and a hard tire compound.

"The paving has now aged sufficiently to adapt well to a new compound tire and we need all the handling help we can get for the cars since the Oct. 13 Bank of America 500 will be a pivotal race in the Chase. Everyone in the garage area is going to be paying a lot of attention to this test."

Penske out to snap a four-year drought

LONG POND, Pa. - Roger Penske sowed the seeds of his racing empire in Pennsylvania soil, so it should come as no surprise that he has been the winning car owner seven times at Pocono Raceway.
But since sweeping both Pocono races in 2000, Penske has had just one car - Ryan Newman's No. 12 Dodge in July 2003 - make it back to Victory Lane here.

What has made the drought particularly tough to take are the near misses, with Rusty Wallace taking second in 2005, Kurt Busch finishing as the runner-up twice last season, and Newman settling for second in the rain-shortened Pocono 500 this past June.

Once again, Penske's Dodge Chargers appear primed to run up front and should be considered among the favorites to capture today's Pennsylvania 500.

Busch, who won at Pocono two summers ago while driving for Roush Racing, will start second in the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge. He topped the speed charts in two of the three practice sessions.

Malvern native Pat Tryson has seen the No. 2 team climb three positions and gain 223 points in the standings since taking over as Busch's crew chief five races ago.

"We're determined to give [Busch] what he needs to win," Tryson said. "We're looking to get our Pocono mojo working again."

Busch has been pleased with his car's performance this weekend, and he believes that the qualifying effort could be the key to keeping him at the front of the field.

"Track position is very important at Pocono," he said. "We're happy to be [on the] outside pole and have a shot to get those five points for leading a lap. Big-picture is what we're racing for right now."

Newman qualified fourth in the Mobil 1 Dodge and ran among the top seven in each practice over the last two days.

"I'm confident we'll have a good car for the race," he said.

Pole-sitter Dale Earnhardt Jr. struggled in yesterday's morning session, but after he ran mid-pack, his crew went to work on the setup of the No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet and Junior rebounded with the 13th-fastest lap in Happy Hour.

Kyle Busch, who qualified third, also had issues in practice. But after putting the back end of the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet into the wall, Busch rallied to finish 14th-fastest in the final practice.

Seventh-place starter Jimmie Johnson, a two-time Pocono winner, ended the day atop the leader board, followed closely by Tony Stewart, who will start 24th. Denny Hamlin, with two wins here last season and a sixth-place finish in June, again has the No. 11 FedEx Chevrolet on a rail. Hamlin will start sixth and wound up no worse than ninth during the three practices.

Matt Kenseth, who has just three top-five finishes in 15 starts here, might be the dark horse to watch today. Though Kenseth had a pedestrian effort (37th) in qualifying, the 2003 series champion found something in yesterday's sessions - putting the No. 17 DeWalt Ford up to second on the speed chart.

"This hasn't been a track, except once or twice, [where] we've been a threat to win," Kenseth said. "So we just get here and dig at it as hard as we can and try to get our car competitive, and race for the best spot we can on Sunday."

Ryan Newman Results -3rd Practice For Pennsylvania 500

Ryan Newman and the #12 Mobil 1 Dodge team had their first practice at Pocono Raceway today for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Pennsylvania 500
Newman was 7 in practice with a speed of 163.812 mph / 54.941 sec.
Newman was -0.66 seconds behind the leader Jimmie Johnson who had a practice time of 165.804 / 54.281.


Qualifying Order

Practice 1 Results

Practice 2 Results

Practice 3 Results


Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Mobil 1 Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway

With 6 races left, drivers aiming for Chase spots

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) - Kurt Busch should be the driver that everyone outside the top 12 is pursuing for the final spot in the Chase.

Instead, the former Nextel Cup champion is the one lagging behind.
When Busch was docked 100 points for reckless driving in early June at Dover, the penalty plummeted him six spots and out of a place for the 12-car, 10-race Chase for the Nextel Cup championship.

Those points could now deny him a chance to race for the title.

"Yeah, that's what everybody will write about if we don't make it," Busch said. "There's been times where we've let quite a few points get away from us. Hopefully the 100 from Dover won't come into play."

Busch is one of a handful of drivers vying to claim one of the few slots up for grabs in a six-race stretch that stars in Sunday's 500-mile race at Pocono Raceway and ends at Richmond. The final six races of the 26-race regular-season put the drivers, their fans and everyone in the sport on edge about how it will all end.

"It's real nerve-racking," said Clint Bowyer, who is in 10th. "It's up to us to ensure that we're in it."

For drivers at the bottom of the top 12 like Martin Truex Jr. (11th) or Dale Earnhardt Jr. (12th), this stretch is like the college basketball conference tournaments: Win and you're in. Lose and, well, you'll need some help.

"I think everyone's on the Chase bubble," Truex said.

Had Busch not been docked those 100 points for reckless driving and endangering one of Tony Stewart's crew members on pit road, he would have 2,304 points, enough to bump Earnhardt (2,217) outside the top 12.

Busch fell from 11th to 17th in the Chase standings after NASCAR penalized him, and has since worked his way back to 13th on the strength of five top-10 finishes in the seven races since Dover. Busch is followed by Ryan Newman (59 points out of the Chase), Jamie McMurray (113) and Greg Biffle (128), all legitimate contenders to catch Earnhardt, Truex and Bowyer.

Even Jimmie Johnson, once considered a lock for the Chase, has put himself in a vulnerable position by dropping from fourth to ninth in the past three races.

"There is a concern. We don't want to be in this situation," said Johnson, who swept Pocono in 2004.

Perhaps it's a coincidence, but the drivers in the hunt for those spots all had strong qualifying efforts for the Pennsylvania 500. Earnhardt took his first pole since 2002 and Busch will join him on the front row. Newman was fourth and Johnson seventh.

"I think most of the teams are hitting their peak and everyone's running strong," Busch said. "Whoever gets the most consistent finishes will be in the Chase."

