Ryan Newman Fan's Blog Has Moved

I am moving this blog.....PLEASE FOLLOW.

I decided to go and my own domain. It is http://ryannewmaninfo.info.

Actually I have had it for a while, but this past week I actually started looking into moving the blog there.

I am running the "new" one with WORDPRESS.

My RSS feed is going to remain the same - through feedburner. There is also going to be one for comments.

Please race over to http://ryannewmaninfo.info and join me there.

Blogroll - Think I got everyone over there, if not let me know and I will add you on!!

I am not completly done over there, but that is where I am doing business as of this post!!!

Mike

Ryan Newman's Birthday - Dec 8th

Today, DEC 8th is Ryan Newmans Birthday!! Newman was born in 1977.

Happy Birthday Ryan!!!

Ryan Newman's 2007 Season Review

Ryan Newman and his Penske Racing #12 Dodge Team finished up the 2007 season in 13th place. 

 

Newman had an average start of 13.5 and an average finish of 18.1 this year.  He led 287 laps, recieved 95 bonus points and finished the season with an 86.5 rating.

 

Compared to the 2006 season, improvements were made.  Newman known for his pole positions only earned 2 in 2006 while earning 5 in 2007 (the other 4 years were higher than 5 poles).  He had 7 top 5 finishes and 15 top 10 finishes this year compared to 2 and 7 last year. 

 

Ryan Newman fans don't have to much to complain about regarding the 2007 Nascar Nextel Cup season.  Sure Newman and his team finished 13th - outside the chase.  Newman flirted with the 12th place position a lot this year but was never able to break into the top 12.  Every time he got close, he fell back a position or 2. 

 

Newman had some VERY bad luck during this 2007 season which really hampered his chances at making the chase.

 

In the 2007 season Newman was plagued with accidents and engine trouble.  He was caught up in accidents in 4 different races and had engine problems in 5 races.  That is 9 out of 36 races that he had fatal problems.  He also had other problems like being on pit road at the wrong time (caution), having tires go down and it seems like a slew of other things.  It is possible that rain even kept him from a win (Pocono).  A tire definetly kept him from a win (Lowes).  Newman even started the year with engine problems (Daytona 500). 

 

These are not excuses for Newman, but it all did happen and it all did hurt his season.

 

But, on the brighter side of things, Newman's 2007 season was a lot better than his 2006 season.  Newman really had a mulligan season in 2006 finishing in the 18th position.  That was his worst year in his Nascar Nextel Cup career.  In his first 4 seasons in the Nextel Cup (starting full time in 2002) his worst finishing position of the year was 7th.  As long as Newman keeps going up in the points standings and overall him and his team mates keep doing a good job, Newman fans should not get to discouraged.

  

Ryan Newman's team mate Kurt Busch had the luxury this year of having no engine failures.  So, I don't believe the engines Penske is getting are bad.  In fact I think they  are pretty good.  I do how ever think that Newman's crew chief this year - Mike Nelson (new criew chief for the 2007 season) may not have been getting the engine right.

 

With 3 races left in the season, Newman was quoted as saying that they had "de-tuned" the engine a little to ensure that it lasted for the whole race.  That kind of told me that it had been being "over tuned".  Here is the quote from qualifying at Atlanta for the Dickies 500 -

 

"We're caught between a rock and a hard place. We're detuning the engine just enough so we can make the race but then we're hoping it will last for 500 miles."

 

They started 11th and finished 5th for that race.  It is hard to judge one race or what exactly was done for other races, but this seemed to work.

 

For the last 10 races of the year Newman and his team did a great job.  Newman had 2 engine failures and 2 accidents.  After that 5 of the other last 6 were top 10 finishes with 4 of those being top 5 finishes.

 

Newman went win less in 2006 and 2007 making it 81 races and leading 530 laps since his last win. That win came back in 2005 on 09/18/2005 at New Hampshire - is only win of 2005.

 

LOOKING FORWARD -

 

I am looking for good things from Newman and his #12 Penske Racing team next year for the Sprint Cup (I still think that sounds wrong).  Newman should be in the chase next year and I think early in the year Newman will break his win less streak.

 

Newman will be getting a new crew chief for the 2008 season.  Roy McCulley will take of the duties of Mike Nelson who was promoted with in Penske.  I have a good feeling about Roy and Ryan working together.  During the 2006 season Newman ran in 9 Busch series races with Roy as his crew chief - he won 6 of those races.  So I think these 2 have established that they can work together.

 

Newman and his team mate Kurt Bucsh (and their teams) seem to get along good and I think that helps.  You always see (if your looking through them) pictures of Newman hanging out with Kurt Busch and Kurt's team.  Penske is adding a team also in 2008.  Sam Hornish JR. will be driving the #77 Mobil 1 Sprint Cup car.  having an addition team mate could be an advantage for Newman.  Hopefully it won't take away from any of the resorces that Newman does currently have.

