Ryan Newman - Mr. Pragmatic

By Jerry Bonkowski, Yahoo! Sports

FONTANA, Calif. – As a college-trained engineer, Purdue University grad Ryan Newman is a whiz when it comes to analyzing numbers, scenarios and probabilities.

For example, if Newman looks at a glass, he not only studies whether it's half-full or half-empty, he also takes into consideration things such as volume of the fluid, thickness of the glass and how quickly it takes to consume said fluid.

But when it comes to his chances of making the Chase for the Nextel Cup, Newman changes from analytical to practical. Throw out scenarios and what-ifs. Forget worrying about what other drivers need to do.

With two races remaining until the start of the Chase, Newman sits 14th in the standings. He's 163 points behind Penske Racing teammate Kurt Busch, who sits 12th in points – last qualifying spot for the Chase. Newman approaches Sunday's race at California and next Saturday's final Chase qualifying race at Richmond pragmatically.

"You just go out and do the best job you can, and where you end up is where you end up," said Newman, who will start Sunday night's Sharp Aquos 500 here at California Speedway from the fourth position (Busch won the pole).

That's a very simple explanation to a very complicated formula

Bottom-line, Newman has to leave California less than 161 points behind Busch or whoever occupies the 12th-place position after Sunday night's race to still have a shot at making the Chase heading to Richmond.

"We do have a chance mathematically, as long as we do what we need to do," Newman said. "We're not in the position we'd like to be, but anything can happen, especially at these bigger tracks between engine failure and fuel mileage and things like that. You just never know."

While not giving up on making the Chase, Newman knows the deck is not exactly stacked in his favor. Yet at the same time, had it not been for a few wrong turns earlier this season, he could have made the Chase with ease.

The big problem was the first 12 races of the season. In the opening third of the season, the driver of the No. 12 Dodge had five finishes of 32nd or worst, plus an additional 23rd-place outing. A major contributing factor was three DNFs (two blown engines and a crash).

But in the second half of the year, Newman has had only two finishes outside the top 20 – including two runner-ups – and just one DNF.

When asked to compare the first third of the season with the middle third, Newman again becomes analytical.

"It's a good rebound season for us," said Newman, who finished 18th in points last season. "Could it have been better? Absolutely. Could it have been worse? Yeah, absolutely. We've had our ups and downs, our hiccups, and yet through it all, we're still sitting here pretty strong. I'd give (the season) a B or B-minus."

While Newman is in a position to help himself and Busch at the same time, he doesn't expect Busch to do the same. And Newman is OK with that, knowing Busch has to race Sunday with a more conservative strategy so that he doesn't cost himself points and leave himself vulnerable to a Dale Earnhardt Jr. (13th in points) or Newman hot streak.

"He can't do (anything)," Newman said. "We just have to keep doing what we've been doing as a team. It's got us to where we're at: the top two Dodge teams out there."

Newman describes California Speedway as being just an "all right" race track, perhaps because his record is less-than-stellar at the two-mile oval. In nine career starts here, Newman has just two top-fives and one other top-10. He finished 33rd in last year's Labor Day event here and was 12th at Fontana this spring.

"I'd rather be at Darlington," Newman said, referring to the former traditional site of the Labor Day weekend event on the Cup schedule. After more than 50 years at Darlington, NASCAR moved this weekend's race to California Speedway in 2004.

Newman's affinity for Darlington isn't surprising. He has five career top-fives and another top-10 in nine starts at the 1.366-mile egg-shaped oval.

"I'd rather be at Darlington," he reiterates with a big smile after taking a bite from a popsicle.

But in reality, Newman is all the way on the other side of the country and he'll have to make the best of the situation.

Much like how he views his chances of making the Chase.

Ryan Newman's 3rd Practice Results For California Speedway

Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge team had their third practice at California Speedway today for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Sharp AQUOS 500 .

Newman was 26 in practice with a speed of 173.632 mph / 41.467 sec.

Newman was -1.187 seconds behind the leader Carl Edwards who had a practice time of 178.749 / 40.28.

Qualifying Order

Practice 1 Results

Practice 2 Results

Practice 3 Results


Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway

Ryan Newman's 2nd Practice Results For California Speedway

Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge team had their seodnd practice at California Speedway for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Sharp AQUOS 500 .

Newman was 11 in practice with a speed of 176.93 mph / 40.694 sec.

Newman was -0.608 seconds behind the leader Jimmie Johnson who had a practice time of 179.614 / 40.086.

Qualifying Order

Practice 1 Results

Practice 2 Results


Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway

One Creative NASCAR Fan Distances Himself from the Pack to Win the 'Ink Ryan's Ride' Contest

ROCHESTER, N.Y., Sept. 1 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- After his design captured the attention of NASCAR fans around the country, a Missouri man has won the "Ink Ryan's Ride" contest, sponsored by Eastman Kodak Company. The winning design for the No. 12 KODAK DODGE will be driven by Ryan Newman in Sunday's Sharp AQUOS(R) 500

Raymond VanDerLinden, 26, of Springfield, Mo., answered Kodak's challenge to "think about ink" with a colorful and creative design for Newman's car. His winning design, chosen from among four other semi-finalists, was selected from more than 3,100 online entries. Choosing the Grand Prize winner was a joint effort of Newman, "The Best Damn Sports Show Period's " John Salley and NASCAR fans; each party was responsible for 1/3 of the vote.

