Ryan Newman, another future star driver!!!

[Joe Fan]

He won the Coca-Cola 600 pole at Charlotte this weekend as a rookie and won the pole at the extremely tough Darlington track in the Busch Series. This kid is going to be one hell of a driver when he gets some experience. He will run part-time this year at the Cup level then full-time next year. It seems that USAC sprint car racing is an excellent training ground for Winston Cup, just look at Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart. I think sprint car racing prepares these drivers for the car control necessary to race low downforce Cup cars.

[Lee]

OK Joe, whats up with this? Are you trying to find topics that I disagree with you on?

Seriously, I don't think Newman is anywhere near ready for Winston Cup. Since the 90s, a rookie winning pole positions is nothing unusual. Bobby LaBonte, Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr, Matt Kenseth, Jeff Burton, all won poles in their rookie years. Loy Allen Jr won the pole position in his very first Winston Cup race, in 1994, and it was for the Daytona 500! Newman is an extreamly reckless driver, with no regard for others on the track! He carries all of the arrogance from his open-wheel background, and shows no remorse that his actions have torn un numerous other competitors cars, such as his purposly wrecking the leader in the ARCA race last year! His head is as big as one of the tires on his car! NASCAR obviously agrees with this as they placed him on a year's probation for his boneheaded reckless driving, and attitude, in the Busch Series! Eldon Sawyer, Jeff Green, and several other drivers had their own "discussion", the old stock car way, with him after his careless, and reckless driving wiped out several cars at Rockingham. He proved, very quickly, that he does not yet possess the required skill to handle a Winston Cup car by wrecking himself on the eleventh or so lap at Charlotte last night! In short, he might one day become a star, but there are quite a few things that he will have to learn first. Two of the biggest lessons that he will have to learn are humility, and respect for the other competitors on the track, otherwise, he will have an extreamly hard row to hoe!

[Joe Fan]

Lee, I think you are being a little harsh on Newman. I am not informed as to what precipated his Busch incident but I got news for you, coming from sprint cars with a guarantee of a Cup ride next year probably got those Busch boys all worked up. I doubt he was all the blame. I don't remember the ARCA incident you are talking about but he wouldn't be the first to pull that one, nor the last. The bottom line is that he is a very talented driver. He won the Daytona ARCA race, sat at the pole in the Busch Darlington race and then for the Coca Cola 600. Yes, he did spin but that is why Winston Cup racing is the toughest form of motorsport. You don't have a wing that produces 5000lbs of downforce like the open wheel cars, just a six inch spoiler, 1200 lbs of downforce and the driver.

BTW, I will be watching Ryan race this weekend at our new Kansas Speedway. I can't wait.

[marcus]

intersting stuff Lee..obviously i dont know anything about what Ryan has done in the past but from what i have seen this year he certainly can drive..ok sure he needs to get more experience and that will come..interesting that you have mentioned that a driver getting pole in their first year..look at the list you provided..definately all very good drivers so obviously Ryan holds some form of talent but as yet to be fullfilled.

you know more about his history than i do thats for sure ..but again i say what I have seen has been very impressive and i am becoming a fan of his very quickly.