 | | Ryan Newman's focus clearly is on getting the most out of the new Dodge Charger. Credit: Autostock |
By Ryan Smithson, NASCAR.COM
February 1, 2005
08:55 AM EST (13:55 GMT)
MOORESVILLE, N.C. -- The 2005 season hasn't even started yet, but Ryan Newman has already found himself at the forefront of a controversy with teammate Rusty Wallace. Wallace says the two will resolve everything before they get to Daytona. If they don't, both are sure to find themselves grilled by the media during Speedweeks. "They've talked and they're going forward based on they've got a job to get done," said team owner Roger Penske, who has never won a championship at NASCAR's top level. "They might bump into each other from time to time, but it wasn't a big deal to me." Newman has more pressing matters than a disagreement with a teammate -- he is coming off his worst year in the Cup Series. He won twice, but his consistency simply wasn't there, and he barely made the Chase for the Nextel Cup. Even though he led the circuit in Bud Poles, he was hardly the same driver who won eight races in 2003. But Newman has two things that point toward a renaissance. His Penske Racing outfit is moving into the finest shop on tour, and Newman should also benefit from the new Dodge Charger, which replaced the four-year-old Intrepid. The key for Newman probably lies in Daytona. Like Tony Stewart, Newman has never enjoyed restrictor-plate racing. Unlike Stewart, he's never had solid restrictor-plate finishes. Newman had no top-10s at plate tracks in 2004. "With the new groundwork that Roger (Penske) has laid here at the shop, I think that's going to make us a great deal better," Newman said. "We just want to run better than we did last year." Newman won a slew of Bud Poles in 2004, but he never seemed to run well after starting up front. With the new qualifying rules this season, it will be interesting to see how Newman's team runs if they elect to qualify in race setup -- or race in qualifying setup. "It's really all hypothetical at this point because we haven't even started the year yet," said Newman. "We're just going to go out and do the best possible job we can." Newman does not let many things bother him, and it's unlikely the tiff with Wallace will have much effect on his performance in 2005. That factor is entirely up to fourth-year crew chief Matt Borland, who must get the new rules -- and new cars -- up to speed quickly to gain momentum for the critical summer run. Penske, for his part, thinks the entire Newman-Wallace saga is overblown. "It was two guys charged up, trying to win races," Penske said. "They've handled it, and we've got to move on." → Click here for 2005 Driver Previews. | 
