#2-Rusty Wallace, 48, and #12-Ryan Newman, 27, had a falling out last fall at Martinsville Speedway. They haven’t talked about it since, and the animosity between them has festered. Their strained relationship is generating a fair amount of banter and media attention during Daytona testing. During a Dodge dinner Tuesday night, Wallace was asked if he received a Christmas present from Newman. He laughed, raised an eye and gave a definite “no.” A week earlier, Newman was asked how things are going with Wallace. “We’re just peachy,” he said wryly.(more at the Tampa Tribune)(1-20-2005)
UPDATE: Rusty Wallace said he’s planning a meeting with teammate Ryan Newman “to defuse” things before the season starts. Newman and Wallace had some run-ins last season, most notably at Martinsville. “What I want is respect,” Wallace said. Wallace is a part-owner of the Penske South team.(Winston Salem Journal)(1-21-2005)
