November 20, 2009
By Rebecca Gladden
In this era of White House czars overseeing everything from the Ozone Layer to Middle East Peace, it isn't too much of a stretch to label Ryan Newman NASCAR's Driver Safety Czar.
It's not a title Newman asked for, mind you. He stumbled - rather, tumbled - into the role after this spectacular crash in Talladega two weeks ago:
Newman was understandably emotional after being extricated from his mangled racecar at Talladega and voiced harsh criticism of NASCAR's policies and the racing conditions that day. "I'm just really disappointed," he said. "We had a race back here in the spring and complained about cars getting airborne. And now, ironically, I'm the guy who gets upside-down, have the roll bars down on top of my helmet, and stuck upside down. I wish NASCAR would do something."
Thankfully, Newman escaped serious injury, though he did suffer chipped teeth and several days of pain and soreness following the vicious wreck.
Despite the traumatic event, Newman was hesitant to approach NASCAR with his concerns. "I guess maybe I expect NASCAR to call me," he said at the time. "I am the only guy out there with an engineering degree. I would like to have a little respect on my end." Newman earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Vehicle Structure Engineering from Purdue University in 2001.
I spoke with Ryan at Phoenix International Raceway about his ongoing concerns shortly after he unveiled a new 2010 paint scheme for part-time sponsor Tornados. He told me that he has been involved in discussions with NASCAR about safety issues since the Talladega incident.
"I just think I've been through enough that I speak up because of my experiences," he said. "It's a good thing to be able to speak up, but a bad thing to be that person, because it's a source of conflict. If it's done constructively, it's a good thing for the sport and a good thing for the drivers, and that's my goal."
Though Newman is not representing the drivers on a formal safety board, he has spoken with several key NASCAR personnel. "There's no real committee. NASCAR has their understanding of the safety aspects and the drivers have their opinion, which should make a difference, and the crew chiefs and the crews have an opinion, too. It's a matter of taking everybody's opinions and making the right decisions, which is not an easy task."
Newman has been critical of the Car of Tomorrow for years, particularly regarding its higher center of gravity, which leads to rolling more easily than the older car. After driver Michael McDowell had a brutal crash in qualifying at Texas Motor Speedway in 2008, rolling his car 11 times, Newman went against the grain by criticizing the car's tendency to roll while pundits were busy praising improved greenhouse safety.
"If you look at my crash here in 2003 going into Turn 1, when I blew out a left-rear tire, it took out like 26 cars or so," Newman said in Texas after McDowell's crash. "It was virtually an identical crash, where I got loose and went up into the wall. My car didn't flip - it almost flipped, but I had a car hit me and straightened me out. I don't think Michael's crash was a good crash. I don't think his car should have ever flipped. Whether it was the car's fault or the wall's fault, all he did was hit the wall. Why he flipped is not ideal. That shouldn't happen."
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The Talladega crash reinforced those concerns, although the cockpit is safer once a rollover occurs.
"It's definitely a safer racecar in general, I totally agree with that part," Newman said of the COT. "But, because of the higher center of gravity, it's more prone to roll. That's not a good thing. The safest position of the car is on four wheels. When it's upside-down and it's rolling, obviously it's coming apart typically and that's not good, because it's dissipating energy, but it's dissipating energy by removing the pieces around you. The most important thing to do is to keep the racecar on the ground aerodynamically and physically, whether it is center of gravity or whatever else."
Newman also addressed reports that one driver in particular, Jeff Gordon, influenced NASCAR's decision to crack down on bump-drafting just an hour before the start of the Talladega race. Does he have any frustration in that regard? "Oh, yeah," he said. "I don't like it to be one person that makes the decision. I don't necessarily think we need a group to make the decision, but I think that the right decision needs to be made and I don't know that telling us to stop bump-drafting in the corners or not letting us bump-draft in the corners was the right decision."
Ultimately, Ryan acknowledged that answering questions about the Talladega wreck has been draining. But, he's willing to continue doing so for as long as it takes to see safety conditions improve.
"I'd rather talk about it and make a difference, than not talk about it and wish I had."
The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.
