RYAN NEWMAN (No. 12 ALLTELL/WEGA Dodge
Intrepid) -
Note: Ryan Newman won MBNA's Mid-Race Leader Award en route to his
second victory of 2003 earlier this year at Dover. MBNA awarded him
a total of $30,000 for the feat. Today, any race-winner who also
earns the MBNA Mid-Race Leader Award will net a total of $70,000.
"First of all, with the whole weather issue I think some people are
happy and some people are upset. Some people want to qualify, and
some people don't. We would like to have qualified, especially after
getting the pole here in June. But, we can't beat Mother Nature when
it comes to getting the pole. We just came in on Friday night, and
came here ready for practice on Saturday morning, which is something
I've never done. I don't know if any of the guys have ever done
that, or if this situation has ever happened before, but we just
kind of took it for what it was and went with it. The car was pretty
good in both practices, and that's pretty much it.
"This is the same car we had here in the spring. It's also the same
car that we won with at Michigan and Chicago, so it's definitely a
good car. We've got it repainted with a special paint scheme from
Sony on top of our ALLTEL Dodge. It's a different paint scheme, and
this is the one race we're doing with Sony.
On power-steering not being a problem this race...
"I hope so. That was really a handful. I think it was the last 180
laps here in the spring race. We had a really good car, and losing
power-steering is like having somebody reaching over and trying to
do whatever you don't want to do with the steering wheel - as far as
turning it the opposite way you want to go. You've really got to
work extra hard at it. It was fun, but it wasn't fun.
On yellow-flag rule revisions in effect during Busch race...
"I think what they're doing is the right thing from a safety
perspective. They've even admitted that as far as working the bugs
out of it that there are going to be some things that might be
criticized along the way. But, they're trying to be considerate of
everybody. I think the only hiccup is going to be around the car
that gets its lap back each caution. Other than that, it's pretty
cut and dry. When the yellow flag comes out, you don't race back. It
doesn't matter. From what I understand, when the yellow comes out
people are locked in, and if you pass you're susceptible to a
penalty. How are they going to lock people in? I guess by eyeball is
the way they're doing it. I know that they're working on some
systems, as far as electronically, to make that happen. The
technology is here, but it's just not here yet. Talladega is a
special scenario. We'll see how it happens here and if the same
rules even apply to Talladega.
"If you're on the lead lap and you're trying to keep cars a lap
down, or if you're a lap down and trying to get back on the lead
lap, you can be a little bit more considerate and cautious. But
you'll see, and you have seen, that the guys that are a lap down are
wide-open and trying to get their lap back. That was the dangerous
part of it. It was never usually the lead lap cars that cause the
safety issues. It was the lap-down cars. I have nothing against
those drivers though, because I've been one of them before. I think
the last time I was in that situation, racing back a lap down, was
at Las Vegas. I came off of turn four when Junior was leading, and
there was a wall of smoke. I would have gotten my lap back had I not
lifted, but I decided to lift from a safety perspective and it cost
me not getting my lap back. There's situations like that where I
could've gone wide-open through it and got my lap back 15 laps
sooner and maybe have had a different shot at winning the race. But
I chose the safe route. It's tough.
"I've talked to John Darby about that, and the way that works is if
somebody does spin somebody out and they were up to get their lap
back, they will not get their lap back. Again, it's a fairy
legitimate call by NASCAR.
"I think we've had a great season from a win-perspective and a
'sitting on the pole'-perspective. I'm not mad a NASCAR about the
points system or anything else. It's the same system that we had
last year, and nobody had any problem with it then. Matt Kenseth has
done an awesome job at what he's doing. We've missed on some things
and they count all 36 races, not 30.
On strategy for Talladega...
"Hang on. That's really all you can do, just hang on when you get in
those situations. When you're up front at those racetracks it's a
piece of cake - anybody can drive those cars. But when you're in the
back and you're trying to get to the front and there's no air on the
car, it's really a handful. Talladega is a lot less susceptible to
the handful part of it than Daytona is. But still, three or
four-wide at a racetrack like that can be pretty wild. You just go
in it and do the best job you can. You've got to hang on. I'm not
trying to be smart, I'm just being realistic.
On future spoiler changes...
"I haven't tested them, no. I think what they're doing is trying to
go in the right direction, as far as slowing the cars down
aerodynamically and at the same time giving them a little more
throttle response. It's something that's super, super hard to do
with these cars now because they're making so much horsepower,
they're basically cutting them in half for those racetracks. I don't
know. It's just basically a trial and error test to see if it works.
On racing with Tony Stewart who was one lap down in the last
Dover race...
"Let me clarify that. He had gotten a lap down through his own fault
in the pits. It wasn't a cut tire or anything else. He was right
behind me coming back to the yellow, and I gave him the bottom line
through turns three and four and he wasn't able to pass me. So, I
gave him the opportunity to race me back and he didn't beat me back
to the line. So, I gave him full opportunity to get his lap back,
which he lost himself.
On repeating as the MBNA Mid-Race Leader Award winner at Dover...