"As a NASCAR fan with an eye for design, entering this contest was a no- brainer for me," said VanDerLinden. "I'm thrilled to be the winner and can't quite believe that my design will be on Ryan's No. 12 KODAK racecar at the Sharp AQUOS(R) 500. This is going to be an amazing experience and I'm hoping my design will help get Ryan into victory lane!"

Along with having his name and design appear on Newman's car, VanDerLinden will also receive a NASCAR prize package that includes two tickets to the NASCAR Busch Series and Nextel Cup races, transportation and VIP access to the California Speedway.

VanDerLinden will also receive a KODAK EASYSHARE 5300 All-In-One Inkjet Printer, which prints, copies and scans photos and documents, and a 12-month supply of high-quality ink. Kodak's line of new printers offers incredible value, with low ink prices that save consumers up to 50 percent on everything they print compared to similar consumer inkjet printers.*

"After receiving more than 3,100 entries, it was really difficult to choose just one of these designs to appear on my race car at the California race," said Newman. "However, it is great to see how Raymond's design incorporates innovation and creativity, which are synonymous with Kodak and the new line of KODAK EASYSHARE Inkjet Printers. And the design looks fast, so that's a great start!"

"Kodak is an innovative imaging solutions leader, with our new line of EASYSHARE All-in-One Inkjet Printers as the latest example," said Michael Korizno, General Manager for the Americas Consumer Digital Group, and a Kodak vice president. "As the official imaging sponsor of NASCAR, Kodak is thrilled to have Raymond's creative design appear on our race car, and we look forward to seeing Ryan drive the freshly 'inked' No. 12 KODAK DODGE into victory lane tomorrow."

About Eastman Kodak Company

Kodak is the world's foremost imaging innovator. With sales of $10.7 billion in 2006, the company is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak's system of digital and traditional products and services to take, print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere; Businesses effectively communicate with customers worldwide using Kodak solutions for prepress, conventional and digital printing and document imaging; and Creative Professionals rely on Kodak technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images.

More information about Kodak is available at www.kodak.com .

*Savings based on home printing of documents and photos, using average ink costs of comparable consumer inkjet printers. Actual results may vary. For more information visit http://www.kodak.com/go/inkdata for details.


Kodak and EasyShare are trademarks of Kodak.

Media Contacts:
David Kassnoff, Kodak, 585-724-2137, david.kassnoff@kodak.com
Ross Jacobs, Ketchum, 404-879-9155, ross.jacobs@ketchum.com

Newman Qualifies 4th For California Busch Series Race

FONTANA, Calif. (Aug. 31, 2007) Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Charger, will start fourth in Saturday night¿s Camping World 300, matching his grid position for Sunday's Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway.

Newman¿s qualifying time of 40.076 seconds, 179.659 mph, on Friday was just over a tenth of a second slower than pole sitter Denny Hamlin's time of 39.930 seconds.

The car is pretty good right now, Newman said. We did some work on the car during practice and we weren¿t real happy with the car, but these guys have done a great job getting the car ready for Saturday¿s race and I think we're going to have a good race here tomorrow. We came close to winning last week, so we¿ll see if we can't get that win this week.

Coverage of Saturday¿s Camping World 300 from the 2-mile California Speedway will be handled by ESPN2 and MRN Radio beginning at 9:30 p.m. EDT.

Alltel Racing You Tube - Ryan Newman Race Report - California

Chaeck out Alltel Racings Race Report on California.

NEWMAN STARTS IN TOP 5 AT CALIFORNIA

Ryan Newman qualified inside the top five for the third time in 10 starts at California Speedway on Friday.

Newman's lap of of 39.688 seconds gave him the fourth starting position for Sunday's Sharp AQUOS 500 at the 2-mile track.

"We have a good car for Sunday and we picked up some time during our qualifying lap," Newman said after climbing from his Dodge. "The car felt pretty good in practice and I'm looking forward to driving it on Sunday. The guys in the shop and in the garage have done a really good job of getting this car ready, so we’ll see what happens on Sunday."

Newman's last top-five start at the Southern California track came in 2003 when he qualified fourth and finished 42nd after a lap 34 accident. His only other top-five start came in 2002 – Newman’s first career Cup race at California Speedway – when he earned the Bud Pole Award and finished 14th.

Coverage of Sunday's Sharp AQUOS 500 from California Speedway will be handled by ESPN and MRN Radio beginning at 7 p.m. EDT.

Line-up for the Sharp AQUOS 500:

1. Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge
2. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe’s/Jimmie Johnson Foundation Chevrolet
3. Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge
4. Ryan Newman, No. 12 Kodak Dodge
5. Kyle Busch, No. 5 Cheez-It/CARQUEST Chevrolet

Penske Racing to build test track in Mooresville

Penske Racing plans to build a test track in Mooresville similar in size and layout to the track at Richmond International Raceway. The 54-acre site on Mazeppa Road would include 1/4- and 1/2-mile ovals within the 3/4-mile oval track, and a 1.8-mile road course, documents filed with the Iredell County Planning Department show.

At its neighboring race shop, Mooresville-based Penske already designs, makes and tests high-performance vehicles for competition in the Nextel Cup and Busch series, Indy Racing League, and Automobile Racing Club of America and American LeMans series.

The test track also would accommodate law-enforcement training and recreational motorsports, but is not for spectators paying admission, Penske says in its filing with the county. Testing would be between 8am and 6pm/et, according to the filing. The acreage now includes two ball fields and a vacant lot. The land is zoned for heavy industrial uses, including race tracks, Iredell County Planner Rebecca Harper said.