Truex and Earnhardt, DEI teammates, would have been fighting to make the Chase under the old rules. But the field was expanded this season from 10 to 12 drivers.

Earnhardt believes his final season with Dale Earnhardt Inc. will end with a spot in the Chase.

"I feel like we're not a 12th-place team. We're a fifth-place team, if not even more successful than that," Junior said. "I still feel like we'll make the Chase with ease because we're such a good team. If we don't make the Chase, I'll be the most surprised person, not only in this room, but in this garage, because I feel totally confident that we've got control of it and can get it done."

"We know exactly how far we're behind and who we're tied with and in front of," said Denny Hamlin, in second. "We're aware of it, but we're not overly concerned with it. We can't be going crazy over 10 points here and there because if it affects your performance and kills your momentum going into the Chase, it's not going to matter anyway."

Ryan Newman Results -2nd Practice For Pennsylvania 500

Ryan Newman and the #12 Mobil 1 Dodge team had their first practice at Pocono Raceway today for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Pennsylvania 500.

Newman was 3rd in practice with a speed of 166.055 mph / 54.199 sec.

Newman was -0.072 seconds behind the leader Kurt Busch who had a practice time of 166.276 / 54.127.

Penske is really on their game here. Kurt Bush has been the fastest in practice for the first 2 practice session. Newman improved from 3rd to sixth. Busch has qualified in 2nd and Newman in 4th. Newman will be starting right behind his teammate. And they run good when they are running together.

Qualifying Order
Practice 1 Results
Practice 2 Results

Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Mobil 1 Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway

Can Pocono II Bring Newman A Win?

I don't see why not! Newman runs good at Pocono. At the first Pocono race this year he was just about to take first place away from Gordon when the caution fell for rain and the race was eventually canceled after that caution.

He grabbed the pole postition for that race and is starting this one in 4th. He also practiced with speeds in the top 10 for that race and looks like he is going to do the same for this race.

Newman has a win at Pocono, 5 Top 5's out of 11 races. No excuses Newman, this is your week.

Busch Qualifies 2nd; Newman To Start 4th In Pennsylvania 500

LONG POND, Pa. (Aug. 3, 2007) For the second time this year, rain interfered with a Penske Racing driver emerging in the No. 1 position at Pocono Raceway, as Kurt Busch was bumped from the pole for Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 after a shower interrupted qualifying on Friday.

Busch, who snared the provisional pole in his Miller Lite Dodge Charger with a 52.984-second, 169.863-mph lap, possessed the top starting spot until there were nine drivers left to qualify. Rain began falling during Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s qualifying lap and NASCAR officials ruled he could make another timed run if time trials resumed. With a clean, cooler track, Earnhardt Jr. pushed his car to a lap 0.035-second faster than Busch on the 2.5-mile, triangular-shaped track.

"I thought there might be somebody that would sneak out there and get it," Busch said. "If it would have rained out qualifying, we would have been bumped all the way to 14th. To be outside pole is great and gives us the chance to be towards the front.

"Track position is very important at Pocono. We're happy to be outside pole and have a shot to get those elusive five points for leading a lap. Big picture is what we¿re racing for right now [a position in the title chase].

In June, Ryan Newman was relegated to a second-place finish in the Pocono 500 when it began raining just as Newman passsed Jeff Gordon for the lead.

For a brief time Friday, Busch and Newman shared the front row, but Busch's younger brother, Kyle, bumped Newman to third by 0.014 second. He was relegated to fourth, directly behind his Penske Racing teammate, when Earnhardt Jr. made his qualifying run.

"I just missed a little bit on my lap, but it was still a good effort by the Mobil 1 Dodge team and we'll have a good car on Sunday, as well, Newman said after his 53.023-second, 169.738-mph lap in his Mobil 1 Dodge Charger. We're running the same car that we had in June, so we know that this car is good at Pocono. I don't think we have a ton of work to do on the car before Sunday, but we¿ll tweak it a little during tomorrow's [Saturday] practice sessions and get it as close to perfect as we can for Sunday. I just hope the rain holds off this time.

Sunday's Pennsylvania 500 will be televised by ESPN and broadcast by MRN Radio starting at 1 p.m.

Ryan Newman Results -Qualifying For The Pennsylvania 500

Ryan Newman has qualified 4th for the Pennsylvania 500 at the Pocono Raceway. Newman had a speed of 169.738 / 53.023 / -0.074.
Newman was -0.074 seconds behind the Pole setter Dale Earnhardt Jr. who had a qualifying time of 169.975 / 52.949.


Qualifying Order

Practice 1 Results

Good luck to Ryan Nemwan and the #12 Mobil 1 Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway

Earnhardt Jr. wins his first Nexel Cup pole since 2002

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) -- Dale Earnhardt Jr. ended a stretch of nearly five years without qualifying in first thanks in part to a well-timed rain shower.

Earnhardt won his first pole since September 2002 with a lap of 169.975 mph and took the top spot Friday at Pocono Raceway, a huge benefit for a driver clinging to the final spot in the Chase.

"I try to get them man, but they're hard to get," he said. "I don't put a lot of emphasis on poles. I probably do that that because I don't get them so often."

His lap after a 45-minute rain delay nudged Kurt Busch into second with a lap of 169.863 and Kyle Busch was third at 169.782. Earnhardt guessed his car would have qualified between fifth and 12th had it not rained.

Earnhardt had just put his No. 8 Chevrolet on the track for his qualifying lap for Sunday's 500-mile race when it started raining. Once it stopped, Earnhardt took advantage of the cooler temperature and raced to his seventh career pole and first since Sept. 29, 2002 at Kansas Speedway -- a span of 171 races.

Now all he needs is a win. Earnhardt has been without a victory since May 2006 at Richmond.

"Qualifying and racing are two different things," Earnhardt said. "Qualifying takes a different kind of discipline, takes a lot of guts."

