Results tagged “Penske Racing” from Haddock in the Paddock

Now that it looks like Ryan Newman is headed to join Tony Stewart at the soon-to-be-formed Stewart-Haas Racing next year, there are three really good seats available in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
Newman's team at Penske Racing in the No. 12 Dodge has been struggling of late, but it is the car that won the Daytona 500 and has won 13 Cup races with Newman behind the wheel.
Another open seat is the fourth car that Richard Childress Racing will add next year. Then there's Stewart's car, the No. 20 Toyota at Joe Gibbs Racing, that won two Cup championships.
First, the No. 12 Dodge: Reports have Dario Franchitti as the frontrunner for this seat, but David Stremme's name has been kicked around too. It makes sense for Franchitti. Roger Penske, who owns the No. 12 Dodge in the Cup Series, is familiar with Franchitti's abilities from his days in Indy cars.
It would funny, though, if Stremme ended up with Penske. Stremme was the guy nudged out by Chip Ganassi to make room for Franchitti at the Cup level. That move didn't work out so well.
As for the fourth car at RCR, Casey Mears appears to be in the driver's seat to land that driver's seat.
And pretty much everyone agrees that Joey Logano will end up in the No. 20 for Joe Gibbs Racing next year. Probably the bigger question is who will be Greg Zipadelli's driver next year.

Ryan Newman won five poles last year and moved into second place in poles among active Cup drivers.
But Newman only needed to win one pole to qualify for the Bud Shootout. Winning multiple poles is nothing new for the driver of the No. 12 Dodge for Penske Racing. He is usually among the Cup leaders in poles every year.
“We work really hard each year to win poles and have the No. 12 Alltel Dodge start up front," Newman said. "It’s an honor being in the Budweiser Shootout each year because it recognizes the hard work that the entire team has done to put our car on the pole.”
The car the team is racing in the Shootout hasn't been in a race yet. The team tested it last month at Daytona.
Newman has some extra incentive for winning this year's Shootout. The race is the same day as his dad's birthday. Newman's dad, Greg Newman, also works as his spotter during races.
"I’ve always wanted to give my dad a birthday present that he would never forget,” Newman said.
“My dad has done more for me than I could ever repay him for. Celebrating in victory lane at Daytona on his birthday would mean the world to both of us. I would love to make that happen.”

It's a girl for Sam and Crytral Hornish.
Addison Faith Hornish was born Monday at 6:24 a.m. and weighed 7 pounds, 2 ounces.
She is 18 inches long and according to Hornish's people, mom and baby are doing well.
Now Sam can focus on Daytona and not worry about whether his wife would give birth in the middle of one of the Gatorade 150s. Hornish Jr. drives the No. 77 Dodge for Penske Racing.

The Charlotte Observer is reporting that NASCAR is considering raising the age limit from 18 to 21 for drivers who want to race in the top three national touring divisions: Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Craftsman Truck series.
The move is being considered because NASCAR officials reportedly believe some drivers are being pushed through the developmental ranks too quickly. In the history of NASCAR, only two drivers younger than 21 have won races in the top division. Kyle Busch won his first Cup races when he was 20. Donald Thomas won a NASCAR race at Lakewood Speedway in Atlanta in 1952 when he as 20.
One driver who would like to see drivers enter the Cup series with a little more experience and seasoning is Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Dodge for Penske Racing. He graduated from Purdue University with a degree in engineering before seriously pursuing an auto racing career and he wishes teams in NASCAR would show a little more patience with young drivers.
"People aren’t wanting to wait for kids to be out of college to hire them to be a race car driver," Newman told members of the media during testing at Daytona International Speedway on Wednesday. "I wish that weren’t the case. I wish that was some kind of stipulation."
Newman said he would like to see more drivers go to college and earn a degree before entering the ranks of NASCAR. Pursuing an education should be more important than pursuing a career driving stock cars in NASCAR.
“I just wanted to say, just for the benefit of NASCAR and the affect that we have on kids and people that are in high school, instead of saying, I want to go to NASCAR, I want them to say, I want to get an education then go to NASCAR," Newman said. "I think that would be nice.”

