Newman hopes to keep momentum

After a hectic week across the United States meeting with several media outlets as the winner of NASCAR's premier race, Newman gets back behind the steering wheel to prove that his victory a week ago is no fluke and that he can contend at the front consistently this year.

"When the car fires up for practice, we're not back to zero," Newman said. "I don't thing that we've achieved nothing, but we have to look at it that way as a team and take all the momentum mentally and harness it and do what we have to do.

"I feel that we've had some very good tests in the off-season, I look forward to our Phoenix test for our short-track program. But I feel like we will be competitive throughout the entire season.

"Will we be in the top five every week or the top ten? I don't know, I can't tell you that. We'll see after this week. I think it's no bluff. I think our organization showed by finishing first and second (at Daytona) that we're capable of great things."

Newman, who arrived in a rainy Fontana with a cold he picked up before the Daytona 500, said the last few days have been the busiest he has ever had. He says the appearances and the meetings with the media are the taxing part that comes with being a race driver.

"Yeah, it was fun but it was a lot of work," Newman said about his week. "We left Connecticut at 5:30 on Wednesday morning to fly out to L.A. It was non-stop. It was busy and that's good, but like I said, that's the work part of it.

"That's what we as drivers call work. The rest for us is just coming to the garage and having fun and relaxation while you're sitting in the car."

Newman enjoyed his best Sprint Cup Series season ever in 2003 when he won eight races and scored ten pole positions on his way to sixth place in the standings.

This year for the first time he leads the championship following his victory in the season-opener.