Ryan Newman is riding fourth in the Chase standings, 17 points behind. Credit: Autostock

Engineer Newman is not big on showing emotion

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Ryan Newman doesn't like to show any emotion.

He's an engineer, a Purdue graduate with a bent for cool, clear thinking and a thirst for problem-solving. And he's a low-key individual, a man whose idea of a great vacation is heading into the deep woods for some fishing, sitting on the porch of a cabin and enjoying nature.

Ryan Newman

When people start talking to the Nextel Cup star about going to New York for NASCAR's annual postseason awards ceremony, you can almost see him shudder.

"New York is too busy and loud for me," Newman said, smiling. "It's not my favorite place. But that's just me."

However, since Newman made it into the 10-man Chase for the championship, he knows that means he will have to be in New York and don a tuxedo to make an appearance on stage during the ceremony at the posh Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, no matter where he finishes in the season standings.

"If I've got to be there anyway, I think it would be great to be at the head table," Newman said, shrugging.

After the first half of the 10-race Chase, Newman is fourth, but it's practically a dead heat with only 17 points separating him from co-leaders Tony Stewart and Jimmie Johnson, with Greg Biffle in between.

The schedule continues this Sunday on the half-mile track at Martinsville, where Newman has finished no worse than fifth in his last four starts and was fourth in the spring race at the Virginia track.

The 27-year-old Newman, who grew up in South Bend, Ind., apprenticed on short tracks and, at one point, appeared headed toward IndyCar racing. But team owner Roger Penske, who has discovered talented drivers in the past -- Rick Mears and Rusty Wallace, for example -- decided Newman belonged in stock cars.

It was a good decision.

The youngster, nicknamed "Rocketman" for his propensity to win poles, has topped qualifying an incredible 33 times in 147 tries. He also has 12 victories and has finished no worse than sixth in the points since his first full season in Cup in 2002.

Newman made it easily into the inaugural Chase last year, but never really contended, finishing a quiet -- and disappointing -- seventh.

Inside the Chase Point standings after Charlotte Pos. Driver Points Behind 1. T. Stewart 5,777 -- 2. J. Johnson 5,777 -- 3. G. Biffle 5,766 -11 4. R. Newman 5,760 -17 5. M. Martin 5,726 -51 6. C. Edwards 5,723 -54 7. R. Wallace 5,685 -92 8. J. Mayfield 5,662 -115 9. M. Kenseth 5,653 -124 10. Ku. Busch 5,635 -142

The big question has been: When is Newman, who so obviously has the talent, going to make a serious run at the title?

Newman has been the personal project of Don Miller, president of Penske Racing South, who oversaw the driver's move to stock car racing, running an "ABC" program of ARCA, Busch and Cup to prepare Newman for bigger things.

Miller said he's not surprised that Newman hasn't been a contender until now "because I see so many things that have happened to us along the way. It's frustrating for me, not surprising, because I know that we're better than the numbers at the end.

"But these things happen in racing and you just have to accept them and go on, just get better."

If Newman does win a title this season, that won't surprise Miller either.

"I think the first three years of his [Cup] career were nothing short of meteoric," Miller said. "He had never spent any time at all in a stock car. It was all open-wheel. So, when he came here and did what he did, I think it was phenomenal.

"This year, I think, shows one thing that I think people have really, really begun to recognize, and that's that Ryan has a personality. Not only is he maturing as a race car driver, but he's maturing as a person. He has got one of the brightest minds in this garage and his wit is so dry and so quick it goes right by many people."

That newfound maturity could play a big part in how Newman handles the last five races of 2005.

"Yeah, there's a lot of pressure for the team and for everyone, but it's not so different from the pressure we all face all year," Newman said.

"As far as victories [eight], 2003 was a good year for us. From a consistency standpoint, it wasn't good. Last year, we had really fast cars in the Chase, led the most laps in the Chase and finished seventh. That was not at all the results we were looking for.

"There's nothing we can apply from 2003 or 2004 other than just knowing that we need to be consistent," he added. "We know we need to run up front and we know we have to perform well, but that's no different than any other race throughout the season. It's just kind of business as usual and seeing where we end up."

So far, so good.

Newman won the Chase opener at Loudon, N.H., finished fifth at Dover, fourth at Talladega, slipped up with a 23rd at Kansas and got back on track with a seventh last weekend in the race at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Kurt Busch won the Chase opener a year ago and wound up taking the championship by putting up nine top-10 finishes in the last 10 races. So Newman knows if he and the team can just keep it going, they have a legitimate shot at the championship.

What would it mean to Newman to win the Cup title?

"It would be ... it would be awesome," Newman said, losing a little of his cool veneer as he thought about the ultimate goal.

Quickly reining in his emotions, Newman added, "To me, it's one of those things that, if I stay focused as a driver and the team stays focused, when the checkered flag falls at Homestead [after the finale], then we'll figure it out and see if it's time to celebrate.

"If not, well, we'll just go after it again next year and see what we can learn from what happened this time around."