The Official Ryan Newman Website

STEWART-HAAS RACING: WEEKEND LINEUP

June 26-28, 2009

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series - Lenox Industrial Tools 301

Venue / Location:   New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)

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

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

Qualifying:                 3 p.m. EDT on Friday, June 26 with live broadcast on SPEED

Time / Date / TV:    1:30 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28 with live broadcast on TNT (race starts at 2 p.m.)

RYAN NEWMAN

Fishing for Invigorating Run at New Hampshire

KANNAPOLIS, N.C.(June 24, 2009) - For avid outdoorsman Ryan Newman, fresh air, a lake and a fishing rod is all he needs to relax and reenergize. That's why Newman counts the natural surroundings of New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon as one of his favorite stops on the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series circuit.

For Newman the competitive racecar driver, a trip to New Hampshire could be just what he needs to rejuvenate himself and reinvigorate his No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team. Newman and the team have shown their prowess at three other short tracks this season, and the 1.058-mile New Hampshire flat track is yet another place where the team looks forward to exhibiting its strong short-track program once more.

Earlier this season, it was the short-track races that breathed life into Newman and his No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army team. A trip to the half-mile Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway and Martinsville (Va.) Speedway ovals yielded the team's first two top-10 finishes of the 2009 season with seventh- and sixth-place finishes, respectively. Then, the race at the three-quarter-mile Richmond (Va.) International Raceway resulted in a fourth-place effort and was one of a string of four consecutive top-five finishes for Newman.

With the team currently sitting sixth in points, Newman hopes that the Lenox Industrial Tools 301 will be the starting point for yet another string of top-10 finishes as NASCAR embarks on the 10-week "Race to the Chase" at New Hampshire this weekend.

New Hampshire has been a special track for Newman in his career. In 14 starts at Loudon, Newman has four poles, five top-five, nine top-10 finishes and two very big wins.

In September 2002, the rookie Sprint Cup driver scored his first point-paying victory at the flat track. The South Bend, Ind., native started from the pole position and dominated the rain-shortened race, leading 143 of 207 laps.

The win was proof that the young driver who had climbed through the open-wheel ranks and was known for turning a quick lap in qualifying had what it took to win in NASCAR's elite series. The victory was emotional for both Newman and his family, who had worked and sacrificed for years so that Newman could follow his dream into NASCAR. It was the first of 13 Sprint Cup wins for Newman, and his first of two at New Hampshire.

His second victory at the track came in September 2005. That victory renewed Newman's hopes for a championship run. Newman, who had barely squeaked into the first Chase for the Championship, used pit strategy to gain the lead late in the race after starting 13^th. In the final laps, he dueled with now team owner and teammate Tony Stewart for the lead. With two laps remaining, Newman passed Stewart and held on to take the win.

Now, Newman is in search of another special weekend at New Hampshire. After scoring six consecutive top-10 finishes, the No. 39 team has finished 23^rd and 17^th in the past two races (Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn and Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., respectively).

As he returns to a track where he has celebrated triumphs in his career, Newman hopes his No. 39 team's earlier short-track success will carry over to this weekend's race at the 1.058-mile oval. Newman hopes to revive his team's solid runs and begin yet another string of top-10 finishes, but more than that, he would like for New Hampshire to be the locale for another Newman milestone - his first win for SHR.

RYAN NEWMAN, Driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation /U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What do you remember about your first win, which came at New Hampshire in 2002?

"We had won the All-Star Race at Charlotte in May that year. I was a rookie, so that was a big deal, but we were still looking for our first point-paying win. We finally got it in New Hampshire in September, and it was a rain-shortened race. That's one part of racing. They never put it (rain-shortened) on the trophy. They do put it in the record books, but the trophy is what we take home. You won the race. It doesn't say how many laps it was. It doesn't say who finished second. It just says that you were the best on that day. There are different ways to win a race, but there are a few things that help you get that first win. You've got to be in the right place at the right time. You've got to use strategy. You've got to have a fast racecar. You've got to do all those things right, or close to right."

What are your thoughts on racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway?

"New Hampshire is really unique. I feel like they have made some great mprovements to the racetrack in the past. They have added some banking and they have added some racetrack for us to use, so in my opinion, the racing is the best that it has ever been there. It used to be a one-groove racetrack, but that has changed thanks to the improvements they have made. I think, more than anything, this is a track-position race because it's a flat track. And the double-file restarts will make the race even more interesting. It's a fun place to race and, obviously, it has been very special to me because it was where I got my first point-paying win in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. And I think I battled pretty hard with Tony (Stewart) to win the race back in 2005, too.

