Newman Reflects on Rookie Success
Leading the Winston Cup Rookie Of the Year Competition, Indiana’s Ryan
Newman can afford to look back on the 2002 campaign with nothing but pride
and a sense of accomplishment.“Pressure is something you put on somebody
else, not something you put on your self”, notes Newman in commenting on
the demands of competing in NASCARS top series.
Newman, who stormed into the series with Penske Racing, has re-defined
the concept of being a rookie. With a win at the Winston, (NASCAR's all star event), a win at New Hampshire, five poles and fourteen top five finishes Newman has placed him self in the NASCAR points battle, currently sitting fourth 225 points behind series leader Tony Stewart.
The twenty-four year old appears unshakable as he graces the speedway,
handling the pressure and demands like a seasoned veteran. Understanding the demands seem to be one of Newman’s strengths, something that is reflected in his success as a top qualifier. “To me when I go out to qualify, and I am the only one on the race track, with everyone watching
you, you have to focus so hard on what you have to do. It’s not that I
get nervous, it’s that you have to focus so hard, you just have to take
a step back and take a deep breath”.
Teamed with veteran Rusty Wallace, Newman has shined, while Wallace
having logging strong runs has failed to win a race since California 2001. A footnote that jeopardizes Wallace’s sixteen-year streak of winning at least one race per season. “It seems a lot of times things come in streaks, if you look at Gordon and the streak that he had, then all of a sudden he came out and spanked our butts two times in a row. Rusty’s
time is coming”, said Newman.
“Rusty has taught me a lot about short tracks and that is a big part
of our success”. Looking ahead to future success, how does Newman view
that overall hunt for a championship in years to come? “The bottom line
is that we go out here and do or best every week, the Championship is just
a performance based on every week. We do the best we can as hard as we
can, and where we end up on Sunday is just where we end up.”
Newman’s season has not been all successful, early motor problems at
the team-limited performance in the seasons opening races. “It was frustrating, but not as much as you
might think. Our performance was there, it just didn’t show it with the
type of finishes we had because of mechanical failures.”
Putting those problems behind, the team is clearly focused, and has
made an indelible impact on the world of racing. This is one “Young Gun” that is not likely to mis-fire.
