NASCAR TOUR HEADS OUT TO DELAWARE "THE MONSTER MILE!"

Last weeks race was fairly un-eventful for our driver. It would of been befitting seeing the Army #39 in Victory Lane but that did not happen.

Dover is a track Ryan has had great PAST success at. He has won there 3 times with 4 poles. But, with his current race team. It's been a coin toss that has landed on the wrong side more often than not!

Newman's Dover numbers since 2009 look like this. STARTS OF:3/11/13/6/28/20
FINISHES OF:10/8/8/13/21/23

When checking for the pulse of this team. I find it to be erratic at best. Is there any improvement? I can't tell? I know one thing for sure. They are like a box of chocolates!

Nascar practice will be this Friday at 11AM(ET) and 2:45PM(ET) and qualifying Saturday at NOON(ET). The race is Sunday 12:30PM(ET)

Ryan J. Newman is currently tied in points with Paul Menard but is awarded the 13TH spot due to his one win so far this racing season! He also has NO poles so far.

I realize many of you readers out there in blog land want to hear good news only and I wish I could "candy coat" every race in print. But, I prefer to speak the truth and nothing but the truth with a little thrown in humor. That's just my writing style I guess.

Ryan Newman is in "no way" an average Nascar driver and we all know this. He's intellectual and with dry humor and has a "smokin hot" wife!(just my observation Ryan) But he can be made to look like an average driver with an average race team and crew chief. That is NOT acceptable to me or any of his fans! It can't be his race cars folks so what's left? Sorry to bring up this topic again.

Please feel free as always to post your feelings on ANYTHING on any one of my posts. You can't possibly hurt my feelings in any way!

... and has a "smokin hot" wife!(just my observation Ryan)

Notice your one comment that I picked up on. I agree 110%, BTW.

it is clear some of the tony fans do not like when the ryan fans criticize the 39 team, for whatever reason they feel its a dig on tony, and that is what getting boring not the subject, it would be fun to debate the issues of the team
its obvious nothing is going to change on the 39 team, so its just time to watch the comedy of errors hit its high stride during the summer months, ill be there sunday,

... and has a "smokin hot" wife!(just my observation Ryan)

Notice your one comment that I picked up on. I agree 110%, BTW.

How can you not HH!

When I met Ryan back in 2002 in Michigan at his first Fan Day. I spoke with his mother Diane and I said,"Who is that cute girl with Ryan at the signing table?" Diane said,"That's Ryan's girl friend he met through Don Miller."(Penske VP) I was like,"You lucky dog"......then Ryan was back on the lead lap! Seriously, Krissie is such a sweetheart and very easy on the eyes you will agree!

Seriously, Krissie is such a sweetheart and very easy on the eyes you will agree!

Not only easy, but a down-right PLEASURE on the eyes. As I've said before, the kind of girl you WANT to bring home to meet mama.

I would love to meet her in person

Krissy is a pretty good looking girl. Ryan got real lucky with her.

Ryan's been great at Dover, it is probably his best track with three wins, one if which he lead over 300 laps in.

But SHR is just kind of off right now. Tony is inconsistent. One week he is contending for the win, the next he is outside the top 20. Ryan's best finish since he won was the 600 when he finished 14th.

The summer months should be good to SHR though. And this is the last race for Fox this year .

I dread Dover. It's not Tony's best track, especially of late, and yes it is disappointing to think that Ryan's past success there has not continued.

I'm primarily a Tony fan but I don't mind at all hearing criticism of Ryan's team. He is a much better driver than his results from the past 3 years. I like Tony Gibson quite a bit personally but at this point I have to feel that he is at least part of the problem. There is just something missing with the team. I am becoming frustrated that, as far as we know at least, there are not being steps taken to make changes and try to improve Ryan's team. No move that could be made would be as difficult personally or as much open to scrutiny as Tony's replacement of Darian was. KWIM? I just don't understand why some kind of change hasn't happened. It seems to me that enough time has passed with a situation that isn't "clicking" with the 39 team that something should be brewing by now.

Here is my issue with the criticism. Tony and Gene Haas pay Ryan millions each season to drive the 39 car. They spend their money and their sponsors money to race. To say that they are being ignored is insulting. The thing about Darian being fired is that Tony didn't want him anymore. Ryan still wants Gibson. That is also the difference between Tony being a series champion and Ryan not. Before I hear the "oh good owners make changes" all teams operate differently. I think SHR is a team where they cater to what the driver says. If Ryan wants Gibson gone, he is gone. But Ryan for all we know is happy with the group of people on his team. Is Gibson out of his league? Yes. But maybe it is something Ryan needs to work on. How to go from good to great.

Ryan's performance over the last three seasons has been closer to where he has normally performed. Not as good as 2002 to 2005, but way better then 2006 to 2008. Got to be realistic about expectations. Ryan is a good driver, but other then 2003, he usually wins one or two races a season. Not everyone is going to be a championship contender. Someone has to be ninth. Ryan's mo is sixth thru 15th really.

People take for granted just how hard cup is. Having won a race already and being 13th in points and to consider that struggling is a good thing in a way. Look at Jeff Gordon he is 22nd in points and he has a little over 5 times the wins Ryan has.

I've said this before and I've said this again, all drivers know their place in the sport. Ryan knows that he won't be remembered as one of the greats. But a good hard nosed driver who did his best. 16 career wins, 45 (I think) poles, and a Daytona 500 and is 47th on the all time wins list. That is a career to be more then proud of.

I think everyone can agree that SHR needs to go back to the drawing board on all cars. I don't know why the adjustability is not there. I don't know anything about dialing in a car to fit the driver's needs, but neither car seems to have that anymore. It is like they are just throwing darts with a blindfold on! They do something and the car reacts oppositely from what it should I haven't seen" Dr. Who," the shock guy in a long time. When he was in the garage with Tony and Ryan things ran better. We need the Dr.!!!