"The Haas Automation team has really excelled on the short tracks this season, and New Hampshire is another one where I think we should have success. We got top-10s at Bristol, Martinsville and Richmond, and I feel like we would have had a better finish at Phoenix had we not had the radio complications that we did. These last two races (Michigan and Infineon) haven't been the finishes we wanted, but I think we will be able to get back on track and get another solid top-10 finish at New Hampshire this weekend. I've had a lot of success at New Hampshire in both qualifying and the race, and I'm hoping to continue that trend with my Stewart-Haas team. I'm really confident this is going to be a good weekend for the No. 39 team.

"For me, personally, I like the area just as much as I do the racetrack. It's just a fun place to hang out. We've always enjoyed Lake Winnipesaukee and there is some great fishing in the area, too. So, I have a good time whenever I go to New Hampshire."

A lot of people believe that you and the No. 39 team are knocking on victory's door. They are saying that you are one of the next teams to get a win. Does the pressure grow as races go by and a driver hasn't won, yet?

"I think you are fooling yourself if you say there isn't any pressure to win and that it doesn't grow, at times. Yes, in my opinion the pressure grows, but to me it isn't bad. It isn't destructive pressure for you or the team. It's just internal pressure to keep trying to achieve that goal. It's not like you can try any harder to get the job done. You're doing that each and every lap, each and every week. From a team standpoint, you try and fix what maybe needs to be fixed, whether it's a pit stop that's hurting them, whether it's the car and they're not leading laps, or whether it is strategy and not putting themselves in the position to win. It's not a trial and error process. It's a methodical answer that you're trying to achieve based upon what you're lacking.

"I agree that our team is knocking on the door of winning. And like I have told the team several times, if we keep doing what we're doing and putting ourselves in the position to win, then we will get what we want. The past two races (Michigan and Sonoma) haven't been our best races. We've had some problems, but we have been able to recover from any issues that we had during the race and get a decent finish in the end, when we could have come out much worse than what we did. That's what's important when we are looking at the big picture and having a chance to make the Chase for the Championship. That's something I'm proud of with this team. Yes, we want to win, and I believe we will. "

You have a very busy weekend on tap. You are racing a Winged-Midget at Lee Speedway in Lee, N.H., on Friday night, and then you are competing in the NASCAR Whelen Modified race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday. Talk a little about your extra-curricular racing this weekend in New Hampshire.

"To me, this weekend is something I have really been looking forward to. People always say that racers will race anything, anytime. And I guess that's true. I have never driven a Winged-Midget, and it's been a while since I have been in a Midget, so I'm looking forward to the race at Lee (N.H.) Speedway. The car is very similar to what I drove back in my USAC days, and the owner, Tim Bertrand, called me the other day and told me the car was a rocket ship. So, I guess that means the pressure is on. It will be fun to get back to my roots and some short-track, Friday-night racing, and I'm sure it will be a challenge because I'm competing with some really good drivers.

"As far as the Modified race, I got my first chance in the car last year at New Hampshire, and we were able to get the pole. We had a great run going in the race. We led laps and then had a problem early with a flat tire, but we moved back up toward the front of the field. Unfortunately, we got caught up in an on-track accident and didn't get the finish we had hoped to get. We were just in the wrong place at the wrong time. Hopefully, we can change that this time around. I had always wanted to race a Modified, and when Bono (Kevin Manion) and Gary (Putnam) gave me the chance in their car, I jumped at the opportunity. We were able to bring Aggressive Hydraulics on board for a few races this season, and we won in our first outing with them at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway during Speedweeks. It was a really exciting race and a very close finish at the end. I was honored to come out of there with the win, considering the great Modified drivers we were battling in the final laps. Any racer will tell you that, when they get the chance to race, they are going to, so I'm looking forward to getting back into the Modified at New Hampshire this weekend. I have good equipment, and I have some more experience in the car, so I am excited about Saturday's race."

RYAN NEWMAN'S NEW HAMPSHIRE MOTOR SPEEDWAY PERFORMANCE PROFILE

* Race cut short due to weather.

× Race length extended due to green-white-checker finish.

† Qualifying canceled due to weather, starting position set via car owner points.

