Ryan Newman is also racing in the Nationwide Series This Weekend

As the second half of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season begins this weekend at the LifeLock.com 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, Ryan Newman would like to end a streak, and at the same time, continue a streak.

The streak he wants to abolish is not having scored a top-10 finish in the last four races. The streak he is aiming to prolong is consecutive top 10s at the Chicagoland track.

The 31-year-old Newman has had finishes of eighth and 10th the past two years at the 1.5-mile oval. Chicagoland is also a track where he captured one of his 13 tour wins (2003 season).

“We’ve had some misfortunes recently and it’s been costly with our finishes,” said Newman. “Performance wise we know we can be a contender week in and week out. We’ll keep plugging away knowing the luck cycle will eventually turn in our favor.”

Newman’s latest woe was in Saturday night’s race at Daytona International Speedway. He drove a wrecked race car for more than half the race after being collected in a 13-car accident at the 2.5-mile track. He fell a lap down, but a late-race surge propelled him to a 20th-place finish.

“One thing about Ryan and this team – we never quit,” said crew chief Tony Gibson. “We feed off our Soldiers and keep pounding away when things aren’t going right. At Daytona Ryan picked up nine spots in the last four laps. That’s 27 points and that could make the difference from making or not making the Chase.”

In the first 18 races of the season, Newman has posted five top fives and eight top 10s. He has been in the top-10 in driver points since the 10th race of the season (following Richmond on May 2).

With eight races remaining before the top-12 drivers in points enter the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship, Newman is positioned in seventh place and 134 points from the Chase cutoff.

“So many things can happen in eight races,” offered Newman. “Our margin is not safe and we know that. You can drop a lot of points quickly — it only takes one bad break. Our goal is to continue to fight hard and run up front at all of the races.”

Newman’s career record at Chicagoland Speedway is: 7 starts, 1 win, 2 top fives, 4 top 10s and 1 pole (2002). He has completed 94.2 percent of the laps since his first start in 2002 and has led a total of 163 laps.

But, sounds like Newman was involved in an accident which hindered him all night. He finished 19th and should be keeping his 7th place position in the points.

Newman Fights Back From Adversity in Daytona

DAYTONA BEACH
, Fla. (July 4, 2009) — Though he drove a wrecked car for more than half the race, Ryan Newman managed to pull off a 20th-place finish in Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway.

The result didn’t alter Newman’s position in the driver point standings. He remains seventh and actually increased his margin of being in Chase contention. He is now 134 points from the Chase cutoff (13th position). He came into the race 79 points ahead of 13th. It was a net gain of 55 points.

Newman’s teammate, Tony Stewart, won the race and remains first in driver points.

Newman, who started the 400-mile event from the seventh position, got collected in a 13-car accident on Lap 78 of 160. His No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS suffered heavy left-side damage, which resulted in nine unscheduled pit stops throughout the race as the crew made continuous repairs to the crippled car.

“We were severely handicapped after the accident,” said Newman. “But we made the most out of what we had to work with. It was another never give up U.S. Army effort.”

After getting back on the lead lap following a caution on Lap 154, Newman’s tenacity paid off as he gained nine positions in the closing four green-flag laps.

“That late charge by Ryan earned us 27 points — and that could make a difference from making or not making the Chase,” offered crew chief Tony Gibson. “We had a lot of damage after the accident and the Army car was a handful for Ryan to drive. It wasn’t a great day, but it could have been a lot worse.”

The next stop for Newman and the No. 39 team will be Saturday night (July 11) at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.

-credit: shr

WHAT IS THE OUTLOOK FOR THIS WEEK? “We were just talking at the truck. I would just like to redo the (Daytona) 500 weekend and get a re-baseline here at Daytona. We went through so many race cars that it kind of almost doesn’t count so it’s kind of like our first trip to Daytona coming back to just kind of try to redeem ourselves for the cluster that we had going on in February. I look forward to it. I really enjoy the race track. It’s going to be a hot one.”

DO YOU HAVE A PREFERENCE FOR EITHER HALF OF THE SEASON? “No preference. I enjoy every race the same amount and look forward to each one the same way. There’s no preference whatsoever to the first half or second half. I’d say that if you have a good first half you can potentially enjoy the second for expect to enjoy the second half a little bit more. That doesn’t mean you’re going to just because you go back to the same tracks twice.”

HOW DOES THE HEAT AFFECT YOU AND DOES IT EVER GET UNCOMFORTABLE IN THE CAR? “Yeah, I’ve had to get different shoes this year because I kept burning my left heel. So we basically just went through different brands of shoes and finally got some ones that I liked. When you have a hot spot it gets pretty inconvenient because you start thinking about it and you’re lifting your foot up and doing different things. It changes the way you drive the car. It doesn’t necessarily change your performance but it changes the way you drive the car and you don’t want that to happen at all. That in conjunction with just pure dehydration and overheating. The way the cars drive it’s a little bit different. It’s just typically less grip but everybody is fighting the same battle.”

HOW MUCH WATER WILL YOU DRINK TO GET READY FOR THIS? “I usually mix it up, kind of half water and half Gatorade because too much of each one doesn’t necessarily do you the most good. I’d say I probably get 120 ounces in before the race starting 24 hours before. I’d say I probably drink maybe 30 or 40 ounces during the race through water bottles. It’s hard to measure that because there is so much ice in it. Weight wise I bet I lose five pounds maybe or something like that. I typically will drink at least 120 ounces after the race and not go to the bathroom until the next morning. Your body can reabsorb pretty quick.”

IS IT REAL EASY TO COME BACK IN HERE AT DAYTONA AND JUST RELIVE WINNING THAT 500 AND WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT? “Yeah, it’s easy. It’s a memory that’s etched in my mind and hopefully always will be. I look forward to coming back here for more than just that but yeah its neat to come back and drive through the tunnel and know that on a given day here you beat everybody in the 50th running of the greatest race.”

CAN YOU COMMENT ON THE PROSPECTS OF WHEN JEREMY MAYFIELD DOES RETURN? “I’ve read a couple of small things. I couldn’t tell you exactly whose articles I read. The bottom line is I don’t quite understand some of it. I will say that some people that don’t understand motorsports, some people that don’t understand sports in general and the situation that we had when somebody tests positive is something to be seriously considered and there is a lot of responsibility that goes along with that. As a federal judge when you release somebody to go back and do that without necessarily in my eyes clarifying everything that’s not cool. People make mistakes. I just hope the judge didn’t make one.”

CARL EDWARDS SAID AFTER TALLADEGA THAT THOSE THINGS WILL KEEP HAPPENING UNLESS THERE IS A RULE CHANGE, CAN YOU ENVISION ANY KIND OF CHANGE OR DO YOU THINK SOMETHING SHOULD BE CHANGED? “I think something should have been changed with the cars getting airborne. It’s relatively the same type of package where you’re running the same amount of speed. The corner speeds I think dropped down a little bit more here than at Talladega. Yeah, I wish there would have been some changes or some developments technology wise with the roof flaps and keeping the cars down but I haven’t heard anything and I haven’t been told anything. Maybe I should have asked but I don’t think that’s the case. I think if we’re talking about safety we should be told as well.”

IS THAT SOMETHING YOU WOULD BE WILLING TO PUSH? “I am. I talked about it in Talladega. We need to do these things but I haven’t heard of anything being done.”

IS IT FAIR TO DRAW SOME COMPARISONS TO WHAT HE’S (TONY STEWART) DOING WITH THIS TEAM TO WHAT KULWICKI DID IN THE EARLY 90′S? “Yeah, you can draw comparisons. I mean you can compare Richard Petty and Cale Yarborough in many different ways too but in the end Tony Stewart is still Tony Stewart and Richard Petty is still Richard Petty. He’s doing some great things on the race track and off to have accomplished the things that he has. I’m just glad to be a part of it.”

HOW MUCH OF THE SUCCESS IS HIM (TONY STEWART)? “Behind the wheel 100 percent I can tell you that. Obviously Darian Grubb and everybody is making a difference but he’s doing the right things on the race track. Aside from trying to crash his primary car to win the race in Loudon like he did in Pocono, he’s pretty flawless. That’s tough to do. I’d say in general I’ve seen a lot fewer accidents this year than in the past. He’s done a great job. He’s also responsible for a lot the people that are in the positions that they are at Stewart-Haas Racing. He’s not 100 percent, maybe 40 percent. I could throw a number out there but that’s my answer.”

IS THERE ANY CONCERN FOR YOU BEING OUT ON THE TRACK WITH JEREMY MAYFIELD WHEN HE RETURNS? “I would say that if my car was starting next to his I would wonder about the first lap. If I was in a position where I was racing him I would potentially question that judgment but I don’t know how to actually do that until that happens. Race car drivers drive by the seat of their pants and you don’t think about things may happen, you think about things as they are going to happen I guess you could say.”

HAVE YOU BEEN TESTED RECENTLY? “Not the last few weeks, no.”

SINCE MAYFIELD FILED SUIT? “I was in Phoenix whenever that was so I guess it was before him.”

DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW HOT IT GETS INSIDE THE CAR ESPECIALLY DURING THESE DAYTIME PRACTICES? “We’ve got data. It’s around 130 degrees. The pedal is usually around 120 degrees and they run a little bit cooler than the air does. It’s plenty hot. Above my head is a little cooler just because there’s a little bit more air flow, but down around the engine and the foot box it’s typically like 140 degrees. That’s a lot of race tracks even when it’s cool outside. The teams put a lot of effort and emphasis on moving the air because that helps keep you cool. It’s just like the little fan that you do to keep your face cool.”

CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THE HALL OF FAME INDUCTIONS AND WHO YOU THINK HONESTLY FROM THE HEART WHO YOU’D LIKE TO SEE IN THE FIRST CLASS OF THE HALL OF FAME NOMINATIONS? “Big Bill France I guess is going to be number one. I’d say Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty. I think you would have to throw in a Wood Brother’s there some place. Either Pearson or Allison. It’s all in how you kind of look at it. Of course, Waltrip would say he’s number one (laughter).”

IS THERE ONE THAT PARTICULARLY STANDS OUT IN YOUR MIND? “I sat in the grandstands when Earnhardt won his first Daytona 500 and that was really awesome to see all the crew members and people that came to pit road and he shook pretty much everybody’s hand before he did his first donut. That says a lot about the sport and that says a lot about him so that to me is one the best memories in all of racing. The most respect that a driver could ever earn is to see a situation like that after you’ve been beat to go congratulate the winner. That says a lot in itself.”

-credit: gm racing

ANNOUNCEMENTS

I more than likely will not be around to see the Daytona race Saturday Night. If I am though you can follow my Twitter updates.

Also, I just moved this site to different hosting provider as well as upgraded some of the components and software of this site. So if you are experiencing any problems with the site please let me know.

This is also why I have not really posted anything in the last couple of day.

Newman Looking to Score Independence Day Win in Army Entry

DAYTONA BEACH
, Fla. (July 1, 2009) –Ryan Newman says his mission for Saturday night’s Coke Zero 400 Sprint Cup race at Daytona International Speedway is challenging, but reachable, as he takes immense pride piloting the U.S. Army entry on Independence Day.

“We wanted to put the U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevy in Victory Lane on Memorial Day in Charlotte, but came up a little short by finishing second,” noted Newman. “Saturday’s race is another opportunity to give our soldiers a special win on a special holiday.”

Newman has firsthand experience about what it takes to win at the famed 2.5-mile oval. He scored a historic victory at the 2008Daytona 500, which was the 50th anniversary of NASCAR’s most prestigious race.

“We have something to prove after an unsettling experience at this year’s Daytona 500,” said Newman. “It was one of those weeks where if something could go wrong, it did go wrong. Leading up to the race we were involved in two accidents and had a blown engine. During the race we had an early pit road issue that put us two laps down. But that’s the past. Our focus right now is to get back running in the top 10 and top five.”

Though he is seventh in points with nine races remaining before the top-12 drivers battle it out for the Sprint Cup championship, Newman knows he is by no means secured for a Chase berth.

“Nothing is certain — there are still plenty of races and plenty of points remaining,” offered Newman.

After impressive performances that saw Newman collect six straight top-10s, five of which were top-fives,the streak took a turn in the last three races with finishes of 23rd (Michigan), 17th (Sonoma) and 29th (New Hampshire).

“We had some things happen in those races that prevented us from having better finishes,” explained Newman. “This is the same Stewart-Haas team and same driver that put together those streaks of top 10s and top fives. We know we’re capable of not only contending, but also winning. A Fourth of July fireworks celebration with the Army car in Victory Lane would be awesome.”

Newman’s career record at Daytona International Speedway includes: 15 starts, one win, two top-fives and three top-10s, all coming in the 500. His best finish at the summer Daytona race was 11th in 2006.

-credit: shr

Haas Automation/U.S. Army Driver Runs Out of Fuel, Finishes 29th

Ryan Newman and the No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army team had the right strategy to win Sunday’s Lenox Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, but in the end it was not meant to be as Newman ran out of fuel while leading the race nine laps shy of the rain-shortened finish.

“I told the guys on the radio when it’s not your day, it’s not your day,” Newman said. “We had a good strategy thanks to a couple of incidents we had on the racetrack, but for some reason, we didn’t have the mileage that last run. Coulda, woulda, shoulda. We could have been leading at the end. The bottom line is we didn’t have the fuel mileage on that last run, ran out of fuel and lost a couple of laps on pit road. It was unfortunate.”

Newman endured a myriad of problems throughout the day at Loudon. With qualifying having been rained out on Friday, the driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS started sixth based on owner points, per the NASCAR rulebook. Although Newman was able to maintain his spot in the top-10, he reported to crew chief Tony Gibson that his car was way too loose. The team elected not to pit during a rash of early cautions and waited until NASCAR’s competition caution at lap 45. At that time, Newman pitted for four tires, fuel and track bar and wedge adjustments. He restarted in 25th-place.

Just a handful of laps into the run, Newman complained that the car was still too loose, which was causing him to lose ground coming off of turn four and on the straightaways. He pitted under the green flag at lap 121 for another round of chassis adjustments, four tires and fuel and returned to the track in 26th-place.

Handling issues continued to plague Newman’s efforts on the track, and at each opportunity, the pit crew made a variety of adjustments in hopes of aiding the car. Then on lap 174, Newman was caught up in a multi-car accident, which resulted in minor damage to the No. 39 Chevy’s left front fender directly behind the tire and the left rear quarter-panel. Newman also told the crew that he thought the hit had affected the car’s front-end geometry. Under the caution flag, Newman came down pit road to repair the left-side damage and for a shock adjustment, as well as four fresh tires. He returned to the track in 26th place.

Just laps later as the race restarted, Newman was the victim of another incident which shoved him into the turn two wall, damaging the right side of the racecar. Newman pitted under the caution at lap 183 for four fresh tires, fuel and additional repairs to the damaged right and left sides of the racecar.

The team’s pit stop to fix the damage put Newman on a different fuel strategy than his counterparts. While the leaders had to pit under the green flag, Newman moved up the leaderboard and eventually took over the top spot at lap 247 as rain began closing in on the racetrack. Newman led 17 laps, but the strategy failed as he ran out of fuel on lap 263, right as the first raindrops began to fall over the 1.058-mile oval. Newman was forced to give up the lead to eventual race-winner Joey Logano.

Newman’s car slowly entered pit road at lap 264. The team added fuel and elected to change only right side tires in hopes of not losing too many spots or going a lap down. However, the No. 39 Chevy stalled and Newman’s crew had to push it down the length of pit road before it finally re-fired.

Newman lost three laps in the pits, and only laps later at lap 273, the race was called due to heavy rain. Newman finished 29th.

Newman’s Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate and owner, Tony Stewart, finished fifth and continues to lead the two-car SHR contingent in the championship point race as he remains atop standings with a 69-point over his nearest pursuer, Jeff Gordon. Newman dropped one spot to seventh in the standings, 397 points out of first.

Logano’s win in the rain-shortened event was his first career Sprint Cup victory, and at 19 years, one month and four days, he became the youngest winner in Sprint Cup history.

Gordon finished second to cut 15 points from Stewart’s lead in the championship standings. Kurt Busch followed in third, while David Reutimann and Stewart rounded out the top-five. Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 11 caution periods for 47 laps, with nine drivers failing to finish the race.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the July 4 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.

-credit: shr

Joey Logano was today’s winner.

Towards the end of todays rain shortened race (with 28 laps remaining) Newman was out front and leading for about 17 laps.

Newman and his crew were waiting for the rain to come in. Right about the time Tony Gibson told Newman “6 more laps until we pit”, Newman responded by telling Gibson he was out of gas and coming.

Newman entered pit road, took tires and fuel. He could not get the car restarted. Newman ended up falling 2 laps down at this point.

When the car finally got re-fired and Newman got back on the track, mother natures assault of rain started falling and the caution came out.

Newman was only a few laps short on fuel to get the job done.

“We had a good strategy, but for some reason, we didn’t the mileage that run there. Coulda, woulda, shoulda, we could have been leading at the end. The bottom line is we didn’t have the fuel mileage on that last run, ran out of fuel and lost a couple of laps on pit road. It was unfortunate. We had planned on doing two tires and at least get some track position back. It just didn’t work. I told the guys on the radio when it’s not your day, it’s not your day. It didn’t work.”

HOW MUCH DO YOU WISH THIS RAIN WOULD HAVE COME OUT ABOUT 10 LAPS EARLIER? “Very much so but you never know what’s going to happen. I don’t know if we’re going to get to go back racing again but either way we gave it our all in the Haas Automation Chevrolet. We just came up short. We ran out of fuel there. Not really sure why. We shouldn’t have ran out of fuel based on the numbers. We’ll go back and refigure out what we didn’t figure out and see what we can do to try to do this all over again and win.”

The rest of Newman’s day had gone about the same way. He quickly fell off from the top 10 with an ill handling car.