Penske Racing is expanding, adding a third car to its NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. Sam Hornish Jr., Indianapolis 500 winner, IRL champion, is making the move from open wheels to stock cars and will be racing the No. 77 Dodge for Roger Penske's NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team. He is one of a number of open-wheel veterans who have decided to switch to NASCAR in 2008.
One of Hornish's teammates at Penske Racing is Ryan Newman, who got his start in open-wheel cars before it was en vogue to race with fenders.
He was asked during testing at Daytona International Speedway about all the open-wheel drivers coming into NASCAR this year.

Rusty Jarrett / Getty Images for NASCAR

“I wish we could redefine the word rookie when it comes to NASCAR because they aren’t anymore," said Newman, driver of the No. 12 Dodge for Penske Racing. "These guys that are coming in are rookies in NASCAR but they’re far from rookies. Because they’re open wheel drivers, to me it makes no difference. I was an open wheel driver when I came in, I just wasn’t an Indy Car driver. The bottom line is they’re drivers, they’re competitors. Whether they’re male or female, open wheel drivers or late model drivers from the local short track. If they’re deserving to be here (they) will learn and we'll see."
In addition to Hornish, Dario Franchitti, last year's Indy 500 and IRL champion, is driving for Chip Ganassi Racing, Jacques Villeneuve, a champion Formula One driver, is racing for Bill Davis and Patrick Carpentier, a veteran of the Champ Car World Series, is driving for Gillett Evernham Motorsports. Juan Pablo Montoya, a Formula One and Indy 500 winner, made his debut in NASCAR last year.
"In the car owners and sponsors eyes they feel that they are (ready)," Newman said. "You go out there and I wouldn’t say you’re scared to be with them but they have to learn as far as drafting, passing, racing and things like that. I have a teammate that’s one. Part of my job is to help him out. Part of his job, I told him, is to help me win at Indy. We’ll see how things go.”
Franchitti and Hornish were among the top 10 drivers in testing Wednesday.
Here's a look at the speeds and times from Wednesday's test session:

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Wednesday testing speeds from the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series testing in preparation for the 50th running of the Daytona 500:

1. 9B, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 47.591, 189.111
2. 11B, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 47.665, 188.818
3. 40, Dario Franchitti, Dodge, 47.689, 188.723
4. 01A, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 47.703, 188.667
5. 12B, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 47.724, 188.584
6. 77B, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 47.836, 188.143
7. 43B, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 47.845, 188.107
8. 20B, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 47.857, 188.060
9. 55M, Michael Waltrip, Toyota 47.877, 187.982
10. 6B, David Ragan, Ford, 47.888, 187.939
11. 22B, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 47.909, 187.856
12. 26A, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 47.910, 187.852
13. 15A, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 47.912, 187.844
14. 20A, Tony Stewart, Toyota, 47.919, 187.817
15. 34B, Derrike Cope Dodge, 47.925, 187.793
16. 44B, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 47.958, 187.664
17. 12A, Ryan Newman, Dodge, 48.002, 187.492
18. 66H, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 48.007, 187.473
19. 88B, Dale Earnhardt Jr,. Chevrolet, 48.014, 187.445
20. 31A, Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 48.019, 187.426
21. 21B, Bill Elliott Ford, 48.042, 187.336
22. 10B, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 48.052, 187.297
23. 38B, David Gilliland, Ford, 48.065, 187.246
24. 11A, Denny Hamlin, Toyota, 48.082, 187.180
25. 77A, Sam Hornish Jr., Dodge, 48.101, 187.106
26. 01B, Regan Smith, Chevrolet, 48.141, 186.951
27. 26B, Jamie McMurray, Ford, 48.147, 186.928
28. 22, Dave Blaney, Toyota, 48.179, 186.803
29. 50A, Stanton Barrett, Chevrolet, 48.429, 185.839
30. 49B, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 48.456, 185.736
31. 44A, Dale Jarrett, Toyota, 48.493, 185.594
32. 08A, Carl Long, Dodge, 48.611, 185.143
33. 55, Michael Waltrip, Toyota, 48.636, 185.048
34. 83B, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.679, 184.885
35. 83A, Brian Vickers, Toyota, 48.780, 184.502
36. 43A, Bobby Labonte, Dodge, 48.780, 184.502
37. 10C, Patrick Carpentier, Dodge, 48.872, 184.155
38. 34A, Derrike Cope Dodge, 48.928, 183.944
39. 29A, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 48.979, 183.752
40. 21A, Bill Elliott, Ford, 48.991, 183.707
41. 87, Jeff Fuller, Chevrolet, 48.992, 183.703
42. 49A, Ken Schrader, Dodge, 49.090, 183.337
43. 60B, Boris Said, Ford, 49.225, 182.834
44. 6A, David Ragan, Ford, 49.231, 182.812
45. 60A, Boris Said, Ford, 49.347, 182.382
46. 9A, Kasey Kahne, Dodge, 49.421, 182.109
47. 66C, Scott Riggs, Chevrolet, 49.467, 181.939
48.31 Jeff Burton, Chevrolet, 49.474, 181.914
49 29B, Kevin Harvick, Chevrolet, 49.642, 181.298
50. 09A, Sterling Marlin, Chevrolet, 49.732, 180.970
51. 15B, Paul Menard, Chevrolet, 49.788, 180.766
52. 57A, Norm Benning, Chevrolet, 50.171, 179.386