Earnhardt needs all the strong finishes he can get in the final six races of the Nextel Cup "regular season." He holds the 12th and final spot for the 10-race Chase. He has a 36th- and 34th-place finish in two of his last three races, and more results like that will hurt his chances significantly.

"The one thing you do feel is more of a loss of confidence," Earnhardt said. "I feel like we keep the momentum by keeping the good attitude."

Kyle Busch trails Junior by 13 points for 12th place. Kurt and Kyle Busch each have four top-five starts this season.

Ryan Newman and Kasey Kahne rounded out the top five. Points leader Jeff Gordon was 11th.

"I think I gave it up," Newman said. "I just didn't push quite hard enough in turn three. I was more worried about the car stepping out then I was pushing it fast."

Ryan Newman Results -1st Practice For Pocono 500

Ryan Newman and the #12 Alltel Dodge team had their first practice at Pocono Raceway today for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Pocono 500.

Newman was 6 in practice with a speed of 167.221 mph / 53.821 sec.



Newman was -0.419 seconds behind the leader Kurt Busch who had a practice time of 168.533 / 53.402.


Practice 1 Results

Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Alltel Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway

Ryan Newman Leaving Penske - Going To Gibbs?

Where did this rumor get started?

 

Now I hear (or read) that he may be going to Gibbs.

 

Once again I saw that the Winston-Salem Jounal posted that he was "up in the air".  Here is the blurb that they posed -

 

 'Ryan Newman's future continues to be a question mark in the NASCAR garage, and it's not clear if he will be back with car owner Roger Penske next season. If not, Newman could become a candidate for the fourth Richard Childress team." HERE

 

My question is - "Where did this come from"?  And this article says RCR???

 

I have seen this article refferenced many times, but I can not find where this information has come from.  I have heard Newman say that he is NOT planning on going anywhere.  I heard him on his podcasts say this and I am pretty sure I heard him say it in an interview as well.  Yes, I know these people will say whatever they have to at the time in order to make a deal work, BUT, I still can not find anything as to where this "rumor" even go started.

 

OH WELL!!

 

Oh yeah, I am also looking for information on how exactly these Sponsor/Owner/Driver contracts work.  Anybody??

 

Mike

New Ryan Newman Podcast - After The Brickyard

08.01.07 Newman, Alltel Team Start 3rd and Finish 42nd after early accident at the historical Indianapolis Motor Speedway

Driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Ryan Newman and XM Satellite Radio Host Claire B. Lang catch up to recap last week's race at the prestigious Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

They also chat about Newman's workout regimen. In addition, Newman provides fans an inside look at how he spent his time in Indiana, as well as answers questions from the Alltel All Axcess Racing Mailbag.

Finally, Newman talks about the upcoming race at Pocono Raceway, where the team hopes to find victory lane after finishing second there earlier this season.

NASCAR, AT&T continue court battle

What I find funny is that Sprint/Nextel is doing the same thing.  Sprint bought, merged, whatever with Nextel.  Sprint......Nextel........same thing, same company.  So now obviously they want to start dropping the Nextel name.  That is why we are looking at the Sprint Cup....which by the way, I don't care for that name at all.  I think of smaller race cars.

 

Now AT&T bought Cingular,  basically.  So they (AT&T) are in the mist of dropping the Cingular name and going with AT&T across the board.  Smart move if you ask me.  So soon there won't be a Cingualr name out there, there will only be AT&T.  So there is no other name to put on the car other than AT&T.  And by the way, they were smart signing a new deal as soon NASCAR came back at them with a law suite.

 

Why isn't NASCAR suing Nextel......uhhhmmm I mean Sprint.  Didn't NASCAR make original contracts and what not with NEXTEL.  HMMM.  (yes that was sarcasim).

 

Anyway, the news story follows:

 

 

 

 

NASCAR and AT&T go back to court this week, at odds over the paint scheme on Jeff Burton's No. 31 Chevrolet. But the larger issue of exclusivity in the wireless category will loom over the proceedings.

Sprint Nextel, NASCAR's top series sponsor, bought the largest sports sponsorship ever sold, exclusivity included, and has spent close to $100 million a year since 2004. Cingular and Alltel were allowed to stay as team sponsors under certain restrictions.

But in a preliminary injunction ruling in May, a judge said AT&T could replace Cingular on the No. 31 Nextel Cup car because the restriction on rebranding wasn't spelled out in NASCAR's contract with Richard Childress Racing.

Those in the industry said it was widely known that Cingular and Alltel could not rebrand if one of them merged with another company in the volatile telecom world. But NASCAR didn't put it in writing, so AT&T's blue globe has been on the hood of the orange No. 31 for the past two-plus months.

USA Today - Ryan Newman Team Notes

 

No. 12 Dodge, Penske Racing

 

This week:  Newman was in the midst of trying to pass Jeff Gordon for the lead when the rains came in June at Pocono. When the race was called after only 106 laps, Newman ended up second. He will be driving the same car, which also won the pole for the June race.

 

Last week:  Newman spun and slammed into the fourth-turn wall on lap 20 of the 160-lap Brickyard event and finished 42nd to drop to 14th in the standings. "I just got hit in the left rear quarter panel," said Newman. "(David) Stremme tried sticking it underneath me when he shouldn't have and spun us around. We took a pretty good lick."

 

Etc.:  Newman knows he was "very fortunate at Indy to have only lost a little ground to the 12th-place driver (Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who finished 34th after suffering engine failure)." Newman trails Earnhardt by 49 points with only six races left until the Chase. Newman had pulled to within 30 points of 12th place before Indy.

Ryan Newman And Kurt Busch Have Their Teams Moving In The Right Direction

Aug 01, 2007

Kurt Busch (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge) and Penske Racing teammate Ryan Newman (No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge) have their teams moving in the right direction in the series standings currently 13th and 14th respectively. Dale Earnhardt Jr. (No. 8 Budweiser Chevrolet) sits on the bubble, 13 points ahead of Busch and 59 ahead of Newman. Neither Newman nor Busch made the Chase for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup last season.

