Was Newman Fired?

Former Penske driver, Rusty Wallace, is saying that the reports that Ryan Newman asked to part ways with Penske Racing is untrue, Wallace is saying that in fact Ryan Newman was fired. On July 14, 2008 Ryan Newman announced that Roger Penske and him had ""mutually agreed" that Newman would leave the #12 Alltel Dodge after the 2008 season.

Rusty Wallace said this:


"He didn't leave, I've read many, many stories that said that. Roger Penske called Ryan Newman up to his office and said I don't need your services next year. Ryan Newman didn't come to him and say I'm leaving. You all need to write about that. That's exactly how it went down. I love Roger Penske, so I'm going to help clear up the story for him."

More From Wallace,

"I read the official press release from Penske when it came out,'' Wallace said. "Roger doesn't like anybody telling him that his equipment is junk. Obviously, Ryan and I never got along. That's for sure. You guys all know that. This guy (Penske) will give anybody anything they want. Engineers, whatever. Ryan knows that. We hyped up forever and ever that he is the engineer. For years and years. And they can't get that car figured out. I talked to Roger. He didn't like it. He didn't like all the negative stuff. I knew that they needed to move on quick. That's the key. He needed to move on and find a driver rather than Ryan saying I don't know if I want to come back, I might or I might not. Roger is not like that. He's not going to be held hostage by somebody else. You're in or you're out. There's no waffling, and Ryan was waffling. Roger says I'm not waiting, I'm moving."

Ryan Newman has been rumored to join Tony Stewart and the newly formed Stewart/Hass Racing team in 2009. When asked about the comments from Rusty Wallace this is what Newman had to say,

"I don't know what Rusty's grounds are, what he's trying to prove by saying that," Newman said. "That wasn't the case. Point blank. Roger and I decided mutually to not continue. It was more my decision than it was his. I had said our goals didn't align and for that reason and that reason alone, we decided not to continue after 2008."