Silly season indeed with Newman looking for work

If you were to summarize the past few weeks of NASCAR driver Ryan Newman's 2008 season, it would come down to off-track issues rather than on-track performance. In fact, it would come down to three words: choices, choices and choices.

As of last weekend, one more choice was available. He could sign with Richard Childress Racing's new fourth team. He could join Joe Gibbs Racing, taking over for the soon-to-be departed Tony Stewart. Or he could follow Stewart to newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing. Finally, he could go back to his current boss, Roger Penske, and re-sign with the Dodge team for another go-around.

Well, strike one of those choices.

On Tuesday while Newman was still mulling over his rumored four options, Penske cut loose his 30-year-old Newman, drawing the drawn-out process to an end. It was an owner-driven decision by an organization that sounded like it had grown weary of waiting on its pensive driver.

So the big question is, where does the Alltel Dodge driver end up?

The rides at RCR and JGR appear long shots at best. Martin Truex Jr., Casey Mears and Scott Wimmer are candidates for Childress's No. 33, and that team has a solid sponsor in General Mills/Cheerios and Childress has a good Daytona record, but isn't assured a spot in the Daytona 500. The No. 20 ride at JGR vacated by Stewart seems slated for upstart Joey Logano.

Last week at Chicago in an open interview session, Newman was asked about the depth of his relationship with Tony Stewart, who grew up in Columbus, Ind., a couple of hundred miles across the Hoosier state from Newman's hometown of South Bend.

-- The good, on joining Stewart: "(Tony's) tough, but respectful. He's been a good friend on and off the racetrack. Specifically off, he's done a lot to help me and guide me. In general he's just a hard-nosed racer and I have always appreciated him for that. Whether we argue on the racetrack or not, we're two hard-nosed racers. I think Tony would be a good boss."

-- The bad, on being reluctant about joining a team that hasn't had success and may have to qualify for the Daytona 500: "Would I be reluctant? I would consider the reluctancy, but I would also say that I am not exactly where I would want to be right now. We still don't know what the situation for next year with respect to provisionals and how that's going to work."

A major plus for Stewart-Haas Racing is Matt Borland, Newman's former crew chief on the No. 12, who is currently competition director at Haas CNC Racing. The pair could try to rekindle the magic they had when Newman was winning all those poles and running up front a few years ago. Newman also said there is talk of part ownership in a team at Stewart-Haas.

So where does Newman go? Stewart's new team seems like the favorite, and Newman is a great qualifier, so he might have an advantage at the beginning of 2009 if his team is outside the top 35. It wouldn't be shocking to see him and Stewart sitting together at a press conference next week at Indianapolis, say, Friday afternoon following Chevrolet's morning autograph session.

But this has been a surprising season so far, and anything could happen as the dominos continue to fall with driver turnover. No one expected Newman to have just two top-five finishes and be outside The Chase. No one could foresee Stewart leaving Gibbs to receive half ownership at Haas.

And who would have expected Newman having to make a career choice just halfway through a season that saw him open with a Daytona 500 win?

Roger Penske simply made one of Newman's decisions for him on Tuesday.

SHOW CLOSERS: ESPN announced that the final two episodes of "Dale Jr.-Shifting Gears" will air next Tuesday and Friday in the prelude to Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard.

The five-part sports documentary chronicles Dale Earnhardt Jr.'s transition from his father's team to Hendrick Motorsports. The last two one-hour shows will feature, among other issues, this year's races at Richmond and Michigan, which had a controversial finish and a victory, respectively.

"It's hard to put into words the enormity of this season, so hopefully the viewers can see for themselves all the work that has gone into it. It's been amazing to live it," said Earnhardt, who is in second place in the championship point standings with six races to go before the Chase for the Championship.

LOOKING BACK: Folks who can't get enough of Talladega Superspeedway's rich history of high-speed action can follow along as the facility begins celebrating its 40th anniversary. The track is putting up a new story of its significant racing moments each week over the next 40 weeks leading up to its Spring race on April 26, 2009.

Fans can follow along at www.talladegasuperspeedway.com.

(Bill Whitehead covers NASCAR for Scripps Treasure Coast (Fla.) Newspapers, The Stuart News, Fort Pierce Tribune and Vero Beach Press Journal. E-mail wwhitehe@ircc.net.)