Newman and Penske Call it Quits
Written by Tiffany Ricardo · July 14, 2008
Looks like Ryan Newman didn’t have the patience to wait for Indy to make his move. Penske PR today put out a release stating that Newman and Penske Racing would part ways at the end of 2008. No big surprises there, but now the question becomes where will Ryan go?
The most obvious move for Newman is to a second team at the newly-formed Stewart-Haas operation. Rumors have been rampant for weeks that Tony Stewart already has both Office Depot and UPS ready to sponsor cars next year.
However, Ryan stated to the media at Chicago that he has three very good options outside of Penske. Chances are he has spoken with Richard Childress about his fourth car as well as Joe Gibbs Racing. It’s all but a sure thing that Joey Logano will move up to Sprint Cup at Gibbs next season, but there have been whispers of Gibbs starting a fourth team as well.
Newman would likely fit in well at Stewart-Haas. He’s probably ready to throw out some fresh ideas and try new things after nine years with Penske, the team that has nurtured him from driver infancy through their now defunct ABC (Arca, Busch, Cup) program. This would be Newman’s chance to really mature as a driver. His position at Penske has really seemed to stifle him over the past few seasons despite his incredibly strong debut season with the team.
Plus, imagine the media hype if they decide to announce the deal at the Brickyard in two weeks. Two Hoosier favorite sons on one team. Brilliant!
Wherever Newman goes, he will likely be a driver to watch in 2009.
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