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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
NEWMAN: Victory Getting Closer
Ryan Newman has his sights set on a victory lane trip for Stewart-Haas Racing and he wants the trip to be his....
Ryan Newman  |  Posted May 06, 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)
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I told my guys after the race at Richmond last Saturday night that if we keep doing what we’re doing, we’re going to get what we want – and that’s a trip to victory lane. We led the race on Saturday night. We had the leader’s strategy. But we got caught up on a restart. Despite that, we still battled back to a fourth-place finish.

It has been a long time since I’ve had top-five finishes back-to-back. Even better than that, Stewart-Haas Racing put both cars in the top-five with Tony Stewart getting a second-place finish. I think it’s safe to say this won’t be the last time you’ll see SHR with both cars in the top five at the end of the race.

Before the season started, I was asked time and time again what my expectations were for the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation team. I told everyone then that my goal was to win poles, to win races and to make the Chase for the Sprint Cup. I know there were a lot of people who doubted me and my goals, but I was confident this team had the ability to accomplish every one of those things. I have never doubted this team or the entire SHR organization.

What my teammate and owner has done is put together a very talented group of racers from the top of the organization on down. With the support of Hendrick Motorsports and the knowledge base that we have at SHR, it’s my opinion this is a team that shouldn’t be doubted.

Since Daytona, the No. 39 team has steadily improved every single week. We have fought through bad luck and a variety of issues, and now we are in the top 10 in points. I’m so proud of what we have accomplished after just 10 races, but I’m not ready to rest. We’ve improved each and every week. Each week, we’ve moved up in the standings, and I want to continue that this weekend at Darlington.

Darlington has always been one of my favorite racetracks. It’s a challenge to drive, which is why I like it. You have to adjust to the tires and the character of the track. For most of the race, you’re running right next to the wall. It’s the most challenging track we have and that’s why I enjoy it the most. They repaved the track last year, and I don’t think it’s been as much fun since then. But it will get better each time we race there. It is still a great racetrack and I am looking forward to running both the NASCAR Nationwide Series race in the Kevin Harvick Inc., Chevrolet and the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race there this weekend.

This is another big weekend for another reason, too. It’s Mother’s Day weekend, and my mom, Diane, will be at the racetrack. My mom has been with me every step of the way durng my racing career. I can’t really thank her and my dad enough for everything they did to get me where I am. Since I was 4½ years old with my first Quarter-Midget, we would load up every weekend to go racing, and my mom would be right there with us. She would do everything she could to help us at the racetrack. And she saved everything. I have books and books of programs and certificates and pictures. It’s pretty impressive.
She’s been one of my biggest supporters. She’ll be at the racetrack with us all weekend. Then, on Sunday, she will come to our house and spend the day with me and Krissie.

We normally have breakfast or a cookout, and then we fish. Mom will tell you she caught the biggest fish last year on Mother’s Day, but I don’t recall that!

My mom always says spending time with her like that is the best gift I could ever give her, since we don’t get a lot of down time together. However, I sure would love to deliver a gift to her on Saturday night at Darlington. I think she would like that, too.

To my mom, Krissie’s mom and all the mothers out there, I hope you have a Happy Mother’s Day weekend.

The opinions reflected herein are solely those of the above commentator and are not necessarily those of SPEEDtv.com, FOX, NewsCorp, or Speed Channel
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