Ryan Newman will have to go to a backup for the second straight week. Credit: Nick Laham/Getty Images

Newman finds wall again, forced to backup at PIR

AVONDALE, Ariz -- For the second week in a row, leading an on-track session is little more than a consolation prize for Ryan Newman.

Newman led Friday's final practice for Sunday's Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway, but hit the inside wall hard in Turn 3 in the closing minutes of the session and will have to qualify a backup car when the field is set Saturday at 1:10 p.m. ET.

Carl Edwards and the No. 99 team are going for a third consecutive win. Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images

Checker Auto Parts 500 1st Practice Speeds Pos. Driver Speed Time 1. G. Biffle 130.213 27.647 2. C. Edwards 130.142 27.662 3. M. Kenseth 129.987 27.695 4. T. Kvapil 129.983 27.696 5. R. Gordon 129.945 27.704 6. K. Harvick 129.814 27.732 7. J. Johnson 129.795 27.736 8. M. Martin 129.674 27.762 9. D. Blaney 129.590 27.780 10. R. Newman 129.543 27.790 • Complete Speeds, click here Happy Hour Speeds Pos. Driver Speed Time 1. R. Newman 133.210 27.025 2. J. Nemechek 132.256 27.220 3. B. Labonte 131.540 27.368 4. R. Wallace 131.449 27.387 5. D. Hamlin 131.238 27.431 6. C. Edwards 131.205 27.438 7. B. Hamilton 131.085 27.463 8. B. Vickers 131.081 27.464 9. G. Biffle 131.009 27.479 10. Ky. Busch 131.000 27.481 • Complete Speeds, click here

"There's no need for me to comment about what happened on the track," Newman said. "Just look at the replay on TV and paraphrase it."

Earlier Friday, Newman nearly foreshadowed the contact when he described the track.

"This track is totally unique in [Turns] 1 and 2 versus 3 and 4," Newman said. "The banking, the radius, the ark, the way the wall transistions in and out. It's a very unique racetrack, no other one like it.

"Probably the closest to it is Darlington minus the banking and the Southern hospitality."

Newman won the Bud Pole for last week's race at Texas Motor Speedway, but wrecked his No. 12 Dodge on his second lap and was forced to start a backup car from the rear of the field. He finished 25th in that event.

Since the No. 12 team had to go to a backup car, and more specifically a backup engine for the remainder of the weekend, Newman will have to start from the rear of the field again Sunday.

Mutual admiration society

Even Carl Edwards doesn't think Carl Edwards has the inside track on winning Sunday. Still, Friday's practice speeds seem to indicate that he's definitely a car to watch.

Edwards was second-fastest in the day's first practice at 27.662 seconds, an average speed of 130.142 mph. He was sixth in the day's final practice at 27.438/131.205.

Greg Biffle led the day's first practice at 27.647/130.213.

Edwards, who enters the weekend 77 points out of the lead for the Nextel Cup title, believes that of the drivers battling for the Nextel Cup championship, it's actually leader Tony Stewart that may have the advantage Sunday.

"He ran his first race here, I think, in 1993 in a Silver Crown car and I had never raced a car in 1993," Edwards said. "So he's got an advantage, but races can go any way.

"We were faster than him in the spring, (Edwards finished seventh in April, Stewart was 33rd). It's probably just because we had our car set up better, but I would say Tony probably has the advantage coming into Phoenix. That's just the way it is."

Stewart struggled a fair amount in both practices Friday. He was 25th in the opening session at 28.026/128.452. He was slightly better in the late session, clocking in 23rd at 27.630/130.293.

The points leader has finished in the top 10 in 18 of his last 20 starts. He said that type of consistency is a credit, not only to his team, but to the other teams in the sport.

"It seems like when you find a piece of the equation that works for you, it seems like that works for you in a lot of places," Stewart said. "That's a compliment to our sport that it's getting so technical and everybody is that refined and precise with what's going on."

And that includes Edwards.

"I think he's done a great job, obviously," Stewart said. "He's such a breath of fresh air to the sport because I don't think that kid has a care in the world about anything. And I wish I could be a lot more like him. It's nice to see a guy that absolutely is enjoying every aspect of his life right now.

"I think that's an advantage to you as a driver, when you can sit there and not be stressed out and worried about things that are going on. It lets you enjoy what you're doing more and the results come with that."

Johnson hot and cold

Jimmie Johnson, who sits second in the championship picture, 38 points behind Stewart, was seventh in Friday's first practice at 27.736/129.795 and dipped to 19th in the final practice at 27.660/130.152.

Johnson expects track position to play a key role Sunday.

"So with that in mind, that aero game still comes into play," Johnson said. "So you need a lot of torque to get up off the corners. It's always been a track where there's not a lot of grip that the driver really has to work for. So I don't know if it's going to be a huge advantage for anyone."