Penske proposes putting in landscaping along the track property’s railroad boundary to obscure the track’s view from Mazeppa Road, and adding landscaping along Penske Way, which leads off Mazeppa. The company would leave the woods on the west side of the property as a noise buffer. Industry border the other three sides. Penske Racing South president Don Miller could not be reached Thursday. The Iredell County Planning Board will consider the plan at 7pm Wednesday. The planning staff is recommending approval. County commissioners are expected to consider the board’s recommendation in October.

Newman Qualifies 4th For California Cup Race; Busch Snares 1st Pole Of Season

FONTANA, Calif. (Aug. 31, 2007) Kurt Busch snared his first pole of the 2007 season Friday during qualifying for this weekend's Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway, while Ryan Newman collected the fourth starting position.

Busch's Miller Lite Dodge Charger posted a lap of 39.474 seconds, 182.399 mph, on the 2-mile track to claim the top starting spot by a mere 0.001 second.

It was a really good lap for the Miller Lite Dodge," Busch said after earning his third pole and sixth top-10 in 11 races at the track built by Roger Penske. "I didn't really think that we'd have a shot at the pole. I was just looking for a nice, consistent run."

Busch has now walked off with the pole for the track's Labor Day weekend race two consecutive years.

"It's really interesting how today worked with all of the heat and how hot it was just trying to get a read on the race track," Busch said after earning his 10th career NEXTEL Cup pole. "I'll go back to just thanking the race track because it¿s been kind to me with the poles that I have here. I think it¿s just a tribute to being in contention for the pole, and that¿s just due to the team giving me good cars to go out there and do it. It feels great with the Miller Lite Dodge to lead the field on Sunday and get those five bonus points. We¿ll start moving on from there.¿

With only two races remaining before the Chase for the Championship begins, Busch possesses the 12th position in the standings, the final Chase-eligible spot. He trails the 11th position by eight points and 10th by nine. The 13th-place driver is 158 points in arrears to Busch.

Newman, who posted a 39.688-second, 181.415-mph lap in his Kodak Dodge Charger, is 14th in the standings, 175 points behind his teammate.

We have a good car for Sunday and we picked up some time during our qualifying lap, Newman said after climbing from his Dodge. The car felt pretty good in practice and I'm looking forward to driving it on Sunday. The guys in the shop and in the garage have done a really good job of getting this car ready, so we'll see what happens on Sunday.¿

For Sunday's race, Busch and his Pat Tryson-led Miller Lite team elected to use the car with which they dominated and won Pocono in August. Named "PT Special", the decision veered from most teams, which elected to bring their Michigan car.

"It [California] has a little less banking than most tracks," Busch said in explaining the team's decision. "I guess drivers would consider this a flat track. It prompted us to use our Pocono race winning car that has more of a flat-track style setup with the way that the downforce is balanced on the car.

"At Michigan, we had a great car there and won the race, but that car is geared up more for tracks with banking where the rear end is pushed into the race track different with the banking, so you need different downforce balances. Even though Michigan and California have more similarities in looks, as far as the new wave of setting cars up and how you build them with downforce, the flat tracks seem to want a different package than the banked race tracks. So that was our decision."

In addition to the "heat" to make the Chase for the Championship, the teams are enduring a sweltering heat wave. The track's temperature exceeded 140 degrees on Friday, while the ambient temperature soared past 100 degrees at California Speedway. Busch said it reminded him of when he raced in Las Vegas when it was 110 degrees outside.

"When I had a Late Model it was tough racing it, but I loved hopping in my Modified because it didn't have a windshield in it," Busch explained. "It just had a barbecue grate up front. You have open air and open cockpit in that Modified. We don't have that. We have a tough race ahead of us and we'll be looking forward to when the sun drops down around 7 or 8 o'clock. I know the race starts and more than half of it is in the sun, so we're looking forward to when the shade comes.

Busch noted that eating the proper foods and staying hydrated were critical to being able to perform well in the intense heat.

Ryan Newman Results -Qualifying For The Sharp AQUOS 500

Ryan Newman has qualified 4 for the Sharp AQUOS 500 at the California Speedway. Newman had a speed of 181.415 / 39.688 / -0.214.

Newman was -0.214 seconds behind the Pole setter and team mate Kurt Busch who had a qualifying time of 182.398 / 39.474.

Newman Needs to Finish well ahead of Kurt Busch in order to gain valuable points towards the 12th position in points. Kurt Busch is currently running in 12th and Ryan Newman is -175 back in 14th. With only 2 races, Newman only has 2 chances to finish good. On top of having to finish VERY good, he needs Kurt Busch to have a bad race.

Dale Earnhardt JR is starting 7th and is in 13th place in the points about 20 points ahead of Newman.

Top 10 Qualifiers -

1- 2 Kurt Busch Dodge
2- 48 Jimmie Johnson Chevrolet
3- 9 Kasey Kahne Dodge
4- 12 Ryan Newman
5- 5 Kyle Busch Chevrolet
6- 19 Elliott Sadler Dodge
7- 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr. Chevrolet
8- 1 Martin Truex Jr. Chevrolet
9- 11 Denny Hamlin Chevrolet
10- 16 Greg Biffle Ford

DID NOT QUALIFY -
10 Scott Riggs Dodge
4 Ward Burton Chevrolet
44 Dale Jarrett Toyota

Qualifying Order

Practice 1 Results

Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Alltel Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway

Ryan Newman 1st Practice Results For California Speedway

Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge team had their first practice at California Speedway for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Sharp AQUOS 500 .

