Ryan Newman

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Ryan Newman bigraphy, stories - American stock car racing driver

Ryan Newman : biography

December 8, 1977 –

Ryan Joseph Newman (born December 8, 1977, in South Bend, Indiana) is a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. He drives the No. 39 Quicken Loans/Haas Automation/Outback Steakhouse, Chevrolet SS for Stewart Haas Racing under crew chief Matt Borland. Newman graduated from Purdue University in 2001 with a B.S. in engineering. In 2002, he was the Raybestos Rookie of the Year.

Racing career

Early career

Newman made his racing debut in 1993 in the United Midget Auto Racing Association and the All-American Midget Series, winning both Rookie of the Year and the championship. His 100 feature wins and two titles have him in the Quarter Midget Hall of Fame. Moving to USAC in 1995 running the C.E. Lewis No. 39 Drinan Chassis powered Brayton Motor, he was ROTY again in both the Midget Series and the Silver Crown in 1996. In 1999, he was the first driver to win in all three divisions while being the Silver Bullet Series champion in the No. 14 Beast Chassis powered Chevy.

Beginnings with Penske

Newman began working for legendary racing icon Roger Penske in 2000, winning 3 of the five ARCA RE/MAX Series races he entered, and making his Winston Cup debut at Phoenix International Raceway. In 2001, Newman continued in both ARCA and NASCAR, while attending Purdue. Newman ran 15 Busch Series races that season, winning poles in his 2nd and 3rd career starts and scoring his first career win at Michigan International Speedway in just his 9th career start. He also had a series-high 6 poles. Around this time he would meet racing legend Buddy Baker, who would eventually become his mentor on superspeedways.

"Rocket Man"

In 2002, Newman won a season-high 6 poles, breaking the record set by Davey Allison. In September, he won his first career Winston Cup race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway after starting from the pole. Newman joined Dale Earnhardt, Jr. as the second rookie to win The Winston, and beat out Jimmie Johnson for the Rookie of the Year award on the strength of rookie records in top-fives (14) and top-tens (22), even though Johnson had more wins, finished higher in the points standings, and led the standings at one point.

Newman’s sophomore season began with 2 flips and 1 near flip at the 2003 Daytona 500 after contact with Ken Schrader and Bobby Labonte. At Watkins Glen he spun and hit the foam blocks, sending him on his side. The near-flip was at the 2003 Aaron’s 499 when he blew a tire mid-pack and nearly turned on his side in turn 1, sparking a 27 car crash, the largest recorded crash in Sprint Cup history. Though finishing the season with a series-high eight wins and eleven poles, Newman also suffered seven DNF’s, which left him sixth in points. His number of poles during the season led to him being nicknamed "Rocket Man."

In 2004, Newman qualified for the inaugural Chase for the Cup by finishing seventh in points with two wins and nine poles. He made the 2005 Chase as well, while returning to the Busch Series after a four-year absence, winning six out of the nine races he entered, including a series-record five straight.

Newman endured his first winless season in 2006, finishing a career-worst 18th in points, while his longtime crew chief, Matt Borland, left for Michael Waltrip Racing. His pole ratio between his rookie year and 2006 was one in every three races, tying him for fifteenth on the all-time poles list.

In 2007, despite a streak of three consecutive poles, Newman again failed to win a race, including a near win at Lowe’s Motor Speedway that was spoiled by a blown tire. His winless drought ended after he won the 2008 Daytona 500 on February 17, 2008. It was also the first Daytona 500 win for Penske.

Move to Stewart-Haas

On July 15, 2008, Newman announced that he was leaving Penske at the end of the season, and a month later, it was confirmed he was joining newly-formed Stewart Haas Racing in 2009, in the number 39http://www.jayski.com/cupnews.htm#news39 (his number during his midget-driving years) Chevy Impala. U.S. Army signed on for a three-year sponsorship deal, though only for 23 races of the 2009 season.