 

Newman's contract with Penske will be over at the end of the 2008 season.  There are rumors and speculations that Newman will move on to another team.  I hope that this is not the case.  I think Newman will have a great year in 2008 and decide to stay with Penske - and Penske will want to keep him.

 

A good thing about Newman is that he is a "nice guy".  On and off the track.  Or so he appears to be.  Rarely is he in the news headlines for making someone mad or driving to aggressively.  He isn't one of these arrogant guys that wants to be interviewed 15 times a day or tries to make sure he is in the news all of the time.

 

I think he needs to be a little more aggressive.  He needs to get punt other cars out of the way sometimes like some other drivers do.  Don't get me wrong.  He will race hard and he won't always easily give up positions.  But I feel like he needs to be a little more "in-your-face" sometimes.

 

Good luck to Ryan for his 7th Sprint Cup season in 2008.

 

Mike

 

 

Newman’s turning point?

Below is a pretty good article that STEVE WAID wrote for SceneDaily.

 

While this is speculation, it could evolve into reality. The 2008 Sprint Cup season could be a pivotal one for Ryan Newman.

 

His contract with Penske Racing ends at the conclusion of the coming season, and, if things don't improve competitively, he might be tempted to move on.

Newman has been with Penske full time since 2002, and he was a winner three years. From 2002-2005, Newman won 12 races and accumulated 34 poles. He was firmly entrenched in NASCAR's upper echelon.

 

Funny how things can change.

 

Newman hasn't won a race in two years. In fact, he's had only nine finishes among the top five. He's not used to that sort of thing.

 

In 2006, he had only two top-five finishes and seven among the top 10. Things were better this year, with seven top-five finishes and 15 among the top 10.

 

Newman didn't make the Chase this season, but as it wound to a close, he had a string of good performances that helped elevate him to 13th in the final point standings.

Newman had four top-five finishes in the last seven races of the Chase, including three in the last five. He should have won the Bank of America 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, where he easily sped into the lead on a late restart – and was going away - but crashed due to a tire problem. He wound up 28th.

 

There have been some changes at Penske, notably among crew chiefs, intended to provide improvement. And while Newman did have it bit better this season than last, he still hasn't returned to winning form.

 

While it is simply conjecture, it's not hard to think Newman might listen to proposals from other teams should he go winless again in 2008. I think he'd be an attractive commodity.

 

But that might not mean anything if Newman becomes the old Newman in the new year.

 

 

'Stewie Awards' handed out

Two-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart and radio sidekick Matt Yocum decided earlier this year that the stock car sport needed some awards to rival Hollywood's Oscars and Emmies.

 

Thus were the Stewie Awards born.

 

Stewart and Yocum, who co-host a weekly show on Sirius Satellite Radio, asked listeners to vote online in 12 categories. They handed out the inaugural Stewies this week in New York as part of NASCAR's Champion's Week celebration.

 

Stewie Lifetime Achievement Award

• Bill France, Jr., former Chairman and CEO of NASCAR
• Benny Parsons, Hall of Fame driver/broadcaster

Golden Stewie Award - Honoring a legendary driver from the Golden Era of racing (1960-85)

• A.J. Foyt

Best Duet - For outstanding teamwork by a driver and crew chief

• Clint Bowyer & Gil Martin: Martin keeps Bowyer calm and team performs only one adjustment all day to get Bowyer's first career NASCAR NEXTEL Cup win in Sylvania 300 (Sept. 16)

Best Original Drama - For year's most exciting race moment

• Kevin Harvick edges Mark Martin to win his first Daytona 500 (Feb. 18) –

New Kid on the Track Award - For year's most outstanding performance by a rookie

• Juan Pablo Montoya: Wins first NEXTEL Cup race in Toyota Save Mart 350 (June 24)

Best Stunt Sequence (Hal Needham Award) - For year's most spectacular crash

• Clint Bowyer: Crosses finish line at Daytona 500 on his roof (Feb. 18) –

Best Original Comedy - For year's most entertaining on track "incident" or occurrence

• Robby Gordon performs "victory celebration" burnout despite losing Busch Series race at Circuit Gilles Villaneuve in Canada (Aug. 4)

Best Vocal Performance - For year's most memorable quote or sound bite

• Actor Kevin James: Provides memorable "Start Your Engines" command before Pepsi 400 (July 7) –

Best Engineering and Special Effects (Smokey Yunick Award) - For year's most creative - and ultimately illegal - modifications to a race car

• Crew Chief David Hyder & MWR VP of Competition Bobby Kennedy: Illegal fuel in #55 car at Daytona 500 (Feb. 18)

Dazed and Confused Award - For year's the most baffling move

• Teresa Earnhardt and DEI allow Dale Earnhardt Jr. to leave for Hendrick Motorsports –

'I Got Dumped' Award - For year's most memorable on-track bumping

• Kyle Busch: Wrecked by brother Kurt in NASCAR NEXTEL All-Star Challenge (May 19) –

Best Driver2Crew Chatter Exchange - For year's most memorable driver-to-pit crew communication

• Denny Hamlin/#11 team: Discuss "plan of attack" against Dale Earnhardt Jr. and #8 car during Subway 500 (Oct. 21)

 

3rd Annual Ryan Newman Foundation Charity Dinner & Auction on Friday, December 7, 2007

Sponsored by Alltel Wireless and Outback Steakhouse

 

WHEN:  6 to 8 PM, Friday, December 7, 2007  (Tickets ordered from today until December 5th will be held at the registration table to be picked up on December 7th.  Tickets will not be mailed after today.)

