FanHouse Alltel

Thanks to Tony Stewart, the puzzle pieces of the 2009 season are starting to match together nicely.

Ryan Newman won't have to worry about Alltel continuing to be the sponsor of the No. 12 Penske Dodge after 2008 because he won't even be with the Penske operation anymore, potentially opening the door for Newman to join Tony Stewart at Stewart-Haas Racing, otherwise known as the "Indiana Dream Team".

Newman, who hails from South Bend, Ind., leaves Penske Racing at an interesting time. Though 2008 was he final year of his current contract with the team, most wouldn't have expected Newman to be leaving the only team he's ever driven for in stock car racing. A win at the Daytona 500 in February further emphasized that thought.

But Newman has been frustrated with the performance of the team, both this year and for last few years. Currently, Newman sits 16th in the point standings, and it appears he could be on the outside looking in for the Chase yet again. He hasn't been a participant since 2005.

In 2003, Newman's career looked to be taking off like a rocket. He won eight races of his 13 career wins that season. He followed it up with two more in 2004, one in 2005, and then didn't win again until February at Daytona. In that time, the Penske operation had fallen off from being at the top of the NASCAR game, and it took a toll on a Newman, leading him to where we are today.

Consider Jimmie Johnson the new Martinsville master.

Johnson took Sunday's Subway 500 at Martinsville Speedway for his 30th career victory over Ryan Newman and Hendrick teammate Jeff Gordon. He now follows Gordon in the Chase for the Nextel Cup by 53 points with just four races left.

It's the first time one driver has taken three-straight at Martinsville since Rusty Wallace did it in 1994-95.

Late in the race, cautions were the story and likely affected Jeff Gordon's chances -- who led a race high 168 laps -- at winning a possible third race in a row. Needing longer runs for his car to come in, Gordon was hampered by several yellows and was passed on a late restart by Newman.

Another caution flew leading to a final green-white-checkered finish that could have been more exciting had David Ragan not spun in turn one. NASCAR, like usual, waited to throw the caution flag and very nearly put a stalled Ragan in harm's way as the leaders flew into turn one before NASCAR threw the yellow, sealing Johnson's win.

Clint Bowyer, third in points, and Tony Stewart, fourth, finished 9th and 13th respectively. Bowyer now sits 110 points back of Gordon and Stewart holds a deficit of 244 points, unofficially.

Want a chance to "train like the pros, get in the driver's seat and test your skills in a Go-Kart and Pit-Crew Challenge for the chance to take home $500,000?"

Enter the Alltel My Circle 500 Sweepstakes and you could be one of 10 lucky fans headed to Charlotte this May for the Coca-Cola 600 race weekend.

Because of NASCAR's agreement with Nextel, Alltel can't have a presence at the track and can't sponsor a race, so their marketing team has to be more creative in exploiting their sponsorship of driver Ryan Newman.

According to Samira Zebian, Alltel's director of sponsorship, the online sweepstakes has already generated more response than any of Alltel's football- or basketball-themed promotions.

Of course it has -- NASCAR fans RULE!