Newman was 3 in practice with a speed of 178.891 mph / 40.248 sec.

Newman was -0.283 seconds behind the leader Jimmie Johnson who had a practice time of 180.158 / 39.965.

Practice 1 Results

Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Kodak think: Dodge Penske Racing Team in the Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway

Ryan Newman Starting 4th In Busch Series Camping World 300

Ryan Newman qualified 4th for the Busch Series Camping World 300 at California Speedway.

Denny Hamlin grabbed the pole with a speed of 180.316

The top 5 qualifiers are -
1 20 Denny Hamlin
2 9 Kasey Kahne
3 5 Kyle Busch
4 12 Ryan Newman
5 29 Jeff Burton

Newman's car makes pit stop in Mason City, Iowa

MASON CITY — On Wednesday, the No. 12 Alltel Dodge of NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Ryan Newman made a special pit stop in Mason City at the Alltel Wireless store.

The special stop included a photo opportunity with the car, and fans could test their pit crew skills with an interactive tire-changing performance and drive a simulated race on a video game.

The car, which has been raced by Newman, is making a tour throughout the Midwest.

Newman is currently in 14th place in the Chase for the Cup.

Mason City's Micah Sinnwell tested his tire-changing skills, and proved a worthy adversary to the employees of the Jiffy Lube next door, turning in an impressive 15.5 seconds.

"I didn't get down on my knees to do it, I didn't want to get dirty,'' said the Alltel employee who was taking a momentary break from work. "It was pretty cool, though.''
The tire change wasn't as easy for others, though.

"It took me about 46 seconds to take one off and 48 to put it on,'' said Clear Lake's Monica Bohl. "I don't think they'll ask me to join the crew.''

The chance to see the No. 12 was one Bohl wouldn't pass up.

"I'm in love with Ryan Newman,'' she said. "I've been his fan since he was a rookie.

"I watch NASCAR every week, every race looking for his car. Every lap, I want to know where he's at.''

Bohl was supported by her friend, Brenda McKinstry, also of Clear Lake.

"I'm here to support her, make sure she's ok,'' McKinstry said.

Despite support from her friend, Bohl did have one negative about McKinstry.

"She's a fan of Dale Earnhardt Jr,'' she said. "But she's still ok.''

Kodak Giving Away 75 Pairs Of NASCAR Tickets This Weekend

As part of Kodaks's promotional "Ink Ryan's Ride", Kodak will be giving away 75 pairs of tickets Satuday September 1st at Hollywood & Highland Center's Awards Walk. The first 75 people to bring in there old printers between 11am and 3pm on Saturday will win a pair of tickets for the Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway.

The person that I have spoke with at KODAK really wants to give all these tickets away. So make sure you get your printers down to the Hollywood & Highland Center's Awards Walk. Printer or no printer you can go see KODAK's new paint scheme for Ryan Newman's #12 Kodak Dodge and get your picture taken with it.

The Ink Ryan's Ride contest had contestants come up with new paint schemes for the Ryan's Kodak Dodge. You can visit http://www.thinklikeryan.com/ to view the finalist. The winner will be unveiled Satuday at the Hollywood & Highland Center.

This is all part of a bigger promotional campaign for KODAK EASYSHARE All-in-One printers.

Also as part of this promotion, I was able to give away 10 tickets courtesy of KODAK for this Sunday's Sharp AQUOS 500 at California Speedway. I have asked the winners of my contest to let me know how there race day went so that I can share it on this site.

Click Here to see all posts about my ticket give away.

AT&T running No. 31 Chevrolet without logos again

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Even though I don't like ESPN's coverage of the races, I loved hearing them refer to it as the #31 AT&T car.

And the more I think about this, how much coverage is AT&T getting out of this? I mean, yeah it sucks Jeff Burton does not have a sponsor on his car, but as far as AT&T is concerened........all the publicity has got to be nice.

GO AT&T!!!!
*************

AT&T will again field an unbranded car this weekend at California Speedway.

The No. 31 Richard Childress Racing car driven by Jeff Burton will carry a plain paint scheme of orange and black, AT&T spokesman Mark Siegel confirmed Thursday.

It will be the second week that the car has run without logos from its primary sponsor. AT&T, NASCAR and Sprint are in a contentious legal battle over the paint scheme of the car.

NASCAR has not allowed AT&T logos to replace Cingular logos on the car. AT&T, which was involved in a merger with Cingular in 2006, is phasing out the Cingular brand and claims NASCAR's grandfather clause (instituted in 2004 when Nextel, now Sprint, became the Cup Series sponsor) with RCR does not preclude the change.

AT&T won an injunction to get its logos on the car May 18 in U.S. District Court, but the U.S. 11th Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the injunction.

Another hearing is scheduled for Sept. 18 in U.S. District Court in Atlanta, where AT&T is requesting another injunction be issued under different legal grounds from the overturned injunction.

In addition to not having the AT&T logos on the car, the AT&T logo also cannot be worn by team members nor be used on any items - haulers, pit boxes, etc. - inside the NASCAR garage.

NEWMAN WORKING HARD FOR CHASE SPOT

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We need a small miracle here at California and next week at Richmond!!!!

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Ryan Newman will make his 10th start at California Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series and the 213th of his Cup Series career.

