Chicagoland: Ryan Newman NASCAR Nextel Cup Qualifying Recap

Ryan Newman qualified third for Sunday’s USG Sheetrock 400.

Ryan Newman (No. 12 Mobil 1/Alltel Dodge)

TALK ABOUT YOUR QUALIFYING RUN:
“We were second quickest in practice and I did my quickest lap the second lap. So I ran two today and the first one was really, really good. It was, it just wasn’t good enough, but it was a good run for the Mobil 1 Dodge Charger to start in the top three and I look forward to the race. I think we have a very competitive car based on our race trim times today.”

IN A QUALIFYING SESSION LIKE THIS WHEN THE CLOUDS ARE IN AND OUT IS THERE ANYTHING YOU DO TO AVOID THE CLOUDS?

“You have the five minute clock and I joked about it afterwards about would I have sat there, if I knew the cloud was going to be there. I really don’t think it makes that big of a difference. The track can’t instantaneously cool off that quick to make that big a difference. It would be nice but you can only take it as it goes. If you did something like that, I’m sure NASCAR would have a little meeting with you or something at some point.”

IF A CLOUD MOVES OVER THIRTY SECONDS BEFORE YOU’RE ON THE RACE TRACK, CAN IT REALLY MAKE A DIFFERENCE?

“That’s been the theory. Definitely the flatter the race track the more the more influence it has as far as the track temperature. Outside of that, nobody I think has really quantified it to make an answer that I could give you and make it sound correct. It might take a minute of clouds to make a thousandth of a second of difference at a certain race track with a certain size, a certain grip level. I mean it’s quite an equation. I’m not blaming it on the clouds just so you know.”

EVERYONE IS TALKING ABOUT A SECOND GROOVE COMING IN. YOU’VE HAD A CHANCE TO BE ON THE TRACK TWICE. DO YOU THINK WE’LL GET SIDE BY SIDE RACING ON SUNDAY?

“Without a doubt. We’re very, very confident that it will be three-wide racing at some point at both ends of the race track. And the track, for whatever reason feels like it has quite a bit of grip because it’s really, really fast but there’s already a second groove out there. I know I was passing some cars in the Busch practice. The Busch race depends on how wide it will get for the start of the race, and on Sunday. I think without a doubt it will have some second and third grooves. So it may be faster on the bottom.”

BEING SO CLOSE TO INDIANA HERE AT CHICAGOLAND, HOW DOES IT FEEL TO BE RACING CLOSE TO YOUR HOMETOWN?

“It’s neat to see faces that you don’t see very often. I mean it’s faces that I grew up with racing. It’s midgets and sprint cars like that. Open wheel people. Guys I used to race with. Car owners I used to race for. Just in general, seeing those faces and being in this area it’s kind of a homecoming. Outside of that, it’s another stop on the schedule.”

Ryan Newman Qualified 3 for the USG Sheetrock 400.

Ryan Newman has qualified 3 for the USG Sheetrock 400 at the Chicagoland Speedway. Newman had a speed of 182.463 / 29.595 / -0.015.


Today's 3 place qualifying will give Newman and his #12 NASCAR Nextel Cup Team and average start this season of 16.67.


Casey Mears got the pole position for the USG Sheetrock 400 with a time of 91.589 / 78.219.


Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Alltel Dodge Penske Racing Team in the USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway



Qualifying Order

Practice 1 Results

Newman Returns To Double-Duty At Chicago

MOORESVILLE, N.C. (July 12, 2007) – Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, returns to the NASCAR Busch Series this weekend driving the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Charger in Saturday's USG Durock 300 at Chicagoland Speedway.

It has been nearly two months since Newman has done double duty – his last Busch race was at Darlington Raceway in May – and Newman is excited to be back in the Busch car.

“I always have fun when I run in the Busch Series and we’ve done really well at Chicago in the past,” Newman said. “We’ve been on the pole both times I’ve run here and the last time we were here we led a lot of laps and ran at the front the whole race. I’m excited to run the Kodak Dodge again this weekend and I look forward to a great race.”

It will be Newman’s third start in a Busch car at Chicagoland and his 34th in the Busch Series. Newman has started both of his races at Chicago on the pole and possesses an average finish of 14.5. He finished 26th in 2001 and third in 2005.

Newman has led 202 laps in the two events and has completed 397 laps of a possible 400, giving him a 99.2 percent completion rate.

Crew chief Matt Gimbel and the Kodak Dodge team are taking chassis PBC-016 to the 1.5-mile track, which is a new car and has never been on a track.

