Newman Is New Winston Cup Winner

CONCORD, N.C. -- AP reported that Ryan Newman survived a myriad of hurdles Saturday night, including a furious battle with Dale Earnhardt Jr., to join Earnhardt as the only rookies to win The Winston.

"Everything that happened won't set in for a while," Newman said. "We had to work hard for everything, and I'm sure we made a few people mad out there. But that's part of racing."

Newman, who won a total of $794,326, got the first Winston Cup victory of his career and matched fellow rookie Jimmie Johnson in the win column. But Johnson won a points-paying race last month in California.

Johnson finished fifth in The Winston, but won the first two segments and earned $100,000 in bonuses. Matt Kenseth was third. Seven of the top eight drivers were 30 years old or younger.

"I don't think it matters so much what the age is," said Newman, who drove a Ford. "Maybe the veterans are supposed to win, but they all mean the same no matter how old you are."

Newman, 24, had to endure a qualifying race (he was one of two to win spots in the all-star field), two elimination rounds, a helmet being thrown at him by Elliott Sadler, two restarts and the battle with Earnhardt to win at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Sadler was angry about a spinout in the second round and earlier contact from Newman. Sadler later apologized.

Newman started the 20-lap finale in fourth and ran down leader Tony Stewart on the third lap. He had opened a three-second lead and was on his way to victory when caution came out as Kurt Busch spun out Robby Gordon.

It bunched the field back up with five laps to go. Newman got a tremendous jump on the restart, but NASCAR waved it off. So Newman duplicated the start and again pulled away.

But Earnhardt sliced his way through the field and was bumper-to-bumper with Newman over the final two laps. He could have won by spinning Newman out, but backed off. "I let off because I didn't want to spin him out," Earnhardt said. "And that was the end of the race."

BUSCH: Sunday at Nazareth, Pa., Jason Keller got his fourth victory of the year in a Ford. Jeff Purvis was hospitalized in serious but stable condition after a crash left him with a contusion at the base of the brain and fractures of the first and second vertebrae.