Around half way Newman got involved in the New Hampshire “Big One” getting a little damage after getting hit, well bumped into.

Then on the restart from the “The Big One” Newman ended up in the wall, possibly as a result of Joey Logano’s car breaking.

One thing is for sure. If you were watching the radar while Newman was out front your were on the edge of your seat.

Tony Gibson was beating himself up on the radio wondering where the fuel calculations had gone wrong.

I have a little opinion about that. Newman’s car was basically involved in 2 accidents. Newman at one point reported that the cars tow was a little off. At another point he said it was hard to tell exactly what it was, but that the car was “bent”.

I am sure that issues like that can have a big effect the fuel mileage….maybe about 6 laps worth. Newman also said he was running as hard as possible.

I don’t think there is any need to blame Gibson here. Newman’s car was hurt pretty bad.

Newman was racing in the #39 (how fitting) Helping Hands of America/Hot Pepper Promotions car.

Newman led 25 laps of the race but at the end he could not hold off his hard charging Bertrand Motorsports teammate, Randy Cabral.

“We were probably one adjustment away from winning the race tonight,” Newman said. “We just didn’t have the car quite right. I had my hands full there at the end of the race. I was just trying to do everything that I could, but I couldn’t catch up to Randy. I have to thank Tim Bertrand and everyone over there for letting me race the car, and I want to congratulate them on finishing one-two tonight. I really had a lot of fun tonight,” Newman said. “It’s cool to go out to these tracks like Lee, race in the different cars and see the fans.”

Newman, who grew up racing Quarter-Midgets and Midgets, in the Midwest before making the jump to stock cars and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, but Friday night was the first time he had piloted a Winged-Midget.

WHELEN MODIFIED

Today Ryan Newman raced in the Whelen Modified race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in the New England 100.

While I don’t have a lot of the details about Newman’s performance, I know he finished 34th. Newman led 13 laps and swapped the lead back-and-forth with Szegedy in the early going, but Newman packed it up after spinning out on lap 64.

Ryan Newman started 6th in the #7 Aggressive Hydraulics Chevrolet.

Tomorrow night (Saturday night) Ryan Newman will be making an appearance in the Whelen Modified race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Newman will be starting 6th in his Aggressive Hydraulics Chevrolet.

YOU CAN CATCH THE LAP BY LAP PLAY OF THE RACE!!

Just head to this link here – http://localracing.nascar.com/node/2966 and catch the lap-by-lap of the race. I hoping to catch it, but no promises. Lots of projects to do this weekend!

Kasey Kahne will also be racing in Saturday’s race.

I believe last fall was Newman’s first appearance in this series. In that race Newman qualified for the pole position. READ HERE about that. Newman led 28 laps of that race but was involved in an accident late in the race an only completed 86 (I think) laps in that race.

The good news is that based on owner points Newman will be able start 6th Sunday afternoon.

The weather forecast for the rest of the weekend is pretty bleak as well. Hopefully that race will run on Sunday.

I believe the race is scheduled to start at 7:00 pm but don’t hold me to that.

I am also pretty sure Newman ran this race last fall as well as his first Whelen race New Hampshire.

I will update when I have info!!

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (June 24, 2009) — For avid outdoorsman Ryan Newman, fresh air, a lake and a fishing rod is all he needs to relax and reenergize. That’s why Newman counts the natural surroundings of New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon as one of his favorite stops on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.

For Newman the competitive racecar driver, a trip to New Hampshire could be just what he needs to rejuvenate himself and reinvigorate his No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team. Newman and the team have shown their prowess at three other short tracks this season, and the 1.058-mile New Hampshire flat track is yet another place where the team looks forward to exhibiting its strong short-track program once more.

Earlier this season, it was the short-track races that breathed life into Newman and his No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army team. A trip to the half-mile Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway ovals yielded the team’s first two top-10 finishes of the 2009 season with seventh- and sixth-place finishes, respectively. Then, the race at the three-quarter-mile Richmond (Va.) International Raceway resulted in a fourth-place effort and was one of a string of four consecutive top-five finishes for Newman.

With the team currently sitting sixth in points, Newman hopes that the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 will be the starting point for yet another string of top-10 finishes as NASCAR embarks on the 10-week “Race to the Chase” at New Hampshire this weekend.

New Hampshire has been a special track for Newman in his career. In 14 starts at Loudon, Newman has four poles, five top-five, nine top-10 finishes and two very big wins.

In September 2002, the rookie Sprint Cup driver scored his first point-paying victory at the flat track. The South Bend, Ind., native started from the pole position and dominated the rain-shortened race, leading 143 of 207 laps.

The win was proof that the young driver who had climbed through the open-wheel ranks and was known for turning a quick lap in qualifying had what it took to win in NASCAR’s elite series. The victory was emotional for both Newman and his family, who had worked and sacrificed for years so that Newman could follow his dream into NASCAR. It was the first of 13 Sprint Cup wins for Newman, and his first of two at New Hampshire.

His second victory at the track came in September 2005. That victory renewed Newman’s hopes for a championship run. Newman, who had barely squeaked into the first Chase for the Championship, used pit strategy to gain the lead late in the race after starting 13th. In the final laps, he dueled with now team owner and teammate Tony Stewart for the lead. With two laps remaining, Newman passed Stewart and held on to take the win.

Now, Newman is in search of another special weekend at New Hampshire. After scoring six consecutive top-10 finishes, the No. 39 team has finished 23rd and 17th in the past two races (Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., respectively).

As he returns to a track where he has celebrated triumphs in his career, Newman hopes his No. 39 team’s earlier short-track success will carry over to this weekend’s race at the 1.058-mile oval. Newman hopes to revive his team’s solid runs and begin yet another string of top-10 finishes, but more than that, he would like for New Hampshire to be the locale for another Newman milestone — his first win for SHR.

RYAN NEWMAN, Driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation /U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What do you remember about your first win, which came at New Hampshire in 2002?

“We had won the All-Star Race at Charlotte in May that year. I was a rookie, so that was a big deal, but we were still looking for our first point-paying win. We finally got it in New Hampshire in September, and it was a rain-shortened race. That’s one part of racing. They never put it (rain-shortened) on the trophy. They do put it in the record books, but the trophy is what we take home. You won the race. It doesn’t say how many laps it was. It doesn’t say who finished second. It just says that you were the best on that day. There are different ways to win a race, but there are a few things that help you get that first win. You’ve got to be in the right place at the right time. You’ve got to use strategy. You’ve got to have a fast racecar. You’ve got to do all those things right, or close to right.”

What are your thoughts on racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

“New Hampshire is really unique. I feel like they have made some great improvements to the racetrack in the past. They have added some banking and they have added some racetrack for us to use, so in my opinion, the racing is the best that it has ever been there. It used to be a one-groove racetrack, but that has changed thanks to the improvements they have made. I think, more than anything, this is a track-position race because it’s a flat track. And the double-file restarts will make the race even more interesting. It’s a fun place to race and, obviously, it has been very special to me because it was where I got my first point-paying win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. And I think I battled pretty hard with Tony (Stewart) to win the race back in 2005, too.

“The Haas Automation team has really excelled on the short tracks this season, and New Hampshire is another one where I think we should have success. We got top-10s at Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond, and I feel like we would have had a better finish at Phoenix had we not had the radio complications that we did. These last two races (Michigan and Infineon) haven’t been the finishes we wanted, but I think we will be able to get back on track and get another solid top-10 finish at New Hampshire this weekend. I’ve had a lot of success at New Hampshire in both qualifying and the race, and I’m hoping to continue that trend with my Stewart-Haas team. I’m really confident this is going to be a good weekend for the No. 39 team.

“For me, personally, I like the area just as much as I do the racetrack. It’s just a fun place to hang out. We’ve always enjoyed Lake Winnipesaukee and there is some great fishing in the area, too. So, I have a good time whenever I go to New Hampshire.”

A lot of people believe that you and the No. 39 team are knocking on victory’s door. They are saying that you are one of the next teams to get a win. Does the pressure grow as races go by and a driver hasn’t won, yet?

“I think you are fooling yourself if you say there isn’t any pressure to win and that it doesn’t grow, at times. Yes, in my opinion the pressure grows, but to me it isn’t bad. It isn’t destructive pressure for you or the team. It’s just internal pressure to keep trying to achieve that goal. It’s not like you can try any harder to get the job done. You’re doing that each and every lap, each and every week. From a team standpoint, you try and fix what maybe needs to be fixed, whether it’s a pit stop that’s hurting them, whether it’s the car and they’re not leading laps, or whether it is strategy and not putting themselves in the position to win. It’s not a trial and error process. It’s a methodical answer that you’re trying to achieve based upon what you’re lacking.

