Sunday, June 08, 2008
Race 14 of 36
TNT 12:30 p.m.

Chassis Notes

PRS-570: The No. 12 Kodak Dodge this weekend is the same car that Newman piloted to a sixth-place finish in the NASCAR All-Star race at Charlotte last month. That was the car's first race.
PRS-525: The No. 12 team tested the backup Kodak Dodge at Pocono Raceway last week. This car ran at California Speedway earlier this year (finished 10th) and at Phoenix International Raceway last November (finished fifth)

Pocono Raceway

Long Pond, PA

Track Facts

Banking/Turns: 14|8|6
Distance: 2.5 miles
Shape: Tri-oval
Pocono's unique 2.5-mile tri-oval features three turns, each with a different degree of banking, and three straights, each with a different length. This combination produces fender-to-fender action in the turns, 200 mph slingshots on the long straights and photo-finish endings.

Contact Information

P.O. Box 500
Long Pond, PA 18334
(800) 722-3929

Track Stats

NEWMAN STRUGGLES WITH HANDLING ISSUES, FINISHES 18th AT POCONO

LONG POND, Pa. (June 8, 2008) –Ryan Newman and the No. 12 Penske Racing Kodak Dodge team endured a variety of highs and lows in the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday afternoon. Newman ran as high as seventh on several occasions, but as various pit strategies played out at the end of the race, Newman was relegated to an 18th-place finish.

Newman is currently 14th in the NASCAR Cup point standings, 10 points shy of the 12th-place cutoff for the NASCAR Chase for the Cup.

"We struggled with the Kodak Dodge all weekend at Pocono," Newman said. "We were able to get the balance right during the race on a couple of different runs, but I had my hands full most of the day. The car would go from being tight to being wicked loose, and there were so many cars around me that I really couldn't go anywhere.

We've got our work cut out for us so that we can come back to Pocono in a few weeks and be a contender."

Newman started in 27th place at the 2.5-mile Pocono Raceway, one of the most unique tracks on the NASCAR Cup Series circuit with three very different corners. Soon after the drop of the green flag, Newman radioed that the car's handling was "wicked loose" all the way through turn one and loose in turn three, but that turn two at the triangle-shaped race track was his strength.

A caution at lap 27 gave the Kodak crew their first opportunity to work on the car. The team pitted for four tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment. Newman returned to the track in 24th place for the restart on lap 31.

The No. 12 was able to move up to 21st before the caution flag waved for a second time at lap 40. Newman reported to crew chief Roy McCauley that the car's balance was improved since the previous stop - he was able to pass other cars and pull away from them in the corners, but he'd lose the ground that he gained on the Long Pond straightaways.

The team pitted under the caution for right side tires and fuel and Newman returned to the track in 14th place. Back on track with two fresh tires, the Kodak Dodge began to experience a tight handling condition in turns one and two.

The team elected to pit for fresh left side tires under the caution period at lap 56 and returned Newman to the race track in seventh place. Just a handful of laps into the run, Newman said the car was now handling a tick free getting into turn three.

Rain at lap 71 put the race under a red flag condition for about 10 minutes. When the race restarted, Newman was in 11th place. Newman complained that the Kodak Dodge was tight in all three corners.

Under the next caution period at lap 80, the team again elected to pit for right side tires and fuel and make a track bar adjustment to aid Newman's handling problems. Because several cars elected not to pit under the caution, Newman restarted the race in 17th place.

Newman continued to struggle with the handling of the Kodak Dodge throughout the course of the 200-lap, 500-mile race. During the course of the run, the car would rotate between loose and tight handling conditions.

While Newman was fighting with the handling of his Kodak Dodge, a variety of pit strategies were playing out in the race. The team pitted on numerous occasions to make adjustments to address Newman's handling problems.

Newman's final pit stop came at lap 177 when the last caution flag of the day waved due to a one-car spin. The Kodak Dodge came down pit road in seventh place, but exited the pits in 21st because multiple cars behind Newman had pitted under green prior to the caution and were within their fuel race for the final run of the day.

The Kodak team kept fighting, however, and Newman was able to move up three spots in the closing laps to finish the race in 18th place.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action next Sunday, June 15 for the LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich. The race can be seen live on TNT at 12:30 p.m. EDT, with coverage on MRN Radio beginning at 1:15 p.m. EDT.

NEWMAN TO START 27th AT POCONO

LONG POND, Pa. (June 6, 2008) - Ryan Newman, driver of the Penske Racing No.12 Kodak Dodge Charger, qualified 27th for the Pocono 500 at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

Newman posted a lap of 167.255 miles per hour (53.810 seconds). Kasey Kahne, driver of the No. 9 Budweiser Dodge, scored the pole position with a lap of 170.219 miles per hour (52.873 seconds).