I think Smokeshow14 and LeslieO both have brought up some interesting points. I welcome all Stewart fans because the Newman crowd is fairly small on here unfortunately.

Since none of us really knows the inner workings of S/H other than our own personal opinions or observations. All we can do is speculate.

Your right SS14! Newman is well payed and has been well payed for many, many years. I just wonder by knowing that if Newman "isn't" that hungry race car driver we once knew? But I don't see it as "the drivers" fault as we all know. More his crew! If he's happy and content with TG as his crew chief well........then I guess we can't expect any better results than we are seeing currently!

Understand, I'm just trying to get some conversation going on here about Newman. I don't expect him to win every race or pole. 2003 has come and gone I realize that. It's just you don't read/see/hear squat as far as any changes being made to Team #39 so that means THEY are happy with their results right?

I'm sure Tony Gibson is a great guy and Ryan likes him a lot......BUT......how does that translate on the track as far as racing success? Newman's struggling with sponsors. He must realize you won't impress any new sponsors by finishing 15Th-25TH with a clueless Crew Chief! Makes you wonder how those non-elite teams get any sponsors?

When Mike Ford was out of the picture for so long, I thought for sure something was brewing, but I guessed very wrong. Mike Ford would have been a great asset to the whole team, look what he did for Petty in such a short time. Certainly he knew all the people at SHR. Now I just don't know? I so want Ryan to do well!

When Mike Ford was out of the picture for so long, I thought for sure something was brewing, but I guessed very wrong. Mike Ford would have been a great asset to the whole team, look what he did for Petty in such a short time. Certainly he knew all the people at SHR. Now I just don't know? I so want Ryan to do well!

Great to see you posting here Annalee!

I also want to see Ryan hoist that Championship Trophy some day? That's why I'm so passionate as far as Newman getting the very best effort out of his two owners!

I will admit I was a Tony Stewart fan back in 2002 along with Ryan. Ryan was my primary race car driver if you will. I saw Stewart as a young brash/aggressive sort of MidWest American driver from Indiana. Not one of the "good old boys" from the southern hemisphere who's daddy was a moon shine runner. Nothing at all wrong with those southern boys but I'm from the north!

Chevyfan you make some good points. It is easy for a driver to get too comfy and complacent in their situation (Juan Pablo Montoya anyone?). But I think Ryan still has the fire. I loved one of his interviews after he won at Martinsville when he half jokingly said "glad to be finally contributing at SHR." He is actually pretty young for someone who is in their 11th season so he still is hungry.

I think in this day in age in NASCAR the car does make the difference more then the driver. But it does take some racing luck too. I wouldn't call Ryan the hard luck driver (except at plate track he used his luck up in the 500), but you to have things go your way sometimes.

I don't think the 39 team is happy with their results. But remember that the 39 was the 8 car at DEI when Mark Martin and Aric Almrola was the driver. So most of the folks on that team have been working with each other six seasons now.

I get what your saying about Gibson 100%. Dale Jr had the same issue with Eury Jr and Lance McGrew (though he couldn't finish top 20 or win a race with either). They may be great friends, but are they great to work with? I think Ryan believes and wants to make it work with Gibson. Now it is a matter of if the theory can apply to reality.

I think Smokeshow14 and LeslieO both have brought up some interesting points. I welcome all Stewart fans because the Newman crowd is fairly small on here unfortunately.

Since none of us really knows the inner workings of S/H other than our own personal opinions or observations. All we can do is speculate.

Your right SS14! Newman is well payed and has been well payed for many, many years. I just wonder by knowing that if Newman "isn't" that hungry race car driver we once knew? But I don't see it as "the drivers" fault as we all know. More his crew! If he's happy and content with TG as his crew chief well........then I guess we can't expect any better results than we are seeing currently!

Understand, I'm just trying to get some conversation going on here about Newman. I don't expect him to win every race or pole. 2003 has come and gone I realize that. It's just you don't read/see/hear squat as far as any changes being made to Team #39 so that means THEY are happy with their results right?

I'm sure Tony Gibson is a great guy and Ryan likes him a lot......BUT......how does that translate on the track as far as racing success? Newman's struggling with sponsors. He must realize you won't impress any new sponsors by finishing 15Th-25TH with a clueless Crew Chief! Makes you wonder how those non-elite teams get any sponsors?

Well, they have had a reasonable amount of success and have done a real solid job of adding news sponsors. Outback, Aspen Dental & Quicken Loans are all new this year and this year has been the best year by far as far as Ryan's car being close to fully sponsored.

That being said, I would have gotten rid of TG after last year. If the standard and ultimate goal is to win a championhip, TG is not the guy to lead the 39 team. Being as technical of a crew chief that Darian is along with Ryan's engineering background I would have thought they might have worked together fairly well. Sliding Darian over to the 39 would have been the way I would have went. Just to knowledgable to let him leave the organization entirely in my opinion.

Well, they have had a reasonable amount of success and have done a real solid job of adding news sponsors. Outback, Aspen Dental & Quicken Loans are all new this year and this year has been the best year by far as far as Ryan's car being close to fully sponsored.

That being said, I would have gotten rid of TG after last year. If the standard and ultimate goal is to win a championhip, TG is not the guy to lead the 39 team. Being as technical of a crew chief that Darian is along with Ryan's engineering background I would have thought they might have worked together fairly well. Sliding Darian over to the 39 would have been the way I would have went. Just to knowledgable to let him leave the organization entirely in my opinion.

My thoughts exactly Weachter78!