CUP: Newman Weighing Future

Sprint Cup

CUP: Newman Weighing Future

Ryan Newman insisted Saturday that he has not made a decision about where he will drive in 2009..

Tom Jensen | Posted July 13, 2008 Joliet, Ill.

Ryan Newman sits back during practice for the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. (Chris Trotman/Getty Images Photo)

Ryan Newman insisted Saturday that he has not made a decision about where he will drive in 2009, but he confirmed he’s talking with Tony Stewart, who will be the co-owner of Stewart Haas Racing next season.

“Driving for Tony’s team is an option,” Newman told reporters at Chicagoland Speedway on Saturday. “He’s got an open seat. Obviously you guys marked me as a lead candidate to get in there, so it is an option.”

Newman, who is in the final year of his contract with Penske Racing, said he has a strong friendship with Stewart, a fellow Hoosier. “Tony’s a great competitor in many ways,” said Newman. “He’s tough, but respectful. He’s been a good friend on and off the race track. Specifically off, he’s done a lot to help me and guide me. In general he’s just a hard-nosed racer and have always appreciated him for that. Whether we argue on the race track or not, we’re two hard-nosed racers.”

As far as working for Stewart, Newman added, “I think Tony would be a good boss. He’s proven to be successful in his open-wheel career as far as ownership with the dirt (track) teams.”

And Newman’s former crew chief, Matt Borland, is the competition director at Haas-CNC Racing, which next year will be Stewart Haas Racing. “Matt’s always been a good friend,” Newman said. “Obviously we had a parting of the ways from a competitive level a couple years ago. He’s a great friend. Does it impact it (my decision)? Yeah. There’s a friend over there, that’s something to consider.”

But Newman insisted he has not made a decision about 2009 and could still remain with Penske, the only team he’s driven for in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. “I talked to Roger (Penske, team owner) a little bit this week. I talked to him a little bit last week. We’re still working on performance. We’re working on a lot of things. It’s just a matter of when we decide we’re going to move on or part ways if that does happen.”

As for a timetable, that remains up in the air, too. “I’m not in a position of urgency,” said Newman. “I’m just in a position to find out what’s right for me. That’s what I’m working toward “It’s not an easy decision. It’s probably one of the hardest decisions that I’ll have to make as a driver and maybe as a person, who knows. I’m sure Tony sat there and said the same thing to you. It’s not an easy decision to make. It’s not an easy answer that comes to you.”

LIFELOCK.COM 400 RESULTS

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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