Hard Charger: Ryan Newman

CONCORD, N.C. -- Ryan Newman was one disappointed driver on Saturday. Twenty-four hours later, he was feeling much better.

Near the end of Saturday's opening practice, Newman wrecked his primary car after he had turned the fastest lap of the session. When Happy Hour ended, Newman stepped outside his hauler to meet the media.

"It's gonna take some time to get up front," he said. "If we have a car that's capable, which I think we will."

Because he was using a backup car, Newman started from the rear of the field in Sunday's UAW-GM Quality 500 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Newman's trek to the front began immediately.

By lap 25, he had reached 31st and the field resembled planes circling an airport in a holding pattern as no one changed position. Newman pitted on lap 64 and after the green-flag stops cycled through, he began another assault.

"We had good pit stops all day," he said. "It's just a pretty good run to come from where we did to finish in the top 10."

A day earlier, Newman had mentioned that another key to the race would be steering clear of the accidents that often happen in the back.

The big wreck came at lap 230, and Newman was the beneficiary of Todd Bodine's mishmash in the grass. Newman was the first driver one lap down and got his lap back, and then he came out of the pits in 15th. It took him only another 15 laps or so to get in the top 10, where he remained the rest of the cool evening, except when pitting.

"I've got to thank Jimmie Johnson and Jamie McMurray," he said. "They gave us our lap back and that doesn't happen very often nowadays."

Yet Newman was left to ponder the possible outcomes had he not been involved in the single-car wreck in practice. He said the car he wrecked was "definitely" better than the one he drove masterfully Sunday.

Constant adjustments from the time the garage opened until he drove away after his final pit stop also led to the top-10 finish, Newman said.

"It was purely teamwork," he said. "There's no other word for it."

Crew chief Matt Borland said the team gained track position after each pit stop.

"[The track] was definitely tightening up the whole time," Borland said. "It wasn't too bad. We had to free it up every stop, but the biggest thing was getting track position.

"Every stop we'd be a little further up, and that just helps a lot as far as getting some clean air and being able to run up front."

Newman continues to lead the rookie-of-the-year standings 336-312 over Jimmie Johnson. The finish also continued his streak of top 10s –- now at seven in a row. He remains fourth in the points, just ahead of Penske teammate Rusty Wallace.

Team co-owner Don Miller was pumped by Newman's run.

"Look how we rebounded [from the practice accident] and got a top 10 out of it," he said. "That's the will and fight left in us."