 

But this season may be a different story. Newman heads to Pocono with a 2003 win at the track and five top-five finishes, including a runner-up finish earlier this season. Newman - a. k.a 'the Rocket' - also has been known to put the No. 12 Dodge on the pole at Pocono, notching two in his career, including earlier this season. Busch has less ground to make up than his teammate, and he, too, has had success at Pocono with a win in 2005 and six top fives.

Earnhardt Jr. will have to be on his toes because the competition is closing in. This race could be the one Penske Racing uses to make a move because Earnhardt has only three top-five finishes in 15 starts at Pocono.

Alltel Wireless and Ryan Newman invite Rapid City resident to ‘Go Racing’

RAPID CITY, S.D. – Today, Jimmie Funell of Rapid City, S.D. received the surprise of a lifetime at an Alltel Wireless retail store in Rapid City, S.D., when race car driver Ryan Newman invited him to 'Go Racing.'

As part of the surprise, Alltel Wireless, America's largest network, and Newman provided Funell with an all-expense-paid trip for two to Bristol, Tenn. to attend the race weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, August 25-26, 2007. To add to the VIP experience, Funell will have a very personal reason to cheer the No. 12 Alltel team to victory lane, as his name will appear on the Alltel Dodge that weekend.

"Alltel is dedicated to providing our customers with unmatched personalized experiences," said Frank O'Mara, executive vice president of marketing for Alltel Wireless. "This racing initiative is a great way to thank our customers and reward them for choosing Alltel as their wireless provider. We hope to celebrate with both Ryan and Jimmie in the winner's circle."

Newman has made previous unannounced stops at retail stores in Albuquerque, N.M., Augusta, Ga., Kannapolis, N.C., Raleigh, N.C., and Tampa, Fla., to award customers with trips to 'Go Racing.'

"It was as much a rush for me as it was for Jimmie when I gave him the good news from Alltel that he was chosen for this opportunity," said Newman. "Hopefully the addition of his name to the paint scheme will help take the No. 12 Alltel Dodge to Victory Lane."

Funell, who stopped by the Alltel retail store to see the No. 12 Alltel Dodge show car, was thrilled with the surprise visit by Newman.

"This is truly a dream come true. I just went to the store to see the show car and possibly upgrade my phone, so I didn't expect to receive anything, let alone meet racecar driver Ryan Newman," said Funell. "I can't wait for my friends and family to see my name on the No. 12 Alltel Dodge as Ryan races around the track at 120 miles per hour."

To find out where the No. 12 Alltel Dodge will make its next pit stop, and for more information on Ryan Newman and the Alltel Race Team, please visit www.alltelracing.com.

Alltel Wireless offers exclusive features including "My Circle," allowing customers to choose who they call for free – any 10 numbers, any network; Anytime Plan Changes, giving customers the flexibility to change their rate plan any time, without extending their contract and Celltop, Alltel's exclusive, patent-pending technology providing customers an easier way to access, manage and organize a wide range of information already available on their phones.

ESPN Analyst Andy Petree on Pocono Raceway

Q - What makes Pocono Raceway such a difficult track for drivers and race teams?

Petree - "That track is the most unique track on the circuit because it has three distinct turns. You've got a real tight turn on one end, a real broad turn on the other, and you've got this huge, long straightaway. You've got all these factors that come into play, and from a crew chief's standpoint there are a lot of things you can play with.

"The brakes are going to be a big issue at Pocono. You're going so fast down that front straightaway, and you've got to slow down to make that Turn 1. You're probably going 200 mph, and that's a lot of speed to bleed off. You used to do it by downshifting and using your brakes, and they had big spoilers for a lot of drag on the aero. Now they've got tiny spoilers, and they can't downshift anymore. The only way to slow the cars down now is with the brakes, and they are really being pushed to the limit."

 

Q - What should viewers watch for at Pocono?

Petree - "Watching them come down that front straightaway, fanning out sometimes four- or five-wide. It's incredible how wide that front straightaway is, and watching those guys using the draft and jockeying for position trying to gain an advantage is really exciting to see."

NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Action live on ESPN from Pocono Raceway presented by Rush Hour 3

ESPN's coverage from Pocono Raceway will include live coverage of NASCAR NEXTEL Cup qualifying at 3:30 p.m. Friday, Aug. 3, and Happy Hour final practice at 11 a.m. Saturday. Two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Andy Petree will work in the ESPN booth for the telecasts, joined by Rusty Wallace, ESPN's lead auto racing analyst and the 1989 NASCAR Cup Series champion. Dr. Jerry Punch will handle play-by-play. Pit reporters will be Dave Burns, Jamie Little, Mike Massaro and Shannon Spake. Two-time NASCAR champion crew chief Tim Brewer will report from the ESPN DISH Tech Center with the ESPN Chevy Cutaway Car. ESPN's Suzy Kolber will host NASCAR Countdown at Pocono, joined by analyst Brad Daugherty in the ESPN Pit Studio.

[ESPN]

Stewart vs. Petty profanity

Brad from Shelbyville, Ky.: Why would NASCAR fine Tony Stewart for a bad word? Kyle Petty said a bad work on national TV during the race at Sonoma, Calif. NASCAR did nothing to him. All drivers should be treated equal.

Larry McReynolds: NASCAR is treating all drivers equal. They docked Stewart 25 points just like the took 25 points away from Dale Earnhardt Jr. after his post-race profanity following the 2004 Talladega fall race. We knew that was going to happen. (Editor's note: In addition to the point penalties, which were the same, Stewart was fined $25,000 while Dale Jr. was fined $10,000.)

Kyle Petty did not say something bad on national television; it was a mistake on the network's part. Obviously, the network sat down with NASCAR and explained the whole situation. What you heard was a replay that was run two or three laps after that incident. Unfortunately, someone played the audio with the replay. For that reason, you're comparing an apple to a green bean. A bad word went over the air, but it wasn't live. It was totally a mistake on the network's part.

