Associated Press

Driver Tony Stewart won the pole on Friday for Sunday's Sprint Cup race at Pocono Raceway.

LONG POND, Pa. -- Asked the amount of his NASCAR fine, Ryan Newman kept quiet.

What did he do?

Shrugged shoulders.

Hey, maybe the threat of secret fines for speaking out against the stock car series is working after all.

NASCAR expects omerta (the code of silence) from its drivers when it comes to publicly lashing out against the sport. If they do, they'll be fined.

Ask Newman or Denny Hamlin.

Both Sprint Cup star drivers acknowledged at Pocono Raceway they were the ones fined by NASCAR for making critical comments about the racing series.

"It's not a good thing by any means for our sport," Newman said Friday. "The less we talk about it, the more we can talk about the racing."

Newman refused to disclose the amount of the fine or what he said. He implied that it was for comments he made after he crashed at Talladega Superspeedway.

Newman said in April that winning was "a lottery, racing for a championship shouldn't be a lottery." He added the wreck-heavy races at Talladega "affect our championship because it's not racing."

He was one of a few drivers Friday who blamed the media for stirring up controversy and an easy willingness to criticize the sport. Newman suggested if he was left alone for a few moments after his wreck instead of being instantly forced to answer questions, he might have cooled down and not been so quick to pop off.

"When you get a microphone stuck in your face when the adrenaline's still rushing, don't expect everything to be positive," Newman said.

Or, he could have said "no comment."

Hamlin said he was punished for comments he made on Twitter. He also did not reveal the amount of the fine.

People familiar with the penalties told the AP this week fines were levied because the comments were considered disparaging to the sport. The people spoke on condition of anonymity because NASCAR was not publicly identifying the topflight drivers it fined. They say one driver was penalized as much as $50,000.

Newman said the penalties are "behind me. It's behind Denny right now." He was frustrated about the fine "because I didn't understand what it was or why it was."

Hamlin understood why he was fined.

"Whether you agree with it or not, it happened. They're in control," he said.

The decision to fine competitors for critical comments puts NASCAR in line with many other professional sports leagues. The NFL and NBA both routinely issue fines for criticism of officiating.

Gordon's crew chief signs extension

Hendrick Motorsports has signed Jeff Gordon crew chief Steve Letarte to a multiyear extension.

Letarte has been with Gordon since the end of the 2005 season. Gordon has 10 wins, 14 poles and leads NASCAR in top-five finishes since they teamed up.

Hendrick announced the decision Friday before practice at Pocono Raceway.

Stewart takes Pocono poles

Tony Stewart unbuttoned the top button on his racing suit and let out a sigh.

Qualifying for the pole always makes a trip to Pocono Raceway more fun. Stewart zipped his No. 14 Chevy for a qualifying lap Friday of 171.393 mph around the 2.5-mile triangle track to start from the top for Sunday's Pennsylvania 500.

"Man, it felt good," Stewart said. "If you want a place where you want good track position, it's here at Pocono."

Juan Pablo Montoya will start second in the NASCAR Sprint Cup race for an impressive follow-up to last week's pole start but disappointing 32nd-place finish at the Brickyard 400.

Edwards, Biffle visit injured Roush

Carl Edwards hopes Jack Roush makes a speedy recovery from injuries the NASCAR team owner sustained in a plane crash this week in Wisconsin.

Edwards said before qualifying Friday for the Pennsylvania 500 that Roush will be missed because he can jump in on any project on his No. 99 Ford, from tuning the engine to helping the crew chief with setups. Edwards said Roush was tough and should be back soon.

Roush has been transferred to a Minnesota hospital as he recovers from surgery on facial injuries. A passenger in the plane Roush was flying was also hurt but has been released from a hospital.

-- Associated Press