“I agree that our team is knocking on the door of winning. And like I have told the team several times, if we keep doing what we’re doing and putting ourselves in the position to win, then we will get what we want. The past two races (Michigan and Sonoma) haven’t been our best races. We’ve had some problems, but we have been able to recover from any issues that we had during the race and get a decent finish in the end, when we could have come out much worse than what we did. That’s what’s important when we are looking at the big picture and having a chance to make the Chase for the Championship. That’s something I’m proud of with this team. Yes, we want to win, and I believe we will. ”

You have a very busy weekend on tap. You are racing a Winged-Midget at Lee Speedway in Lee, N.H., on Friday night, and then you are competing in the NASCAR Whelen Modified race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday. Talk a little about your extra-curricular racing this weekend in New Hampshire.

“To me, this weekend is something I have really been looking forward to. People always say that racers will race anything, anytime. And I guess that’s true. I have never driven a Winged-Midget, and it’s been a while since I have been in a Midget, so I’m looking forward to the race at Lee (N.H.) Speedway. The car is very similar to what I drove back in my USAC days, and the owner, Tim Bertrand, called me the other day and told me the car was a rocket ship. So, I guess that means the pressure is on. It will be fun to get back to my roots and some short-track, Friday-night racing, and I’m sure it will be a challenge because I’m competing with some really good drivers.

“As far as the Modified race, I got my first chance in the car last year at New Hampshire, and we were able to get the pole. We had a great run going in the race. We led laps and then had a problem early with a flat tire, but we moved back up toward the front of the field. Unfortunately, we got caught up in an on-track accident and didn’t get the finish we had hoped to get. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully, we can change that this time around. I had always wanted to race a Modified, and when Bono (Kevin Manion) and Gary (Putnam) gave me the chance in their car, I jumped at the opportunity. We were able to bring Aggressive Hydraulics on board for a few races this season, and we won in our first outing with them at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway during Speedweeks. It was a really exciting race and a very close finish at the end. I was honored to come out of there with the win, considering the great Modified drivers we were battling in the final laps. Any racer will tell you that, when they get the chance to race, they are going to, so I’m looking forward to getting back into the Modified at New Hampshire this weekend. I have good equipment, and I have some more experience in the car, so I am excited about Saturday’s race.”

You will find below the press release.

What I do know is that Ryan Newman finished 17th. That was after having to make up ground after being spun out late in the race. At that point his car started getting away from him becoming very loose. So he was stuck there in 17th. He actually lost a couple of places falling back to 17th.

Not a bad points race for Newman though. While he fell from 5th in points down to 6th he is only about 5 points behind Carl Edwards. That is about as close to maintaining as you can get while falling back a little.

Let’s chalk it up to road course racing and “stuff” happens. He had a good car most of the day from what I could tell, that late race caution just hurt him. I do think he was also pretty loose most of the day, but I could be wrong.

He is 318 points behind the championship points leader / teammate / owner Tony Stewart. Stewart held on to his points lead and lengthened the gap to Jeff Gordon this weekend with his 2nd place finish.

PRESS RELEASE

Ryan Newman and his No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army Chevrolet team were victims of a late-race spin which slowed down the team’s march to a top-10 finish in Sunday’s Toyota/Save Mart 350k NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif. Newman finished 17th in his eighth start at the 1.99-mile road course.

“Unfortunately, the 77 car (Sam Hornish Jr.) just got in the back of me and just flat spun me around,” Newman said. “It didn’t do any damage to the car, but it left us with a lot of ground to make up there at the end. We gave it our best, but I just got too loose there in the closing laps, which cost us a few positions.

“Our Haas Automation Chevy wasn’t the best car out there today, but I think it was better than our finish shows.”

Newman, who qualified seventh for the first road course race of the season, battled a loose-handling racecar for much of the day. He was able to run as high as second-place early in the race despite telling his team that the series of left-right-left twisting turns known as the esses were “killing” his momentum. On the team’s first pit stop which occurred under the green flag at lap 32, the pit crew made a track bar and air pressure adjustment to aid Newman’s handling problems.

He returned to the track in 37th-place and although the adjustments helped somewhat, Newman continued to complain of the loose-handling condition. Because of the issue, the team elected to pit under caution at lap 52 for fresh tires, fuel and a track bar adjustment.

Newman continued to climb the leader board and following his final stop on lap 74, appeared to be on his way to a top-10 finish before the lap 81 contact with Hornish dashed those hopes.

By the time Newman re-fired his No. 39 Chevrolet Impala SS and returned to the track, he had fallen to 36th-place in the running order with 32 laps remaining in the race.

A caution flag at lap 83 gave Newman and his team the opportunity to pit for four fresh tires following the on-track incident. Following the caution flag, a more determined Newman returned to the track to regain his lost spots. He battled and rooted his way into the top-15, avoiding numerous spins and slower cars ahead of him. By lap 103, Newman was sitting in 12th-place, however, his ever-present loose-handling condition prevented him from holding on to the position and he fell to 17th.

“Ryan drove his butt off today,” said Tony Gibson, crew chief for the No. 39 Chevrolet. “We came back from 36th-place there after the spin and had that last caution not come out, I think we would have had a top-15 finish. In the big picture, things turned out a lot better than what they could have.”

Newman’s Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate, Tony Stewart, finished second and continues to lead the SHR lineup in the championship point race, as his runner-up finish extended his championship points lead to 84 markers over second-place Jeff Gordon. Newman dropped one spot to sixth in the standings, 318 points back of Stewart.

Kasey Kahne won the Toyota/Save Mart 350k to score his 10th career victory, his first of 2009 and his first-ever road course win.

Stewart was .748 of a second behind Kahne, while Marcos Ambrose, Jimmie Johnson and Denny Hamlin rounded out the top-five. Juan Pablo Montoya, A.J. Allmendinger, Clint Bowyer, Gordon and Elliott Sadler comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were seven caution periods for 20 laps, with five drivers failing to finish the 113-lap race, which was extended three laps due to a green/white/checkered finish.

RYAN NEWMAN

‘And Son, Don’t Forget To Kiss Your Racecar Good Night’

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (June 16, 2009) — Ryan Newman can’t remember a day when his father hasn’t been in his ear advising him on his next move — in life and on the racetrack.

The story goes that when Ryan was born in 1977, proud papa, Greg Newman, announced right then and there in the delivery room that Ryan would be a racecar driver. So, at 4½ years of age, Ryan had a Quarter Midget and began going in circles, his dad overseeing him each and every lap.

Back then, Greg coached a young Ryan. Greg taught his son where to hit his mark in the corner of each turn by sticking his foot out in the path of the racecar. Greg would tell his young son to literally hit his foot. Repeating that exercise time and again would make Ryan faster and sharper on the racetrack.

Greg worked long hours at his auto body repair business to make money so that Ryan could race each weekend. And when Greg wasn’t at the body shop working, the father and son would spend their evening out in the garage, tinkering on the cars, getting them just right for the upcoming weekend’s race. And before turning off the light each night, Greg would tell Ryan: “Don’t forget to kiss your racecar good night.”

It was a figure of speech, of course. Ryan didn’t really kiss his racecar good night, but it was a lesson that the son still carries with him today. Show respect and it is returned. Greg wanted Ryan to show appreciation and respect for his racecar and for all the hard work that the two of them and countless others had put into their dream.

And it truly is their dream.

Greg has been with his son every step of the way. From Quarter Midgets to full-size Midgets to Sprint Cars and, now, stock cars, Dad has served as mechanic, crew chief, pit crew member and spotter. It hasn’t always meant smiling faces and high fives, Ryan says. In fact, there was a time when Ryan took the radio away from his father because Ryan didn’t want Greg to talk to him during the race.

But now, Ryan relies on that familiar voice to talk him through each lap, every weekend of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Since 2006, Greg has served as Ryan’s Sprint Cup spotter. After all, who could know Ryan’s racing style better than the man who first strapped him behind the wheel of a car? Who could understand what Ryan needs to hear and what he needs help “seeing” better than the man who taught him how to turn lap after lap?

The two have an interesting dynamic that Ryan considers an advantage because no one knows him better than his father. The pair has experienced the highest of highs — a trip to victory lane at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway for the 50th Running of the Daytona 500 in 2008 — which both called a “dream come true.”

Both still have goals to achieve. Since joining the No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army team at Stewart-Haas Racing this season, the team has posted impressive results: five top-five and eight top-10 finishes in the first 15 races of the Sprint Cup season. The new team has also climbed to fifth in points.

The next goal is a trip to victory lane. In Ryan’s mind, there is no better time than the present. Ryan has five top-10 finishes in seven starts at the 1.99-mile Infineon Raceway road course in Sonoma, Calif. He has completed every lap (772) since his rookie campaign in 2002, and even has a runner-up finish at the road course (2006).

So don’t be surprised to see Ryan “kiss” his No. 39 Chevrolet before he leaves the track on Saturday night. He wants to give his dad the perfect gift at Sunday’s Toyota/SaveMart 350k race, which just happens to be Father’s Day. There’s no better way for Ryan to thank his dad for guiding him through life — and traffic.

RYAN NEWMAN, Driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation /U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

You won on Father’s Day back in 2004 at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. Talk about what that meant to you and your dad.