WHERE:  Mooresville, North Carolina

 

WHAT:  Ryan and Krissie Newman invite you to enjoy a delicious Outback Steakhouse dinner, meet and mingle with NASCAR drivers and pro fisherman in the Charles Mack Citizen Center ballroom in historic downtown Mooresville, NC. Charity auction items include autographed NASCAR and fishing memorabilia, and more! 

 

ATTIRE:  Business Casual

 

TICKETS:  $100 per person; $175 per cople; $5,000 Table Sponsorship (table of 8 at a reserved table--click here for a list of additional sponsorship benefits).  Seating is limited to 175 people so we can offer our guests an intimate setting that gives everyone a chance to meet our special guests.  Register today to reserve your ticket.

 

DETAILS:  For more information or to register online, visit Ryan Newman Foundation Events Web Page.

 

AUCTION ITEMS:  Autographed Tony Stewart Fire Suit, Autographed Ryan Newman Fire Suit, Autographed Kyle Petty Fire Suit, Autographed Ryan Newman #12 Sheet Meatl, Autographed Jimmie Johnson Championship Champagne, Autographed Martin Truex, Jr. memorabilia, Autographed Regan Smith Memorabilia, Autographed John Andretti Memorabilia, Autographed Ryan Newman Simpson Driving Gloves, Autographed Ryan Newman Simpson Driving Shoes, Autographed Ryan Newman Helmet Sheild, Autographed Ryan Newman #12 Alltel, Mobil 1, and Kodak 1:24 Limited Edition Die-Cast Cars and Ball Caps, Autographed Poster and CD, Autographed Orange County Choppers Memorabilia, Autographed Sports Memorabilia, and much, much more!!!

 

From - The Ryan Newman Foundation

Penske Racing Announces Organizational Changes For 2008

 

 

 

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (Nov. 28, 2007)  Saying goodbye to one of its longtime leaders and fortifying itself for the future, Penske Racing announced several key organizational changes for the 2008 NASCAR season on Wednesday.

 

Don Miller, who has served as President of Penske Racing South Inc. since its inception in 1990, is retiring from his position after nearly two successful decades at the highest levels of stock car racing. Miller, 68, has presided over 75 victories, 95 pole positions and more than $90 million in winnings for Penske Racing in the NASCAR Cup Series as well as NASCAR Busch and ARCA series events.

 

Penske Racing also announced Wednesday that Mike Nelson, who just completed his first season as crew chief of the No.12 Alltel Dodge driven by Ryan Newman, has been promoted to Vice President of Operations. In his new role, Nelson will oversee Penskes entries in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Nationwide Series, reporting to Tim Cindric, President of Penske Performance Inc.

 

In addition, Roy McCauley, an experienced crew chief and engineer for Penske Racing since 2002, has been named crew chief for the No. 12 Alltel team. Reuniting a winning combination, McCauley will once again be paired with Newman. The duo produced wins in six of the nine Busch Series races they competed in during the 2005 season, with McCauley serving as crew chief.

 

On behalf of our 39,000 employees, I want to thank Don Miller for all hes done for Penske Racing over the years, Roger Penske said. Hes been a partner and great friend and he will definitely be missed. Were looking forward to the 2008 season and were excited about the new opportunities for both Mike and Roy as they focus on the challenges ahead.

 

A native of Chicago who began his motorsports career as a drag racer in the 1950s, Miller has done more than just guide one of the winningest programs in racing over the last 17 years. Hes also a top designer who has been at the forefront in developing safety measures in NASCAR.

Its been a pleasure and an honor to help lead Penske Racing, Miller said. Under Rogers direction, the organization has seen tremendous growth and Im proud of all that we accomplished.

 

After joining Penske Racing as a data acquisition engineer in 1998, Nelson was on hand for Newman's first test with the team in April 2000, eventually becoming the first race engineer for the Alltel squad. The 34-year-old former motorcycle and motocross racer was named crew chief for the No. 12 car in December 2006.

 

McCauley, 37, became chief engineer for Penske Racings NASCAR operation in December 2002. After heading up the organizations driver development team, he teamed with Newman for a successful Busch Series run in 05. McCauley became crew chief for the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by Kurt Busch for the 2006 season, capturing a win at Bristol. McCauley began 07 in the same role before Pat Tryson took control of the team at mid-season after McCauley stepped aside due to his wifes illness.

