Track Smack All Things NASCAR - 24/7
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Angie
The Subway Fresh Fit 600 at Phoenix International Raceway was a little different this year. It began a little earlier and 63 laps were added to the race.
I’m not sure of the reasoning behind the changes but the result was an extremely long and often boring race. But as most NASCAR fans will tell you, the ending is usually worth the wait.
Most of the race was led by Jimmie Johnson and Kyle Busch, both leading 113 laps. Montoya also had a dominant car and led for 105 laps.
But in the end, it all came down to strategy. On the last caution, the leaders pitted and decisions were made. Would it be two tires or four?
As it turned out, the two tire call was the right one. Jeff Gordon came out first with Ryan Newman in second position.
The green-white-checker race to the finish was on. Gordon spun his tires on the restart, Newman saw his chance and took the lead. Continue reading →
Angie
I always look forward to short track racing and the disappointment of Sunday’s rain delay at Martinsville Speedway only heightened my anticipation. Monday we finally got the race underway and my patience was finally rewarded.
It was everything I had hoped for and more.
After making his way to the lead on lap 230 of the race, Denny Hamlin battled back and forth for the lead with Jeff Burton.
Things really got interesting on lap 492 when Jeff Burton had a flat tire and hit the wall, bringing out the caution. To everyone’s surprise, leader Denny Hamlin headed to pit road for a set of new tires. Only second place driver Kyle Busch followed.
Everyone assumed that Hamlin had just handed over the win to Jeff Gordon.
Everyone was wrong. Continue reading →
Lee
 Image by Bristol Motor Speedway & Dragway via Flickr
This weekend, at Atlanta, Ryan Newman is reasonably sure of achieving one milestone in his career, and maybe two. On Sunday, Newman will start his 300th NASCAR Sprint Cup Race. And he’s doing so where he has started on the pole more than any other driver in the history of NASCAR, with the exception of Buddy Baker. Of 15 starts at Atlanta, The Rocket, has captured the pole 7 times, and is hoping to be fast enough Friday evening to get his 8th pole at the track.
Newman has faced some pretty rough times over the course of the first three races this season, and is currently 32nd in the Sprint Cup standings, one spot better than he was at this time last year. Ryan was featured in this week’s NASCAR teleconference where he talked about the milestones ahead of him at Atlanta and his struggles so far this season.
Q. Atlanta, this weekend you’re going to possibly set a pole record with the Buddy Baker situation and tiebreak that. Where does that fit in your career? How much do you actually place emphasis on your career on poles or is this something you naturally do well? Continue reading →
Angie
Sunday’s Amp Energy 500 was not your typical Talladega.
It began with a warning to drivers before the race from NASCAR president Mike Helton that bump-drafting through the turns at Talladega Superspeedway would not be tolerated.
The first couple of hours consisted of cars running around the track in single file. Even the drivers were bored. On lap 68, Kevin Harvick, in the lead position, jokingly asks for an iPod to sit in his drink holder.
When something exciting did happen, it was not what we wanted to see. On lap 183, Ryan Newman is involved in a scary crash, tumbling end over end, finally landing upside down. After a tense few minutes we finally hear his voice on the radio and all breathe a sigh of relief.
He spoke for us all after the wreck.
“I wish NASCAR would do something,” Newman said. Continue reading →
Angie
Saturday’s NASCAR Banking 500 at Lowes Motor Speedway marks the halfway point in the Chase for the Sprint Cup. It may also be the make or break event for the lower echelon Chase contenders looking to get back into the thick of the playoffs.
For those sitting in positions seven through 10, it might be the last chance to make up some lost ground and give them a fighting chance.
Ryan Newman is currently 10th in the points standings after dropping one position at Fontana. With no top five finishes to date, Newman looks to duplicate his second place run at last May’s Coca-Cola 600. Continue reading →
Lee
 Image via Wikipedia
Wherever NASCAR is discussed, or opinions are solicited, there is a strong likelihood that the topic of the Chase for the Sprint Cup will be debated, denounced or roundly criticized. It is very easy to see that there is very little middle ground on this topic. Fans either love the Chase, or they hate it. And for the past five years, at this point in the season, the media tends to try to stir the pot with the questions they pose to drivers both in and out of contention for the NASCAR Sprint Cup. Most recently, Tony Stewart was asked about his feelings around going from first in the standings to third at the start of the Chase. Continue reading →
Lee
Image by Getty Images via Daylife
Without question, 2003 was Ryan Newman’s breakout year: 11 poles, 8 wins, 17 top fives, and 22 top tens. The media labeled him “Rocket Man” because he was more likely than not to qualify on the pole. In 2004, despite having only two wins, Newman’s other statistics [...]
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