Haas Automation Racing

Team Report

Round 17 of 36 - Lenox Industrial Tools 301 New Hampshire Motor Speedway

Car No.:  39 - Haas Automation/U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing

Teammate:  Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing

Primary Team Members:

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Other Crew Members:

Chassis No. 39-536:

New Hampshire Motor Speedway marks the third race for Chassis No. 39-536 this season. Newman first piloted the car at Phoenix International Raceway near Avondale, Ariz. At Phoenix, Newman battled his way to a 16^th-place finish as radio communication issues plagued the team for much of the race. The car again took the track at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway in May. At Richmond, Newman led 45 laps en route to a fourth-place finish.

Notes of Interest:

• The Lenox Industrial Tools 301 will mark Newman's 277^th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start and his 15^th career Sprint Cup start at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.
• This weekend's race at New Hampshire will mark Newman's 17^th Sprint Cup race with Stewart-Haas Racing, which is co-owned by two-time Sprint Cup champion Tony Stewart and Oxnard, Calif.-based Haas Automation, the largest CNC machine tool builder in the western world. Haas Automation is Newman's sponsor this weekend.
• In 16 starts with Stewart-Haas Racing, Newman has scored one pole, five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. Newman's best finish was a second-place effort in the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway near Charlotte, N.C., in May. Newman is currently sixth in the NASCAR Sprint Cup championship point standings, 318 points behind leader Stewart.
• On Sept. 15 2002, Newman scored the first victory of his NASCAR Sprint Cup Series career at Loudon in just his 35^th career start. Newman started on the pole and led 143 of 207 laps en route to his first-ever point-paying victory in the rain-shortened race.
• Newman claimed victory a second time at Loudon in September 2005. Newman came from the 13^th starting spot to lead 66 laps and win the race, which was the first in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series' first-ever Chase for the Championship.
• The South Bend, Ind., native has four poles, two wins (September 2002 and September 2005), five top-five and nine top-10 finishes in 14 starts at the 1.058-mile Loudon oval.
• In 14 starts at New Hampshire, Newman has qualified on the pole four times - September 2002, September 2003, July 2004 and July 2006. Newman's average starting spot at Loudon is 7.7. He has qualified in the top-10 nine times in 14 races, and in the top-five seven times.
• Newman has collected 44 poles since making his Sprint Cup debut in 2000. He is 10^th in career poles and is tied with Mark Martin for second among active full-time drivers in Sprint Cup poles. Newman's last pole came at Lowe's Motor Speedway for the Coca-Cola 600 on May 21.
• Busy weekend on tap for Newman in New Hampshire - In addition to piloting the No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS at New Hampshire, Newman will compete in two other races during the course of the weekend.

On Friday night, Newman will be behind the wheel of the No. 39 Helping Hands of America/Hot Pepper Promotions Winged-Midget racecar in the North East Midget Association race at Lee (N.H.) Speedway. The car, which is owned by Tim Bertrand, is similar to the Midget car that Newman had great success with in the USAC ranks.

Then, on Saturday, Newman will drive the No. 7NY Aggressive Hydraulics Modified in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Race at New Hampshire. Newman has driven twice previously for car owners Kevin "Bono" Manion and Gary Putnam in the Modified ranks, his only two starts in a Modified. Newman's first-ever Modified race was at New Hampshire last September. In that race, Newman captured the pole position and led 28 laps before getting involved in an on-track accident that ended the day early. In February, he competed in the No. 7NY Modified at New Smyrna (Fla.) Speedway, where he won in just his second race behind the wheel of a Modified.

• Numerology and Newman's No. 39 - The No. 39 has been lucky for Newman throughout his racing career. His first major USAC win came in May 1997 when he drove the No. 39 Midget car to victory in the 52nd Night Before the 500 race at O'Reilly Raceway Park near Indianapolis on the Saturday night prior to that year's Indianapolis 500. It was the biggest win of Newman's young career, and one he credits with putting him on the racing map. In 2005, Newman piloted the No. 39 in Nationwide Series competition for Penske Racing. His team was dominant during a limited schedule, winning six of nine races entered that season. Newman finished outside the top-three only once in those nine races. The No. 39 has never been to victory lane in Sprint Cup competition, and Newman expects to be the driver to change that.

• Newman has a career total of 13 wins, 44 poles, 68 top-fives and 114 top-10 finishes in 276 Sprint Cup starts. His most recent Sprint Cup win came 51 races ago in the 50^th running of the Daytona 500 in February 2008 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, which ended a winless streak of 81 races that dated back to New Hampshire in 2005.