 

Newman has an average start of 11.7 and an average finish of 17.3 at California. He has one Bud Pole Award and three other top-10 starts, including a top-five in 2003. Newman has three top-10 finishes, including a career-best third-place in April 2004.

 

"It's getting down to the last couple of races to make it into the Chase and we need to have two more good runs in order to qualify this year," Newman said. "We're working hard on our end, but all we can do is wait and see what happens."

 

Newman has led three races for a total of seven laps. He has completed 2,035 laps of a possible 2,255 for a 90.2 percent completion rate.

 

Crew chief Mike Nelson and the Kodak team are taking chassis PRS-108 to California as its primary car for the Sharp AQUOS 500. It was raced at Chicago in July and at Michigan in August. The backup car is PRS-071, which was raced at Charlotte in May and Michigan in June.

New Ryan Newman Podcast After Bristol

Driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Ryan Newman and XM Satellite Radio Host Claire B. Lang catch up to discuss the race from Bristol Motor Speedway. After another strong finish at Bristol the Alltel team's hopes of making the Chase are still alive.

Newman and Lang also chat about the history of the No. 12 car and what it means to Ryan. In addition, Newman provides fans with a few tips on how to change a tire, as well as answers questions from the Alltel All Axcess Racing Mailbag.

Finally, Newman previews the upcoming race at California Speedway, where the No. 12 Alltel Dodge team hopes to find victory lane and strengthen their chances of making the Chase.

Newman Files First Entry for October 10 Jani-King Southern Showdown

CONCORD, N.C. -- NASCAR NEXTEL Cup series driver Ryan Newman has submitted the first entry for the Oct. 10 Jani-King Southern Showdown at The Dirt Track at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Presented by Ferris Commercial Mowers, the World of Outlaws Late Model Series event kicks off Bank of America 500 Week and features a unique format that could result in the winner of the 50-lap finale taking home $30,000.

Newman, 29, of South Bend, Ind., is slated to compete as a teammate to World of Outlaws Late Model Series points leader Steve Francis. He will drive the No. 39 late model with sponsorship from Jasper Engines & Transmissions and Ranger Boats.

Prior to joining Penske Racing in 2000, Newman was a star in USAC's three open-wheel divisions, competing on both dirt and paved tracks throughout the Midwest. His best season came in 1999 when he captured the USAC Silver Crown championship and finished second in the National Midget Series standings.

Since joining the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series full-time in 2002, Newman has won 12 races and captured 41 poles, including six at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

More than 50 of the biggest names in dirt late model racing are expected to join Newman for the Oct. 10 Jani-King Southern Showdown, including World of Outlaws series regulars Chub Frank, Clint Smith, Josh Richards, Shane Clanton and Rick Eckert.

If purchased in advance, adult tickets for the Jani-King Southern Showdown presented by Ferris Commercial Mowers are $25 with children 12 and under admitted for just $10.

Reserved seats for this race are also available as part of the four-race $99 SUPER Ticket which includes Bojangles' Pole Night on Thursday night, Oct. 11; the Dollar General 300 on Friday night, Oct. 12; and the Bank of America 500 on Saturday night, Oct. 13.

Tickets are available online at www.lowesmotorspeedway.com or by calling the Lowe's Motor Speedway ticket office at 1-800-455-FANS.

AT&T, NASCAR return to court on Sept. 18

The AT&T-NASCAR-Sprint legal saga is scheduled to continue Sept. 18 in U.S. District Court in Atlanta.

Judge Marvin Shoob, who awarded AT&T an injunction May 18 to allow AT&T's logos on the No. 31 Richard Childress Racing car driven by Jeff Burton, is scheduled to preside over another injunction hearing.

The U.S. Court of Appeals overturned his original injunction Aug. 13, and now AT&T is returning to the district court level in hopes of obtaining another injunction.

The original injunction was issued by Shoob, who used NASCAR's grandfather clause with RCR as part of its annual licensing agreement as the basis to award the injunction as a breach of contract between NASCAR and AT&T. He ruled NASCAR breached its grandfather clause that allowed Cingular (now AT&T after a merger) to remain a sponsor when Nextel (now Sprint Nextel) assumed the role as the series sponsor in 2004.

The appeals court then ruled that because NASCAR's grandfather clause was designed to benefit RCR and not necessarily Cingular, that AT&T could not sue NASCAR for breach of contract through the grandfather clause.

AT&T is now asking for the injunction under the legal theory that would conclude that AT&T had reasonable expectations to believe that it could change the logos and that it is an injustice to AT&T that it can't.

AT&T had argued that point during the original injunction hearing, but because Shoob ruled on the breach-of-contract portion of the claim, he did not rule on the other theory.

AT&T has already filed its motion seeking the injunction. It argues that in a meeting in June 2003 where NASCAR outlined the parameters of Cingular's sponsorship, the company was not told it could not change names in case of a merger. NASCAR, which has previously stated in several legal briefs that Cingular and AT&T were fully aware of NASCAR's policy that it couldn't change names, and Sprint Nextel have until Sept. 5 to respond.

The injunction phase is still separate from the trial phase of the case, where AT&T is suing for the permanent ability to display the logos while NASCAR has countersued AT&T for $100 million. No trial schedule has been set.

Newman Added to Green Flag Zone Fan Hospitality at Richmond Int'l Raceway

RICHMOND, Va. -- NASCAR driver Ryan Newman will be making an appearance in the Green Flag Zone fan hospitality area at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, September 8, prior to the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race. In addition to a question-and-answer session, Newman will be signing autographs for fans who purchase a copy of Pit Road Pets, a book featuring the pets of NASCAR drivers and personalities.