"It'd be nice. I think it's cool what (MBNA) has done with the
award. A lot of series don't reward the mid-race leader, and then
they double up for the race winner. This is something that I know
used to happen a lot in USAC, sprint cars and Silver Crown racing.
People used to sponsor each lap. There was a big bonus for the
halfway point, and then obviously they had the big check at the end.
I think it's cool, and it's something that you haven't forgot in the
history of racing."
Today's Starting line-up (based on
points since qualifying was rained out)
|
Pos.
|
Car
|
Driver
|
Make
|
Sponsor
|
Speed
|
Time
|
Behind
|
|
1
|
#17
|
Matt Kenseth
|
Ford
|
DeWalt Power Tools
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
2
|
#8
|
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
|
Chevrolet
|
Budweiser
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
3
|
#29
|
Kevin Harvick
|
Chevrolet
|
GM Goodwrench Service
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
4
|
#48
|
Jimmie Johnson
|
Chevrolet
|
Lowe's
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
5
|
#12
|
Ryan Newman
|
Dodge
|
ALLTEL
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
6
|
#24
|
Jeff Gordon
|
Chevrolet
|
DuPont
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
7
|
#97
|
Kurt Busch
|
Ford
|
Rubbermaid
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
8
|
#18
|
Bobby Labonte
|
Chevrolet
|
Interstate Batteries
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
9
|
#5
|
Terry Labonte
|
Chevrolet
|
Kellogg's/got milk?
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
10
|
#15
|
Michael Waltrip
|
Chevrolet
|
NAPA Auto Parts
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
11
|
#20
|
Tony Stewart
|
Chevrolet
|
Home Depot
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
12
|
#31
|
Robby Gordon
|
Chevrolet
|
Cingular Wireless
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
13
|
#99
|
Jeff Burton
|
Ford
|
CITGO
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
14
|
#2
|
Rusty Wallace
|
Dodge
|
Miller Lite
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
15
|
#9
|
Bill Elliott
|
Dodge
|
Dodge Dealers
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
16
|
#6
|
Mark Martin
|
Ford
|
Viagra
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
17
|
#40
|
Sterling Marlin
|
Dodge
|
Coors Light
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
18
|
#42
|
Jamie McMurray*
|
Dodge
|
Havoline
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
19
|
#16
|
Greg Biffle*
|
Ford
|
Grainger
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
20
|
#38
|
Elliott Sadler
|
Ford
|
M&M's
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
21
|
#22
|
Ward Burton
|
Dodge
|
Caterpillar
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
22
|
#32
|
Ricky Craven
|
Pontiac
|
Tide
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
23
|
#21
|
Ricky Rudd
|
Ford
|
Motorcraft Quality Parts
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
24
|
#25
|
Joe Nemechek
|
Chevrolet
|
UAW/Delphi
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
25
|
#19
|
Jeremy Mayfield
|
Dodge
|
Dodge Dealers
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
26
|
#10
|
Johnny Benson
|
Pontiac
|
Valvoline
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
27
|
#88
|
Dale Jarrett
|
Ford
|
UPS
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
28
|
#77
|
Dave Blaney
|
Ford
|
Jasper Engines & Transmissions
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
29
|
#7
|
Jimmy Spencer
|
Dodge
|
Sirius Satellite Radio
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
30
|
#1
|
John Andretti
|
Chevrolet
|
Pennzoil
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
31
|
#23
|
Kenny Wallace
|
Dodge
|
Stacker 2
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
32
|
#30
|
Steve Park
|
Chevrolet
|
America Online
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
33
|
#154
|
Todd Bodine
|
Ford
|
National Guard
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
34
|
#01
|
Mike Skinner
|
Pontiac
|
U.S. Army
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
35
|
#41
|
Casey Mears*
|
Dodge
|
Target
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
36
|
#45
|
Kyle Petty
|
Dodge
|
Georgia Pacific
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
37
|
#0
|
Jason Leffler
|
Pontiac
|
NetZero HiSpeed
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
38
|
#49
|
Ken Schrader
|
Dodge
|
BAM Racing
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
39
|
#74
|
Tony Raines*
|
Chevrolet
|
Staff America
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
40
|
#4
|
Kevin Lepage
|
Pontiac
|
Kodak
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
41
|
#43
|
Jeff Green
|
Dodge
|
Cheerios
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
42
|
#37
|
Derrike Cope
|
Chevrolet
|
Friendly's/GBR Online
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
43
|
#02
|
Hermie Sadler
|
Pontiac
|
TBA
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
N/A
|
|
|
|
Did not Qualify
|
|
44
|
#150
|
Larry Foyt*
|
Dodge
|
Harrah's
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
45
|
#27
|
Scott Wimmer
|
Chevrolet
|
Bill Davis Racing
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
46
|
#189
|
Morgan Shepherd
|
Ford
|
Racing With Jesus
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
47
|
#79
|
Billy Bigley
|
Dodge
|
Arnold Development Companies
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
48
|
#44
|
Christian Fittipaldi
|
Dodge
|
Bugles
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
|
49
|
#71
|
Tim Sauter
|
Chevrolet
|
TBA
|
-
|
-
|
-
|
The author can be contacted
nascar@autoracing1.com
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