 

Both Mike and Roy have worked hard to advance in the Penske Racing organization and they are a testament to our process of promoting from within, Cindric commented. We are looking to build on the strong performances we achieved in the second half of 2007 and we feel that both Mike and Roy are in the right positions to help us get to where we want to be.

 

Penske Racing is one of the most successful teams in the history of professional sports. Competing in a variety of disciplines, cars owned and prepared by Penske Racing have 295 major race wins and 21 National Championships. The team will field three entries in the 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, including the No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge driven by 2004 NASCAR Cup Champion, Kurt Busch; the No. 12 Alltel Dodge with Ryan Newman at the wheel; and the No. 77 Mobil 1 Dodge with former Indianapolis 500 and three-time IndyCar Series Champion, Sam Hornish, Jr., making his full-season stock car racing debut.

 

Dodge makes switch to Charger as its COT model

AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- Dodge has confirmed that it will race the Charger in the Sprint Cup Series in 2008 and beyond, continuing to add to its rich NASCAR tradition. The Avenger had been used as the make's Car of Tomorrow model in 2007.

 

Dodge has elected to continue the winning tradition that legends David Pearson, Bobby Isaac and Richard Petty established in the 1970s by designating the Charger as the nameplate Dodge teams will use in the Sprint Cup Series next year.

 

"Racing is the core of Dodge's DNA," said Michael Accavitti, the director of Dodge Brand and SRT Global Marketing. "Dodge has a racing heritage that spans many different nameplates and models, and the Charger is the cornerstone of that heritage.

 

"When NASCAR originally announced the phase-in plan for the Car of Tomorrow, it made sense for Dodge to race the Charger and Avenger. When the decision was made to race only one car next year, we talked with our partners, the more than 2,500 Dodge Dealers across the country, and they expressed overwhelming support for Dodge to continue its motorsports heritage with the Charger nameplate.

 

"Since 2001 when Dodge returned to NASCAR," he added, "the goal has been to win races and ultimately the championship. Those goals have been accomplished with the Charger previously and we are committed to make it happen again."

 

The 2008 Dodge Charger lineup will feature five teams with 12 drivers that are a mixture of seasoned veterans, experienced young talent and champions from other racing series that are newcomers to NASCAR.

 

nascar.com

2nd Annual Ryan Newman Foundation Charity Fishing Tournament on Saturday, December 8, 2007

THIS IS FROM THE RYAN NEWMAN FOUNDATION -

Due to the large amount of interest in our 2nd Annual Charity Fishing Tourney, we have extended the online registration until midnight on Friday, November 30th! Registration has been expanded to 250 teams this year. Guarantee your spot today by registering online. To register online with a credit card, click here.

 

Note:  FLW Outdoors will take walk-in registrations at the mandatory team check-in, which will be held at the Charles Mack Citzien Center in Mooresville, NC from 2 to 4:30 PM on Friday, December 7 at the late registration fee rates.  However, registration is first-come, first-serve, and if the tournament sells out before December 7th, fisherman will be turned away.  To guarantee your spot, register online today.

 

Ryan Newman, driver of Penske Racing's #12 Alltel Dodge, is inviting NASCAR fans and fisherman to join him and fellow NASCAR drivers Martin Truex, Jr. and Regan Smith, professional bass angler Kevin Van Dam, and Two Foot Fred from the Musik Mafia at the second annual Ryan Newman Foundation Charity Fishing Tournament sponsored by Ranger Boats on Saturday, December 8, 2007at Queen's Landing on Lake Norman in Mooresville , NC . 

 

Ryan Newman Foundation Charity Bass Tournament   Sponsored by Ranger Boats

 

WHEN:  7:30 AM - 3:00 PM, Saturday, December 8, 2007

 

WHERE:  Queen's Landing on Lake Norman in Mooresville, North Carolina

 

TICKETS:  Late Registration (after November 8) $200 per team; Big Fish Contest ($40 per team); Raffle Ticket ($5 per ticket)

To register online with a credit card, click here.

To register by mail with a check, visit Ryan Newman Foundation Events Web Page to download the registration form.

 

Bass Tournament (total weight - 5 fish per team); only largemouth and spotted bass may be weighed; minimum 14" length; only artificial lures are permitted. Complete rules will be mailed after pre-registration is processed.  The tournament will be facilitated by FLW Outdoors.

• Grand Prize is a 198VX Ranger Boat with a 200 HP Evinrude engine, Minn-Kota Maxxum 80 trolling motor, Humminbird 767 depth finder and single axle trailer (valued at $38,000)!   Other prizes include cash, trolling motors, GPS systems, depth finders, rods/reels, Alltel Wireless phones, Solar Batsunglasses, digital cameras & more!