The book will be available for purchase ($25) in the Green Flag Zone and all sales will benefit the Richmond SPCA and the Ryan Newman Foundation. The first 100 fans who purchase the book will be allowed to have Newman autograph the book, as well as one additional item. Each individual must have or purchase a copy of Pit Road Pets to receive an autograph.

In addition to Newman, "The King" Richard Petty, Hermie Sadler and rock band Daughtry will also be appearing in the Green Flag Zone.

The Green Flag Zone fan hospitality is a fan-favorite and offers a unique VIP experience, which includes:

Exclusive pre-race pit pass (from 2:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., time and weather permitting)

Appetizers from 2:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.

All-you-can-eat dinner buffet from 3:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.

Six (6) beer tickets for fans 21 years of age and older (with valid identification)

Unlimited sodas and water

Question and answer session with Ryan Newman, "The King" Richard Petty, Hermie Sadler and triple-platinum rock & roll band Daughtry

Live musical entertainment

Souvenir event program

Prizes and games

The Green Flag Zone is available to all Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series ticket holders at $90 per person.*

A limited number of tickets to the Chevy Rock & Roll 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series race are still available. For tickets to the race and the Green Flag Zone fan hospitality area, please visit www.rir.com or call the ticket office at 1-866-455-7223.

Penske - Noting Newman Aug. 28, 2007

NNCS
-- Ryan Newman will make his 10th start at California Speedway in the NASCAR Cup Series and the 213th of his Cup Series career.

-- Newman has an average start of 11.7 and an average finish of 17.3 at California. Newman has one Bud Pole Award and three other top-10 starts, including a top-five in 2003. Newman has three top-10 finishes, including a career-best third-place in April 2004.

-- Newman has led three races for a total of seven laps. He has completed 2,035 laps of a possible 2,255 for a 90.2 percent completion rate.

-- Newman and Kodak have scheduled a press conference for 1:30 p.m. on Saturday in the drivers' meeting room at California Speedway.

-- The Alltel team will participate in the Sept. 10-11 NASCAR COT test at Talladega Superspeedway.

-- On Sept. 15, Newman and his Mobil 1 team will visit the St. Charles Children's Home in Rochester, N.H.

-- Newman and wife Krissie will have a "Pit Road Pets" book signing for Meaty Bone at Talladega Superspeedway on Oct. 6.

-- The Ryan Newman Fan Club Appreciation Day will be Oct. 10 from 9 a.m. to noon at Penske Racing before Newman competes in a Late Model Race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

-- Crew chief Mike Nelson and the Kodak team are taking chassis PRS-108 to California as its primary car for the Sharp AQUOS 500. It was raced at Chicago in July and at Michigan in August. The backup car is PRS-071, which was raced at Charlotte in May and Michigan in June.

 

Newman on California: "It's getting down to the last couple of races to make it into the Chase and we need to have two more good runs in order to qualify this year. We're working hard on our end, but all we can do is wait and see what happens."

NBS
-- Newman, driver of the No. 12 Kodak Charger, will make his second Busch Series start at California Speedway and his 37th in the series Saturday in the Camping World 300 presented by RVs.com.

-- In Newman's only Busch start at California, he started second and finished second. He led 15 laps in that event and completed 150 laps of a possible 150, giving him a 100 percent completion rate.

-- In addition to California, Newman will compete in the Richmond Busch race next week in the No. 12 Kodak Dodge. Those are his final Busch Series races this year.

Newman on California: "Our only other Busch race at California went really well. We qualified second and finished second and it was a great effort by our team. Last weekend, in Bristol, we had a great time and we tried a strategy that almost got us a win, but we just didn¿t have enough left at the end. We were racing for the win, not points, and it was a great time. I had a lot of fun and I look forward to doing the same thing this weekend in California.

Ryan Newman and the California Speedway

Welcome to California Speedway located in Fontana, CA.

Ryan Newman and his Penske Racing #12 Kodak Dodge will be racing here this weekend in the Sharp AQUOS 500.
California Speedway


-Location : Fontana, CA
-Completed : 1997
-Distance : 2 miles
-Shape : D-shaped oval
-Seating : 92,000
-Nextel Cup Top Race Speed : 155.012 by Jeff Gordon on 6/22/1997
-Nextel Cup Top Qualifying Speed : 188.245 by Kyle Busch on 2/26/2005

MANUFATURER WINS AT California Speedway SINCE 2002
DODGE = 1
FORD = 5
CHEVROLET = 3


RYAN NEWMAN'S STATS AT California Speedway

Ryan Newman's Stats
At California Speedway		At Intermediate Tracks
STARTS	9	138
POLES	1	NA
WINS	0	11
TOP 5	2	41
TOP 10	3	60
AVG START	11.7	8.2
AVG FINISH	17.3	17.1
LAPS COMP	2035	NA
% COMP	-0.9044	NA
LAPS LED	7	NA
TOTAL $$$	1066134	NA

As you can see by the numbers, California is not one of Ryan Newman's better tracks. Out of 9 races he has only led 7 laps and has an average finish of 17.3. His best finish here at Fontana is 3rd back in 2004 where he also finished 5th in the second race.

Ealier this year Newman finished 12th which was his best finish in 4 races at Fontana.

