Newman Looks To Continue Success At 'Monster Mile'

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (May 31, 2007) – Dover International Speedway has been a very good track for Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Dodge Avenger.

Newman, who will make his 11th Cup start at the "Monster Mile" and the 201st of his Cup Series career this weekend, possesses the best starting average of all active drivers at the 1-mile Delaware track with a 6.2. He also is just behind Tony Stewart for the best finishing average at 9.0. Stewart has an 8.9 finishing average.

All but one of Newman’s 10 starts have been from the top five, with three of them being Bud Pole Awards. His lone start outside the top five occurred in his Cup debut at Dover in 2002 when he qualified 38th.

Along with his three poles, Newman has visited Dover's Victory Lane three times, while seven of his 10 starts have concluded with a top-10 finish. Newman’s first win at the track came in June 2003, the same weekend he earned his first pole on the high-banked, concrete speedway.

In 10 previous races, Newman has led 672 laps in seven events, fifth among the active drivers. He has completed 3,975 laps of a possible 4,004, giving him a 99.3 percent completion rate. Newman has also been running at the end of every Cup race in which he has competed at Dover. In only two of those events, Newman did not finish the race on the lead lap.

Crew chief Mike Nelson and the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Avenger team will take chassis PRS-515 as the primary car to Dover for yet another COT race. This car was last used in Richmond where it was a new car for that race. In that event, Newman started 30th and finished sixth.

The back-up car is PRS-509. This chassis has been taken to every COT race this year, but has not been used.

The Autism Speaks 400 presented by Visa will be broadcast live from Dover International Speedway by FOX and MRN Radio beginning at 1 p.m. EDT.


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