“That was a very special day. At the time, my dad worked with the team in the pits. I told him, ‘I’m only going to try to get you one thing today and that’s a win.’ I didn’t get him a card or anything else. I just went out there and drove as hard as I could and we were fortunate enough to get a win. Afterward, I came over the radio and told him, ‘There’s your Father’s Day present,’ and he came over the radio and said ‘That’s all I wanted.’ Obviously, it was no small task, but it was very special for us.”

This weekend, the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads to its first road course race of the season. What are your thoughts on Infineon Raceway and road course racing?

“It’s the first time we get to run a road course and, typically, there’s a different type of cream that rises to the top there. I enjoy it. I enjoy hustling the racecar around the track, and Infineon’s a good road course. Personally, I enjoy Watkins Glen a bit more, but I enjoy them both and I look forward to racing out there. It’s a big track position race, and fuel mileage has become a big part of the racing there. But it’s the same for everybody.

“I think the addition of the double-file restarts this weekend will definitely make the race interesting, especially at the end of the race. We’ve always had double-file starts at the beginning of the race, but people are careful then because they want to finish the first lap. I think it will be opening a new can of worms when we get to Sonoma for those late-race restarts. It’s going to be exciting.”

Do you approach a road course race differently than other races on the circuit? How is a road course race different for the driver?

“Not really. We just did two days of testing at Virginia International Raceway last week so, aside from me getting used to shift patterns in the car and how the Hendrick chassis flexes versus what I have used in the past, that’s been pretty much it. Once we get there, we attack it and do our thing like we do any other race weekend.

“Road course racing is physically demanding and mentally, as well. It’s really a lot of fun to hustle the car around the racetrack. It’s definitely challenging. Just doing what you can to save fuel on a road course, which is one of the hardest things you can ever do inside a racecar, in my opinion. It’s a big track-position game, and if you qualify well, you have a chance to race well. If you don’t, your challenge will be to make a bunch of passes and race hard all day.”

This Sunday is Father’s Day. It has been well-documented that your father, Greg Newman, has been instrumental in your racing career. He began helping you from the time you were 4½, and he still serves as your spotter today on the No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army Chevrolet. Can you talk a little about that?

“My dad spots for me, so I get to listen to him and he gets to listen to me talking about the race. He’s been around my racing career the entire time, and he knows how I typically drive and he knows a lot about racing. He’s been a fan his whole life. Having him as my spotter is definitely an advantage for me, and it’s pretty unique to have my father as my spotter. He’s been spotting for me in the Cup Series since 2006 and he spotted my Nationwide races for me in 2005. I tell everyone that it has been a series of high-fives and arguments ever since he started spotting for me. We’ve gotten into it on the radio a few times. I will give it to him, but he’ll turn around and give it right back to me. In reality, it just makes sense to have him as my spotter because he knows me and my racing style better than anyone else. He’s been with me for every step of my career since I was 4½ and just starting to race Quarter Midgets. He showed me how to hit my marks when I was just a kid by sticking his foot out in the middle of the corner and telling me to turn there. My dad understands how I drive and what I need to help me get better on the track. He knows what I need to hear. It’s a very special relationship, and I’m glad that he is able to be at the racetrack with me each weekend.”

Talk about your relationship with your dad, racing, and what a win at Sonoma on Father’s Day would mean.

“I think the easiest way to say it is that I wouldn’t be here racing today without my dad and everything he did to further my racing career. My dad, my mom, my sister — they all made sacrifices and everyone chipped in so that I could race. My dad had an auto repair shop, so he was busy making money so that we could go race. When he wasn’t working at the auto repair shop, he was busy with me, working in the garage on my car, or we were traveling back and forth to and from the racetrack.

“I think everyone has heard the story, now, that when I was born my dad looked at me and said ‘We have ourselves a racecar driver.’ My dad got me my first Quarter Midget, and I started racing at 4½. But this wasn’t something he pushed me to do. My dad had wanted to be a racecar driver, but he couldn’t. Then, when I came along, he let me race. My dad actually tried to take racing away at one point to see if that’s what I really wanted to do, and it was. He wanted to make sure that it wasn’t something he was pushing me to do, that it’s what I wanted as much as him, and I did. In fact, I think he would tell you that I wasn’t too happy when he tried to take racing away from me. I appreciate that, in hindsight.

“It was a great learning experience for me, growing up with my dad, being around cars, around racecars, working on racecars together. I’m extremely grateful for all the things that he’s taught me. And I’m grateful that he is part of my team every weekend. We’ve had our ups and downs, just like any father and son. We’ve also had some pretty incredible experiences together. Having him at the racetrack is something that is very special to me. Having him spot for me when I won the Daytona 500 last season, hearing the excitement in his voice, listening to him get choked up and then hugging him in victory lane. That was something not many people have. That was our dream coming full circle. I would like to be able to give him another great memory this weekend.”

TONY GIBSON, Crew Chief of the No. 39 Haas Automation /U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What are the challenges of a road course for you as a crew chief and for the team?

“The biggest thing with road course racing now is making sure to maintain the brakes and your fuel mileage. Some guys will pit as soon as they can make it the entire race so that, when it all cycles around, they will be out front. So fuel mileage is critical. You just want to have the best strategy when it comes down to it. The car has to handle all the turns well, but we’ve seen that’s just not as important as the fuel mileage.”

How does testing Virginia International Raceway (VIR) for a couple of days help the team prepare for this race?

“We tested for two days at VIR. We tested the big course one day and then tested the shorter course the second day. We can use a few of the turns at the road course to help at Sonoma, but we basically use the test to check out the brakes, the shifter and just to make sure that Ryan is comfortable in the car. There are a couple of corners at VIR that we could compare to turns at Sonoma. So, we obviously tried out some changes to the car to see what might help us with different issues. We’ll go to Sonoma with a few ideas, and hopefully what we learned will end up helping us out there.”

Ryan’s father has been instrumental in his racing career from the beginning, and he is still very involved with it as the spotter for the No. 39 team each weekend. How has your father, Bo Gibson, been an influence on your racing career?

“My dad is the reason I got into racing. He raced my whole life, both of my brothers drove, and my dad taught us all everything we needed to know to get started in racing. Dad got us all started. There were a lot of sacrifices on his part, moneywise and timewise, to get us in the sport. Everything I am experiencing now and have experienced in this sport is thanks to him. It would be awesome for me to be able to get a win for him on Father’s Day. I know that it would be a big deal for Ryan and his dad, Greg. And it would mean just as much to me if that is something we could get done this weekend.”

The No. 39 had a streak of six consecutive top-10s prior to Michigan, and the team is currently fifth in the point standings. With all that, the team has been the talk of the garage. To what do you attribute the success of this No. 39 team?

“In my opinion, the biggest thing is just how this team works together. Our motto from the beginning has been to never give up. This past weekend, we weren’t good at all, but we didn’t give up. We made a lot of changes to the car during the race, and we put ourselves back in the position where we could be in good shape. If another caution would have fallen, we would have gotten back on the lead lap. At the end, we had a fast car, so I think we could have gotten a better finish than where we ended up. It wasn’t a great finish for us, but we still finished in front of a few others and ended up not losing as many points as we could have. The key was we didn’t give up and that was something I was proud of. As a team, we just have to keep plugging away. We’re not going to have a top-five or top-10 every week. There are going to be days like we had in Michigan. We just have to try to take advantage of the opportunities that we do get and build the points when we can. I’m just really proud of what we have done, and I’m confident we’re going to keep it up.”

I did see some of the race on Sunday, not much though.

Ryan Newman finished 23rd and fell to 5th in the points. 1 position down from where he was.

Tony Stewart finished 7th and remains first in the points race.

Below is the press release.

Lack of Grip Drops Newman to 23rd-Place Finish in Michigan

BROOKLYN, Mich. (June 14, 2009) — Ryan Newman finished a disappointing 23rd in Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup race at Michigan International Speedway.

“This was by no means the result we anticipated coming into this race,” said Newman, who saw his streak of six straight top 10s snapped.”We basically struggled with handling issues all weekend and no matter what changes we made, the car never stuck. It was wicked loose for the majority of the race.”

The result was the team’s worst result since finishing 22nd in Atlanta in early March. In the 10 races between Atlanta and Michigan, Newman’s U.S. Army/Haas Automation team posted eight top 10s and five top fives.

“It was just one of those days when nothing seemed to work,” added Newman. “This team is capable of running up front every week. Like our soldiers, we’ll never quit, we’ll just fight harder.”

The good news for the No. 39 Stewart Haas team is that Sunday’s sub par performance only dropped Newman one spot in the Sprint Cup driver point standings. He is currently in fifth place.

“We really wanted to come out and give our sponsor — the U.S. Army — a special birthday present today,” said Newman. “There were a lot of Soldiers here today and we had a fun cake-cutting ceremony before the race to celebrate the Army’s 234th birthday.”

Newman and crew chief Tony Gibson knew the Army car had handling issues following Saturday’s two practice sessions, which prompted a number of setup changes to the Chevy Impala SS.

