Newman and Wallace made contact in the closing laps Sunday. Credit: Autostock

Penske mates clash after Martinsville melee

MARTINSVILLE, Va. -- A collision between team cars with less than seven laps to go in Sunday's Subway 500 might've cost Penske Racing a victory at Martinsville Speedway.

Instead, Ryan Newman finished third after more contact with Jamie McMurray and Rusty Wallace was 10th after leading 34 laps and threatening to sweep both of Martinsville's Nextel Cup events this season.

VIDEO Opening laps Nemechek spins out early at Martinsville Struggling Jarrett goes to the garage and J.Gordon struggles Tight quarters Kahne, J. Green involved in an incident on pit road Tough day Earnhardt Jr. has a rough day at Martinsville Final laps Penske cars play rough, Johnson takes the checkers

Wallace felt strongly enough he had a shot to beat eventual winner Jimmie Johnson that he asked his spotter to pass a message to Newman as they circulated under the 17th and final caution that if Newman "stayed off my (butt) I might be able to win this thing."

The 500-lap race restarted at Lap 494 and Wallace, despite getting a better jump in his Miller Lite Dodge than Johnson did in his Lowe's Chevrolet, wasn't able to pass him on the front or back straights.

"(Johnson) spun the tires and tried to block me off (on the restart), which is a normal thing (and) I would have done the same thing going down the front straightaway," Wallace said. "Then I shot to the outside of him to try to pass him.

"We went down the back straightaway and he got about a car length ahead of me. I went to pull down behind him and got booted in the left rear quarter panel by Newman.

"I don't know if I pulled down on (Newman) or he just stayed in the throttle or what happened, but I got knocked up the racetrack and a bunch of them passed me and that was it."

The lap after the contact Wallace was eighth, but mired in the outside lane. Before Wallace could fall into line behind Jeff Gordon, he was 10th.

Newman was passed by McMurray in the final five laps and finished third. But Newman felt he was better than both Wallace and McMurray, and didn't much apologize for his actions.

Wallace had plenty to say following the incident. Credit: Autostock

"There was a little beating and banging there on the giving and receiving end, (but) we ended the day on the good side, and that was definitely a good thing.

"We really should have had second, but we got knocked out of the way and fell back to third. If I had done to Jamie what he did to me in 1 and 2, I took a chance on spinning him out (so) I figured I'd just give him a little tap and see if I could beat him back to the line."

Newman said he was just as sure what happened with his teammate.

"I know I was underneath him and I know he came down on me," Newman said. "I wasn't going to give him anything, so he got loose and lost a bunch of spots -- then he came up and hit me after the race.

"Our car was faster than his at the end. I'm not sure if he's aware of that, but he will be."

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When told of his teammate's comment, Wallace laughed and said, "I didn't see him all day long (and) he thought he was faster than us? I guess that's the reason he run through the quarter panel, huh?

"I don't know. I should have just stayed down low."

The teammates said they weren't sure when they would discuss the incident.

"I don't guess Rusty and I are on speaking terms right now," Newman said in his post-race media briefing.

Out in the garage Wallace looked to be still getting over the shock of never having a final shot at Johnson and said he felt like his message was never delivered.

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"I told (Newman) to stay out of my way and I could win the race, but naw, he didn't do it," Wallace said. "There's nothing I can do about it. I'll talk (to Newman) a little bit (because) I want to see what he was thinking -- I don't know what he was thinking.

"I know what he was thinking. He was trying to get the best finish he could."

The incident came at a time when a lot of potential frustration and disappointment is swirling around the Penske compound.

Newman has been off-and-on in the Chase for the Nextel Cup and after Sunday is ninth, 266 points behind Kurt Busch. Wallace is 18th in the standings and by losing eight spots in the race missed a chance to jump over Jeff Burton into 17th.

The potential top-five would've been only Wallace's fourth this season and a win would've marked his second sweep at the .526-mile oval.