Coca-Cola 600

STEWART-HAAS RACING: WEEKEND LINEUP

May 21-24, 2009

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - Coca-Cola 600

Venue / Location: Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. (1.5-mile oval)

SHR Driver Lineup: Tony Stewart in the No. 14 Office Depot / Old Spice Chevrolet Impala SS

Ryan Newman in the No. 39 U.S. Army / Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS

Qualifying: 7 p.m. EDT on Thursday, May 21 with live broadcast on SPEED

Time / Date / TV: 5 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 24 with live broadcast on FOX (race starts at 5:45 p.m.)

Newman, Army Team Aiming for Special Performance on Special Weekend

Ryan Newman said that Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 Sprint Cup race adds an extra set of emotions this season as he will drive the U.S. Army entry in the Memorial Day weekend classic at Lowe's Motor Speedway (LMS).

"It's always a special honor to drive the U.S. Army Chevrolet, but there will be even more pride this weekend as we all pay tribute to the fallen men and women of the military who have paid the ultimate price so we can enjoy our freedom," said Newman. "It's been a privilege to wear the Army uniform and represent our Soldiers both home and abroad as they continue the fight for freedom."

Putting the Soldiers' car in Victory Lane on the weekend of military remembrance would be a definitive statement by the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation team, which has put itself in position to win at the past five races, including last weekend's Sprint All-Star Race at LMS near Charlotte.

"We haven't quite reached Victory Lane yet, but we can sure feel it and taste it," said Newman of his new Stewart-Haas Racing team. "It's been exciting to be a contender week in and week out. The more you contend the odds get better to see the checkered flag first."

Though Newman, a 13-time Cup winner, has yet to claim victory at LMS, he has enjoyed many strong performances at the 1.5-mile oval. In 16 career starts, the 31-year-old driver has posted three top fives, five top 10s and seven poles and two outside poles. His first of 43 career poles came at the 2001 Coca-Cola 600.

Newman is looking for the 50th-anniversary magic to repeat itself. He won the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2008 and would like to add this weekend's 50th running of the Coke 600 to his list of tour victories.

"This is a big race -- I feel the Coke 600 ranks in the top three behind Daytona (500) and Indy (Brickyard 400)," noted Newman about NASCAR's longest race (400 laps, 600 miles). "Charlotte is a very historic race track hand a place we all try to shine at. There are a lot of great drivers who have won there. Joining that list is what we all search for."

Speaking of wins, Newman was one of the first to greet his teammate and team owner, Tony Stewart, in Victory Lane following Stewart's dramatic win in Saturday night's Sprint All-Star Race. It was the first victory for Stewart-Haas Racing.

"They say winning becomes contagious and hopefully this is the first of many more to come for both the No. 14 and No. 39 Stewart-Haas teams," said Newman. "It was an uplifting win for the entire organization."

Newman's recent success in the Sprint Cup point races includes three straight top fives -- third (Talladega), fourth (Richmond) and fourth (Darlington). He has the best finishing average (3.67) in the last three point races. The performances have vaulted him into eighth place in the driver point standings.

In order to make the Chase and to be a championship contender the team needs to master tracks like Lowe's Motor Speedway according to Newman.

"The cookie-cutter tracks are the ones that make up the majority of the schedule and we need to have strong performances at them in order to be a contending team," noted Newman.

Newman's Career Record at Lowe's Motor Speedway

St Fn

2001 1 43

4 19

2002 4 41

4 8

2003 1 5

1 2

2004 2 35

1 14

2005 1 5

2 7

2006 18 35

15 27

2007 1 39

1 28

2008 38 21

16 21

No. 39 Over-the-Wall Crew (city is hometown)

Front-tire changer: Mike Trower, New Hampton, Iowa

Front-tire carrier: Josh Mick, Houston, Texas

Rear-tire changer: Adam Davis, Walnut Cove, N.C.

Rear-tire carrier: James Houk, Fair Play, Mo.

Gasman: Michael Moore, Springfield, Mass.

Jackman: Andrew Turner, Coloma, Mich.

Catch Can: Andy Rueger, Seymour, Ind.

Windshield: Jay Guarneri, Naples, Fla.

___________________________________________________

Crew Chief: Tony Gibson, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Car Chief: Kevin Pennell, Kannapolis, N.C.

Spotter: Greg Newman, South Bend, Ind.