“We were looking for a better setup, but it didn’t materialize,” explained Newman. “The bottom line is that we didn’t have it together today. We made a number of changes during the race, including a right-rear spring. That wasn’t the ideal thing to do, but it was a good change and we did run a little better after that.”

Though he was struggling on the ultra-fast two-mile oval, Newman still felt he could pull off a top-15 or possibly top-10 finish, but he needed a caution in the late stages of the race.

Following a caution on Lap 151 of 200, Newman’s car became the first one a lap down and in position for the “Lucky Dog” free pass. But the remainder of the race was caution-free, which prevented Newman from returning to the lead lap.

“A caution would have put us back on the lead lap and I am confident that we would have gained in track position,” noted Newman. “We were running better lap times at the end than some of the lead-lap cars. We could have a made a nice move, but the yellow flag wasn’t there when we needed it.”

Newman’s teammate, Tony Stewart, finished seventh and remains first in the driver point standings.

Winning the race on fuel mileage was Mark Martin. Rounding out the top five in order were: Jeff Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards and Greg Biffle.

The next race for the No. 39 Stewart-Haas team is Sunday (June 21) at the Infineon Raceway road course in Sonoma, Calif.

BROOKLYN, Mich. — (June 9, 2009) — How sweet would it be for Ryan Newman to capture a win at his home track on the day his primary sponsor celebrates its 234th birthday.

“Very sweet and very special,” said Newman, whose recent hot streak has catapulted him to fourth place in the NASCAR Sprint Cup driver point standings. “We’ve been on a nice roll lately but victory has eluded us and that’s our ultimate goal.”

The double incentive will be there for Newman and his new Stewart-Haas Racing team as the Cup circuit heads to Michigan International Speedway (MIS) for Sunday’s running of the LifeLock 400.

The 31-year-old Newman has always called MIS his home track due to the location of his hometown of South Bend, Ind. and where he would frequently watch races as a youngster.

Adding to Newman’s home track excitement will be the U.S. Army’s 234th birthday on Sunday. The military branch, which sponsors Newman’s Chevrolet Impala SS, was born on June 14, 1775. The June 14th birthday also coincides with Flag Day.

“We’re ripe for a victory,” stated Newman, who is on a streak of six straight top 10s, with five of the last six being top fives. “To drive the Soldiers’ car to Victory Lane on the Army’s birthday at my home track would have a lot of extra meaning. We can do it, we’ve been knocking at the door. We’re all excited about Tony’s (Stewart) win at Pocono last week and know that we can also get there in the U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevy.”

It’s not that Newman has never celebrated in Victory Lane — he has done so 13 times in his Cup career, including a pair of wins at MIS’s two-mile track. His two wins at the Michigan track were back-to-back — August 2003 and June 2004.

“Getting a solid handle on the mile-and-a-half and two-mile tracks is what we’ve been working hard on,” noted Newman. “These are the tracks that make up the majority of the schedule so it’s vital to have strong performances on them as we head into the stretch of making the Chase.”

Newman’s six straight top-10 finishes lifted him 13 positions in driver points. He went from 17th to fourth during this period. The last time he claimed six straight top 10s was late in the 2003 season.

“We’ve worked hard as a team to obtain our recent finishes. Whether it has been pit strategy or just fixing mechanical problems during the race. We’re 100 percent focused and never give up. It’s been really a group effort — Tony Stewart (owner & teammate) Tony Gibson (crew chief) Bobby Hutchens (competition director) and Matt Borland (technical director) — a lot of people have been instrumental in helping make the U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet faster each week.”

Notes

*Newman’s special weekend at MIS also includes involvement with the sponsorship of the Racing for Wildlife 200 ARCA race on Friday. Racing for Wildlife is a national initiative of the Ryan Newman Foundation and the Conservation Fund. One of the projects of Racing for Wildlife is partnering with MIS, Michigan Department of Natural Resources and Michigan United Conservation Club to renovate Cedar Lake Outdoor Center in the Waterloo Recreation Area in Chelsea, Mich, approximately 25 miles from MIS.

*As an environmental advocate, Newman will take part in a tree-planting ceremony Friday in the MIS campground, which is part of NASCAR’s new Green Flag Tree Planting program.

Newman, for the most part had a great race and stayed up front in the top ten for most of the race and finished 5th.

His 5th place finish landed him 4th in points. He is now -100 points behind Jimmie Johnson in 3rd and 21 points ahead of ex-teammate Kurt Busch who is in 5th.

But somewhere around half way or so Newman ran into problems. He started falling off. He told his crew that at sometimes it seemed like he was running on 7 cylinders and at other times he thought it was running on 8 cylinders.

This convinced Newman and Tony Gibson that it was probably a spark plug or plug wire.

Just before Newman was about to go a lap down the caution came out for debris. This allowed Newman to get on pit road and get it fixed. He had to come to pit road 2 other times on that stop to get everything fixed, tires and fuel.

Over the course of 2 cautions really Newman pitted six times to diagnose the engine issue. The problem: a bad plug.

Newman never went a lap down.

Before you knew it Newman was in the top 10.

On the final lap Newman was running 6th. As he came out of turn 3 he flew past Jimmie Johnson as Johnson had run out of gas. This gave Newman his 5th place finish.

This was Newman’s 6th straight top 10 finish and 5th top 5 finishes in the last 6 races.

WHAT A GREAT RUN. YOU COULD BREAK YOUR DAY DOWN INTO TWO PARTS: THE SPARK PLUG ISSUE AND GAS MILEAGE. ON THE SPARK PLUG ISSUE:

“Yeah, we had a spark plug problem and changed it after we changed the distributor cap and wires. We were trying to troubleshoot. I felt like I was driving an old car or something and troubleshooting at the same time. But the guys did a great job on pit road getting everything changed. We got lucky just being able to stay on the lead lap with the Haas Automation Chevrolet. It was a good run. Congratulations to Tony (Stewart) and the entire group. But it was a good run for our guys to be able to fight back. We took the little extra gamble to put fuel on the last restart there. That gave up a couple of spots, but in the end it was the right thing to do and we could guarantee ourselves a top five finish at least.”

WHAT WAS WRONG WITH YOUR CAR AND TALK ABOUT YOUR GUYS GETTING YOU BACK TO THE FRONT OF THE FIELD AT THE END.

“It just took us a little bit of time to trouble shoot a spark plug that went bad and I think it was lap 108 or 120 or something like that when we got back on eight cylinders. The guys did an awesome job not giving up. We were close to going a lap down on pit road there. Congratulations to Tony (Stewart) and his entire group. Obviously it’s a good finish today for Stewart-Haas Racing but an even better one for him.”

EVERY WEEK WE TALK ABOUT YOU GUYS IN THE TOP-FIVE, JUST A TREMENDOUS TEAM EFFORT AS WELL.

“It is. It’s a group effort and you’re seeing the results. When you get both cars in the top-five it’s not by luck. Happy we got the trophy here for the organization. We’ll just keep working with the U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet and try to get it in Victory Lane.”

YOU WERE VERY CLOSE ON FUEL, TONY STEWART HAD IT CALCULATED OUT TO 199.5-MILES WAS WHEN YOU WERE GOING TO RUN OUT

“And (Tony) Stewart claims I’m the numbers guy! But those guys did a great job today. I’m just happy to be in the position I am. Congratulations to everybody at Stewart-Haas Racing. It was a great team effort and I’m happy to be a part of it. I look forward to continuing out the rest of the year.”

TONY STEWART

Owner and teammate Tony Stewart gave a dominating performance today after he had to start dead last working his way all the way up front for the first Stewart-Haas Racing points victory.

Congrats to Tony and the whole SHR team.

WHEN YOU PUT THIS THING TOGETHER, DID YOU THINK YOU WOULD BE IN VICTORY LANE LESS THAN A YEAR LATER?

“No, let alone twice. I have to thank Old Spice, Office Depot, U.S. Army, Coca Cola and Chevrolet who was the first one to say they wanted to be a part of this. Rick Hendrick and everybody at Hendrick Motorsports, their engine and chassis department and my teammate Ryan Newman. I mean this has been an awesome weekend.”

IS THIS MORE SPECIAL AS AN OWNER/DRIVER?

“It is because of the group of guys I am working with. I have always had a great group of people to work with at (Joe) Gibbs (Racing) it is just a little different when it is your own. You know when you are the one at the end of the day that has to be accountable for it. We couldn’t do it without all these fans. This year has been hard on the weather side so it was a little nerve wracking there when we got the last caution there with the rain.”

WHAT DID YOU DO TO SAVE FUEL?

“I’m not telling.”

YOU HAD TO STRETCH IT AND TURNING THE ENGINE OFF AND FIRING IT UP BACK IN THE CORNER, HOW IN THE WORLD DID YOU DO IT?

“Just good coaching from Darian (Grubb, crew chief). I mean Darian Grubb was giving me the intervals and just kept me running the pace he wanted me to run. Its hard you hate to have to do that and you hate to be in that situation but that’s kind of the situation the weather put us in there. We’re just thankful we could make it. That’s due to Hendrick horsepower and their engine department. They make good power and they make good mileage too.”