PBC-007 is the back-up car and was last run in Darlington where Newman finished 11th after early problems in the pits stemming from an on-track incident. Newman also drove the car at Bristol.

Of course, Newman’s biggest focus this weekend will be the USG Sheetrock 400 NASCAR Cup race on Sunday. With only eight races left before the beginning of the 2007 Chase, Newman sits 14th in points, 61 behind Dale Earnhardt Jr., who is hanging on to the 12th position.

Newman will drive the No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger this weekend for his sixth Cup start at Chicagoland Speedway and his 207th in his Cup Series career.

Newman has an average start of 7.4 and an average finish of 21. All of Newman’s starts have been from inside the top 15 and he has three top-10s, including two from the top five and one Bud Pole award.

Newman has two top-five finishes at Chicago, including a win in the 2003 event. His other three finishes have been 29th and lower.

“Chicagoland is like a mini Michigan. We’ve had some success here in the past. We won here in 2003 and we’ve got one pole here as well,” Newman added. “It’s getting down to crunch time for the Chase and we didn’t exactly have the run we were hoping for last week in Daytona, so everyone on this Mobil 1 Dodge team is hoping to have a little better weekend at Chicago before we get to enjoy our final off-weekend. I’m looking forward to the race in Chicago; we’re so close to getting back into Victory Lane and making our way back into the Chase field for 2007.”

In three races, Newman has led 163 laps and has completed 91.9 percent of the laps possible at the Illinois track – 1,230 of 1,338 - since he made his Cup debut at the track in 2002.

Crew chief Mike Nelson and the Mobil 1 Dodge team are taking chassis PRS-108 to Chicagoland, which is a new car that was tested in Nashville, Tenn., last week. The back-up car is PRS-053, which was the car that Newman raced in the May All-Star event at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Coverage of Saturday’s USG Durock 300 from Chicagoland begins at 2:30 p.m. EDT. ABC and MRN Radio will broadcast the race live.

TNT will broadcast its final Cup Series race of the 2007 season with the USG Sheetrock 400 on Sunday. Coverage begins at 2:30 p.m. EDT. MRN Radio will also broadcast the race.

Ryan Newman Practice Num 1 For USG Sheetrock 400 Results

Ryan Newman and the #12 Alltel Dodge team had their first practice at Chicagoland Speedway today for the NASCAR Nextel Cup USG Sheetrock 400

Newman had the 2 fastest practice speed of 181.959 mph / 29.677 sec.

Newman was -0.103 seconds behind the leader Jimmie Johnson who had a practice time of 182.593 / 29.574.



Practice 1 Results

Good luck to Ryan Newman and the #12 Alltel Dodge Penske Racing Team in the USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway

Ryan Neman - CHICAGO/USG SHEETROCK 400 PREVIEW

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, will make his sixth Cup start at Chicagoland Speedway. It will be his 207th career start in the Cup Series.

Newman has an average start of 7.4 and an average finish of 21. All of Newman’s starts have been from inside the top 15 and he has three top-10s, including two from the top five and one Bud Pole Award.

Newman has two top-five finishes at Chicago, including a win in the 2003 event. His other three finishes have been 29th and lower.

Newman has led 163 laps in three races at Chicago. He has completed 91.9 percent of the laps possible at the Illinois track—1,230 of 1,338—since he made his Cup debut at the track in 2002.

Crew chief Mike Nelson and the Mobil 1 team are taking chassis PRS-108 this weekend as their primary car for Sunday's USG Sheetrock 400. The new car was tested last week in Nashville, Tenn. PRS-053 is the backup Dodge. Newman raced it in the All-Star event in May at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

On July 18, Ryan Newman will be one of the guests at a NASCAR benefit BBQ at the Bass Pro Shops on Bass Road in Atlanta, Ga. Newman will promote his book, "Pit Road Pets," for the Ryan Newman Foundation. Tickets for the 6 p.m. event are $30 in advance or $40 at the door. Anyone 15 years old and under will be admitted free with a paying adult.

Newman On Chicago: “Chicagoland is like a mini Michigan. We’ve had some success here in the past. We won here in 2003 and we’ve got one pole here as well. It’s getting down to crunch time for the Chase and we didn’t exactly have the run we were hoping for last week in Daytona, so everyone on this Mobil 1 Dodge team is hoping to have a little better weekend at Chicago before we get to enjoy our final off-weekend. I’m looking forward to the race in Chicago; we’re so close to getting back into Victory Lane and making our way back into the Chase field for 2007.”

