Stewart-Haas Racing’s Ryan Newman not happy being left out of Shootout
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Stewart-Haas Racing’s Ryan Newman isn’t thrilled that he is being left out of Saturday’s Budweiser Shootout exhibition race at Daytona International Speedway because of new qualifications for eligibility in the event.
Prior to this year, pole winners from the previous season and all former winners of the event who weren’t already qualified, received automatic berths in the field. This year, the field is comprised of seven entries from each of the four participating manufacturers – Chevrolet, Dodge, Ford and Toyota.
The top six drivers, based on owner points from 2008, from each manufacturer have a guaranteed spot in the 75-lap non-points-paying race. Each manufacturer also gets a seventh driver, either a past Cup champion or another car, based on 2008 owner points.
Under the old rules, Newman would have a spot in the field by virtue of winning a pole last season. But because Newman is with a new team in Stewart-Haas Racing that wasn’t among the top-six Chevrolet teams in 2008 owner points, he will be watching the Shootout rather than racing in it.
“I’m not happy with the way they organized the Shootout,” said Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 champion. “If we’re going back to last year, [NASCAR] made this statement that we’re going back to racing old school and some of the old school things, going back to the old school fans. I don’t see that in the formation of the new Shootout.
“To me, it’s a ‘thank-you’ pat on the back to the manufacturers out there, which in the end doesn’t make it the ideal race in my opinion.”
Some drivers will be in the Shootout based on their manufacturer alignment for 2009.
David Stremme, for example, who replaces Newman this year in the No. 12 Penske Racing Dodge, will be in the race because his new team was among the top six Dodge teams in owner points last season. Stremme himself didn’t compete full time in Cup last season and had no poles.
“People getting into [the race] because [of] the seat that they’re in is not the way I think it’s supposed to be,” Newman said. “You don’t change teams and end up with Derek Jeter’s number and end up in the [Major League Baseball’s] All-Star game. You don’t do it.”
Newman’s Stewart-Haas teammate, Tony Stewart, does have a spot in the field as the seventh Chevrolet driver or “Wild Card” entry available to a past champion. Newman, who plans to watch the race from Stewart’s pit box or hauler, doesn’t think his own absence will be as big of a handicap as it would be if Stewart was also left out.
“Well it’s only half because Tony is in it,” Newman said. “To me personally, it’s only half of a handicap, but I think that I have the confidence, the car and the people. We can unload in [Daytona 500] race trim on Wednesday or whatever it is and be ready to be a Gatorade Duel [Daytona 500 qualifying race] winner on Thursday.”