• Raffle Prizes includes items from Evinrude, Ranger Boats, FLW Outdoors, Mobil 1, Alltel, Dick's Sporting Goods, NASCAR Memorabilia, Bill Dance Memorabilia, #12 Ryan Newman tee-shirts, die-cast cars, and more!  Buy your raffle tickets today online with a credit card or bring cash to the tournament team-check in.

Great Season for the Alltel Pit Crew

New Ryan Newman Crew Chief Update

 

The Following is an update from Jayski.com.  McCaulley will be taking over the crew chief position for the #12 Alltel Dodge.

 

McCually was Kurt Busch's Crew Chief for the 2006 season and the beginning of the 2007 season.  He had to take a leave of abscence in April of 2007 to care for his wife who is battling leukemia.  I don't know what his wife's status is.

 

Ryan Newman and Roy McCaulley have worked together before.  McCaulley was Newman's Busch series Crew Chief in 2006 when Newman won 6 out of nine of the Busch Series races that he competed in.

 

That alone gives me a little better feeling about the 2008 season with a new crew chief.  Forget the wins, just the fact that they have worked together before.  Then fact that they had great success is a huge plus.

 

McCaulley's bio is below in the Penske write up.

 

 

******************

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM PENSKE RACING.COM ON OCTOBER 2ND.

 

Roy McCauley is making a comeback as a crew chief, heading up Sam Hornish Jr.'s effort in the No. 06 Penske Truck Rental Dodge.

 

McCauley, who was previously the Miller Lite team¿s crew chief, became chief engineer of Penske Racing's NASCAR operation in December 2002. He also served as the crew chief for the organization's driver development team. In 2004, he oversaw the team that fielded a NEXTEL Cup car in four races one for Chad Blount and three for Travis Kvapil. In 2005, McCauley directed the Busch Series team that won six of the nine races in which it competed with driver Ryan Newman. He also was the crew chief for Kvapil's ARCA victory at Pocono.

 

McCauley says it was competition that attracted him to racing.

 

We could race shopping carts and I would still be a part of it, says McCauley, who was born March 10, 1970.

 

Even though McCauley didn't work in racing until he was an adult, his family was involved in the sport from the time he was an infant. McCauley¿s father, Kirk, raced in Late Model Sportsman and Late Model Stock events at short tracks in Maryland and Virginia in the late 1960s and early 70s. He then leased and operated the speedway in Beltsville, Md., from the mid to late 1970s.

 

McCauley graduated from the University of Maryland in 1992 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He entered racing in 1993 in the open-wheel ranks as a design engineer with Pat Patrick Racing. McCauley remained with the Indianapolis-based team for four years before moving to PacWest in 1998.

 

McCauley left PacWest and moved to PPI Motorsports as the race engineer in 2000 when PPI owner Cal Wells began fielding a team in NASCAR's Cup division.

 

Two years later McCauley joined Penske Racing's NASCAR operation as its head engineer. While serving in that capacity, McCauley oversaw a 17-person department that included 11 engineers, and was responsible for all of the operation's design work, aerodynamic and chassis development, component design, and simulation development.

 

McCauley and wife Amy reside in Sherrills Ford, N.C.

******************

THE FOLLOWING IS FROM JAYSKI.COM ON 11/17/07

 

UPDATE: been told that Mike Nelson will be in the front office overseeing the Cup side of the business and Roy McCaulley will be Ryan Newman's crew chief, and Matt Gimbel will be the interim crew chief for #77 Sam Horish Jr. until a permanent crew chief is chosen, then he will be the race engineer for #77 team. Also, been told that Penske Racing's Don Miller will retire.(11-27-2007)

Jayski.com is reporting that Penske may be shifting things around a bit.  They are reporting that Ryan Newman and the #12 Alltel Dodge team may have a new crew chief for the 2008 season.

 

Under current Crew Chief Mike Nelson, Ryan Newman and the #12 team had 5 DNF's due to engine related problems this year.  I also just kept getting the sense that Newman was never really happy with the way his car was set up - if any driver is ever really happy with it.

 

But I am not sure a crew chief change should be the answer.  In the last 16 races of the year the lowest RUNNING finish (no accidents or engine problems) was 16th.  He also only had 4 finishes outside the top 10 and 4 top 5 finishes.  In that same time frame he had 3 races end with engine problems and 3 ending with accidents.

 

All in all not bad.  I think swapping out crew chiefs could lead to another struggling year for Newman in 2008.  Even if it he is the best crew chief in the world, Newman and his crew chief are going to have to learn how to get along, how to talk and how to understand what the other one is saying.  It can take a little time to get adjusted to each other.