Newmans, NSNRT get $300,000 from ASPCA

By Official Release
July 12, 2007
10:31 AM EDT

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have announced a $300,000 sponsorship for the Humane Alliance of Western North Carolina's National Spay/Neuter Response Team to provide a strategic training program and facilitators to mentor organizations to open and operate 12 new high-volume, high quality spay/neuter clinics across the country in 2007.

Ed Sayres, president of the ASPCA, presented the $300,000 pledge to Humane Alliance director Quita Mazzina and NSNRT spokespeople Ryan and Krissie Newman at the Humane Society of Catawba County (HSCC), which will operate one of the model spay/neuter clinics, in Hickory, N.C. The clinic will be part of the Humane Society's multipurpose animal welfare facility currently under construction.

The Humane Society of Catawba County's Spay/Neuter clinic is being built through a $400,000 donation from the Ryan Newman Foundation. Ryan and Krissie Newman are the national spokespeople for the Humane Alliance's NSNRT and honorary capital campaign co-chairs for the Humane Society of Catawba County. HSCC still has to raise an additional $300,000 to complete the capital campaign for their no-kill animal shelter, education center and spay/neuter clinic that is scheduled to open in November 2007.

The NSNRT operates much like a NASCAR pit crew, sending groups of trained vets and veterinary technicians to help nonprofit organizations learn how to open spay/neuter clinics using the Humane Alliance model.

Twenty-two organizations around the country -- including the Humane Society of Catawba County -- have applied to open spay/neuter clinics, and a minimum of 12 will open this year with help from the ASPCA's funding of the NSNRT. These organizations will partner with hundreds of local animal shelters and rescue groups in their regions across the nation.

"Spaying and neutering is the only way to permanently curb the proliferation of millions of unwanted and abandoned animals each year in the United States," said Ed Sayres, president of the ASPCA. "The Humane Alliance's National Spay Neuter Response Team model exemplifies the successes that can be achieved through mentoring best practices, since trainees then become creative collaborators and new mentors of the program. It's a win-win for everyone, especially the animals."

The Humane Alliance of Western North Carolina is a non-profit high volume, high quality, affordable spay/neuter clinic located in Asheville. Since its inception 12 years ago, the Humane Alliance clinic has sterilized 180,000 companion animals and reduced the euthanasia rate in the Asheville community by 72 percent.

Through the NSNRT initiative, which began in 2005, the Humane Alliance's team of facilitators has mentored 21 organizations across the nation to successfully implement its high volume, high quality spay/neuter model. More than 200,000 companion animals have been surgically sterilized at these clinics in just two short years. NSNRT has already trained six organizations so far this year.

For more information about the Ryan Newman Foundation, visit www.ryannewmanfoundation.org.

Noting Newman - July 9, 2007

NNCS
-- Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger, will make his sixth Cup start at Chicagoland Speedway. It will be his 207th career start in the Cup Series.

-- Newman has an average start of 7.4 and an average finish of 21. All of Newman’s starts have been from inside the top 15 and he has three top-10s, including two from the top five and one Bud Pole Award.

-- Newman has two top-five finishes at Chicago, including a win in the 2003 event. His other three finishes have been 29th and lower.

-- Newman has led 163 laps in three races at Chicago. He has completed 91.9 percent of the laps possible at the Illinois track—1,230 of 1,338—since he made his Cup debut at the track in 2002.

-- Crew chief Mike Nelson and the Mobil 1 team are taking chassis PRS-108 this weekend as their primary car for Sunday's USG Sheetrock 400. The new car was tested last week in Nashville, Tenn. PRS-053 is the backup Dodge. Newman raced it in the All-Star event in May at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

-- On July 18, Ryan Newman will be one of the guests at a NASCAR benefit BBQ at the Bass Pro Shops on Bass Road in Atlanta, Ga. Newman will promote his book, "Pit Road Pets," for the Ryan Newman Foundation. Tickets for the 6 p.m. event are $30 in advance or $40 at the door. Anyone 15 years old and under will be admitted free with a paying adult.

Newman On Chicago: “Chicagoland is like a mini Michigan. We’ve had some success here in the past. We won here in 2003 and we’ve got one pole here as well. It’s getting down to crunch time for the Chase and we didn’t exactly have the run we were hoping for last week in Daytona, so everyone on this Mobil 1 Dodge team is hoping to have a little better weekend at Chicago before we get to enjoy our final off-weekend. I’m looking forward to the race in Chicago; we’re so close to getting back into Victory Lane and making our way back into the Chase field for 2007.”

