2016 NASCAR Driver Spotlight Review: Ryan Newman

Ryan Newman 2016 Review

By Richard Tix

2016 Driver Preview

Season Grade: D+

Season Preview: "I expect to see a lot of the same for Newman in 2016. If you look back at his career (minus his hot streak to start between 2002-2004) he has been pretty steady. It is safe to assume he will finish without a win again, with 5-6 top 5's, and 15-17 top 10's. The biggest question is can he make the new Chase three out of three seasons? I think he and the #31 team have it figured out and will once again get in on points if they do not squeak out a trip to VL. He still made it in 2015 even with the points deduction from his team manipulating his tires."

Season Review: 2016 was not a great season for Newman and Co. It was hands down one of his worst statistical seasons in around eight years. Even if you date back to his 2008 season, at least he put up a win that year.

Gone are the days where Newman used to be good for a win a season as he now has three straight season's without a win. However, he still had a consistent season overall. This time the consistency came without top 5's and top 10's and ended with Newman missing the Chase once again.

Newman will look to bounce back in 2017 after posting near career lows in top 5's and top 10's in 2016.

Previous Driver Spotlights

2016 NASCAR Driver Spotlight Review: Dale Earnhardt Jr

Dale Earnhardt Jr 2016 Review

By Richard Tix

2016 Season Preview

Season Grade: N/A

Season Preview: "I think Jr moves past the first two rounds again in 2016 (missed it in 2015 and finished 12th), which is the round with 8 drivers left. Once there, I think he will make a push for the finale at Miami, but I do think he will come up short. However, it wont surprise me if he finally makes the final four. I think 2-3 wins, 12-14 top 5's, and 19-21 top 10's are in the cards for Earnhardt, which are all just a bit down from 2015."

Season Review: Well as far as predictions go, the season was incomplete for Dale Earnhardt Jr. Through 18 races the season wasn't really off to that strong of a start for Junior. Half through the season he had only five top 5's and six top 10's. He also had his worst average finish since 2010, but no one really knows how the rest of the season would have turned out had he raced. Heck, he could have turned it around and provided Jr Nation with a late push.

That's the end of the bad news because I want to put a positive spin on this review. Though Junior sat out due to a concussion, it was a breath of fresh air to see a star in any sport take his long term health into his own hands.

Concussion's are a hot topic in 2016, but in a sport where hitting a wall at 100+ MPH happens often, it didn't seem to be a word that was brought up very often in NASCAR. When Dale wasn't feeling right, he took his health into consideration and got checked out. He then took the needed time off to get right so he can come back 100% healthy.

However, the thing with concussions are that they become easier to suffer from the more you have. Junior may have noticed this one, but how many may he have had before this? My hope is that he has a wonderful 2017 season with no setbacks, but when the biggest star in any given sport makes it a hot topic then it is something we should watch. Not just watch how he handles it, but how other drivers could also possibly be effected by big hits.

I commend Dale for making this a priority and it gave the sport more light on a serious issue. He understands his life is bigger than the sport and being on the track and that's a honorable thing to grasp. 

So, Dale gets no actual grade other than N/A, but for self and sport awareness he gets an A+.

Previous Driver Spotlights

2016 NASCAR Driver Spotlight Review: Kasey Kahne

Kasey Kahne 2016 Review

By Richard Tix

2016 Season Preview

Season Grade: C

Season Preview: "I want to say he will bounce back. I want to say he finally lives up to getting a ride at Hendrick, but part of me just believes he needs a fresh start. I think he will have a fine season, maybe a bit better then 2015, but I do not see a huge comeback season for Kahne even with more light being on him with Gordon gone. Another season where he will flirt with a win, 4-5 top 5's, and 10-12 top 10's are where I expect him to land (and all those numbers are up from 2015). He again will be a bubble Chase driver that might need that win to get in."

Season Review: I really, really hate being right about Kasey Kahne year after year. Just once I am hoping he proves me wrong. As a Minnesota sports fan I have the pessimistic view down to a science, which is where I am with Kahne.

See, I was a big Kahne fan early in his career. To be honest, I was and am a huge Dodge fan, so many of my following's stem from those roots including KK. I have grown away as a fan from Kahne, but only because I have picked up so many other drivers that I consider myself to root for. But, in the back of my head I am always hoping the best for Kasey.

With that said, you can see why I hate doing Kasey Kahne Previews and Reviews. I am almost always pessimistic about his outlook and I am almost always right. Sad, I know. 

Again KK didn't produce season long while finishing with zero wins, three top 5's, and 13 top 10's. However, the sun does come out each day and it started to shine a bit on Kahne again in 2016. He finished the season with his best average finish (15.6) since 2012. He also had a nice stretch from Darlington to Kansas where he had six top 10's in seven races. So, things were not all bad for Kasey fans as he once again will give them hope heading into a new season. With that he also has given me a headache just thinking about how I will start his 2017 Preview...It is what it is I guess.

Driver Spotlight Preview

2017 NASCAR Paint Scheme's

By Richard Tix

A season long updating page, I will be keeping track of most of the 2017 paint schemes. If you see a favorite of yours missing let me know and I will add it! You can let me know on NASCAR Behind the Wall, NASCARBTW@gmail.com, or on Twitter: @NASCARBTW. Want to take a look back?

• 2016 Paint Scheme Page
• 2015 Paint Scheme Page
• 2014 Paint Scheme Page

#1 Jamie McMurray

#2 Brad Keselowski

Gold trim added

#3 Austin Dillon

# 4 Kevin Harvick

#5 Kasey Kahne

#6 Trevor Bayne

# 7 Elliott Sadler

2017 Daytona 500 (Might not be scheme. Scheme not officially released)

#10 Danica Patrick

#11 Denny Hamlin

#13 Ty Dillon

#14 Clint Bowyer

#15 Michael Waltrip (Daytona 500)

Reed Sorenson AMS

#17 Ricky Stenhouse Jr

Will sponsor four races

#18 Kyle Busch

#19 Daniel Suarez

#20 Matt Kenseth

#21 Ryan Blaney

#22 Joey Logano

#23 Gray Gaulding/Joey Gase

#24 Chase Elliott

#27 Paul Menard

#31 Ryan Newman

#32 Matt DiBenedetto

#33 Jeffery Earnhardt

#34 Landon Cassill

#37 Chris Buescher

#38 David Ragan

#41 Kurt Busch

#42 Kyle Larson

#43 Aric Amirola

STP back in 2017. Look's like this is the 2017 scheme (Lionel)

#47 A.J. Allmendinger

#48 Jimmie Johnson

#51 Timmy Hill

#55 Reed Sorenson

#72 Cole Whitt

#75 Brendan Gaughan

#77 Erik Jones

2016 Toyota

2017 Toyota

#78 Martin Truex Jr

#83 Corey LaJoie

#88 Dale Earnhardt Jr

Never Happened

#95 Michael McDowell

#96 D.J. Kennington

Kennington will attempt to make the Daytona 500