NEWS ARTICLE
CRASH TAKES NEWMAN OUT OF CONTENTION AT PHOENIX
PHOENIX, Az. (Mar. 05, 2012) -- Ryan Newman looked to be a lock for a fifth consecutive top-10 finish at Phoenix International Raceway in the Subway Fresh Fit 500k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday. But 56 laps shy of the checkered flag, Newman was sent spinning into the turn four wall after contact with another car, relegating him and his Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team to a disappointing 21st-place finish.
Newman and Carl Edwards were racing side-by-side for fifth place when the incident occurred. Edwards slid up the track and tagged Newman's left rear quarter-panel, which caused the No. 39 WIX Filters Chevrolet to spin uncontrollably into the wall.
The contact caused extensive damage to the entire rear of Newman's racecar, ending a strong run at the desert oval. After repairs, Newman continued to the finish, two laps down.
"I'm 99 percent sure Carl Edwards didn't do that on purpose, but I trusted him and we ended up losing a lot today," Newman said. "I don't consider that a deliberate move by any means. We will go forward. We finished 21st today, and it was a hard-fought 21st after getting crashed. For these guys to come back with the WIX Filters Chevrolet as a backup car that was going for fourth or fifth or whatever we were there, I was really proud of them."
It was a long and difficult weekend for Newman and his No. 39 WIX Filters team. Newman crashed his primary car in practice Friday after getting what he said was "too aggressive" entering turn four. The practice crash forced Newman to a backup car for the race. With the exception of the two restrictor-plate tracks, it was the first time since Newman joined SHR in 2009 that a practice crash had forced him to a backup car. Quick work by the No. 39 crew got Newman back on track in final practice.
Newman proved his backup car was fast by qualifying sixth for the Subway Fresh Fit 500k.
Before his crash in Sunday's race, Newman battled with the handling of his racecar on the 1-mile oval. Tight handling caused Newman to fall back early. He managed to keep his car in the top-25 and on the lead lap, but he couldn't get the car to turn the way he needed to make up ground on the field.
The crew made a variety of chassis and air pressure adjustments at each opportunity. Unfortunately, a miscue on a pit stop at lap 110 led to a penalty for Newman and his No. 39 WIX Filters team. Newman left the box with the gas can still attached to the car. He was sent to the tail end of the longest line for having pit equipment outside of his pit box. Newman restarted the race in 26th place.
Despite the handling issues and pit stop problems, Newman was able to battle back into the top-10 thanks to pit strategy and a solid performance on the racetrack. Newman pitted for what would have been his final stop at lap 227 for left side tires and fuel. Crew chief Tony Gibson promptly told his driver to save fuel.
Newman was confident he was saving enough fuel, while also moving up in the field. The No. 39 Chevy was in sixth place when Edwards made contact with Newman on lap 256 and sent his car hurtling into the outside wall in turn four. Newman had to enter the pits twice so the crew could pull out the fenders and tape down the car's decklid. The extensive damage ended Newman's run for yet another solid finish in the "Valley of the Sun."
His teammate and team co-owner, Tony Stewart, finished 22nd after a mid-race engine issue caused him to lose two laps in the No. 14 Mobil 1/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala for SHR.
Denny Hamlin won the Subway Fresh Fit 500k to score his 18th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his first at Phoenix.
Kevin Harvick finished 7.315 seconds behind Hamlin in the runner-up spot, while Greg Biffle, Jimmie Johnson and Brad Keselowski rounded out the top-five. Kyle Busch, Martin Truex Jr., Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Joey Logano comprised the remainder of the top-10.
There were seven caution periods for 37 laps, with 10 drivers failing to finish the 312-lap race around the 1-mile oval.
With round two of 36 complete, Stewart leads the SHR duo in the championship point standings. He is 15th with 52 points, 37 behind series leader Hamlin. Newman stands 18th with 46 points, 43 out of first.
The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Kobalt Tools 400 on Sunday, March 11 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The race starts at 3 p.m. EST, with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 2:30 p.m.
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