NBS
-- Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Charger, will make his third Busch Series start at Chicagoland Speedway and his 34th in the series.

-- Newman has started both of his races at Chicago on the pole and he has an average finish of 14.5. He finished 26th in 2001 and third in 2005.

-- Newman has led 202 laps in the two events. He has completed 397 laps of a possible 400, giving him a 99.2 percent completion rate.

-- Crew chief Matt Gimbel and the Kodak team are taking PBC-016 as their primary car for Saturday's USG Durock 300. The new car has never even been tested. The backup Dodge is PBC-007, which was last used at Darlington in May when Newman finished 11th after early problems in the pits stemming from an on-track incident. He also drove the car at Bristol.

Newman On Chicago: “I’m glad to be back in the Busch car. I always have fun when I run in the Busch Series and we’ve done really well at Chicago in the past. We’ve been on the pole both times I’ve run here and the last time we were here, we led a lot of laps and ran at the front the whole race. I’m excited to run the Kodak Dodge again this weekend and I look forward to a great race.”

Ryan Newman and the Chicagoland Speedway

Welcome to Chicagoland Speedway located in Joliet, IL.

Ryan Newman and his Penske Racing #12 Mobile1 Dodge will be racing here this weekend in the USG Sheetrock 400 .
Chicagoland Speedway


***Location : Joliet, IL
***Completed : 2000
***Distance : 1.5 miles
***Shape : D-shaped oval
***Seating : 75,000


***Nextel Cup Top Race Speed : 136.832 by Kevin Harvick on 7/14/2002
***Nextel Cup Top Qualifying Speed : 188.147 by Jimmie Johnson on 7/8/2005


MANUFATURER WINS AT Chicagoland Speedway SINCE 2002
DODGE = 1
FORD = 0
CHEVROLET = 4


RYAN NEWMAN'S STATS AT Chicagoland Speedway

Ryan Newman's Stats
At Chicagoland Speedway		At Intermediate Tracks
STARTS	5	134
POLES	1	NA
WINS	1	11
TOP 5	2	41
TOP 10	2	58
AVG START	7.4	8.1
AVG FINISH	21	17.1
LAPS COMP	1230	NA
% COMP	-0.9213	NA
LAPS LED	163	NA
TOTAL $$$	663816	NA

RYAN NEWMAN IS THE ONLY DODGE TO HAVE WON HERE AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY! THIS WIN CAME IN 2003.

-- Crew chief Mike Nelson and the Mobil 1 team are taking chassis PRS-108 this weekend as their primary car for Sunday's USG Sheetrock 400. The new car was tested last week in Nashville, Tenn. PRS-053 is the backup Dodge. Newman raced it in the All-Star event in May at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

-- On July 18, Ryan Newman will be one of the guests at a NASCAR benefit BBQ at the Bass Pro Shops on Bass Road in Atlanta, Ga. Newman will promote his book, "Pit Road Pets," for the Ryan Newman Foundation. Tickets for the 6 p.m. event are $30 in advance or $40 at the door. Anyone 15 years old and under will be admitted free with a paying adult.

Newman On Chicago: “Chicagoland is like a mini Michigan. We’ve had some success here in the past. We won here in 2003 and we’ve got one pole here as well. It’s getting down to crunch time for the Chase and we didn’t exactly have the run we were hoping for last week in Daytona, so everyone on this Mobil 1 Dodge team is hoping to have a little better weekend at Chicago before we get to enjoy our final off-weekend. I’m looking forward to the race in Chicago; we’re so close to getting back into Victory Lane and making our way back into the Chase field for 2007.”


Good luck to Ryan Newman and the Penske Racing's #12 Mobile1 Dodge NASCAR Nextel Cup Team at Chicagoland Speedway for the USG Sheetrock 400 this coming week and weekend!!!

Mike Pratt

NASCAR's top series to be called Sprint Cup in 2008

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) -- NASCAR's top series is changing its name for the second time in five years, switching from Nextel Cup to the Sprint Cup starting in 2008.

It's only the third name change in NASCAR's 60 years, but had been expected since Nextel merged with Sprint in August 2005. NASCAR allowed Nextel one name change in the 10-year contract it signed with the telecommunications giant before the 2004 season.