1. Can Toyota win a race?
They better. Toyota made its debut in the Nextel Cup Series in 2007. The Japanese automaker provided engines for three teams: Michael Waltrip Racing, Bill Davis Racing and Team Red Bull. None of the teams had much success. They struggled to qualify for races and there were times when none of the Toyota teams were in the top 35 in owners points. The top-35 teams earned at least provisional starting spots for every Cup race.
But the stakes will be raised in 2008. Toyota is teaming with Joe Gibbs Racing and drivers Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch. All three drivers are used to qualifying for the Chase for the Nextel Cup and winning races. Toyota better provide both if it wants to keep Gibbs and his drivers happy.

2. Will Dale Earnhardt Jr. be a championship contender with Hendrick Motorsports?
There’s no reason he shouldn’t. Hendrick Motorsports got three of its four drivers in the Chase this year. Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon are clearly the class of the team. But Busch, who is moving from Hendrick to Gibbs next year, and his team did just fine in the shadow of Johnson and Gordon. A little more experience and patience and Busch might have been in the middle of the championship chase. Johnson and Gordon are still the stars at Hendrick Motorsports and that might be just what Earnhardt Jr. needs. Perhaps he can slip into Johnson’s and Gordon’s shadow and turn his attention to just winning races.
3. Can Johnson win three Cup championships in a row?
No one’s done it since Cale Yarborough. Not Richard Petty, not Dale Earnhardt, not Jeff Gordon. Still it’s hard to say no to Johnson. He seems to have a knack for putting together his best races at the end of the year. To win a Cup championship these days, that’s exactly what needs to happen. If Johnson can pull off four or five wins in October and November, he will be in the thick of it again.
4. Is it a smart move for Sam Hornish Jr. to move into NASCAR?
No. A worse move is Roger Penske giving the owner’s points he earned from Kurt Busch’s car to Hornish next year. Because of his Cup title in 2004, Busch can fall back on a championship provisional to qualify for races, once or twice or six times. Ask Dale Jarrett how that worked out. Hornish, who had trouble qualifying for Cup races this year on speed, has no such provisional. But he would have guaranteed starting spots with Busch’s points. It just seems like a desperate move from an owner who is used to winning races and championships in the Indy Racing League. NASCAR is a different animal, one that requires patience, resources and money. Penske has the resources and money, but moving Hornish into NASCAR reeks of impatience.
5. Will Chevrolet dominate again?
Absolutely not. Ford drivers, especially at Roush Fenway Racing, made significant strides at the end of the year. Matt Kenseth won the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Greg Biffle won the race at Kansas Speedway, although there are those in the Clint Bowyer camp who would still say otherwise. More importantly, Ford won some races with NASCAR’s Car of Tomorrow. That trend will only increase next year. Toyota will be better and should win a race or two. Dodge, well ... Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman are the best chances. Juan Pablo Montoya will win another road course race. Outside of that, it will be another long year for Dodge.