By: Zach Catanzareti, Staff Writer
INDIANAPOLIS — When Ryan Newman signed on to Jack Roush’s Roush Fenway Racing team for 2019, the hardened veteran had one goal in mind and that was to improve the Ford organization.
From a dramatic dip in performance since 2014, RFR has needed positive runs to keep it afloat. And following Sunday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, they have another one.
Newman has qualified for the 2019 playoffs, joining the 16-driver race for the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup come November. Another mission accomplished.
“We’re continuing to build it,” Newman said. “Today is another steppingstone. No matter what anybody else does, we’re focused on ourselves. We got three races to prove this is no spoof.
“We just have to take these next three races to the best of our ability and roll on.”
Qualifying mid-pack, Newman struggled in dirty air across the 16-lap race. Earning fifth-place stage points in Stage 1, Newman developed a decent point gap on Daniel Suarez, who entered the weekend tied with Newman for the final playoff spot.
With an eighth-place finish at the end, Newman made it work.
“My car was probably one of the worst in traffic for getting tight,” he said. “I was really struggling with that. I had to almost give up to let the guy in front of me get away so I could actually run fast. It’s a horrible way to race and to try to be defensive. But I did what I had to do.
“We finished eighth today and other guys ran out of talent, losing control of the car all by themselves.”
As mentioned, Newman isn’t interested in entering the playoffs to only leave them in three weeks at the first elimination race at Charlotte’s Roval. However, the stats keep Newman humble in terms of setting hopes and expectations.
“Speed-wise at the end of the race we seem to be there but raw speed, we’re not,” he said. “We can’t come here and qualify 22nd and expect to run in the top five all day. That’s just the facts of it.
“We have some work to do. We’re learning. This is the first time we’ve been here, every racetrack for the rest of the season with the exception of the Roval is something we’ve been to before. Hopefully the experience will prove itself.”