While admitting name changes are not ideal, NASCAR chairman Brian France has maintained its premier series needed to be in line with the Sprint brand since that's what the company is now called.

``We need to be with their main brand,'' France said Saturday as the new Sprint Cup logo was unveiled. ``We're hopeful this is the brand they stick with for a long, long time. I would be surprised if it wasn't.''

NASCAR's top series was called Grand National Series at its inception, and was called the Winston Cup Series when tobacco company R.J. Reynolds sponsored it from 1971 to 2003.

But RJR asked out of its contract in 2003, and Nextel took over with a 10-year, $700 million deal. The series became the Nextel Cup Series in 2004.

That name was put in jeopardy 20 months later when Nextel merged with Sprint, and company officials said they took extensive measures to research the logo and name. Relying on fan feedback, focus groups and surveys, the company decided to use the Sprint brand, name and logo.

``It was a long and thorough process to determine how to integrate our NASCAR sponsorship into our overall brand strategy, while still keeping the NASCAR fan at the heart of the decision,'' said Spring chairman Tim Kelly.

``The process extended well beyond the NASCAR sponsorship.''

Refocusing the NASCAR sponsorship on the Sprint line of products and services coincides with the July 1 launch of ``Sprint Ahead,'' a national campaign focusing on the speed of its products.

``Our new brand campaign focuses on the importance of speed in people's daily lives and illustrates their ability to get information where they want it when they want it,'' Kelly said. ``NASCAR was built on a tradition of speed, so it was a natural tie for us.''

Sprint also announced the SprintSpeed Million promotion, which will pair 12 fans with the 12 drivers competing for the series title this season. The fan paired with the eventual series champion will win $1 million.

Kodak Gives Fans The Opportunity To 'INK' Newman’s NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Dodge

ROCHESTER, N.Y. (June 27, 2007) – Eastman Kodak Company is asking fans what they think about ink.

Following its debut in the inkjet printer market in March, Kodak is giving race fans a once in a lifetime opportunity to design the paint scheme and have their name “inked” on NASCAR Nextel Cup driver Ryan Newman’s No. 12 KODAK Dodge.

One lucky fan’s winning car design, along with his/her name, will be inked on Newman’s No. 12 car for the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series 500-mile race at California Speedway on Sept. 2. The winner will also receive a NASCAR prize package, including two tickets to the NASCAR Busch Series [Sept. 1] and NEXTEL Cup races, transportation and VIP access to the California Speedway. To enter the contest or obtain details, visit www.thinklikeryan.com.

“Speed, innovation and performance are essential for success on the track, but they are also hallmarks of the new KODAK EASYSHARE Printers,” said Newman, driver of the No. 12 KODAK DODGE at California Speedway. “This contest is a great way for consumers to showcase their own creativity with ink, and I’m certain the winning design will be imaginative.”

The grand-prize winner will also receive a KODAK EASYSHARE 5300 All-In-One Inkjet Printer. Kodak’s line of new printers offer incredible value, with low ink prices that save consumers up to 50 percent on everything they print compared to similar consumer inkjet printers*. The winner will also receive a 12-month supply of high-quality pigment ink courtesy of Kodak.

“Kodak is an innovative imaging solutions leader, with our new line of EASYSHARE All-in-One Inkjet Printers as the latest example,” said Michael Korizno, Chief Marketing Officer, Consumer Digital Imaging, Eastman Kodak Company. “As the official imaging sponsor of NASCAR, Kodak is thrilled to give consumers the chance to design our race car and we look forward to seeing Ryan drive the freshly ‘inked’ No. 12 KODAK Dodge into victory lane.”

Enter to Win

· Visit www.thinklikeryan.com for an official contest entry form and official contest rules.
· Every entry must include the Kodak logotype and “Think” logo on the hood and the numeral “12” on the side and top of car.
· Winning paint scheme will be based on design rendering and NASCAR specifications.
· Submit scanned entry on www.thinklikeryan.com or mail the paper form directly to Kodak (see Web site for address).
· Entry deadline is midnight on July 31.
· Must be 18 years of age or older to enter.

Contest Judging

The top five designs will be revealed live on FOX Sports Net’s “The Best Damn Sports Show. Period” at the beginning of August. Fans may cast their vote Aug. 3-10 at www.thinklikeryan.com. The winning design will be unveiled during the weekend of the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series 500-milr race at California Speedway.

