| | | | | | | 12 - Ryan Newman | South Bend, IN |
| | Primary Sponsor: ALLTEL
Manufacturer: Dodge
Car Owner: Roger Penske
Team: Penske Racing Although 2007 will be Ryan Newman’s eighth year with Penske Racing, the new season will bring some changes to his team in personnel and sponsorship in the NEXTEL Cup and Busch Series. Mike Nelson, the Cup team’s engineer since 2000, will now be the crew chief, and, while Alltel remains the team’s primary sponsor in the NEXTEL Cup Series, Mobil 1 will assume that role in five events.
But despite the changes, Newman is accustomed to seeking out wins and championships - he started driving a race car when he was just four and half years old.
In 1993 he won the All-American Midget Series Championship and two years later he was named USAC National Midget Series Rookie of the Year. He claimed the top rookie honors in USAC’s Silver Crown Series in 1996, and then in 1999 went on to win Sprint Car Rookie of the Year. Also in 1999, Newman won the USAC Silver Bullet Series National Championship. That title made him the first driver in series history to record a victory in the Sprint, Midget and Silver Crown divisions in one season.
In 2000, Newman teamed up with Roger Penske, and in five races won three ARCA victories. He also found time to make his NEXTEL Cup Series debut at Phoenix International.
The following season was busy one for Newman, who competed in an ABC schedule, which involved races in the ARCA, Busch and Cup Series. Winning races in both the ARCA and Busch series, he earned his first Cup series pole and graduated from Purdue University with a degree in vehicle structure engineering. Newman’s degree earned he and former crew chief Matt Borland the distinction of being the first driver—crew chief team to have engineering degrees in NASCAR history.
In 2002, Newman was named Raybestos Rookie of the Year, setting a new standard for rookie drivers. He finished sixth in points, and tied driver Mark Martin for the most top-10 finishes in a season with 22, a rookie record. He also led the series with six poles, a rookie record originally set by Davey Allison in 1987, and had 14 top-10 finishes, second only to series champion Tony Stewart, who had 15.
And Newman didn’t slow down the next season. He and the Alltel team won eight races and had a series-high 11 poles, the most since 1985. Tying Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the most races led during the season at 24, Newman also finished the year with a series-high 17 top-five finishes.
In 2004, Newman’s team qualified for the Chase for the NEXTEL Cup in its debut season. Newman ended the season seventh in the final standings. The team qualified for the Chase again in 2005, with one win, eight poles eight top-five and 16 top-10 finishes.
Newman and the Alltel team finished 18th place in the point standings in 2006, his first time outside the top 10.
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