Newmans 2007 Chase opportunities are slipping away. If he does not have a good finish at California along with some bad finishes from those above him in the points, then he will not make the chase.

Good luck to Ryan Newman and the Penske Racing's #12 Kodak Dodge NASCAR Nextel Cup Team at California Speedway for the Sharp AQUOS 500 this coming week and weekend!!!


Mike Pratt

ESPN's NASCAR Coverage Needs MAJOR Overhaul

I have grown very sick and tired of ESPN's NASCAR coverage. From the live races to there "NASCAR Programs" like NASCAR Now. They don't seem professional to me and especially their race coverage is boring.

This past weekend at Bristol, Kasey Kahne was leading with Newman in second. Caution came out and everyone came down pit road. They never showed Kahne or Newman on pit road except of Kane leaving and being the first off of pit road. They showed other guys on pit road that were much farther back. All the viewers new was that Kahne was the first on and first off. Newman was second on and 4th off. They didn't even really know that, they had to wait for the restart.

How many times do they not show the top 2 on pit road especially when they are racing pretty close? Granted, no matter what and no matter what station, Newman does not get much coverage. But running in second should have got some and with Kane leading he should have been shown on pit road.

Commercial. Could they possibly have squeezed in more commercials? It literally seemed like they were going to commercial every 10 to 15 minutes during the Sharpie 500 at Bristol. How ever often they did was just to much. Maybe they planned for more cautions, but they defiantly had to many commercials.

And on top of that if a caution came out in the first 75% of the race, they let the commercial finish and then come back to the race. Later in the race they did improve on that.

At Bristol they were covering a 1/2 mile track and seemed hard for them to keep up on the action, for the tv crews at least. I am sorry, but at a half mile track you should be able to swing or switch the camera's to the action VERY fast. Did not seem to happen at Bristol.

Rusty Wallace is constantly being corrected on the air. I understand his role there. He is a past champion that brings a driver perspective to the coverage. But recently he was corrected a couple times on the air about his comments on the Sharpie 500 at Bristol.

At one point in the race Michael Waltrip was 2 laps down and racing lead lap cars really hard. Wallace came out and basically said that maybe Waltrip was doing that for TV time for his sponsor. I thought that was a little uncalled for. How about he was running his race and he is competitive by nature. You just usually don't hear things like that out of announcers.

ESPN's analyst.....go home. All of them are dry and boring and some of them act like they are reading a script.

ESPN's Tim Brewer with the cut away car. He might be a 2 time champion as a crew chief, but he has no business being on TV. I am sure he is very knowledgable, but he has no personality. He is too dry and "stumbly". Go home.

Surprised they did not show the clean air/dirty air graphic! I know there is not alot of aero at Bristol, but ESPN seems so proud of their "Draft Track". I was just waiting for them to use it at Bristol.

ESPN's NASCAR NOW...I watch for info...most of it I already know from reading news articles on line, but still I watch it sometimes in case there is more news or to maybe hear a different perspective on things. Couple of times a week. It is really bad and I don't like it. The same analysts that they use for race coverage and the host asks questions that just floor me sometimes. And he doesn't "seem" NASCAR knowledgeable to me.

ESPN's season is over, but it's owner ABC will be covering the rest of the season. Does this mean that the same crew will be working the races. I hope not, but probably.

Penske no Chase lock, but BMS another good show

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- Team owner Roger Penske left Bristol Motor Speedway Saturday night confident his drivers, Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch, would have plenty of chances the rest of this season to race for wins, no matter if either of them makes the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

 

And while the outcome of Saturday's Sharpie 500 reinforced the fact that, in 14th and 12th position in the standings, respectively, Newman and Busch's fates for the Chase might already be settled.

 

Everyone at Penske Racing is keen to prove in the season's final 12 races -- half of which feature the Car of Tomorrow -- that they'll be contenders.

 

That might have to hold them over until 2008, when the COT becomes "TOC" -- The Only Car in use in Nextel Cup.

 

Despite Busch's sixth-place finish Saturday night and Newman's seventh -- the Penske veteran's fifth consecutive COT top-10 -- they remained right where they were coming into Bristol, and Newman remains 175 points out of a qualified spot for the Chase.

 

"That's not frustrating -- it's frustrating if you're running good and you blow up, but having a good run is not frustrating," Newman said. "It was a good finish, but like I said before Michigan, we can't expect to make up so many points in three or four races.

 

"We still have a shot at it -- mathematically we still have a chance, so we just give it the best shot we can each and every lap and hopefully it's good enough. It's good enough in my eyes -- but whether or not it's good enough to make the top 12, we'll see."

 

Newman has been in the top 15 in the standings, in fact, since the Michigan race in June -- nine races ago, when he was only 75 points behind 12th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. With two races remaining until the cutoff to the Chase, Newman knows his team's making it is a tall order.

 

But the next two weekends, at California Speedway and the Richmond short track, according to Bristol winner Carl Edwards, might not be easy to take for either Busch or Martin Truex Jr., who's 11th and only eight points clear of Busch in the standings.

 

With his fifth-place Bristol finish, Earnhardt shaved the margin to Busch to 158 points, while Newman is 17 points behind Earnhardt.

 

"If I were 158 points ahead of 13th in 12th position, I'd still be having trouble sleeping at night [because] it's not done -- and until it's done, it's not done," Edwards said. "I think the last spot is still up for grabs. I believe you can gain 140-some points on someone in one race [actually 156 points], so two bad races for Kurt would be rough.

