Jarrett impressed

Dale Jarrett, NASCAR’s 1999 Sprint Cup champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer, was impressed with what Ryan Newman did on the final lap at Phoenix — and that was before the contact that put Kyle Larson into the wall.

“I was more impressed with how he kept himself in position to even be in that position,” Jarrett said, “because he was at a huge disadvantage with the tires he was on versus the people he was racing around.

“I’ve (long) said that man is the best in a two-tire situation or some kind of strategy. The way he drives the wheels off the car is better than anybody else out there.

In that situation, I’ll put him up against just about anybody.”

Rusty Wallace, the 1989 premier series champ and NASCAR Hall of Famer, said he’s not surprised that Newman and Richard Childress Racing are in position to win a title despite not winning a race this season.

“Richard Childress Racing (became) masters at winning championships (because) they knew how to adapt to whatever it took to get the job done,” Wallace said.

“That’s one thing Childress, I think, has got up his sleeve coming into this weekend. Maybe they haven’t won, but they know how to figure it out.”