Ryan Newman: whether he's getting tangled up with teammate Rusty Wallace, winning the pole position—again—or speaking his mind about the Chase for the Nextel Cup format, Ryan Newman is worth paying attention to

Sporting News, The, Nov 29, 2004 by Lee Spencer

TSN: How would you size up the 2004 season for the No. 12 team?

NEWMAN: We've certainly had our ups and downs. I guess the highlight would be clinching the Bud Pole Award for the third year in a row for our team. That was big to be able to continue that streak. So was getting to victory lane. I just wish we could have been higher up in the points.

TSN: What goals did you set at the start of the season?

NEWMAN: After last year, we couldn't do anything but set our goals higher. We did do that, and we have achieved some of our goals but not all of them. In the end, the team has been consistent and strong and has stood beside each other through thick and thin. We're still all able to walk around with a smile on our face.

TSN: Now that you've been through the Chase, what have you learned that you will apply in the future? Will you change your testing strategy?

NEWMAN: We had to test the way we did just to get into the Chase because we were struggling for a while. Once we got in the Chase, we were strong. We just didn't have the results. I crashed at Kansas. We lost an engine at Loudon. There were a couple of pivotal races where we had a car that was capable of winning. And then there was the deal at Charlotte (Newman was caught up in a wreck while running second and finished 14th). To have the problems that we've had and still be as close as we've been is a testament to the team.

TSN: What do you think of this team's ability to come back from adversity?

NEWMAN: It's not that we fall apart and have to pull ourselves together; it's just that we pull together and make ourselves stronger yet. We've never fallen apart. We've been together for three years and have had very, very few personnel changes.

TSN: Is this where you thought you would be after your first three years in Cup?

NEWMAN: I wish actually that we could have won the championship already, which would have put me in a category with Dale Earnhardt Sr. We've definitely had a lot of success--especially with qualifying. No matter what you're doing, as long as you leave your mark, that's what's important.

TSN: What weaknesses will you address in the offseason?

NEWMAN: Consistency is one thing. Working on the new 2005 Dodge is another. That's a gray area that we need to turn black or white. That's pretty much it.

TSN: Have you track-tested the new Charger or taken it to the wind tunnel?

NEWMAN: We'll do that the week after Homestead.

TSN: Does your engineering background give you an advantage, especially with all the changes to the bodies and tires lately?

NEWMAN: I won't necessarily say it's an advantage, but the potential is there. A lot of people only understand certain aspects of the car, but if you can understand the specifics of a situation, then you can be further ahead. That's where the engineering gives us an advantage.

TSN: Is there anything positive about your relationship with teammate Rusty Wallace?

NEWMAN: We can skip that question.