So Long..Farewell

After nine years together, Ryan Newman will have to call a new team home in 2009 after he was dropped by Penske Racing. The combo had won the 2008 Daytona 500, but since then the pairing had fallen on some hard times resulting in Penkse’s opting to not re-sign the driver.

Could this move have been more reactionary on Penske’s part? Sure seems like. While re-singing with the team was considered one of Ryan’s reported four options, it seems more likely that he’ll join Tony Stewart at Stewart Haas Racing in 2009.

The move is probably best for both parties. Newman needs a new change of pace and Penske has to figure out someway to get both the #2 and #12 back on track. A driver for the #12 has not been named but reports have Penske test driver David Stremme as a lead candidate. Oh goodness. No slight to Stremme, but he seems like one of those four A kind of players. Very competitive in the Nationwide Series (your minors if you will) but not out of his league in the Cup Series (majors) leaving him somewhere in between. We’ll have to see how some of the other dominos start to fall into place.

Meanwhile, Newman isn’t the only one hopping on the unemployment line, after two years together the Islanders have fired coach Ted Nolan. Nolan and GM Garth Snow reportedly had a heart to heart and decided to was time to go their own way, I mean Snow blamed the Islanders trouble on the coach and Nolan blamed their inability to get into the playoffs on the fact that his players sucked and well here we are a coach down and a GM to go. Nolan’s other head coaching position was with the Buffalo Sabres from 1995-1997. (Am I sensing a pattern here?)

(Photos: Jason Smith/Getty Images for Nascar; Bob Rosato/SI)

It's been fun blogging with you,
Kate