The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard was on cable, and there are a lot of rules and regulations about cable that I don't understand. But I don't know that the FCC had a problem with it because it was on cable, but NASCAR doesn't care whether it's on over-the-air television or cable. They're just trying to stay as consistent as possible. Points are a moot point right now for Stewart. If he ends up missing the Chase by less than 25 points, we'll realize that it was pretty important. The way the Chase for the Nextel Cup and the bonus points system are structured, Stewart just needs to stay in the top 12. He's safely in there, and he's seeded 3rd because he's got two wins with 20 bonus points.

Indianapolis Fines - Greg Biffle

NASCAR announced today that Greg Biffle has been fined $5,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31, for failing to fulfill his post-race media obligations this past Saturday night, following the NASCAR Busch Series race at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis.

Biffle was found to be in violation of Sections 12-4-A (actions detrimental to stock car racing) and 12-4-H (violation of sub-section 7-2B: Failure to meet obligation of an accepted entry).
Biffle, driver of the No. 16 Ford, finished second in the event. In addition to the winning driver, second- and third-place finishers, plus the highest-finishing rookie of the year candidate must report for post-race interviews.

Also, two NASCAR Busch Series crew chiefs have been fined $5,000 and placed on probation until Dec. 31 due to violations at Indianapolis:

Indianapolis Fines - Tony Stewart

Tony Stewart was fined $25,000 and docked 25 points by NASCAR on Tuesday for cursing during his television interview after his win at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Stewart, who had just scored his second victory in three years at his hometown race track, was soaking up the adoration from the throng of orange-clad fans when he dedicated the win to them.
"This one's for every one of those fans in the stands who pull for me every week and take all the (expletive) from everybody else," he said.

The curse came on ESPN's first Nextel Cup broadcast since 2000.

NASCAR, which called the language inappropriate and said Stewart's actions were detrimental to stock car racing, also docked car owner Joe Gibbs 25 points. It follows a precedent that started in 2002, when crew chief Chad Knaus was penalized for cursing on TV.

The penalties escalated over the next few seasons, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. was knocked out of the points lead when he was docked 25 points for cursing after his 2004 win at Talladega.

The penalty doesn't hurt Stewart in the standings. He is currently fifth in the points, and the deduction didn't drop him.

But sixth-place Carl Edwards is now only 17 points away from him. The top 12 drivers in the standings after the Sept. 8 race in Richmond make the Chase for the championship.

The curse spoiled ESPN's return to NASCAR. Stewart is feuding with the network, which criticized him two weeks ago for saying he was going to drink a case of beer to celebrate his July 15 win in Chicago.

An ESPN analyst said later that Stewart was not a good role model, and Stewart has been reluctant to do interviews with its announcers. He participated in the post-race interview at the finish line, but it ended after he used the expletive.

He later criticized the network when asked if he would be celebrating the Indy win with another case of beer.

"I don't want anybody from ESPN talking about how irresponsible I am, even though it's legal to do everything I did," he said. "Heaven forbid you actually have fun in life."

Inside the Garage: No. 12 crew chief Mike Nelson

Mike Nelson is the crew chief for Ryan Newman's No. 12 Dodge, which nearly won the Pocono 500 in June. Newman was in the process of making a pass for the lead when heavy rain halted the race at the 106-lap mark.

Knowing they had a car capable of breaking Newman's 59-race winless streak, Nelson says his team is excited to make the return trip to the Pocono Mountains, considering they are bringing the same car back to the track.

Penske Racing

Mike Nelson

Q: To the average fan, Indianapolis and Pocono look like identical tracks. But to a crew chief, is that really the case?

Nelson: I don't think so. There are some similarities. Turn 2 at Pocono is somewhat similar to the corners here at Indy. Other than that, I consider them two totally different racetracks.

Q: What unique characteristics does Pocono have?

Nelson: Turn 1 at Pocono is unique. It's not anything like what you see here [at Indy]. It's pretty bumpy and it's a banked corner. The other corners are relatively flat. That's what makes Pocono unique. It's a unique track and we always have a lot of fun with it. It's been a good track for us.

Q: Is the most difficult thing about Pocono having to compromise the setup to make the car work in all three corners?

Nelson: Well, you do hear that a lot and it's true to some extent. But I guarantee you; everyone in the garage area tries to make all three corners perfect. That's what we work at.

Q: Is there one of the corners that's more critical than the others?

Nelson: You've got Turn 3, which leads to the frontstretch. That's important because you need to get a good run coming down the frontstretch. Most people work really hard on making sure that's a good point in your program. All corners are important, though. If you can get through all three better than everyone else, you've really got something.

Q: When you run as well as you did there last month, does your confidence carry over to the next race?

Nelson: Yeah, for sure. Denny Hamlin won both races there last year. We're taking the same car we had back there the first race and we're looking forward to going back.

 

nascar.com

Can Ryan Newman Still Make The Chase?

59 points away from 12^th – 6 races to go. 

 

 It is possible, but it seems that every time Newman gets close to that 12^th position, he falls back again.  Starting with race #10 at Richmond, Newman broke the 20^th position and has stayed above 20^th since then.  After Richmond he was in the 19^th position.  The following week he fell to 18^th.  The next 3 weeks he advanced to 18^th, then 15^th and then up to 13^th.  After that he dropped to 15^th then bounced around 13^th and 14^th up until now where he is sitting in 14^th. 

 

Not once this season has he broke into 12^th position.  Most of his "bad" races have not been his fault or his crews.  He has had engine trouble and accidents that have left him with some disappointing finishes.

 

Newman's stats this season are not awful.  They are by no means great either.  20 races into the season he has 4 poles (one of which he had to start in the rear of the field because of an engine), 0 wins, 3 top 5's and 8 top 10's.  The numbers that don't look all that great include an average starting position of 14.8 and an average finish of 19.9. 