YOU LOOK KIND OF SURREAL RIGHT NOW, HOW ARE YOU FEELING?

“I’m ecstatic. It was nice to get that All-Star win this year but it was nice to get that first point win too. It’s nice to extent the point lead and nice to do in front of these fans who have always been good to the NASCAR league when we come here. Just appreciate all their support.”

YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE DOUBLE-FILE RESTARTS TODAY.

“It was nice not having to race lap-cars on the restarts and you knew that the guys you were with you were racing for position. It did make it nice. When we get to the smaller tracks that will become more important. It was the perfect place to try it at and I think it’s something the fans are going to enjoy in the future.”

So Ryan Newman will be starting 5th at Pocono Raceway this weekend. This also means that team Owner Tony Stewart would have been starting on the Pole Position but he crashed in practice today and will have to start with a back up car.

Newman was the second fastest in both practice 1 and practice 2 on Saturday.

The video that I have included is of Ryan Newman and Mark Martin’s pre race weekend interviews.

KANNAPOLIS, N.C. (June 3, 2009) — When Ryan Newman was given the opportunity to try his hand at stock car racing
, it didn’t take long for the open-wheel standout and former USAC champion to demonstrate his driving talent.

Two races to be exact.

On July 22, 2000, at Pocono (Pa.) Raceway, it was proven that the hype surrounding the engineering college student from South Bend, Ind., who wanted to compete and win in the top ranks of stock car racing, had what it took. Newman had teamed with Penske Racing as a development driver and handily won the ARCA Series race that day in his first visit to the “Tricky Triangle.”

After starting on the outside pole, Newman led 40 of the 80 laps en route to the dominating victory. The win came in only his second start behind the wheel of a stock car. He followed that first win with two more dominating wins in the ARCA Series before making his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series debut later that season at Phoenix International Raceway in Avondale, Ariz.

Nine years, a college degree, 273 Sprint Cup starts and 13 victories later, Newman continues to demonstrate his talent behind the wheel of the No. 39 Haas Automation Demo Day/U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS. This weekend, Newman and his Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team will return to the site of his first-ever stock car win with the goal of achieving their first-ever win together.

In recent weeks, Newman and his No. 39 SHR team have put on a demonstration of consistency. In the past five races, Newman has scored a pole position at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., four top-five and five top-10 finishes — a feat that he hasn’t accomplished since his 2003 sophomore season in the Sprint Cup Series.

The solid string of finishes has bolstered the team from 36th in the Sprint Cup championship point standings following a shaky start at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway to fifth, halfway to the Chase for the Championship.

The consistency and the solid finishes have proven just how talented, focused and competitive both Newman and his crew are. The team is confident and determined to continue its impressive run and steady climb through the points. But one thing remains missing from its resume — its first win.

Newman has enjoyed success at Pocono in the past. In addition to his first stock car victory in the ARCA Series at the 2.5-mile triangle in 2000, Newman has collected two poles (2003, 2007), one win (2003), five top-five and six top-10 finishes in 14 Sprint Cup starts.

Perhaps the elusive victory for Newman and his No. 39 team will find them at Pocono’s “Tricky Triangle.” After all, Newman and his team have shown their strength on the racetrack and ability to compete week in and week out. This weekend, they’d like nothing more than to demonstrate their ability to celebrate in victory lane.

Joining Newman and the No. 39 team as they seek the victory will be sponsor Haas Automation Demo Day. The semi-annual event — held on June 17 this year — takes place at 50 Haas Factory Outlets around the country. Each Haas Factory Outlet will hold a customer appreciation event at their facility to demonstrate Haas machine tools, provide seminars on labor-saving ideas and show off their service capabilities. This year marks the 16th Demo Day, one of which will be held at the Stewart-Haas Racing shop in Kannapolis, N.C. This year’s event will have a special Tony Stewart theme, and on that day, Haas Automation will unveil of the official, limited-edition Tony Stewart VF-2SS Haas machine.

RYAN NEWMAN, Driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Demo Day/U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Can you talk about the No. 39 team and the success you have had over the past five races?

“It’s been huge, I can tell you that much. It has been a really long time since I have had a string of top-fives and top-10s like I have now, and I just want to continue that as long as we can. I keep telling the guys that we can’t rest on what we have accomplished so far. We have to keep digging and keep hustling because if we keep putting ourselves in the position to win a race like we have for the past several weeks, whether it’s because our car is that strong or pit strategy or whatever, sooner or later we are going to get what we want, and that’s our first win. They say that getting that first win is the hardest thing. I believe that if we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to get that win, and who knows what will happen after that.”

To what do you credit the success?

“As far as who or what do I credit for the success, it has been a total team effort from the word ‘go’ at Stewart-Haas Racing. Tony Stewart put together a tremendous group of talented racers to lead our team — Bobby Hutchens (SHR Director of Competition), Tony Gibson (No. 39 crew chief) and Darian Grubb (No. 14 crew chief), just to name a few. Gibson brought his whole team with him from Dale Earnhardt Inc., and that’s my team, now. We’ve all just gelled and everyone seems to work together well, and we are working toward a common goal. Of course, the support from Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports has been huge. I guess, what I’m trying to say is, there isn’t just one person or one thing that I can credit for our team’s success.

“I’m just really proud of what we have accomplished, so far. I’m ecstatic with where we are sitting in points. We have battled back from a rough start. We keep moving forward. I think I’ve said before that I’m proud of the fact we have improved in the points each week. So, like I said, it’s been really a group effort. There are a lot of people who have been instrumental in helping our Chevrolet get faster each week, working on our pit stops, working on our race cars, working on downforce and things like that. It’s been a lot of fun, and I — we — just want to keep the ball rolling. To me, that’s the most important thing — that we keep moving forward and we keep improving each and every week.”

What do you like about Pocono Raceway?

“I’ve always enjoyed Pocono because it’s unique. The track has three independent corners, and because of that, it is truly a driver’s racetrack. Each corner is completely different from the other. They drive differently and you have to adapt to them because it is impossible to have the car set up for all three. Turn one is pretty difficult. The Tunnel Turn is probably the hardest corner. The straightaways at Pocono are so long, you need to get all of the speed down them that you can. You have to make it so that your car can come off of turn three as fast as possible. The uniqueness of the track also makes it one of the more difficult places to qualify.

“As much as I like racing at Pocono, I know that, for a crew chief, the track is a challenge. Setting up the car to be fast at each of the three different ends is a big challenge for the teams. So the race and the track can be a nightmare for a crew chief. It’s difficult to keep the car right. It really is a super-tough track.”

Pocono is where you got your first win in a stock car. You are still waiting on your first win with SHR. How hungry are you for that win?

“My first win at Pocono wasn’t in NASCAR competition. It was in my second ARCA start, but it was so big for me and for my family and for everyone who had helped me in my racing career along the way. Growing up in Indiana, I had always wanted to drive in NASCAR, which wasn’t heard of. Most kids in Indiana wanted to compete in the Indianapolis 500. But for me, I had always loved stock car racing. So winning at Pocono back in 2000 was bigger than I can explain. It was proving that I had made the right decision and that I was ready for the move to stock car racing. It was really a special day. There was some excitement on the final laps, some bumping, but it was a big win for me.

“And yes, I think all of us are anxious and hungry to get that first win for the No. 39 team. It’s been over a year without a win for me, and for Tony as an owner to get that points win, would really be something special. We’re inching closer each week. In my opinion, we just have to keep doing what we’ve been doing and stay working hard. It’s really easy to get complacent in this sport and, not that we’re in that position, but I told the guys after Richmond that we’ll just keep doing what we’re doing and we’ll get what we want. That’s obviously a victory, so we’ll just put the effort in it and I know that we will get that win.”

Pocono is one of your favorite areas to visit on the schedule. Do you have any special plans this week?

“I really enjoy the area so, for me, to come to Pocono is a bonus in itself because I enjoy the outdoors. There are some great fishing spots there, but don’t ask me where they are because a good fisherman never tells where his favorite spots are. I don’t want to share. Krissie’s family also lives in the area, so we spend some time with them at their house, grilling out and having a really good time.

“Tony Gibson and I have a fun little rivalry when it comes to fishing, so we’re looking forward to hitting the fishing holes this weekend once the garage closes each night. If I fish and Gibson’s not there, or vice-versa, we’ll text pictures back and forth. We went fishing after the Coca-Cola 600. I caught the biggest fish and Tony caught the most. So, we’ll see what happens this weekend.”

TONY GIBSON, Crew Chief of the No. 39 Haas Automation Demo Day/U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

The No. 39 team has now moved to fifth in points. Are you surprised that you guys are in the top-five in points with just 13 races together?

“I’m not surprised that we have done so well or that we are fifth in points right now. I knew this team was capable of consistently getting top-fives and top-10s. Honestly, I knew that we had the capability at Daytona. We had a great car there. We just had the misfortune, and we never got a chance to show how good we could be. I think what has really been important for this team is that this team has stuck together and they haven’t given up, even when they had the opportunity to do so. We stayed focused. Our luck turned around. I think if I am surprised about anything, it is how quickly we have been able to gain points and make up spots.”

