Consistency defined 2002 for Penske Racing

CONCORD, N.C. -- Penske Racing was the only Winston Cup Series team to put both of its teams in the top-10 in the season standings.

RUSTY WALLACE  •  Driver Page  •  Crew chief Bill Wilburn  •  RustyWallace.com    RYAN NEWMAN  •  Driver Page  •  Crew chief Matt Borland

Freshman Ryan Newman was sixth in his No. 12 Ford. He took his first points-winning checkered flag at New Hampshire in September in the rain-shortened New Hampshire 300.

Newman captured a rookie-record six Bud Pole Awards, 14 top-five efforts, a series-high 22 top-10 finishes and rookie of the year honors. He also won the The Winston all-star event after qualifying for the race via The Winston Open.

Through the first five races in 2002, Newman had two top-five and four top-10 finishes and was second in points. However, Newman failed to finish higher than 37th in each of the following four races and he dropped to 21st in the standings.

Newman, a graduate of Purdue University, found some stable ground through the midseason and saved his best performances for the latter part of the year.

Newman was 12th in points with 13 races left in 2002 when he started to put together his greatest run. With a surge of four top-fives and nine top-10s, Newman rallied to sixth in points.

After finishing second at Darlington and Richmond in September, Newman won at New Hampshire from the pole.

Meanwhile, teammate Rusty Wallace and the No. 2 Miller Lite Ford team finished seventh in points, just behind Newman. However, Wallace failed to win a race in 2002. The first season Wallace went without a checkered flag since 1985.

After going without a pole in 2001, Wallace got his only one of the year at Dover in September. He also garnered seven top-fives and 17 top-10s.

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Wallace finished second at Bristol, Daytona and Indianapolis. The closest Wallace came to Victory Lane was in the Bristol night race. Wallace, a nine-time winner there, was leading before being bumped out of the way by Jeff Gordon with less than two laps remaining.

The highest Wallace and rookie crew chief Bill Wilburn were in the standings was third after the sixth race. Their only time out of the top 10 was after the Daytona 500 when they finished 18th.

Wallace had just one DNF and completed 99 percent of the laps run in 2002. His seventh-place finish was his 10th consecutive top-10 finish and third consecutive seventh-place effort.

Things will be different in 2003, at least in one respect. Penske Racing has announced that its NASCAR Winston Cup Series teams will drive Dodge Intrepids in 2003.

According to team owner Roger Penske, the contract is a three-year agreement. Penske will part ways with Ford, their manufactuer for the past nine seasons.

It will mark the third manufacturer change for Wallace.