Newman has five top-10 finishes in 2006. Credit: Autostock

Conversation: Newman

SPEEDWAY, Ind. -- After what happened between Ryan Newman and Tony Stewart at Loudon -- the two clashed on-track, sending Stewart to the garage -- it is hard to imagine Newman getting an invite to fish on Stewart's property.

But that is exactly what happened last week. Their feud had a shelf life of about an hour.

Credit: Autostock

Aside from his time on the water, it hasn't been a relaxing season for Newman. Since finishing third in the season-opening Daytona 500, Newman has scored just one top-five.

Newman spoke to NASCAR.COM just before the Allstate 400 at The Brickyard.

Q: Ryan, can you talk about the notion of a lack of drivers available in the Nextel Cup Series?

Newman: I don't think there is a big crop of up-and-coming talent. Nothing against anyone in the Busch Series, but there is not anyone in the Busch Series doing well except a guy like David Gilliland, who won a race.

From what I understand, the trucks are the easiest to drive, the Busch cars are a little bit harder and the Cup cars are the hardest. Team owners are very understanding of that. There may be a shortage of drivers, but either way, I will take it the way it is.

Q: Where will these guys come from?

Newman: I think open wheel is still a great learning and proving ground. It is important for a driver to experience many types of tracks and cars. Dirt, pavement, that type of things, instead of being South Boston track champion, I don't think that necessarily carries over as much as an [open wheel] national champion.

Q: Didn't you guys have some major changes on your pit crew?

Newman: Yes, we had a couple of changes. Jackman change, couple of other things, but everything is fine.

Q: Not a big deal?

Newman: Oh, it's a big deal. Just trying to work through everything.

Q: When you guys ran the Intrepid earlier this year, did it set your team back and stretch it thin?

Newman: No, not at all. We still took the best racecar to the racetrack and we still feel it was the best racecar in the tunnel for us.

Q: Weren't you supposed to go fishing with Tony Stewart on Thursday?

Newman: I fished at his pond, but I didn't fish with him. I talked him on the phone while I was fishing at his pond. He had some other things he had to do.

Q: You had a run-in with Tony just last month at Loudon. Does that mean that we, the media, blow those incidents out of proportion?

Newman: Sometimes yes, sometimes no. I wouldn't say it was blown up, but sometimes y'all can get a little carried away with some of the feuds that we have.

Q: So you just pulled up to his property and fished in his pond?

Newman: Well, we talked about it at Pocono. He is cool with it. We enjoyed it. We have a lot of common interests, both in racing and in the outdoors.

Q: Have you seen Talladega Nights yet?

Newman: No.

Q: So you've been spending a lot of time dealing with animal rescue in the Gulf Coast?

Newman: Krissie has been more of a part of that than I have. She went down just recently, about three weeks ago.

They have a new rig called the Big Fix rig, it's for spaying and neutering animals. She can tell you a lot more about that than I can. We are just trying to do what we can for that area, just trying to help with their overpopulation.

Q: Did she come back with some bad stories about the trouble down there?

Newman: Yes, just the fact that it is really not any better. I mean, it is getting better, but not as it should be, and they are still finding animals and things like that from the Katrina situation almost a year ago. It is not a good thing, but it is getting better.

Q: Are two-car teams, even with the resources of Penske Racing, at a disadvantage?

Newman: I wouldn't think it is a huge disadvantage. It is more about the strength of the people than it is the quantity of the teams. I think you can be a stronger team with two teams than you can be with four if everything is going well. Four is fine, but if you have a headache, it is a big headache.

Q: Unleaded fuel. Big deal for NASCAR?

Newman: From an environment standpoint, it is a big deal, but with all the things that pollute throughout the year, we are a very, very small part of what could be better with pollution in America.