"We really struggled in practice today, and the guys made a bunch of changes in between practice and qualifying," Newman said. "I'd say we probably changed 15 things, and thankfully the Kodak Dodge was better for qualifying, but we still have a lot of work to do.

"We're trying to find the car's fine-tuned balance that you need here at Pocono, and we have two practices to figure it out tomorrow."

Newman, who is currently 14th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings, has one win and six top-10s in 12 starts at Pocono Raceway.

"Our goal is to get the Kodak Dodge back in the top 12 in points," Newman said. "We have our work cut out for us, but it's a long race and I'm confident that we can get the Kodak Dodge up front."

Coverage of the Pocono 500 begins on the TNT television network on Sunday, June 8 at 2 p.m. EDT. The race can also be heard on MRN radio.

PENSKE RACING TEAMMATES

• 11 Kurt Busch
• 42 Sam Hornish Jr.

ALLTEL RACING PODCASTS

Every two weeks, fans can tune into Alltel Racing podcasts on www.alltelracing.com. The podcasts give fans the opportunity to hear No. 12 Alltel Racing driver Ryan Newman's thoughts on a variety of subjects, from racing to fishing to Alltel's latest commercials. Fans can call 1-800-279-5612 to record a personalized question for Newman or can email questions to Newman at ryannewmanmailbag@gmail.com. By listening to the podcasts, fans also have the opportunity to win special Alltel Racing prizes.

The May 27th installment of the podcast features Penske Racing pit crew coach Trent Cherry. Cherry, who has worked with Newman since his first race at Penske, is also the rear tire carrier for No. 12 Alltel Dodge team. Cherry talks about the experience of being a pit crew member in NASCAR. To listen to the podcast, visit www.alltelracing.com.

Notes

• Ryan Newman, driver of the Penske Racing No. 12 Kodak Dodge Charger, has one win, two pole positions, five top-five and six top-10 finishes in 12 NASCAR Cup Series starts at Pocono Raceway.
• Newman is currently 14th in the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series driver point standings, only 29 points out 12th place.
• Pocono is the first of six races in which Kodak is the primary sponsor of the No. 12 Dodge Charger. Kodak also will serve as the primary sponsor for Newman's car at Chicagoland Speedway, Watkins Glen International, California Speedway, New Hampshire Motor Speedway and Atlanta Motor Speedway.
• Last June at Pocono, Newman scored the pole, led 20 laps and finished second in a rain-shortened event at the 2.5-mile track.
• Newman is one of nine drivers to win a race at Pocono Raceway from the pole position. In July 2003, Newman started on the pole, led 88 of 200 laps and won the Pennsylvania 500.
• In 2000, Newman won the ARCA race at Pocono in only the second stock car start of his career.
• Penske Racing scored its 300th victory since Roger Penske became a car owner in 1966 last weekend at The Milwaukee Mile. Driver Ryan Briscoe won the IndyCar Series event in the No. 6 Team Penske Dallara/Honda. Newman has claimed 24 of Penske Racing's win total.

Newman Quotes

• RACING AT POCONO: "I like Pocono a lot. It's a driver's race track. It has three independent corners. They are all different – they drive differently and you have to adapt. It's a place that I have always liked, and we have done well there for the most part. We had a couple of good runs there last season, and I would like to carry that over with the Kodak Dodge this weekend. Pocono is a fun track. It is one of the more difficult places to qualify, but we have done well in qualifying in the past. Turn one is pretty difficult. The Tunnel Turn is probably the hardest corner. It's a place that I look forward to, and I think that the team does, too."
• ENJOYING POCONO FOR MORE THAN RACING: "I enjoy the race track and I enjoy the area. It has some great fishing spots. I actually went fishing in the morning last week when I was up there for the test. Krissie's family is up there, too, which is nice, so we look forward to getting to Pocono for a lot of reasons."

McCauley Quotes

• RACING AT POCONO: "Pocono is a different type of track. It's not like any other place that we go. Turn 1 at Pocono is unique. It's pretty bumpy and it's a banked corner. The other corners are relatively flat. That's what makes Pocono unique. It's a unique track, and we always have a lot of fun with it. It's been a good track for the Penske organization and for Ryan, so we hope to continue that success in the Kodak Dodge this weekend."
• THE SEASON SO FAR: "We have a great group of guys on this team. This team has the attitude and passion that it takes to win, and I see that each and every week. My motto is 'never give up' - no matter what the circumstances, and that's the motto that this team lives by. We learned a lot at the test at Pocono, and we are going back there with the same goal that we have every week. Ryan had a couple of good runs at Pocono last year and we are hoping to duplicate that and get back in the top 12 in points."