CONCORD, N.C. — Clint Bowyer feels awful for costing Ryan Newman a win, though his apology for spinning at Richmond is not an admission of guilt.

Ryan Newman also feels terrible. Only his sympathy is for Martin Truex Jr., the unwitting participant in a botched race-fixing attempt by Michael Waltrip Racing that has put two friends in an awkward position and spoiled the start of NASCAR’s championship race.

“I feel bad for Martin, and I feel he didn’t know anything about it and he had the carpet ripped out from underneath him,” Newman said.