Ryan Newman is the MAN!
By Kent Whitaker:
Ryan Newman is the MAN! I’ve always been a fan of Ryan Newman so I had to venture away from the regular posts I write. Instead of an article covering the post-race news from the Camping World 500 at Phoenix I decided to give Ryan Newman a big shout out for his efforts this past Sunday.
Here’s why! No one, and I mean no one, picked Ryan Newman to win the race. Well, maybe his family and some close friends. But, generally it can be said that Newman was a classic long-shot when it comes to betting and fantasy league picks.
Newman has not had the best start of the season. During the off-season media reports covered the renewed effort by Richard Childress Racing to improve their cars and bring speed back to the track for all three drivers. So, it has been a bit of a surprise to see the teams three drivers mired low in the standings.
Granted, the finishes have not been spectacular, but all three cars have looked fast! They’ve ran well, had speed, and done what it takes to be in position to head to the front. Finally, that running up front paid off for Newman – it put him in a position to win!
Suffering Through and Burns
During an interview on the Sirius/XM NASCAR Channel Newman addressed the fact that he was more than tired following the race. The driver stated that he had large blisters on his feet as well as the back of his legs. The blisters came from the combined heat of the car and the outside temperature. For the record, it was in the high 90’s for the entire race.
That means the interior of the No. 31 CAT/Grainger Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing was so hot that it penetrated the fire suit drivers wear – enough so that it burned Newman’s skin enough to cause blisters. After a bit of research, I found this bit of information; An applied heat of 131 degrees Fahrenheit causes second-degree burns on exposed skin. So that means it was even hotter in the car since there was no exposed skin.
Suffering through the heat paid off! Newman’s last checkered flag was back in 2013 when he won the Brickyard 400. As for Richard Childress Racing – RCR’s last win with any driver on their roster was 112 races ago! Kevin Harvick owns that honor when he won at Phoenix in 2013.
Here’s what Newman had to saw following the race and breaking his long winless streak.
“There’s a lot of guys in this sport that have never won,” Newman said. “Going a long time without winning, you have confidence in your mind that you can do it. There’s guys that go their whole career and never win, and good drivers.
“You just got to stay humble. This sport, you walk away from (a race), there’s one guys that wins, 39 losers. You have to be humble walking into it that you’re probably not going to win that day. Odds are against you.”
The Top Ten following the Camping World 500
I had to squeeze a bit of additional information in for readers. Here’s a look at the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series standings for the top-ten drivers via NASCAR.com.
Here are the top-ten standings in the Monster Energy Cup Series following Sunday’s race:
1) Kyle Larson — 184 points
2) Brad Keseloski — 178
3) Chase Elliott — 171
4) Martin Truex Jr. — 153
5) Joey Logano — 135
6) Ryan Blaney — 127
7) Kevin Harvick — 123
8) Jamie McMurray — 119
9) Kurt Busch — 105
10) Kasey Kahne — 105
Note: Ryan Newman moved up six spots to 11th in the Cup Series point standings with his win.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Kent Whitaker, often called ‘the Deck Chef,’ is a sportswriter, culinary writer, and cookbook author with fourteen titles. He covers NASCAR, racing in general, Football, barbecue, grilling, and tailgating. You can visit him on The Deck Chef .”