 

But this currently a rumor - I believe.  Here is the posting that Jayski.com has -

 

Crew Chief change at the #12? #77 needs one? hearing Roy McCauley take over as the crew chief for the #12 alltel Penske Racing team for driver Ryan Newman. McCauley started the 2007 season as Kurt Busch's crew chief in the #2 Dodge. Supposedly current #12 crew chief, Mike Nelson, will move over to a management position at Penske Racing. The crew chief job for the #77 team and driver Sam Hornish Jr. is supposedly open.(11-17-2007)

 

 

Back to normal

Thank you to everyone for the comments and congradulations -- we are VERY happy.

Ok, life is settling down now. I do have some stories about the last weekends race posted. They are posted late, but are mainly for my records.

Life is going good with the new addition to the family. Faith is VERY healthy and mom has recovered amazingly well.

And big brother is awesome. He is really great with his sissy. He has helped a lot to make the addition to the family a very smooth transition. Being almost 20 months old, and previously the only child, we expected some jelously and stuff. But there is none and he cares and worries about sissy alot.

So, now we can get back to normal. I will be working on the page and some stories over the next week.

Newman Takes 13th In Standings

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 18, 2007) ¿ Kurt Busch's second-place finish in Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway allowed the Las Vegas native to gain three positions in the standings to place seventh, his best performance in the points since he won the series title in 2004.

Ryan Newman finished 18th in the season finale on the 1.5-mile track to come home 13th in the standings, the highest finishing non-Chase competitor, while Sam Hornish Jr. took 37th in his second NASCAR NEXTEL Cup event.

Busch's Miller Lite Dodge was the only Dodge in this year's title Chase and the 29-year-old driver said he was pleased with his car's performance Sunday evening.

"We feel like we went out with a bang with this good car," said Busch, who led twice for 17 laps in the 267-lap event. "We came up just a bit shy, but, overall, just a great season for us to win a couple races and be in contention at a lot of race tracks. We finished seventh overall. That¿s a nice feather in the cap. This team deserves it. We worked really hard and hopefully, we will carry this right on into Daytona.
¿We felt like this was a successful season for us at Penske Racing in the Miller Lite Dodge. We definitely had what we need at some of the races, then, at some of the race tracks where we led laps we just didn¿t seal the deal to finish off the race. Tonight, it was a great feather in the cap for our team. The great teamwork that it took to put together a very successful summer stretch to get into the Chase was fantastic. Everybody at Miller is ecstatic.

"We put together a good effort during the Chase. We could be stronger. We need to work on our COT program if we want to compete for next year¿s championship. That¿s the bottom line. We got a little taste of it this year, and the teams that ran well with the COT finished up front in the points. Next season that is what Penske Racing is all about.¿

Busch's Miller Lite Dodge was strong from the race's beginning, but he lost a lap at the 100-lap mark when he had to pit with a loose left-rear wheel. The unscheduled green-flag stop dropped Busch outside the top 30.

Busch regained his lost lap when the next round of green-flag stops began. However, only a handful of laps separated Busch from running third and on the lead lap to having to pit and going down a lap to the front-runners. It was then that Newman spun, bringing out the fourth caution flag and insuring Busch his position on the lead lap.

During Busch's final stop, his Miller Lite Dodge received four fresh tires. His final opportunity to catch and pass leader Matt Kenseth occurred when the last yellow flag appeared on lap 254. When the race restarted on lap 257, Busch was third. He immediately passed Martin Truex Jr. for second and set sail for Kenseth. Busch, however, could never catch Kenseth and he had to settle for second.

"I felt like we had a legitimate shot at chasing Matt down," Busch said when asked if he thought he had a chance to catch Kenseth on the final restart. "I had to pass the one car [Martin Truex Jr.] first of all. Once we cleared him it just seemed like Matt and I had a beam mounted with his rear bumper and my front bumper. I couldn¿t break that 10-car length advantage that he had. Not due to aero, just due to the fact that he was fast. The way that the race went all day he was the car to beat. We were a challenger and we came up a bit short. I thought we were going to give it our all and we came up in second place. The bump up in points was the bigger objective today and we were able to do that.¿

Newman led three times for seven laps before a loose race car resulted in his second-turn spin on lap 149. Newman's Alltel Dodge was too tight in the race's first 100 laps, so when he pitted on lap 132, crew chief Mike Nelson ordered a track bar adjustment, along with four fresh tires and fuel.

The Alltel Dodge was now too loose and Newman brought out the fourth caution flag when he lost control of his car and spun into the second turn's grass. The car's valance and right-rear quarter panel were damaged in the incident. Even though Newman didn't lose a lap while repairs were made to his car, he dropped to 19th and was never able to recover.

The highest Newman would climb after the accident was 15th, but his car was still too loose and he fell to 18th in a few short laps.

Hornish, who qualified 29th, had to start in the rear of the field due to an engine change in his Mobil 1 Dodge after Saturday's final practice. He had issues with his car throughout the race, but he was still grateful for the experience he received in preparation for the 2008 season.

