After doing exit interviews for Sprint Cup Series drivers in 2013, we're turning the tables. We want the drivers to sell themselves. So here are the resumés for all full-time Sprint Cup Series drivers in 2014. Then, at the end, we'll provide a summation of the driver's season in 150 words or less.
Name: Ryan Newman
NASCAR Experience: 13 full seasons in the Cup Series. 17 wins, 51 poles.
Most recent team: Richard Childress Racing
Most recent season finish: 2nd
2014 accomplishments: Five top fives and 16 top 10s. Master of working the Chase system to the maximum advantage.
Most memorable moment: Well, unfortunately there was no trip to victory lane, but this move guaranteed a title shot.
Strengths: Consistency. Does that even need to be stated?
2015 goals: Win a race to quiet the discussion about being a potential champion without a win.
FTM's Take: Yes, Newman didn't win a race in 2014 and had just five top 10s, but he improved his performance in the Chase. That's how he got to the title race and finished second.
Through the first 26 races of the season, Newman's average finish was 13.2. In the Chase, Newman's average finish was 9.0. While you can say that Newman did what he had done all year in the Chase, you can't argue that he didn't do it at an elevated level. And it worked out.
And besides, it's not Newman's fault that his season resulted in success in the standings that may not be indicative of his overall performance. He's example 1-10 of how bad finishes are much, much more impactful than top finishes are, no matter what "winning is everything" would like you to believe.
If Newman can carry the consistency over to 2015, he's going to be in the thick of it again. And if he can't, another driver will likely do so. One season isn't much of a sample size, but we're going to guess that Newman's performance is the start of a trend rather than an outlier unless the points system is revamped.
Previous reviews: No. 3 Denny Hamlin, No. 4 Joey Logano, No. 5 Brad Keselowski, No. 6 Jeff Gordon, No. 7 Matt Kenseth, No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr., No. 9 Carl Edwards, No. 10 Kyle Busch, No. 11 Jimmie Johnson, No. 12 Kurt Busch, No. 13 AJ Allmendinger, No. 14 Greg Biffle, No. 15 Kasey Kahne, No. 16 Aric Almirola, No. 17 Kyle Larson, No. 18, Jamie McMurray, No. 19 Clint Bowyer, No. 20, Austin Dillon, No. 21 Paul Menard, No. 22 Brian Vickers, No. 23 Marcos Ambrose, No. 24 Martin Truex Jr., No. 25 Tony Stewart, No. 26 Casey Mears, No. 27 Ricky Stenhouse Jr., No. 28, Danica Patrick, No. 29, Justin Allgaier, No. 30, David Gilliland, No. 31 Cole Whitt, No. 32 David Ragan, No. 33 Michael Annett, No. 34 Reed Sorenson, No. 35 Alex Bowman
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
from Yahoo Sports http://ift.tt/1IIABAm
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