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NEWMAN: Phoenix Special In Many Ways
Of course, going back to Phoenix International Raceway this weekend will be different...
Ryan Newman  |  Posted November 12, 2010   Charlotte, NC
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing writes Voices of SPEED on SPEED.com. (Photo: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Last April in Phoenix was definitely one of the biggest wins of my career. I made that statement in victory lane and in the media center following the celebration, and I still feel that way. People have asked me why that win meant so much to me, and there are so many reasons.

It was my first win with Stewart-Haas Racing. It was a win we had been so close to getting during our inaugural season, yet a win that we hadn’t gotten. So, believe me, it had been a long time since that Daytona 500 win. To finally get that win with my No. 39 team, to take our new sponsor Tornados to victory lane, and to get that win for Tony Stewart and to help get my crew chief Tony Gibson his first win, it was all so big. It was just a very emotional victory lane for everyone.

For me, it was a lot of fun to see the look on those guys' faces. To watch them high-five and celebrate in victory lane – it was just a very important moment in my career and, by far, the best moment of our season.

So, it’s definitely special for us to be going back to Phoenix this weekend. We know we have a good setup for the race, and I’m confident, knowing how well we have run there, so hopefully we’ll finally be able to get back on track and get a solid finish.

Of course, going back to Phoenix this weekend will be different. Everyone has heard by now that Ron Hornaday is on stand-by for me should my wife Krissie go into labor early with our first child. If everything goes as planned, I will be able to finish out the season and run both races at Phoenix and at Homestead, and I will even have a few days at home before the baby comes. But, of course, that's the perfect scenario.

But a lot of people have told me otherwise, and I understand that this isn’t exactly something you can plan for perfectly. So, we have asked Ron to help us out. It’s a precautionary measure that several drivers have had to take this year, and if all goes as planned, I won’t have to turn the car over to Ron on race day. Since he’s there on stand-by, he will practice the car this weekend. But I do appreciate him standing in for me should we need him. I think he’s a great choice to help out the No. 39 U.S. Army team.
The Army will sponsors Ryan Newman. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)

And, speaking of the U.S. Army, I hope that everyone will take a minute today and this weekend to thank our veterans – our military members past and present – who have served our country and honor them the way that they should be honored this Veteran’s Day weekend. Being sponsored by the U.S. Army, I have had the very unique opportunity to meet numerous soldiers. And I take every opportunity to thank them for giving the freedom that allows me to do what I am able to do every single day. For that, I am grateful – and we all should be.

I’m honored that I have the opportunity to represent a million soldiers worldwide, and that I wear the U.S. Army logo with pride. This is a special weekend, and I would love to put the No. 39 car back in victory lane at Phoenix. I have a lot of support this weekend as 500 veterans are riding on board my Chevy with me.

Ryan Newman is in his ninth full season as a driver in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, and he’ll spend it with two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart. Newman drives the No. 39 Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing, the team co-owned by Stewart and Haas Automation, the world’s largest machine tool manufacturer. In 2010, Newman will be sponsored by Tornados, Haas Automation and the U.S. Army. Newman is a graduate of Purdue University, where he has a degree in vehicle structure engineering. In his first eight seasons, Newman has collected 45 poles and 13 wins in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, including the 2008 Daytona 500 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway. When not racing, Newman enjoys fishing and restoring his classic cars. The avid outdoorsman, along with his wife Krissie, play an active role in the Ryan Newman Foundation 501(c)(3), which they founded in 2005. For more information on Ryan Newman, please visit www.ryannewman.org or www.stewarthaasracing.com. Information on the Ryan Newman Foundation can be found at www.ryannewmanfoundation.org.

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