Newman closes in as Busch tries to climb out

Ryan Newman has been pretty consistent the past two weeks. At both Dover and Pocono he started from the pole, and each time he finished second.

The back-to-back runner-up finishes have Newman 13th in points, the position in the standings he held before engine failure at Lowe's Motor Speedway dropped him to 18th. In fact, the 39th-place finish in the Coca-Cola 600 is his only blemish in the past six races.

"We've been running so well," said Newman, who is just 22 points behind 12th-place Mark Martin. "The last two weeks at Dover and Pocono have been really good for our team and we know we're on the cusp of getting that next win and I think these last two weeks, our team has proved that we're capable of getting there, we just need to complete the deal."

Five of Newman's top-10s this season have come since Talladega. He has three top-fives in his past four starts. And he's headed to Michigan International Speedway, which the South Bend, Ind., native considers his home track, for the Citizens Bank 400 (12:30 p.m. ET Sunday, TNT).

"Michigan is my favorite track to race at," said Newman, a two-time winner there. "You can have really good side-by-side racing there and it's a fast track."

Newman set the track qualifying record in June 2005 when he sped around the 2-mile oval at 194.232 mph (37.069 seconds). The driver dubbed "Rocketman" has 41 career poles including four this year. He has started first the past three races; now he wants to finish first.

"We are so close to getting our next win and it would be awesome to get that win at Michigan," said Newman, who hasn't won since September 2005 at New Hampshire, a span of 59 races.

"We've done it here before and this Alltel Dodge team has been working so hard and given me really fast racecars. I think we're definitely capable of winning this weekend."

For Newman, a win at Michigan is always special but it would hold extra meaning this Sunday.

"I have a lot of great memories here," Newman said. "My dad used to take me up there when I was younger to watch the races before NASCAR came to Indianapolis and so it's got a special meaning to me and it would be great to get my next win there this weekend and give my dad a great Father's Day gift."

As Newman continues to climb closer to the top 12 in points, his Penske Racing teammate is trying to dig himself out of a hole. (Continued)