 

"Anything can happen and the two racetracks we're going to -- California is hard on engines and Richmond is just plain hard, so you never know."

 

Busch, who's been on a tear since he was paired with crew chief Pat Tryson at mid-summer, particularly in the most recent "standard car" races, where he has two wins and four top-six finishes in his last five starts, said he's aware of the razor's edge his team is treading.

 

"We're running more consistent, and that's what it takes if you want to be a championship contender," Busch said. "But for us, we still have to get into the Chase -- we're not locked in and we're not losing focus on our big picture, which is two more races."

 

Newman, whose last win came nearly two years ago in the Chase's opening event at New Hampshire, walked out of Bristol with Penske, explaining a late-race banging match with Earnhardt that was the result of a "miscommunication" over the same piece of real estate.

 

While both drivers smoothed those waters with their post-race comments, Newman said he enjoyed the "new Bristol."

 

"It was nice not to see so many feuded cautions -- guys taking each other out in retaliation and things like that," Newman said. "I didn't see it on my end, at least, and it was a good race and they did a good job with the racetrack. It was fun and we had two good days of racing.

 

"It's not mellower -- I'm still just as whipped as I would be last year. But I think it's a lot racier and not just bumpy."

 

And any weight he carried was eased considerably by his run of COT finishes, along with recent top-10s at Chicagoland and Pocono.

 

"It's good to be running so well, and like I said before, we can't expect to make up points in these last four races that we didn't get in the first 22," Newman said. "We can only try our best, hopefully have a good effort and we did with our Dodge [Saturday].

 

"I was miserable in the car. We just got behind a little bit on pit road and that was enough -- we just didn't have enough to get past those guys. We were good enough to hold our own but couldn't pass them."

 

Busch said his finish was sealed by a No. 2 Avenger that was too tight at the end, but even given his winning legacy of five victories on the "old Bristol," he was happy.

 

"The track was obviously the best idea somebody could of implemented into a half-mile [and] I'm happy to race on it," Busch said. "It was just fantastic -- hands-down. I ran the bottom groove like the old-school days, looking like the Blue Deuce hugging the bottom of old, so we need to work on our car a little bit to drive different grooves, but I thought a sixth-place finish was pretty solid."

 

Dodge Team Race Quotes - Bristol

RYAN NEWMAN (No. 12 alltel Dodge Avenger, Finished 7th)

 

"I was miserable in the car, but it was a good run for the alltel Dodge. We just got behind a little bit on pit road and that was enough. We just didn't have enough to get past those guys. We were good enough to hold our own but couldn't pass them."

 

KURT BUSCH (No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge Avenger, Finished 6th)

 

"The track was obviously the best idea somebody could of implemented into a half-mile. I'm happy to race on it. I'm happy to come home in sixth place, racing Dale Jr. We led a lap and he didn't so we tied for the day. That's big picture and we'll take it. Our Dodge Avenger was tight in the beginning a little loose in the middle and then we got tight there at the end. So we'll take it."

 

 

Penske - Newman 7th, Kurt Busch 6th at Bristol's Sharpie 500

BRISTOL, Tenn. (Aug. 25, 2007) Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman produced top-10 finishes Saturday night in the Sharpie 500 at the tough Bristol Motor Speedway, as they continued to fight for a position in the title chase.

With two races remaining before the NASCAR Chase for the NEXTEL Cup begins, Busch maintains the 12th position with a 158-point advantage over the 13th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. He also closed on the 10th- and 11th-place drivers with his sixth-place finish in his Miller Lite Dodge Avenger. Busch is now within eight points of the 11th-place Martin Truex Jr. and nine points of 10th-place Kevin Harvick.

"We knew that he [Earnhardt Jr.] finished right in front of us at the finish, but we didn't know at first that he'd sneaked in there and led a lap, too, like we did for the bonus points," said Busch, who possesses the final Chase eligible position. "We thought it'd turned out as a scratch and we were still 163 (points) ahead. But now they're telling me that we did lose five points of our advantage."

Newman's seventh-place finish in his Alltel Dodge Avenger kept him in 14th place in the standings, 17 points behind Earnhardt Jr. and 175 points in arrears to his teammate. Newman and Busch each led once for two laps.

I was miserable in the car, but it was a good run for the Alltel Dodge," Newman said after dealing with extremely hot temperatures throughout the 500-lap race on the high-speed, half-mile track. "We just got behind a little bit on pit road and that was enough. We just didn't have enough to get past those guys. We were good enough to hold our own, but couldn't pass them.

Newman qualified seventh for the event, while Busch started 19th. Newman ran in the top five for most of the race's first half and in the top 10 throughout the event.

Busch wasted little time in heading for the front once the race started. By lap 86, he had cracked the top 10 and he ran there for the rest of the evening. On lap 275, he began his run in the fourth position and maintained that spot until the final five laps. Tony Stewart passed Busch for fourth on lap 495, and Earnhardt Jr. relegated him to sixth one lap later.

"It was definitely mission accomplished for our Miller Lite Dodge Avenger team here tonight," Busch said after the race that didn't have its first of nine caution flags until lap 187. "Don't get me wrong. There are still two races remaining to put it all in place, but we have to be able to breathe a little sigh of relief after our performance here tonight."

The NEXTEL Cup Series now travels to the 2-mile California Speedway for Labor Day weekend. The 250-lap, 500-mile Sharp Aquos 500 has an 8 p.m. EDT starting time and features live coverage by ESPN and MRN Radio.