Ryan Newman's New Hampshire Motor Speedway Performance Profile:

* Race cut short due to weather.

× Race length extended due to green-white-checker finish.

† Qualifying canceled due to weather, starting position set via car owner points.

STEWART-HAAS RACING

Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Qualifying

Date:               June 26, 2009

Event:             Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Qualifying (Round 17 of 36)

Series:             NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Location:         New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)

Pole Winner:  None, qualifying canceled due to rain (field set via current car owner point standings)

SHR Lineup:   Tony Stewart (1^st)

                    Ryan Newman (6^th)                   

Rain canceled today's qualifying session for Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.  As a result, the 43-car field for Sunday's 301-lap race was set by current car owner points per the NASCAR rulebook.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), will start on the pole as his car is first in owner points.

Stewart, who won at New Hampshire in July 2000 and July 2005, will start the race in his backup car after crashing his primary racecar in turns one and two of the 1.058-mile oval during the afternoon practice session.  He will, however, maintain his first-place starting spot, as the accident happened before qualifying and because the engine from the primary car has since been placed into the backup car.

"I just got loose.  Once I got out of the groove, I was staying right with it, I just needed another 50 feet to finish getting it gathered back up.  I just ran out of racetrack," Stewart said.  "The good thing and the comforting part of the situation is that we've got a great group of guys who I have the utmost confidence in when we get in a situation like this.  We can recover and get a backup car out and get it ready and go out and finish the session and finish competitively.  From that standpoint, you're happy."

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, will start sixth.  Newman, like Stewart, has two victories at New Hampshire (September 2002 and September 2005).

"I have always enjoyed this track," Newman said.  "I got my first win here and after a long winless streak, got another one here and I am on another long winless streak, so it would be nice to get another one here."

Jeff Gordon will start alongside Stewart on the outside of row one, while Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch and Carl Edwards comprise the remainder of the top-five.  Newman, Denny Hamlin, Greg Biffle, Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth rounded out the top-10.

Forty-six drivers were slated to qualify for the Lenox Industrial Tools 301.  Those not making the cut in the 43-car field were Mike Wallace, Dexter Bean and Ted Christopher.

The Lenox Industrial Tools 301 gets underway at 2 p.m. EDT on Sunday, June 28 with live coverage provided by TNT beginning with its pre-race show at 1:30 p.m.

STEWART-HAAS RACING

Lenox Industrial Tools 301 Race Report

Date:             June 28, 2009

Event:           Lenox Industrial Tools 301 (Round 17 of 36)

Series:          NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Location:      New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)

Winner:        Joey Logano of Joe Gibbs Racing in a rain-shortened finish (Toyota)

SHR Finish:  Tony Stewart (Started 1^st, Finished 5^th / Running, completed 273 of 273 laps)

                 Ryan Newman (Started 6^th, Finished 29^th / Running, completed 270 of 273 laps)              

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Old Spice/Office Depot Chevrolet Impala SS, led the two-car Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) contingent at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon by finishing fifth in Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

Stewart, who led once for 40 laps and appeared ready to score his third Sprint Cup win at New Hampshire, instead had to settle for his 11^th top-five finish in 21 career starts at the 1.058-mile oval when rain cut the race 28 laps short of its scheduled 301-lap distance.

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS for SHR, dealt with a myriad of problems before finishing three laps down in 29^th.  Newman was caught up in a multi-car incident on lap 174 that damaged his left front fender, and just laps later, was pushed into the turn two wall, damaging the No. 39 Chevy's right side.  The team's pit stop to fix the damage put Newman on a different fuel strategy than his counterparts, and as rain closed in, Newman took the lead.  He led 17 laps, but the strategy failed as he ran out of fuel on lap 264 and was forced to give up the lead to eventual race-winner Joey Logano.  Newman's car stalled after his final pit stop, and his crew had to push it down the length of pit road before it finally re-fired.

Stewart remains atop the championship point standings with a 69-point over his nearest pursuer, Jeff Gordon.  Newman dropped one spot to seventh in the standings, 397 points out of first.

Logano's win in the rain-shortened event was his first career Sprint Cup victory, and at 19 years, one month and four days, he became the youngest winner in Sprint Cup history.

Gordon finished second to cut 15 points from Stewart's lead in the championship standings.  Kurt Busch followed in third, while David Reutimann and Stewart rounded out the top-five.  Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 11 caution periods for 47 laps, with nine drivers failing to finish the race.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the July 4 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.  The race begins at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by TNT beginning with its pre-race show at 7:30 p.m.