 

Can Newman make the chase?  Yes it is possible especially if some of the people in the top 12 don't do so good.  Jimmy Johnson keeps sliding back, but probably won't be a factor.  Dale Earnhardt JR is a good example.  Last weekend at Indianapolis he blew and engine.  His bad day saved Newman from dropping off even further from 12^th and helped his team mate Kurt Busch move up to only 13 points away from 12^th. 

 

JR's teammate Martin Truex JR is 118 points ahead of JR in 11^th.  So he is feeling a LITTLE secure and having a good season.  Right now 12^th place is between Dale Earnhardt JR, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman for this upcoming week at Pocono.  McMurray is another 54 points behind Newman putting him 113 points away from 12th position. And in all reality, it is probaby just between Busch and Earnhardt JR for this week.

 

Luckily, Newman is better at Pocono than Busch or Earnhardt JR.  Newman has an average finish at Pocono of 14.2 compared to Earnhardt JR's 18.3 and Busch's 15.7.  Both Newman and Busch have a win here and Newman has 5 Top'5 and Top 10's compared to Busch's 6 Top 5's and Top 10's.  Also Newman placed second in the race earlier this year and looked very strong when the race was canceled due to rain.

 

Basically a lot can happen in 6 races and 59 points is not hard to make up.  If Newman does crack the top 12 this season, now is the time to do it.

 

 

-Mike

Ryan Newman and the Pocono Raceway

Welcome to Pocono Raceway located in Long Pond, PA.

Ryan Newman and his Penske Racing #12 Alltel Dodge will be racing here this weekend in the Pocono 500.
Pocono Raceway


***Location : Long Pond, PA
***Completed : 1968
***Distance : 2.5 miles
***Shape : Tri-oval
***Seating : 76,812


***Nextel Cup Top Race Speed : 144.892 by Rusty Wallace on 7/21/1996
***Nextel Cup Top Qualifying Speed : 172.533 by Kasey Kahne on 6/11/2004


MANUFATURER WINS AT Pocono Raceway SINCE 2002
DODGE = 2
FORD = 3
CHEVROLET = 6


RYAN NEWMAN'S STATS AT Pocono Raceway

At Pocono Raceway		At Intermediate Tracks
STARTS	11	136
POLES	2	NA
WINS	1	11
TOP 5	5	41
TOP 10	5	59
AVG START	9.5	8
AVG FINISH	14.2	17.2
LAPS COMP	2035	NA
% COMP	-0.925	NA
LAPS LED	160	NA
TOTAL $$$	1265777	NA

Good luck to Ryan Newman and the Penske Racing's #12 Alltel Dodge NASCAR Nextel Cup Team at Pocono Raceway for the Pocono 500 this coming week and weekend!!!


Mike Pratt

Ryan Newman race report - Indianapolis

The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard may be one of the biggest races of the year in the NASCAR Cup Series, but for Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, it is a race he would prefer to forget.

After starting Sunday's 400-mile race in the third position, Newman's day went from bad to worse in 20 laps.

Immediately after the green flag dropped at the 2.5-mile track, Newman told his crew the car was "really, really tight". Newman fell to 20th on lap 15, but crew chief Mike Nelson kept reminding Newman that NASCAR would throw a competition caution soon due to tire-wear concerns. NASCAR, however, didn't have to throw the caution as Jeff Green's car crashed in turn three on lap 15, bringing out the first of nine yellow flags.

"We have to go back on some of the changes we made yesterday," Newman relayed to Nelson.

During discussions about their first pit stop, Newman asked for air out of the tires and a small amount of bite out of the car to help its entry into the corners. The engine was also concerning the team since the water temperature had risen to 259 degrees.

When Newman pitted, the Alltel Dodge crew put one round of wedge in the right rear, went one round down on the right-side track bar, put on four fresh tires with 2 pounds of air out of the right-side tires and a full tank of fuel. The stop enabled Newman to restart in the 16th spot.

The field took the green flag on lap 20 and on the next lap, David Stremme's Dodge got into the back of the Alltel Dodge. Newman spun and slammed the fourth-turn wall, severely damaging his car. The damage was too extensive to fix and the Alltel Dodge crew had to pack up early, leaving Newman in the 42nd position.

There was a silver lining, however. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who remains in the final transfer spot for the 2007 Chase, blew an engine with 24 laps remaining in the 160-lap race and gained only 29 points on Newman. Although Newman fell to the 14th position in the drivers' standings -- teammate Kurt Busch moved into 13th -- Newman is only 59 points out of 12th place with six races remaining before the Chase cutoff.

Penske - Noting Newman - Pocono

-- Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, will make his 12th Cup start at Pocono Raceway. It will be his 209th career start in the Cup Series.

-- Newman has an average start of 9.5 and an average finish of 14.2. Six of Newman's starts have been from the top 10, including five from the top five and two from the pole.

-- Newman has five top-five finishes at Pocono, including a win in the August 2003 event. Newman¿s last race at the 2.5-mile track ended with the Alltel Dodge in second place behind Jeff Gordon. Rain ended the race just as Newman was passing Gordon for the lead.

-- Newman has led 160 laps in eight races at Pocono. He has completed 97.6 percent of the laps possible at the Pennsylvania track 2,035 of 2.085 since he made his Cup debut at the speedway in 2002.

-- Newman will be a guest on the "Best Damn Sports Show Period" live from Lowe's Motor speedway on Aug. 7 to announce the finalists for Kodak's "Ink Ryan's Ride" contest.

-- The Ryan Newman Foundation has partnered with the Racing for Wildlife Foundation and will hold a fundraiser in Michigan on Aug. 16.