¿Well, I have twice as much Cup experience as I had last week. Every time I go out that is that much more," said Hornish, who brought out the sixth of seven caution flags when he scraped the third-turn wall on lap 193. "I¿m really happy that the team gave me the opportunity to do this, this year and get started. It¿s going to be a long, uphill process, but we¿ve got a goal in mind and hopefully, we get there.

¿I¿m real excited. I¿m excited to see what happens; how we can learn throughout the year and how we progress.¿

NEWMAN STARTS ON FRONT ROW FOR SUNDAY'S SEASON FINALE AT HOMESTEAD

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, qualified second Friday for the season finale Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday.

Newman, who was 12th among the 49 drivers attempting to make this year's final race, recorded a lap of 30.583 seconds – 176.569 mph – just 0.038 of a second behind pole sitter Jimmie Johnson's time of 30.545 seconds.

"Honestly, I didn't think it [my lap] was near as good as it was speed-wise," Newman said during his post-qualifying press conference. "When they said it was a 58 (seconds) I was like, 'Man that is really good.' Knowing that the track was a little bit hotter, we tuned on the car and made it over a 10th quicker, so I really didn't expect Jimmie (Johnson) to come and bust out that lap.

"I really thought that after practice Kasey (Kahne) was going to be the guy to beat and he was…he just wasn't the only guy to beat. It was a good, smooth lap. I just didn't feel like I slipped the car enough to make it go any faster. In saying that, if I did, it might have gone slower."

Newman's front-row start gives him four top-five starts at the 1.5-mile track and ties his career-best start. He started second in 2005 and finished seventh. Newman now has a 7.0 starting average at the South Florida track.

Coverage of Sunday's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway will be televised live by ABC and broadcast by MRN Radio beginning at 3 p.m. EST.

Line-up for the Ford 400:
1. Jimmie Johnson, No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet
2. Ryan Newman, No. 12 Alltel Dodge
3. Kasey Kahne, No. 9 Dodge Dealers Lifetime Powertrain Warranty/UAW Dodge
4. Matt Kenseth, No. 17 DeWalt NANO Technology Ford
5. Kurt Busch, No. 2 Miller Lite Dodge
29. Sam Hornish Jr., No. 06 Mobil 1 Dodge

Newman Earns Front Row Starting Position

HOMESTEAD, Fla. (Nov. 16, 2007) ¿ Ryan Newman snatched a front row starting position in qualifying Friday for this weekend's Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, while Kurt Busch collected a top five and Sam Hornish Jr. nailed down a starting spot in a NASCAR Cup race for the second straight week.

Newman's 30.583-second lap ¿ 176.569 mph ¿ in his Alltel Dodge Charger initially provided the Indiana native with the provisional pole. However, he eventually had to settle for second due to points leader Jimmie Johnson's lap that was only 0.038 second quicker than Newman.

"I really didn't expect Jimmie (Johnson) to come and bust out that lap. I really thought that after practice Kasey (Kahne) was going to be the guy to beat ¿ he just wasn¿t the only guy to beat," said Newman, who was the top qualifying Dodge on the 1.5-mile track.

Newman, who now possesses four top-five starts at Homestead, said he didn't think his qualifying lap was as good as it was speed-wise.

"When they said it was a 58 (seconds) I was like, 'Man, that is really good,'" continued Newman, who tied his best qualifying effort. "Knowing that the track was a little bit hotter, we tuned on the car and made it over a 10th quicker."
Busch and his Miller Lite team experienced quite an interesting day when compared to that of his teammates. First, there was an encounter with the wall. Next, the Miller Lite Dodge had a leaking radiator.

Friday's morning practice was only five laps old when the No. 2 Dodge Charger broke loose and smacked the wall between turns 3 and 4. The damage sustained to the car's right side forced Busch into the garage for extensive repairs.

The Pat Tryson-led team repaired the damage in time to have Busch back on the track with 25 minutes remaining in the 90-minute session. Beating the odds, Busch clocked in with the seventh-fastest practice lap.

But the team's troubles weren't over. After a fine stream of fluid was detected under the front of the Miller Lite Dodge, it was determined that the car had a leaking radiator. Quick work by the team between practice and qualifying had the blue deuce late through the tech line, yet on schedule to take to the track 19th in the qualifying order, as mandated by the morning's draw.

"It's been quite an interesting day here, to say the least,¿ said Busch, who recorded a 30.692-second, 175.942-mph lap for the fifth starting position. "Today certainly illustrates what a great team that our Pat Tryson-led Miller Lite Dodge crew is. We were definitely behind the eight ball, but nobody panicked. We picked up almost a 10th and a half (of a second) between practice and qualifying and we can¿t ask for much more than that. To have a shot at Ryan (Newman) on a Friday qualifying day -- that means you did something good.

"I am confident that we¿ll have a car capable of winning the race here on Sunday. It¿ll certainly be a special win if we can pull it off. Tomorrow¿s two practice sessions may just be the two most important practices of the entire year.¿

Hornish's 31.021-second, 174.076-mph lap provided the Mobil 1 Dodge Charger with the 29th starting position.