Engine Specialist: Jay Nolan, Jacksonville, Fla.

Engine: Hendrick Motorsports

STEWART-HAAS RACING

Coca-Cola 600 Qualifying

Date: May 21, 2009

Event: Coca-Cola 600 Qualifying (Round 12 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Location: Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C. (1.5-mile oval)

Pole Winner: Ryan Newman of Stewart-Haas Racing (28.651 seconds at 188.475 mph)

SHR Lineup: Ryan Newman (1^st, 28.651 seconds at 188.475 mph)

Tony Stewart (28^th, 29.067 seconds at 185.778 mph)

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent in time trials at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., by winning the pole for Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race. Newman turned a lap of 28.651 seconds at 188.475 mph on the 1.5-mile oval to log the 44^th pole of his Sprint Cup career and the first for SHR.

"Great job, top to bottom, by everyone involved," said Newman, whose first career Sprint Cup pole came in the 2001 Coca-Cola 600, and he now has eight poles in 17 career Sprint Cup starts at Charlotte. "It's a great opportunity to be here and drive good cars. We've just to keep doing what we've been doing and move forward."

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, qualified 28^th. The co-owner of SHR along with Oxnard, Calif.-based Haas Automation - the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world - turned a lap of 29.067 seconds at 185.778 mph.

"Our car was a little too free back to the gas in that qualifying run," said Stewart, who comes into the Coca-Cola 600 after winning the non-points NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race at Charlotte - the first win of any kind for SHR. "It just didn't have the grip that it had in practice. But it's a long race, and we have a lot of adjustability built into the car."

Kyle Busch will start alongside Newman on the outside of row one, as he timed in at 28.684 seconds at 188.258 mph. Jeff Gordon (28.694 seconds at 188.193 mph) was third, while Mark Martin (28.698 seconds at 188.166 mph) and Jimmie Johnson (28.751 seconds at 187.820 mph) rounded out the top-five.

Forty-seven drivers attempted to qualify for the Coca-Cola 600, the longest on the 36-race Sprint Cup schedule. Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were J.J. Yeley, Mike Garvey, Todd Bodine and David Starr.

As far as manufacturers went, Chevrolet took four of the top-five spots, with Toyota being the lone make to crack the top-five via Busch. Dodge was next best at the hands of sixth-quick Kasey Kahne (28.801 seconds at 187.493 mph), while the top Ford came courtesy of Bill Elliott, who posted the 10^th-fastest time (28.851 seconds at 187.169 mph).

The Coca-Cola 600 gets underway at 5:45 p.m. EDT on Sunday, May 24 with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 5 p.m.

Newman Captures Pole for Coke 600

The U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet will lead the 43-car Sprint Cup field in Sunday's Memorial Day weekend classic -- the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway (LMS) near Charlotte.

The honor was a result of the hard-charging Ryan Newman capturing the pole in Thursday night's time trials at the 1.5-mile oval.

It was the 44th-career pole for Newman and the eighth in 17 starts at LMS. Newman has now claimed a pole in every season since 2001, the year he grabbed his first pole, which came at the Coke 600 in his third career start.

"I am very proud to have the Soldiers' car start on the pole for the Memorial Day race," said Newman. "The next goal is to put this Impala SS in Victory Lane on Sunday night. We had a good qualifying lap tonight, but to be honest I was not totally satisfied with it. But you don't have to be satisfied when you have a fast race car. We need to keep our chin up and keep doing what we've been doing. We can't be satisfied -- we have to keep on improving."

Newman's pole-winning time and speed in the No. 39 Army/Haas Automation Chevy was 28.651 seconds at 188.475 miles per hour. Rounding out the top five in order were: Kyle Busch (188.258), Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin and Jimmie Johnson.

Newman's teammate and team owner, Tony Stewart, qualified 28th. Stewart is coming off an impressive win in last weekend's Sprint All-Star Race at LMS.

Sunday's race, the longest of the season (400 laps, 600 miles), will be televised on FOX, beginning with a prerace show at 5 p.m. ET.

Coca-Cola 600 Washed Out

Rain forced NASCAR to postpone Sunday's Coca-Cola 600 due to rain at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte. The 400 lap, 600-mile Sprint Cup race has been rescheduled for Monday at noon ET. FOX will televise the event.

