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CUP: Newman Makes It Official
Written by: Tom Jensen   
08/15/2008
Brooklyn, Mich.
 
Ryan Newman will be the second driver on the newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing team. (Jerry Markland/Getty Images Photo) ยป More Photos

Ryan Newman confirmed the worst-kept secret in NASCAR on Friday, when he announced that he will move from Penske Racing to Stewart-Haas Racing next season.

Appearing live on SPEED from a press conference at Michigan International Speedway, Newman ended weeks of speculation about his future by announcing he would drive the No. 4 Chevrolet Impala SS as a teammate to his fellow Hoosier Tony Stewart, the owner/driver who will wheel the No. 14 in 2009.

“It’s just a great opportunity,” said Newman. “I think a lot of Tony from a personal standpoint as well as a driving standpoint, and I’ve seen his success from an ownership standpoint with the USAC cars and the World of Outlaws cars. So, I’ve seen him get the job done in other venues. I look forward to the opportunity. He’s a hard-nosed racer and become a good friend as an opposing competitor.”

The move is both a coup for newly minted NASCAR team owner Stewart, who next year will be half owner of what now is known as Haas-CNC Racing and a new challenge for Newman, the 2008 Daytona 500 winner. Sponsorship was not announced Friday, but Stewart said it would be forthcoming.

“This is an exciting day,” said Stewart. “It’s very important to Stewart-Haas Racing, obviously. And being able to announce that we’ve got Ryan on board is something that we’ve all been looking forward to since the day that we first spoke with Ryan and Krissie about coming aboard.”

Newman, an engineering graduate from Purdue University, has driven for Penske Racing for his entire NASCAR Sprint Cup career. Like his new boss Stewart, Newman cut his teeth driving USAC sprint cars and midgets before making his stock-car debut in 2000.

In 2001, he burst on the NASCAR scene in a big way, earning a pole in just his third Sprint Cup start, tying a record set by Mark Martin in 1981. In just seven races, Newman scored two top fives for car owner Roger Penske, including a second-place run at Kansas Speedway.

The following season, Newman bettered Jimmie Johnson for Raybestos Rookie of the Year honors in the Sprint Cup Series, scoring his first career victory at New Hampshire Motor Speedway and finishing an impressive sixth in points. He also scored six poles, 14 top-five and 22 top-10 finishes.

In 2003, he fared even better, leading the series in victories with eight. He also had a series-high 11 poles and led 1,509 miles, also tops among Cup drivers. In what would prove
to be his most productive season in NASCAR, Newman had 17 top-five finishes, a career high, and 22 top 10s, matching the total he set the year before. He again finished sixth in points.

The following seasons also proved highly successful for Newman, as he finished seventh in points in 2004 and sixth again in 2005. In both years, Newman qualified for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. His achievements came despite a very public feud with then-teammate Rusty Wallace, who Newman refused to share data and information with.

The last three seasons at Penske, Newman’s productivity tailed off, as he went winless in 2006 and ’07, failing to make the Chase as he finished 18th and 13th, respectively, in points during those two seasons. The team had great expectations for 2008 after Newman and teammate Kurt Busch finished 1-2 in the Daytona 500. But in the subsequent 21 races, Newman’s lone top five was a fourth at Texas in April and barring a miracle, he will miss the Chase for a third consecutive year, as he now sits 15th in points, three spots ahead of teammate Busch.

In his NASCAR Sprint Cup season to date, Newman has made 246 starts, earning 43 poles, 13 victories, 63 top-five and 105 top-10 finishes. His career earnings are $41.6 million.

By moving to Stewart-Haas Racing, Newman will be going to a team that next year is expected to undergo a radical overhaul, with a host of new personnel. As a team, Haas-CNC has never won a Sprint Cup race, and has scored just a single top-five finish. Stewart, who has fashioned championship-caliber teams as an owner in USAC and the World of Outlaws, will attempt to do the same with what next year will be called Stewart-Haas Racing.

Tom Jensen is the Senior NASCAR Editor for SPEEDtv.com, the former Executive Editor of NASCAR Scene and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. He is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of SPEED,” and has appeared on television and radio shows to discuss NASCAR racing. Jensen is the President of the National Motorsports Press Association. Jensen is the 1997 National Motorsports Press Association Writer of the Year and has won numerous national and state awards for news reporting, columns and feature writing. The Answer Man is back at SPEEDtv.com. Tom Jensen answers your questions during every race week and looks forward to hearing from you - please e-mail it to

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