"For the most part, it was pretty good," Hornish said about his qualifying lap that made him the sixth fastest among the 14 drivers that had to make the grid on speed. "We were a little bit too tight with the car. That hurt us a little bit, but I think our times are pretty respectable."

Hornish made his Cup debut last weekend in the Car of Tomorrow ¿ Dodge Avenger ¿ but qualified Friday in the Dodge Charger. The Ohio native admits that unlike most NASCAR drivers, he's glad the COT will be used in every race next year.

"I¿m so used to a car that doesn¿t move around this much [as the Dodge Charger]," Hornish said. "The Car of Tomorrow is a jump in that direction. It¿s not anywhere near it, but it¿s more in that range. I actually like the Car of Tomorrow a lot better because it doesn¿t move around as much (as the Charger)."

Coverage of Sunday's Ford 400 begins at 3 p.m. on ABC and MRN Radio.

NASCAR'sNewest Fan Has Joined Us

Faith Ann Pratt (my daughter) was born yesterday (Nov 16th, 2007) at 10:21 am. 6 lbs 8 oz and 19 inches long.

Jeni woke me up at 4 am and told me it was time to go. Waking me up can be a real treat so after asking her a bunch of "I am still sleeping questions" I finally came to and jumped out of bed. We were up, coffee brewed, T.J. (our 19 month old) dressed and at the hospital by 4:45 am.

We are so happy and Mama and Faith are 100% healthy. Probably going home today.

So my race coverage this week will also probably be next to nothing.

She is a good NASCAR fan comiing into the world when she did, I will be able to see Sundays race, the last race of 2007.

Newman Could Takes Risks At Homestead For A Win

FOXSPORTS

Ryan Newman
The "Rocket Man" has been dominant of late, racing to three top-five finishes in his past four starts and four in his past six rides. Of course, Newman's also seen four of his past eight starts finish early because of accidents and engine issues. Therefore, he's a high-risk, high-reward proposition for this weekend's run at Homestead-Miami. He's raced to two top-10 finishes in five career starts with three top-five qualifying efforts. However, he's also had two efforts end early because of accidents.

Noting Newman - Homestead

-- Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, will make his sixth Cup start at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It will be his 224th career start in the Cup Series.

-- Newman has an average start of 8.0 and an average finish of 20.6 at the 1.5-mile track. All of his starts have been 16th or higher, including three from the top-five.

-- Newman has two top-10 finishes at Homestead. His other finishes have been 23rd, 30th and 37th.

-- Newman has led 133 laps in three races. He has completed 1,187 laps of a possible 1,340 since he made his debut in 2002 at the south Florida track. Newman has a completion rate of 88.6 percent.

-- Crew chief Mike Nelson and the Alltel team are taking chassis PRS-110 to Homestead as its primary car. This was the car Newman raced at Texas where he qualified 11th and finished fifth. The backup car is chassis PRS-108. This car was last raced in Atlanta at the end of October. It qualified ninth, but finished 37th after developing engine problems.

Newman On Homestead: ¿This is our last chance to get a win before the season is over and I think we have a good chance of getting it done. Our team has been solid the last couple of weeks and even though we had some problems in Atlanta, we¿ve still been running really well.¿

¿I¿m really proud of our team and the way they¿ve been able to battle back throughout the season. It seems like every time we have a bad weekend, we come back to the track and have a few good finishes in a row. That shows how dedicated these guys are. They¿re not going to let one bad week keep them from working hard the next week and getting good finishes in the Alltel Dodge.¿

NEWMAN LOOKING FOR WIN

Ryan Newman will make his sixth Cup start at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It will be his 224th career start in the Cup Series.

"This is our last chance to get a win before the season is over and I think we have a good chance of getting it done. Our team has been solid the last couple of weeks and even though we had some problems in Atlanta, we've still been running really well," Newman said.

Newman has an average start of 8.0 and an average finish of 20.6 at the 1.5-mile track. All of his starts have been 16th or higher, including three from the top-five.

Newman has two top-10 finishes at Homestead. His other finishes have been 23rd, 30th and 37th.

Newman has led 133 laps in three races. He has completed 1,187 laps of a possible 1,340 since he made his debut in 2002 at the south Florida track. Newman has a completion rate of 88.6 percent.

Crew chief Mike Nelson and the Alltel team are taking chassis PRS-110 to Homestead as its primary car. This was the car Newman raced at Texas where he qualified 11th and finished fifth. The back-up car is chassis PRS-108. This car was last raced in Atlanta at the end of October. It qualified ninth, but finished 37th after developing engine problems.

"I'm really proud of our team and the way they've been able to battle back throughout the season. It seems like every time we have a bad weekend, we come back to the track and have a few good finishes in a row," Newman said. "That shows how dedicated these guys are. They're not going to let one bad week keep them from working hard the next week and getting good finishes in the Alltel Dodge."