IN SIGHT Tommi Makinen, we'll miss thee ... Enjoy retirement. FOCUS: RYAN NEWMAN Ryan Newman is the equivalent of a national title contender in college football who is out of the running due to an early season fall, but whom nobody wants to face by season's end. Newman is the man, whether it be in qualifying (six Bud Poles this year) or in Victory Lane at the end of the race (he's been there six times this season, which is five more times than runaway Cup points leader Matt Kenseth). So what if Newman is sixth in the series standings. The No. 12 Alltel driver is quickly becoming No. 1 in the hearts of fans who like a winner. With 10 races remaining, don't be shocked to see Newman adding more pole victories and race wins to his stunning sophomore effort. And he could start this week at Loudon. After all, Newman's first career Cup win came a year ago in the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway, a race in which he also won the pole. "This time last year I was winning my first Winston Cup race and I was excited and relieved at the same time," Newman said. "We went out and fired off a really good lap and won the pole and then we won the race. To me, that made it that much sweeter for my first Winston Cup win. "The Loudon win last September is one I'll always remember just for the simple fact that it was my first Winston Cup career win, but we've gone on to win quite a few since that rainy day. Every win since has had a different feeling when I pulled into Victory Lane. "I thought Dover was my best race because it was done with no power steering. Chicago and Pocono were won because of team strategy. Michigan was won on fuel also, but it was nice to come back after enduring a fire like I had there in June. Bottom line is winning is just awesome no matter how you do it." Indeed, Newman knows winning. And everyone knows he is the pole qualifying master. He has 13 career pole victories, which ranks 25th among modern era drivers. Not bad for a 25-year-old in his second season. "He gets in that Alltel Dodge each week with the mindset that he can win the race and will do everything in his power to take the checkered flag," said Don Miller, president of Penske Racing South. "Of course he'd prefer to race each guy out there and win on skill alone, but it's just not like that anymore. Every track is different in how you can or will win. Fuel mileage seems to be the main strategy these days, so that's the game we play. "The satisfaction that came over me as I watched Ryan winning last year's (Loudon) race is something I can't even describe. Rusty (Wallace) won the first race ran at Loudon and Ryan won his first Winston Cup race there, so that's a pretty neat deal for our team. Just look at what Ryan's accomplished since last year -- it's only going to get sweeter." Miller may be biased, but hey, the way his young gun is performing these days, that assessment can hardly be challenged. While the rest of the Cup field fights or wonders aloud at Matt Kenseth's consistency, Newman and his team keep rising to the top. PIT PASS Matt Kenseth finished seventh at Richmond, and nobody in front of him in last week's race results is a concern in the Winston Cup points race. But Kenseth admitted he might have had concerns until Kevin Harvick was spun out by Ricky Rudd in the final moments. "You never like to see anybody else's misfortune, but I definitely feel better with the lead we have now than what we had when we came in," Kenseth said. "(Harvick's) 29's been awful, awful strong and has had a lot of momentum, and he kind of broke that momentum." Harvick had to settle for 16th after racing for what surely seemed a top-three finish at worst. Harvick, who was fined and put on probation for his post-race tirade directed at Rudd, certainly felt he was closing in on Kenseth. But now, Kenseth (3864 points) has maintained a nice cushion over third-place Harvick (3423) in the standings. Dale Earnhardt Jr. remains in second, with 3446 points. "We'll just stay after it," Kenseth said of the Cup title. "To me it's still too early to count races. I'll sleep a little bit better than I did last week, but I still won't sleep totally sound yet." There's pessimism and then there's realism misunderstood by those in rose-colored glasses. This week, we find ourselves disheartened. The motorsports world is plum letting us down. Did we just say plum? Hmm, we can't be that depressed. Or can we? A friend of Gas and Go has let fly with this dangerous theory: Racing isn't decided by great drivers at all. It's either equipment or politics. Period. Ouch. In the past, the antidote to that poisonous statement would be applied faster than Ayrton Senna's yellow helmet bobbed its way around the Spa-Francochamps circuit. But this week, things are looking murkier, race fans. In Formula One, Team McLaren's managing director has come out and said that the application of specific tire tread depth rules could hand the championship to Ferrari and Michael Schumacher. Martin Whitmarsh is saying, essentially, that even Michelin's reworked tire -- which apparently isn't as fast, surprise, surprise, for either McLaren or Williams -- could very