The 43 Days of Daytona - 6th Place in 2005
The Top NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Driver Profiles of 2005.
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Ryan Newman
#12 - Alltel
Ryan was the first driver that I saw follow the ABC route to Cup Racing. ABC equals ARCA, Busch, and Cup. This means that they develop up the ladder in a planned manner. Racing more at the lower levels, gathering experience and advancing as the plan dictates. Penske did a great job of bringing him along.
He had the quote of the year. It was either from last season or the season before. He had been involved in a pretty intense wreck. And he was released from the infield care center. He's walking along and the reporter Jeanie Zelasko comes up to him and asks him, "How do you feel, Ryan?"
His answer is pure NASCAR gold. "How do you think I feel?" He retorts as he storms across the infield and into his hauler. Greatness.
In 2005, he ran a full season in the Penske South Alltel Dodge. He recorded 8 poles...yes, 8 poles, cementing his nickname of Rocketman, 1 win, 8 Top 5's, and 16 Top 10's. He earned winnings of $5,578,110.
The Ryan Newman Foundation has released a book titled Pit Road Pets. The book features first person stories of 50 NASCAR celebrities and their pets. Proceeds from the book go to "no-kill" animal shelters and Humane Societies. He has also been doing book signings at $10s per with the proceeds benefiting the same charities.
Penske is likely to run Dodge Intrepids instead of Chargers at California and Vegas. Both the '04 and '05 Intrepids are still on NASCAR's approved list and Penske believes those cars are better performers than the newer Chargers.
An announcement came down that Newman and, teammate, Kurt Busch are going to split time in the Penske Busch Series #39.
Penske has also announced that they will be staying with the Dodges through at least 2008. This puts the kibosh on the rumors that were swirling that Penske was going to jump to Toyota when that manufacturer makes its NEXTEL Cup debut next season.
A quote from Ryan when asked about his years as Rusty Wallace's teammate which he gave on something called Clear!Blue, "It would have taken a different Rusty Wallace and a different Ryan Newman and that wasn't the situation. It probably never could have been different than it was. We all know Rusty is the way he is and I'm the way I am. That wasn't the best of scenarios for teammates. There wasn't a point where we could have fixed it."
They approached the tracks differently. They were "old school" and "new school", oil and water...something's just aren't meant to be.
The relationship between Ryan and Kurt seems to be significantly different. Time will tell if the two can get along.
Will sponsorship be big enough to allow the team to field a car every week? Yes. The Alltel sponsorship seems solid.
Do I think he could go win a championship? I'd give him a longshot chance at doing it.
Do I think he could win a race or two and have a good season? The man won 8 poles last year. He knows how to drive fast and smooth. Yes, he is capable of winning.
---------------
Ryan Newman
#12 - Alltel
Ryan was the first driver that I saw follow the ABC route to Cup Racing. ABC equals ARCA, Busch, and Cup. This means that they develop up the ladder in a planned manner. Racing more at the lower levels, gathering experience and advancing as the plan dictates. Penske did a great job of bringing him along.
He had the quote of the year. It was either from last season or the season before. He had been involved in a pretty intense wreck. And he was released from the infield care center. He's walking along and the reporter Jeanie Zelasko comes up to him and asks him, "How do you feel, Ryan?"
His answer is pure NASCAR gold. "How do you think I feel?" He retorts as he storms across the infield and into his hauler. Greatness.
In 2005, he ran a full season in the Penske South Alltel Dodge. He recorded 8 poles...yes, 8 poles, cementing his nickname of Rocketman, 1 win, 8 Top 5's, and 16 Top 10's. He earned winnings of $5,578,110.
The Ryan Newman Foundation has released a book titled Pit Road Pets. The book features first person stories of 50 NASCAR celebrities and their pets. Proceeds from the book go to "no-kill" animal shelters and Humane Societies. He has also been doing book signings at $10s per with the proceeds benefiting the same charities.
Penske is likely to run Dodge Intrepids instead of Chargers at California and Vegas. Both the '04 and '05 Intrepids are still on NASCAR's approved list and Penske believes those cars are better performers than the newer Chargers.
An announcement came down that Newman and, teammate, Kurt Busch are going to split time in the Penske Busch Series #39.
Penske has also announced that they will be staying with the Dodges through at least 2008. This puts the kibosh on the rumors that were swirling that Penske was going to jump to Toyota when that manufacturer makes its NEXTEL Cup debut next season.
A quote from Ryan when asked about his years as Rusty Wallace's teammate which he gave on something called Clear!Blue, "It would have taken a different Rusty Wallace and a different Ryan Newman and that wasn't the situation. It probably never could have been different than it was. We all know Rusty is the way he is and I'm the way I am. That wasn't the best of scenarios for teammates. There wasn't a point where we could have fixed it."
They approached the tracks differently. They were "old school" and "new school", oil and water...something's just aren't meant to be.
The relationship between Ryan and Kurt seems to be significantly different. Time will tell if the two can get along.
Will sponsorship be big enough to allow the team to field a car every week? Yes. The Alltel sponsorship seems solid.
Do I think he could go win a championship? I'd give him a longshot chance at doing it.
Do I think he could win a race or two and have a good season? The man won 8 poles last year. He knows how to drive fast and smooth. Yes, he is capable of winning.
posted by Mark "Puff" Anderson | 12:36 PM
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