Monday, July 14, 2008
Ryan Newman and Roger Penske make their split official….so what next for the two?
Neither Ryan Newman (left) nor teammate Kurt Busch have had much success with Roger Penske (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
By Mike Mulhern
Ryan Newman, his Daytona 500 win just four months ago notwithstanding, will indeed be leaving Roger Penske at the end of the season, the legendary racing owner and his driver of 6-1/2 seasons agreed Monday, with a brief announcement and little fanfare or further explanation.
The bottom line is the bottom line: Newman, until taking advantage of surprising opportunity at Daytona in February, had gone winless in more than two years at the start of this season.
Newman, who is apparently headed to Tony Stewart’s new Chevy operation next year as teammate, has been driving for Penske since Don Miller, Newman’s mentor and the man who ‘discovered’ him on Midwestern short tracks, brought him into the Penske camp in 2000. And Newman’s quick success, particularly his 2003 season, with eight wins and 11 poles and a sixth-place finish in the title chase, and his rapier wit made him a media delight.
In fact Newman’s prowess at winning poles – 43, including Phoenix this spring – earned the nickname Mr. Friday.
But 2005 appeared a turning point. That was Rusty Wallace’s last season, and Wallace’s last season as Newman’s teammate at Penske’s. The two drivers never got along, and Penske seemed unable to mend things. And the Penske operation, even though adding Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR champion, as Newman’s new teammate, has never caught fire again since.
Ryan Newman appears headed now to Stewart-Haas as Tony Stewart’s teammate… but he could still surprise at Joe Gibbs’ or Richard Childress’ (Photo by Jerry Markland/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Following Wallace’s departure there was a major shakeup at Penske’s, and many veterans have wound up either sidelined or on other teams. Miller’s own departure last season may have been more critical in the team’s slump than was initially realized.
Penske, who has been a NASCAR team owner since 1972, issued a brief statement on Newman’s departure: “We want to thank Ryan for his hard work and contributions to Penske Racing over the past nine years. We wish Ryan all the best for the future and we’ll continue to focus our efforts on making the chase with Ryan and the Alltel Dodge team this season.”
Newman, 16th in the standings heading into next week’s race at Indianapolis, also issued a brief statement: “I appreciate Penske Racing and all they have done for me, but more importantly, I appreciate their friendship and what they have done for my career. I would also like to thank all of the sponsors, especially Alltel, who have supported me.”
Don Miller (left) was key in Roger Penske signing Ryan Newman nine years ago (Photo by Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Penske has offered no hints as to who might replace Newman. Martin Truex Jr.’s name has been mentioned, but Truex’s current contract with DEI is still the subject of legal debate, and it is unclear if DEI will indeed force Truex to return for another season or give him his release. Truex has been pushing quietly to become a free agent.
David Stremme, who drove for fellow Dodge owner Chip Ganassi until being released at the end of last season, has been a Penske test driver this season, and Stremme could also be under consideration.
Dodge executives declined any comment.
Ryan Newman and crew chief Matt Borland (right) had good times together at Roger Penske’s...for a while. Then they split. Now maybe they’ll get back together (Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
While at Chicago last weekend for the NASCAR tour stop, where he finished 10th, Newman said the Penske team has made improvements lately. However Newman, over the season, has only finished on the lead lap in 10 of the year’s 19 races, and he’s suffered blown engines at Phoenix and Michigan.
“There have been improvements….but it’s not like we’re running in the top-five every week,” Newman said.
In fact Newman has only two top-fives, at Daytona and Texas.
Newman talked around the possible new relationship with Stewart: “Tony’s a great competitor in many ways. He’s tough, but respectful. He’s been a good friend on and off the race track.
“Specifically off – he’s done a lot to help me and guide me.
“In general he’s just a hard-nosed racer, and I have always appreciated him for that. Whether we argue on the race track or not, we’re two hard-nosed racers.”
And the two have had their share of run-ins.
Don Miller for years was a major player at Roger Penske’s. Maybe Tony Stewart should hire Miller to run Ryan Newman’s new Chevy team. (Photo: Rusty Jarrett//Getty Images for NASCAR)
However the same questions being raised about Stewart’s decision to leave a well-established team and take a chance on success with a rebuilding project like the new Stewart-Haas operation should be raised about Newman too. While he hasn’t had that much success with Penske lately, leaving Penske to take a ride with a team that has won zero races during its 5-1/2 full seasons would seem risky for the 30-year-old Newman.
“Would I be reluctant? I would consider ‘the reluctancy,’” Newman said, with that typical Newman wit. “But I would also say that I am not exactly where I would want to be right now. I have to listen to all options.”
And of course Newman, as one of the top free agents, would also have other options, like Richard Childress…or perhaps even with Gibbs.
Newman shows no signs of panic: “I’m not in a position of urgency. I’m just in a position to find out what’s right for me.”
Newman concedes the past few months, since his name first came up as Stewart’s possible teammate on a new Chevy teams, have been awkward: “It’s been different…It’s been work.
“It’s been a sense of distortion.
“But it’s part of what I have to do for my career.
“I talked to Roger a little bit. We’re still working on performance, we’re working on a lot of things.
“We’ve been close. We just haven’t succeeded in ways and times we could have…or should have.
“I see potential to win a championship where I’m at (with Penske). It’s just that potential hasn’t proven to be as high as other organizations.
“I’m just doing what I have to do to put myself in the best position to move forward.
“Driving for Tony’s team is an option. He’s got an open seat.”
Newman wouldn’t talk specifically about any negotiations he might have had or still be having with Stewart. But Newman did reveal that some of his many discussions – whether or not specifically with Stewart, he wouldn’t say—did include an ownership stake, a possibility Newman said he still hadn’t decided on.
“It’s not an easy decision,” Newman said. “It’s probably one of the hardest decisions I’ll have to make as a driver…and maybe as a person.
“There’s not an easy answer that comes to you. It’s not a long equation of multiple variables that says ‘What equation gets to the closest answer?’”
Can Ryan Newman and crew chief Matt Borland (right) rekindle the magic they once had? (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images for NASCAR)
While many in the NASCAR garage are second-guessing Stewart’s decision to leave the highly-successful Joe Gibbs operation for the opportunity to become an owner-driver, with Chevy owner Gene Haas, Newman seems intrigued: “I think Tony would be a good boss. He’s proven to be successful in his open-wheel career, with ownership with the dirt teams.
“I think that it says a lot of Gene Haas—that he has a lot of trust in Tony Stewart, not just in the driving, but from a business standpoint.
“That’s a huge step. That’s a huge amount of trust, to be able to work towards a common goal.”
Ironically, perhaps, Matt Borland currently works on the Haas team. Borland was Newman’s crew chief for many of his NASCAR wins, until the two split at the end of 2006. “Matt’s always been a good friend, though we had a parting of the ways a couple years ago,” Newman said. “He’s a great friend.”
Would Borland being with Haas be any factor in Newman’s decision? “Yeah – There’s a friend over there, that’s something to consider,” Newman said.
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Ryan Newman (right) and actor Brendan Fraser (Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)
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