well be disqualified this weekend at Monza. This theory of his was reported after meeting with FIA. If this is true, with three races to go and Schumacher only one point ahead of Juan Pablo Montoya in his quest for a sixth world title, the F1 season will be torpedoed. Rules are rules, yes, but what a hideous ending this would be to what seemed an entertaining season. But there's plenty of shame to go around. The IRL could gloat about its spectacular 1-2-3 finish last weekend at Chicagoland, and yes it was as good as it gets for public viewing, but the fact remains the league changed its rules mid-season to allow Sam Hornish Jr. to be competitive with a new engine. Right or wrong, and you can believe whatever you like about the IRL's political decision, the playing field was altered and some will always insist this tampered with the sporting legitimacy of the season. And as for CART, well, we don't even know for sure if there will be another season. And if there is, who knows what it will look like. All of this is distressing to say the least. And then ... there's NASCAR. What in the name of Bill France is going on with these guys? The off track fighting and hood dancing exhibitions on pit road, and subsequent fines for these transgressions, are entertaining enough, we'll grant you this. Pull up a chair and grab the popcorn. But what about this little problem with drivers who lead near the end of a race getting routinely bumped out of the way so another driver can dance in Victory Lane? It's happening in Busch, Trucks and Cup, too. And to think everyone made Kurt Busch out to be the lone devil for his driving tactics. Open your eyes and you see it's happening everywhere. Is the winner each week the best driver, or best bully? The line is blurry. Our rose-colored glasses are shattered. All we can say is, bring on next week. Something memorable is bound to happen. Let's just hope the drama doesn't forget the sport completely. EXHAUST FUMES Some people support Kevin Harvick while others back Ricky Rudd -- just as both Kurt Busch and Jimmy Spencer had their share of supporters and detractors. And while many -- including we here at Gas and Go, to an extent -- don't think there's room for fisticuffs and riots in NASCAR, there are a healthy number of fans who think fighting is great for the sport. And these fans have a famous example -- Yarborough, Allison and Allison at Daytona -- to point to. Fight means publicity. Publicity means interest. Interest means money. Mark Cuban said Kobe Bryant's arrest was good for the NBA. While that example is obviously way over the top, it still speaks to recent events in NASCAR. Yes, isolated instances of fights and near-riots will turn some heads. But is that what NASCAR fans want the world to think of their sport, that it's just a bunch of whiners and sore losers beating each other up? The reason brawls during baseball games get so much attention is because they are out of the ordinary -- and that's the way it should be. "All these fist fights and all that other stuff that's going on is just not right. People have got to be a little more mature about this," said Joe Nemechek. "With the factory support we get from General Motors and all the other brands -- they don't want to see this stuff going on. The drivers have got to start using their heads." A levelheaded assessment. Unfortunately, Nemechek doesn't even have a ride lined up for 2004. Ratings might go up because of a fight or two, but NASCAR is about racing. These extracurricular activities are becoming commonplace in NASCAR and it's just flat-out bad for the sport. You think Cale Yarborough would disagree? MAILBAG

Two points regarding your comments on Hornish; 1) don't be too quick applauding what this means for IRL -- I think it really means Hornish wants to sample NASCAR before taking the plunge, and Penske can help him start in the Busch series. 2) the above means you'll probably get your wish to see him in Winston Cup someday. Steve McGettigan Hamilton, N.J. Your point, Steve, basically boils down to this: Yes, Sam Hornish Jr. is staying in the IRL. But no, it doesn't mean he's staying for good. And your point is absolutely spot on. Hornish could very well be keeping NASCAR in his future, using Roger Penske's operation as a way to bridge the gap between stock cars and IndyCars. But in the meantime, the IRL does benefit from his presence. And even if that presence is short-term, the benefits reaped could help the league long term. Better he stay now when the league is trying to build its fanbase. Got your own questions about what's happening in the pits? Ask away, and we'll answer a question or two in the next Gas&Go. Name: E-mail address: City, state: Your comment: OVERHEARD Ricky Rudd On the pit-road mayhem at Richmond. "I saw a bunch of RCR guys jumping up and down on the hood of our race car." Jeff Gordon On Winston Cup's post-race tirades of late. "I'll tell you what, I don't want to be a part of it in any way, but man, it sure is entertaining." Bryan Herta On the closest-ever 1-2-3 IRL finish. "It'd be more fun to watch on TV. It's high-risk fun."

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