You have had a string of top-fives and top-10s lately. Is it frustrating because you haven’t won, yet?

“This past weekend at Dover, we thought we had a chance to sit on the pole, but we had the car too loose, so we kind of kicked ourselves over that. And during the race, we just never got the balance on the car right. We couldn’t find our sweet spot. We were a top-10 car all day, and we finished eighth, but we were disappointed after the race. This team feels like we should have a top-five every week. That’s where our standard is. I look at it and think it’s pretty nice to be disappointed with an eighth-place finish. So, yes, our team is ready to win. I don’t know if we are frustrated that we haven’t won, but you could say that we are focused on putting ourselves in the position to win each week. If we keep doing what we have been doing, we will win. There’s no doubt about that.”

As a crew chief, what makes Pocono such a challenging and sometimes frustrating track?

“It is definitely a challenge. Your focus is to figure out the three different corners. All the corners are so different that it is hard to find a balance to fit all three. For a crew chief, I think the most important thing is to concentrate on what will help you and your driver the most. In my opinion, that’s focusing on turn three. Being good in turn three is crucial, because that’s where you can gain the most momentum and make the most passes — coming out of turn three and onto the front straightaway heading into turn one. “

You’re an outdoors kind of guy, as is your driver. Do you and Ryan have any plans at Pocono? Is there a rivalry between you two fishermen?

“Oh, yeah. We’ve already made our plans for fishing on Friday and Saturday. It’s a really good way for Ryan and I to get away and talk about what’s going on at the track and to get our minds off of the track, too. It’s just relaxing for us. Ryan hasn’t ever really said there’s any competition between us when we are out fishing, but we are both racers, which means we are both competitive. I can tell that we are definitely trying to one-up each other. We went fishing the other night and I caught several fish. I think Ryan got one. Same thing happened at Atlanta. Usually, Ryan gets the bigger fish, but I have reeled in more fish, quantity-wise. The most important thing, though, is we have fun. I think we’re both looking forward to spending some time outside with our fishing rods this weekend at Pocono. Ryan says he has a few good places lined up for us, so we’ll see who does better.”

RAIN DELAY PRELUDE TO THE DREAM UNTIL SEPTEMBER

Just a quick not to remind you the Eldora – Prelude To The Dream is tonight and Ryan Newman is scheduled to be racing in it.

You should have it on Pay-Per-View for $24.95 I think it is.

This instead of having the poceeds go to the Victory Junction Gang, all the money raised will benefit 4 organizations that help U.S. service members and their families.

And weather could end up being an issue.

You can read more here.

This SHOULD leave Newman 5th in points.

“It was not what we wanted for the U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet, but it was a good points day for us,” said Newman.

Newman started off pretty strong jumping up to 9th after starting 11th. Then he fell off to 13th went back up to 12th before the competition yellow on lap 30.

Newman restarted in 16th due to some cars only taking 2 tires. Does not appear this was a pit crew problem.

Lap 44 brought a caution when Tony Raines blew a tire. Newman was running 13th and reporting to tight.

Newman restarted in 9th after some cars that had previously only taken 2 tires decided to come in.

Lap 116 brought a caution with Newman sitting in 4th. Many cars were caught taking green flag pits or already had and were a lap down. 19 cars were shown on the lead lap at this time.

Newman restarted in 6th right behind Tony Stewart.

Caution lap 162 and Newman was in 10th. He restarted 10th.

After this point I was busy with some other things going on but kept checking back in. Newman consistently stayed in or around the 10 ten as far as I could tell.

It was a great day for Ryan Newman and the #39 U.S. Army Team. It is good to see them consistently running upfront.

“I drove the car a little harder than I wanted to at the end on two tires,” said Newman, who qualified 11th. “We just didn’t have a good handle on the car today. Typically with these cars the more you finesse them the better they are. But there was no finessing today.”

“We were a top-10 car and that was it,” said Newman’s crew chief, Tony Gibson. “We could never really hit on anything that really worked for Ryan. We danced with air pressures, wedge and track bar adjustments but never hit on anything. But here again this U.S. Army race team never gives up. We keep on pounding away, pounding away and pounding away. We have to stay strong as a team and if we do that we can prevail on a day like today. It’s pretty good when you can say you’re ticked off because you finished eighth.”

This will be the first of 5 races Newman will be racing for JR Motorsports in the #5 Fastenal Chevrolet.

I am hoping to get to see some of this race, but we will see.

Newman Taking Torrid Pace to Favorite Track

DOVER, Del. (May 27, 2009) — So far it’s been a renaissance year for Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Impala SS.

After 12 Sprint Cup races with the new Stewart-Haas Racing team, Newman is off to one of his best starts in nearly four seasons.Hisr009 achievements include:

* Current streak of four straight top-five finishes — third (Talladega), fourth (Richmond), fourth (Darlington) and second (Charlotte).

* Best finishing average of 3.25 in the last four point races.

* Ranked seventh in the driver point standings. The last time he was inside the top 10after 12 races into the season wasinr005.

* Overall 2009 season record includes: 12 starts, four top fives, sixtop 10s, one pole and one outside pole.

* Already doubled his top-five finishes compared to the entire 2008 season.

Newman has repeatedly said that he expected strong performances from the get-go even though the new Stewart-Haas team has been labeled the surprise story of 2009. Newman’s teammate and team owner, Tony Stewart, is also enjoying a successful campaign, ranking second in driver points.

“The backbone was there — we just had to branch out,” said Newman. “Our new branches were new people. We had to build new cars and bring in some different situations to try and make things better from where they were. I always felt that we would come out of the gate strong. Our success is just a product of effort and hard work and the team doing what it should be doing, which is working together and moving forward.”

“We just need to keep doing what we’ve been doing and we’ll get what we’re after — and that’s a win in the U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet,” added Newman.

The next stop on the Sprint Cup circuit is Sunday’s race at Dover International Speedway, where the 31-year-old Newman has enjoyed a great deal of success.

In 14 starts at Dover’s Monster Mile, Newman has captured three wins, six top fives, eight top 10s, four poles and has led 813 laps. His average start is 8.4 and his average finish is 10.5.

“Dover is one of my favorite if not my favorite racetrack,” noted Newman, a 13-time tour winner. “It’s a lot of fun to drive there, I really like the banking. Once you get a race car right there, it usually stays right all day. It’s fast and I like the challenge of dropping off into the corners and the way it pushes you down in the seat when you’re coming off the corners. Just a lot fun — I enjoy qualifying and racing at Dover.”

Newman’s three wins at Dover came in June 2003 (from the pole), September 2003 and September 2004.

-credit: shr

Newman was perfect, at least once in his racing career. That was back in 2005 at Dover, when he scored a win and posted a perfect Driver Rating of 150.0. In that race, Newman had an Average Running Position of 1.1, 42 Fastest laps Run, led 193 of the 200 laps and was in the top 15 for each lap.

He’s also perfect when the series qualifies at Dover. In both of his Dover races – in 2001 and 2005 – Newman won the pole. He makes his NASCAR Nationwide Series return to Dover driving for JR Motorsports, his first run for the team.

Ryan Newman makes his JR Motorsports debut this weekend at Dover in the No. 5 Fastenal Chevrolet. This is the first of four races that Newman will compete for JR Motorsports. His remaining events include Chicagoland Speedway (7/10), Bristol Motor Speedway (8/21) and Kansas Speedway (10/3). The No. 5 Fastenal Chevy will be off for the next two races at Nashville and Kentucky, before returning to action at the Milwaukee Mile with Scott Wimmer.

Newman holds seven wins and 12 poles in the Nationwide Series in only 42 starts. Six of his victories came during a stellar 2005 season, in which he scored eight top-fives in nine starts and led nearly half of his completed laps (800 of 1,658 laps). He owns 15 career top-five and 24 top-10 finishes.

“Dover has always been one of my favorite race tracks,” Newman said. “I’ve been very fortunate to have a lot of success there over the years. It’s a physically demanding track, so by the end of the day, you have had quite a workout. For me, Dover is a really fun track to drive. But there’s a reason it’s called The Monster Mile. The track is really unique – you drop off into the corners and then climb up the hills onto the straightaways. Because of that, the entry into the corners is the toughest part. If you don’t get a good entry, you’re not going to have a good middle or a good exit.”

Newman said that he is looking forward to working with teammate Brad Keselowski, who is fifth in the Nationwide standings.

“I’m really looking forward to being teamed up with Brad this weekend. Brad is a tough competitor week in and week out – and we have seen that in both the Nationwide and in the Sprint Cup Series this season. I think Brad has done a phenomenal job since he got the opportunity with JR Motorsports. And his win at Talladega in the Cup Series was extremely impressive – and I had a front row seat for that. I’m glad that Brad is doing well, and I think he’s a good guy. I think Brad and I will have fun working together for the few races that I will have with JR Motorsports.”

Well, this is supposedly a little preview of the new Gillette commercial.

Personally I find this hilarious and looks like Ryan is having a little fun.