Newman listening to new deals, Penske looking for sponsorship

Another piece in the NASCAR silly season puzzle is that of Ryan Newman, Newman's contract with Penske Racing is up and Newman may be looking at new rides for 2009. Newman doesn't show any concern over the issue though.

"I know that once you're in this place [Sprint Cup racing], you're pretty much locked in unless you screw up," Newman said. "There's no point in being emotional about something that doesn't require emotion."

"I have to do that to be fair to myself. I'm not leading the points, and if I was, it would be a no-brainer. It's not like marriage. It's not like we're locked in for life. You can stop with whoever you're dating and date someone else. You can have more than one phone number in your phone."

Team owner Roger Penske has said the negotiations with Newman have been "very open." "I've talked to drivers, and drivers have talked to us," Penske said. "[Newman] and I have had very open conversations for several months. It's good that everybody gets a chance to see what's out there and what are the opportunities and at the time we've got to make a decision, we'll make it."

Another problem that has arisen is that Alltel, Newman's sponsor, has been bought out by rival Verizon which means they can not sponsor a car in the Sprint Cup series due to Sprint's agreement with NASCAR. That means Newman's ride is without sponsorship, though Roger Penske has said that the 12 car will be running even without sponsorship.

Newman working on deal with Penske, but listening to others (ESPN.com)