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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
NEWMAN: Risky Business
It’s been another exciting and busy week for everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing...
Ryan Newman  |  Posted June 10, 2009   Charlotte, NC
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing writes Voices of SPEED on SPEEDtv.com. (Photo: Jason Smith/Getty Images for NASCAR)
It’s been another exciting and busy week for everyone at Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR). By now, everyone knows that my teammate and boss, Tony (Stewart), got our team’s first point-paying win at Pocono Raceway on Sunday.

Tony saved fuel in the closing laps when other teams were running out, and he cruised into victory lane. How he saved all that fuel, he won’t say. But I have my thoughts on that.

I was just so happy for Tony, for the No. 14 guys and for everyone at SHR. This team – this organization – has come such a long way, and I am so proud of all of our accomplishments.

Not only did Tony win, but my No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army team battled back from a burnt-out spark plug that nearly put us a lap down. We pitted six times over two caution periods. The guys did a phenomenal job on pit road to make all the changes and to get the car fixed. And in the end, we persevered and finished fifth.

You don’t have two cars finish in the top-five by luck. That’s hard work and dedication paying off. I can’t say enough about how happy I am to be at SHR. I look forward to every race weekend and I’m excited to see what all we can accomplish by the end of the year.

I have had so many people ask me, “Didn’t you feel like you were taking a gamble in your career to come to this team?” In fact, that’s one of the most-asked questions I get each weekend. To me, yes, it was a gamble. But it was also a gamble to stay where I was.

Right now, it looks like the gamble is paying off. My No. 39 team is fourth in points and we have had six consecutive top-10s. This weekend, we head to Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn.

I consider Michigan to be my home track, so this is a very special race for me. When I was a kid, Michigan was the closest track to where I grew up in South Bend, Ind., that hosted a NASCAR race. I used to go to Michigan and sit in the grandstands with my family, cheering on my favorite drivers – Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and the list goes on and on.

To come back to the same place where I grew up watching races as a fan and now be part of the racing action is pretty cool.

Michigan is also an important place for me for another reason. The area near the racetrack is one of my favorites. There are great areas to go hiking and fishing. (By the way, in case you were wondering, I caught and released more than 50 fish last weekend in Pocono.)


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