Team notes: Drivers back from time off in time for Texas

Ryan Newman

No. 12 Dodge, Penske Racing

This week: Newman is one of the 12 drivers who have visited victory lane at Texas. His win came in March 2003. It is his only top-10 finish in seven starts at the track although he did win both pole positions in 2005. Newman will be driving the same car he ran at Las Vegas and Atlanta earlier this year. He finished eighth at Vegas and won the pole at Atlanta.

Last week: Newman was 14th at Martinsville.

Etc.: Newman and rookie David Ragan are tied for 19th in the standings after the first six races of the season but are only 98 points out of the top 10.

OTHERS

Greg Biffle (No. 16 Ford, Roush Racing) led 219 laps in scoring his lone win at Texas in May 2005. That is his only top-10 finish in six starts at the track. Biffle also won a truck race at the track and has finished second in three of the last four Busch Series events at TMS. ... Bobby Labonte (No. 43 Dodge, Petty Enterprises), who grew up in Corpus Christi, Texas, scored four straight top-10 finishes, including three third-place finishes, in the first four races run at TMS. But he has only one top-10 finish in the last seven events there. Labonte will be racing the car he drove to a 10th-place finish last spring. ... Martin Truex Jr. (No. 1 Chevrolet, DEI) has finished in the top 15 in all three Nextel Cup starts at Texas, including an eighth in the spring race a year ago. He will be driving the same car that he drove to a career-best second-place at Homestead last November. ... Reed Sorenson (No. 41 Dodge, Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates) has finished 13th and 17th in his two Cup starts at Texas. He posted the top speed of the Richmond test last week. ... Tony Raines (No. 96 Chevrolet, Hall of Fame Racing) has a best finish of 19th in three Cup starts at Texas, which came last fall. But he did win the Craftsman Truck Series event at the track in 1998.

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