CONCORD, N.C. — Ryan Newman has a history of being fast, but even that couldn't keep him from being a few minutes late Thursday for a media session at Charlotte Motor Speedway, a track he's tamed in the past.
The Richard Childress Racing driver ambled up to the nose of his hauler Thursday in a grey RCR shirt, a few hours before the knockout qualifying session for Saturday night's race.
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In that qualifying session Newman will look to earn his first pole of the season and his first at Charlotte since 2010 when he grabbed a track-record ninth pole.
What's different, of course, between then and 2014 — aside from being on a different team — is the qualifying format. When Newman earned his nine poles between 2001 and 2010, it was with the traditional two lap, single-car format.
But the new elimination-style format — three rounds that whittle the field from 43 to 12 before deciding the top spot — has shut out Newman so far this season. In his 15th year of Sprint Cup racing, Newman has qualified in the top 10 twelve times, with his best starting position being second at Chicago four weeks ago. He qualified 42nd for Charlotte's spring race.
Newman has 51 career poles. Aside from his rookie of the year season in 2000, the only year he didn't win a pole was in 2012.
So forgive Newman for being frustrated with the new way of doing things.
"I still don't like the format, but it does allow yourself an ability to adapt," Newman said. "The new format just opens yourself up to making up for a mistake or improving.
"We typically don't change the racecar a whole lot. There's not a whole lot to change throughout those runs, so it's not like you can just fix the racecar. It just gives you as a driver an opportunity to adjust to the conditions. For instance, if you sit around like we're going to be tonight for four hours, the track picks up a lot of grip. If you don't get the exact run you want that first run, you know where you can push it for that second or third run."
But Newman isn't really concerened about poles. His sights are set on a win — his first of the season — that would advance him to the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup. But Newman has done the math and he knows winning isn't a must in the new playoff format.
"There's eight slots that are open. Three races, that means three wins," Newman said. "Potentially ... if (Joey) Logano wins two races, three races, whatever, there's going to be at least five guys that can get in on points, so consistency is still there.
"I think it's the next bracket that will be really challenging, where wins will be the most important, then obviously Homestead."
Once the media was done with him, Newman turned to go. But even though he was behind schedule, as fast as he is, he slowed down once more before dissapearing between haulers.
"Sorry, I was late."