Rain Falls Too Late for Newman at New Hampshire

Haas Automation/U.S. Army Driver Runs Out of Fuel, Finishes 29^th

Date:                June 28, 2009

Event:              Lenox Industrial Tools 301 (Round 17 of 36)

Series:             NASCAR Sprint Cup Series

Location:         New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon (1.058-mile oval)

Start/Finish:  6^th/29^th (Running, completed 270 of 273 laps in a rain-shortened finish)

Winner:            Joey Logano of Joe Gibbs Racing (Toyota)

Ryan Newman and the No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army team had the right strategy to win Sunday's Lenox Industrial Tools 301 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, but in the end it was not meant to be as Newman ran out of fuel while leading the race nine laps shy of the rain-shortened finish.

"I told the guys on the radio when it's not your day, it's not your day," Newman said.  "We had a good strategy thanks to a couple of incidents we had on the racetrack, but for some reason, we didn't have the mileage that last run.  Coulda, woulda, shoulda.  We could have been leading at the end.  The bottom line is we didn't have the fuel mileage on that last run, ran out of fuel and lost a couple of laps on pit road.  It was unfortunate."

Newman endured a myriad of problems throughout the day at Loudon.  With qualifying having been rained out on Friday, the driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation/U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS started sixth based on owner points, per the NASCAR rulebook.  Although Newman was able to maintain his spot in the top-10, he reported to crew chief Tony Gibson that his car was way too loose.  The team elected not to pit during a rash of early cautions and waited until NASCAR's competition caution at lap 45.  At that time, Newman pitted for four tires, fuel and track bar and wedge adjustments.  He restarted in 25^th-place.

Just a handful of laps into the run, Newman complained that the car was still too loose, which was causing him to lose ground coming off of turn four and on the straightaways.  He pitted under the green flag at lap 121 for another round of chassis adjustments, four tires and fuel and returned to the track in 26^th-place.

Handling issues continued to plague Newman's efforts on the track, and at each opportunity, the pit crew made a variety of adjustments in hopes of aiding the car.  Then on lap 174, Newman was caught up in a multi-car accident, which resulted in minor damage to the No. 39 Chevy's left front fender directly behind the tire and the left rear quarter-panel.  Newman also told the crew that he thought the hit had affected the car's front-end geometry.  Under the caution flag, Newman came down pit road to repair the left-side damage and for a shock adjustment, as well as four fresh tires.  He returned to the track in 26^th place.

Just laps later as the race restarted, Newman was the victim of another incident which shoved him into the turn two wall, damaging the right side of the racecar.  Newman pitted under the caution at lap 183 for four fresh tires, fuel and additional repairs to the damaged right and left sides of the racecar.

The team's pit stop to fix the damage put Newman on a different fuel strategy than his counterparts.  While the leaders had to pit under the green flag, Newman moved up the leaderboard and eventually took over the top spot at lap 247 as rain began closing in on the racetrack.  Newman led 17 laps, but the strategy failed as he ran out of fuel on lap 263, right as the first raindrops began to fall over the 1.058-mile oval.  Newman was forced to give up the lead to eventual race-winner Joey Logano.

Newman's car slowly entered pit road at lap 264.  The team added fuel and elected to change only right side tires in hopes of not losing too many spots or going a lap down.  However, the No. 39 Chevy stalled and Newman's crew had to push it down the length of pit road before it finally re-fired.

Newman lost three laps in the pits, and only laps later at lap 273, the race was called due to heavy rain.  Newman finished 29^th.

Newman's Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) teammate and owner, Tony Stewart, finished fifth and continues to lead the two-car SHR contingent in the championship point race as he remains atop standings with a 69-point over his nearest pursuer, Jeff Gordon.  Newman dropped one spot to seventh in the standings, 397 points out of first.

Logano's win in the rain-shortened event was his first career Sprint Cup victory, and at 19 years, one month and four days, he became the youngest winner in Sprint Cup history.

Gordon finished second to cut 15 points from Stewart's lead in the championship standings.  Kurt Busch followed in third, while David Reutimann and Stewart rounded out the top-five.  Brad Keselowski, Kyle Busch, Sam Hornish Jr., Jimmie Johnson and Kasey Kahne comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 11 caution periods for 47 laps, with nine drivers failing to finish the race.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the July 4 Coke Zero 400 at Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway.  The race begins at 8 p.m. EDT with live coverage provided by TNT beginning with its pre-race show at 7:30 p.m.