-- Newman's team is taking chassis PRS-104 to Pocono as its primary car. This is the same car Newman drove in the June Pocono event when he earned the pole and finished second to Gordon in the rain-shortened race. The backup car is chassis PRS-097, which was tested at Kentucky and Nashville earlier this year.-

Newman on Pocono: It seems like every time we get close to breaking into the top 12 we have a problem on the track that we can¿t control that stalls our momentum. We were very fortunate at Indy to have only lost a little ground to the 12th-place driver. After the success we had at Pocono in June, I think everyone on this team is looking forward to going back there and having the same kind of success...this time, I¿ll try to make the pass for first a little earlier, though.

CRASH ENDS NEWMAN’S DAY AT INDY

MON, 07/30/2007 - 8:28AM

 

The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard may be one of the biggest races of the year in the NASCAR Cup Series, but for Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, it is a race he would prefer to forget.

After starting Sunday's 400-mile race in the third position, Newman's day went from bad to worse in 20 laps.

Immediately after the green flag dropped at the 2.5-mile track, Newman told his crew the car was "really, really tight". Newman fell to 20th on lap 15, but crew chief Mike Nelson kept reminding Newman that NASCAR would throw a competition caution soon due to tire-wear concerns. NASCAR, however, didn't have to throw the caution as Jeff Green's car crashed in turn three on lap 15, bringing out the first of nine yellow flags.

"We have to go back on some of the changes we made yesterday," Newman relayed to Nelson.

During discussions about their first pit stop, Newman asked for air out of the tires and a small amount of bite out of the car to help its entry into the corners. The engine was also concerning the team since the water temperature had risen to 259 degrees.

When Newman pitted, the Alltel Dodge crew put one round of wedge in the right rear, went one round down on the right-side track bar, put on four fresh tires with 2 pounds of air out of the right-side tires and a full tank of fuel. The stop enabled Newman to restart in the 16th spot.

The field took the green flag on lap 20 and on the next lap, David Stremme's Dodge got into the back of the Alltel Dodge. Newman spun and slammed the fourth-turn wall, severely damaging his car. The damage was too extensive to fix and the Alltel Dodge crew had to pack up early, leaving Newman in the 42nd position.

There was a silver lining, however. Dale Earnhardt Jr., who remains in the final transfer spot for the 2007 Chase, blew an engine with 24 laps remaining in the 160-lap race and gained only 29 points on Newman. Although Newman fell to the 14th position in the drivers' standings – teammate Kurt Busch moved into 13th – Newman is only 59 points out of 12th place with six races remaining before the Chase cutoff.

Next weekend, Newman will drive the No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger in the Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. The team looks to rebound at the 2.5-mile track where Newman earned his third-consecutive Bud Pole Award just seven weeks ago – his fourth of 2007 – and finished second after rain ended the race just as Newman was passing Jeff Gordon for the lead. ESPN and MRN Radio will begin their live coverage of the Pennsylvania 500 at 1 p.m. EDT.

Ryan Newman FInished 42nd in The Allstate 400 at the Brickyard

Ryan Newman started the Allstate 400 today 13th in the points standings. He really needed a good day at Indianapolis Motor Speedway in order move up in the points standings to the 12th position. But he finished 42nd with Tony Stewart taking the checkered flag.

Newman qualified 3rd for todays race behind Reed Sorenson and Juan Pablo Montoya. At the drop of the green flag Newman almost immediately started falling back. By lap 8 Newman had dropped to the 10th position.

The first caution came on lap 16. The green flag dropped on lap 20 and on lap 21 Ryan Newman brought out the second caution of the day by spinning and slamming into the wall. Newman was frustrated and blaming himself. His crew worked on his car in the garage and uncharacteristic to Newman, he stayed in the car and did not help. He usually jumps out and helps.

Ryan Newmans day ended on lap 21. Did his chances of getting into the chase end as well? Newman has been close to that 12th position in points many times this year and always ends up falling back again once he is in striking distance.

Newman has now fallen to 14th in points and 59 points out of 12th place, which is still held by Dale Earnhardt JR.

Dale Earnhardt JR maintained his 12th place in the points, while Jimmie Johnson fell another 2 places to the 9th position after having a firery crash into the whole which resulted in some singed eye lashes.

With his win, Tony Stewart did advance on more position to 5th while Kyle Busch and Kevin Harvick also advanced on postion. Every on else maintained there postion except Carl Edwards who fell one postion to 6th.

That pretty much wraps up the top 12.

Indianapolis: Dodge teams race quotes

RYAN NEWMAN, (Driver of the No. 12 alltel Dodge Charger)

What happened? "I just got hit in the left rear quarter panel. Stremme tried sticking it underneath me when he shouldn't have and spun us around. It's unfortunate. We took a pretty good lick to the wall and ended our day."

Were tires an issue? "Not at that point."

How frustrated are you based on the points situation and for it to happen at this track? "It was definitely a devastating blow in more than one way, but we can come back. It's just a matter of how far we can come back now."

***

KASEY KAHNE, (Driver of the No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger)

What happened? "I was just getting passed and just spun around. Before I even got to the corner the back was already gone. I don't know if he was really close to my right rear corner or what. I was really tight the whole time and that is why we were dropping back so I was surprised when it just took off like that."

Was that just wrong place, wrong time for you? "I think so we were just kind of going backwards. We didn't have a very good car. I'm really surprised. Yesterday it was a completely different car in practice. As we were going back he was coming by me on the outside and we both ended up wrecking so that is the way it goes I guess."

How long is it going to take you to get back out there? "I don't know if we will get back out. It actually hit pretty good so it's pretty beat up. Whether we get out or not, we have Pocono next week and we just need to keep working on it, keep making it better."

What do you think was the difference in the car? "Today it wouldn't turn and yesterday I was loose. Yesterday it turned really, really good and the back was loose and today it wouldn't turn at all. It wouldn't sit down and get into the corner like you need them to and I don't know why that is. I can't figure it out."

***

Kyle Petty (No. 45 Marathon American Sprint Motor Oil Dodge Charger)

What happened? "I couldn't see what happened on that wreck, just a lot of smoke. We got caught up in the wreck and the damage pushed the radiator into the oil cooler and caused a leak. We're pretty good, we just need to get back out there and run some more laps with this car."

