Coming into this season, the performance of Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman with “new” team Stewart-Haas Racing was arguably the biggest question mark. Both drivers had spent their entire careers with one organization – Stewart logged 10 years with Joe Gibbs Racing, Newman had seven full seasons with Penske Racing.
After five races, Stewart sits solidly in seventh in the standings, while Newman is just 27th. But comparing both drivers to past individual performances, Stewart has statistically dropped off, while Newman has stayed consistent.
Tony Stewart After Five Races (2005-Present)
Avg.
Year Rk Finish ARP FLR LT15% Led DR
2005 3 10.8 11.7 15 67.9 107 93.7
2006 9 17.2 8.4 163 87.8 397 110.9
2007 12 19.0 11.8 161 72.6 441 108.5
2008 7 13.8 11.9 73 82.3 289 101.3
2009 7 13.4 13.1 22 55.3 18 92.7
ARP: Average Running Position
FLR: Fastest Laps Run
LT15%: Percentage of Laps in the Top 15
DR: Driver Rating
Stewart’s best may be yet to come. He ranks in the top five in three key Loop Data categories at Martinsville – site of this Sunday’s race – since the inception of the statistics in 2005:
Driver Rating
Driver DR
1. Jimmie Johnson 124.7
2. Jeff Gordon 124.0
3. Tony Stewart 113.7
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 102.4
5. Denny Hamlin 101.3
Average Running Position
Driver ARP
1. Jimmie Johnson 6.4
2. Jeff Gordon 6.7
3. Tony Stewart 7.4
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 10.4
5. Denny Hamlin 11.9
Fastest Laps Run
Driver FLR
1. Jeff Gordon 467
2. Jimmie Johnson 446
3. Tony Stewart 312
4. Dale Earnhardt Jr. 311
5. Denny Hamlin 134
For much of this young 2009 season, Newman’s outlook has been mostly gloom and doom. He finally notched a top 10 last Sunday, finishing seventh at Bristol Motor Speedway. But the statistics suggest that his perceived subpar season isn’t all bad – especially when compared to past seasons. Newman’s statistics through the first five races since 2005
Ryan Newman After Five Races (2005-Present)
Avg.
Year Rk Finish ARP FLR LT15% Led DR
2005 11 16.4 16.1 40 41.7 50 89.6
2006 12 18.6 20.8 14 36.8 25 73.9
2007 23 24.0 19.4 17 38.5 2 72.7
2008 8 14.4 15.3 18 60.0 11 85.3
2009 27 23.6 20.8 28 53.2 28 71.7
Last season, Newman started off strong, winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500. So, comparing his 2008 and 2009 campaigns would clearly be unfair. But otherwise, this season’s numbers match up with – or better – Newman’s starts 2006 and 2007.
Information courtesy of NASCAR Media. Photos courtesy of MotorSportsNews.Net(work) photographer Steve Langley
[...] After five races, Stewart sits solidly in seventh in the standings, while Newman is just 27th. But comparing both drivers to past individual performances, Stewart has statistically dropped off, while Newman has stayed consistent. More by Mike Irwin – Motorsportsnews.net [...]