STEWART-HAAS RACING

Coca-Cola 600 Race Report

Date: May 25, 2009

Event: Coca-Cola 600 (Round 12 of 36)

Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Location: Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C. (1.5-mile oval)

Winner: David Reutimann of Michael Waltrip Racing (Toyota)

SHR Finish: Ryan Newman (Started 1^st, Finished 2^nd / Running, completed 227 of 227 laps in a rain-shortened finish)

Tony Stewart (Started 28^th, Finished 19^th/Running, completed 227 of 227 laps in a rain-shortened finish)

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 U.S. Army/Haas Automation Chevrolet Impala SS, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent by finishing second in Monday's rain-postponed and rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C. The runner-up effort marked the fourth consecutive top-five finish for Newman, something he hadn't done since the 2005 season.

It all came from a strategy call on lap 221 when the caution flag waved for rain. Newman and crew chief Tony Gibson elected not to pit and stayed out on the racetrack, which moved them into second-place. Steady rainfall prevented NASCAR from restarting the race, as officials called the event 173 laps shy of its scheduled 400-lap distance.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, finished 19^th. He and crew chief Darian Grubb were on the opposite side of the strategy that worked so well for the No. 39 team, as they forfeited their place among top-10 to pit for four tires and fuel in the hope that the race would eventually resume.

Despite the outcome, Stewart continues to lead the SHR driver lineup in the championship point race, as his 19^th-place finish maintained his second-place standing after round 12 of 36. Newman gained one spot to climb to seventh in the standings. Stewart is 44 markers arrears series leader Jeff Gordon, while Newman is 184 points out of first.

David Reutimann won the Coca-Cola 600 to score his first career Sprint Cup victory and the first for Michael Waltrip Racing. Finishing third behind Newman was Robby Gordon, while Carl Edwards and Brian Vickers rounded out the top-five. Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne, Juan Pablo Montoya, rookie Joey Logano and 2003 Sprint Cup champion Matt Kenseth comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were four red flag periods and six cautions for 40 laps, with only one driver - Mike Bliss - failing to finish the race.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the May 31 Autism Speaks 400 at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. The race begins at 2 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 1:30 p.m.

Pit Strategy Lifts Newman to 2nd-Place Finish in Coke 600

Army driver claims 4th straight top five; moves to 7th in driver points

To pit or not to pit. That was the question facing the U.S. Army/Haas Automation team as more rain was headed towards Lowe's Motor Speedway in Monday's 50th running of the Coca-Cola 600.

The decision not to pit following a caution for rain on Lap 222 of the scheduled 400-lap race turned out to be a sound strategy for the No. 39 team. Racing never did resume at the 1.5-mile oval, giving driver Ryan Newman a second-place finish in the Memorial Day event, which was postponed on Sunday due to wet weather.

The race winner was David Reutimann, who also bypassed the last pit stop.

Soon after the final caution, NASCAR red-flagged the race, and nearly three hours later the event was called.

At the time of the Lap 222 caution, Newman was running in 15th place in his No. 39 Chevrolet Impala SS. There was discussion between crew chief Tony Gibson and Newman to pit if the leaders pitted, but at the last second Newman decided to stay out.

"I asked if the rain was going to stay and the answer was that it might," explained Newman. "I said we can't chicken out now and I stayed out. In the end it was the right thing to do. It's just strategy -- sometimes you get lucky and sometimes you don't. If the race did go back to green, we would have been in the back."

The result was Newman's fourth-straight top five. The last time he posted four-straight top fives was at this time of the season in 2005.

Newman, who moved from eighth to seventh in the driver point standings, has been the hottest driver on the Sprint Cup circuit in the last four races with a finishing average of 3.25. The Coke 600 second-place result was preceded with finishes of third (Talladega), fourth (Richmond) and fourth (Darlington).

"We just need to keep doing what we've been doing and we'll get what we're after -- and that's a win," said Newman.

"This was a special race to drive the Army car on Memorial Day weekend," added Newman, who captured the pole in Thursday's time trials. "This is a weekend about remembrance for our men and women who served our country and for all the troops who are currently protecting our freedom. I was touched to see all the military personnel line up on the straightaway during the prerace introductions. I am very honored to drive the Army car."

Newman's Stewart-Haas Racing teammate, Tony Stewart, finished 19th. Stewart is second in driver points.

The next race for the U.S. Army/Haas Automation team will be Sunday (May 31) at Dover (Del.) International Speedway.