***

Reed Sorenson, (Driver, No. 41 Target Dodge Charger), Finished 5th

Talk about your run today: "It's not disappointing at all. Any time you can get a top five or top 10 it's great. We're really happy. We got the pole at the Brickyard and then finished top five, so we're pretty happy right now."

What do you take away from this weekend? "Each race is the same as far as points and all that, but coming here to this place and being able to run good in front of all these people. This place is historic and to run good here is awesome."

Is this a high point in your career? "It's definitely one of the highlights of my career. The last two weeks have been good. I won the Busch race last weekend. The guys had a great car for me this weekend to get a pole and get a top five."

It looked like Dodge dominated qualifying but Chevy dominated the race? "Yeah, they seem to at a lot of these races. I think that just shows that a lot of the good teams are in Chevrolets, but myself and Juan had two Dodges in the top five so we did pretty good."

How did you navigate all the early wrecks in the race? "We were pretty good, but fell back a couple of times. We kind of picked our way through under that green flag run and got back up to fifth."

How dominant were the 20 and 8 today? "Him and Jr. definitely had the two fastest cars today. Obviously Jr. blew up but the 20 car was just awesome."

What does this mean for Chip Ganassi Racing? "It's pretty big. A good run for Juan with a second and we come home fifth and we get the pole. Other than a win, that's about all you can ask for.

Did Chip Ganassi give you any pointers on this racetrack? "We talk about every racetrack. This track you've got to handle the long runs. You can't beat yourself here. If you get behind, it's really hard to come back. We just had to make sure we didn't make any major mistakes that put us in the back of the field

***

Juan Pablo Montoya (Driver, No. 42 Texaco/Havoline Dodge Charger), Finished 2nd

Talk about your run today: "We played it smart and we had a good race at the end. A second here in the Brickyard is a big accomplishment.

Is this team getting closer? "We're getting closer. We've just got to get through the weekend and we've just got to be a car to beat. We're there already but we've just got to be a powerful car like Tony was today."

Describe your finish today: "It was good. Getting a second place here at the Brickyard is a big deal. It was amazing. They all did an amazing job. The car was competitive. On the oval today it worked great."

***

Pat Tryson, (Crew Chief, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Charger), Finished 11

How was the car today? "It was kind of a struggle all day. We were a little bit off at the start of the race, then we got a penalty which put us in the back. Then we got into an accident on pit road and that put us in the back again. So then we had to come back in and work on it a little bit. We got it going pretty good there in the end. We almost got a top 10 out of it, but we got a good points day out of it. These guys worked really hard today on the Miller Lite Dodge. We overcame a lot of stuff today and that is what good teams do is make the most out of a bad day. That's what we did today -- make the most out of a bad day. We almost got a top 10 out of it so that is a pretty good day."

***

Elliott Sadler (Driver, No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger), Finished 28

Talk about your strategy today? We knew early in the race we needed adjustments to get the car hooked up with the track, but we were prepared to take advantage of every opportunity to make those adjustments under caution and then focus on track position the second half of the race. We used the first few cautions to try those adjustments with some progress. Unfortunately, that strategy ended when we got caught up in the accident. The adjustments we were making were helping, but after the accident we had to make repairs just to keep the car on the track. It's disappointing. We had a good practice session on Friday, one of the best we've had all years. We qualified reasonably well and though we could be competitive. I just wasn't able to stay out of the accident.

***

Paul Andrews, (Crew Chief, No. 43 Cheerios/Tortinos Pizza Rolls Dodge Charger), Finished 30

How did you feel about your performance today? "Well we feel pretty good about our performance, though we don't feel good about the end result. We did not do any tires at the end there and we hurt ourselves by several positions. We could have finished 16th or 17th but nothing really to hang our hat on, but definitely better than where we have been lately. We've made some progress, but we could make some more. We brought it home today and we were pretty happy with it overall and that is a good thing."

How was the body style change today? "I think it was a big step forward. It's such a change from what we've had all year. We have to re-learn it and try to understand what we need to do to make it work and make it better. I think we made a big step forward here today."

***

Ray Evernham, (Owner, No. 19 Dodge Dealers/AUW Dodge Charger)

Message to the team: "It's been a long day. Everybody worked hard. I appreciate the good job everybody did this week. We're learning every week. Elliott, we will keep working on this car and make it better. It's unfortunate we were caught up in the accident. Until then, we were closer to the leader than we were at Chicago. That's a step in the right direction."

***

Scott Riggs, (Driver, No. 10 Stanley Tools/Valvoline Dodge Charger), Finished 29th

What happened to your car today? "All of a sudden the car just got loose and continued to get loose. We kept making adjustments and lowering the track bar but the track bar wasn't moving. We thought we were getting it tighter but we never did get it tighter, never did go anywhere. It kept staying really loose. We just couldn't get a handle on it all day. Something came loose on the car and we thought that was making it even looser 'cause it was flapping in the wind. We had to stop and fix that and get our track position back up. We kept trying to make adjustments on it all day but obviously it wasn't doing anything because the track bar adjustment was broke. Things like that are disheartening. It's a lot better racecar than we've had all year. It's a shame that we came to this race to show it and all three Evernham cars had trouble or ended up in crashes or had some things happened that kept us from showing it today."

Did today seem as long as the 600? "It seemed really long. Guys just kept getting into each other. The top of the racetrack was really free for us. If we kept it on the bottom we were a lot tighter, so we were just trying to drive a happy medium through there. All of a sudden the track started getting really free. We couldn't ever catch our adjustments to get back. It seems like the guys who ran up front could really use the whole racetrack to really make a lot of speed through the corners. Congratulations to Tony and those guys. They had a great racecar. He started right in front of me and when the green flag dropped he went right to the front and stayed there all day. Good for those guys."