About Eastman Kodak Company

Kodak is the world’s foremost imaging innovator. With sales of $10.7 billion in 2006, the company is committed to a digitally oriented growth strategy focused on helping people better use meaningful images and information in their life and work. Consumers use Kodak’s system of digital and traditional products and services to take, print and share their pictures anytime, anywhere; Businesses effectively communicate with customers worldwide using Kodak solutions for prepress, conventional and digital printing and document imaging; and Creative Professionals rely on Kodak technology to uniquely tell their story through moving or still images

More information about Kodak (NYSE: EK) is available at www.kodak.com.

*Savings based on home printing of documents and photos, using average ink costs of comparable consumer inkjet printers. Actual results may vary. For more information, visit www.kodak.com/go/inkdata for details.

Daytona Pepsi 400: Dodge teams race quotes

RYAN NEWMAN (No. 12 alltel Dodge Charger)

“We started 14th, finished 14th and fell to 14th in the standings. The only good result was we’re only 61 points out of 12th now and we entered the race 127 out of 12th. It’s going to be tough, but we really want to qualify for The Chase. We had a good car tonight, but we didn’t get a good finish with it. We’ll try to bounce back and get ‘em next week in Chicago.”

KASEY KAHNE (No. 9 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger)

“”The crew did a tremendous job repairing the car. We didn’t lose a lap for the initial repairs and when we made stops later, they continued to work on it. It just kept getting better and better. It’s a shame we were caught up in that incident that early in the race (lap 4). A pair of top 10s at Daytona this year. This was good for our team and a great way to start the second half of the season. We overcame adversity tonight and battled back to finish ninth. That’s the mark of a good team. It says a lot about this No. 9 crew.”

***

BOBBY LABONTE (No. 43 Cheerios/Betty Crocker Dodge Charger)

“It’s restrictor-plate racing. It’s gotta be kind of wild really. I had that first wrecked cleared and the 41 hit me in the back. We had to fight back all night. The car was pretty good, but I’m ready to go home.”

***

SCOTT RIGGS (No. 10 Valvoline/Stanley Tools Dodge Charger)

“We had to make some lengthy stops during the early cautions to undo some of our qualifying setup. We fell a lap down but got it right back. The car was fast, it sucked up well. We just playing it safe at the back of the pack and needed one more big adjustment before we could make a run to the front. But it seized up, something broke in the drivetrain or engine. I am not sure if we can fix it and get back out.”

***

ELLIOTT SADLER (No. 19 Dodge Dealers/UAW Dodge Charger)

‘How was the car tonight? “We had a good racecar, but we had gear problems from the beginning. We didn’t have first at the beginning of the race so we had to hang back and work our way up to speed. The guys had to push me off on the first pit stop. Once we got going, the car was pretty good. When that big wreck came out early, we had to go to the garage and change the transmission. The guys did a great job getting us back up and running. We didn’t have the night we wanted, but it was great having Scott (McDougall) and Ray (Evernham) working together on the box. We’ll go back to the shop and keep working on getting this team where it needs to be.”

***

REED SORENSON (No. 41 Target Dodge Charger)

“The 20 and 11 got together way up ahead and it got back to us. We were having some problems with the brakes even before the race, so we had some trouble slowing up to avoid the wreck. Somebody hit us, I’m not sure who it was, and we just never could get it back together.”

Newman's numbers game puts him close to Chase

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - While many people were playing the number game, talking about the luck of the triple sevens of the date Saturday night, Ryan Newman was plagued by a different number.

The Penske Racing driver ran well for portions of the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, but in the end he found himself the victim of a number's game that had nothing to do with the 07/07/07 date.

"We started 14th, finished 14th and fell to 14th in the standings," he said.

Still, he managed to find the good side of the equation.

"The only good result was we're only 61 points out of 12th now and we entered the race 127 out of 12th," he said. "It's going to be tough, but we really want to qualify for the Chase [For The Nextel Cup]. We had a good car tonight, but we didn't get a good finish with it. We'll try to bounce back and get them next week in Chicago."

Newman Takes 14th In Season's Third Restrictor-Plate Race

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (July 7, 2007) – With eight races remaining before the Chase for the Championship begins, Kurt Busch and Ryan Newman continued to inch closer to this year's cutoff position with their performances in Saturday's Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway.

Kurt Busch, who finished third in his Miller Lite Dodge Charger, and Ryan Newman, who placed 14th in his Alltel Dodge Charger, cut their deficits to the 12th-place Dale Earnhardt Jr. in half. Busch, in 15th, trails Earnhardt by 121 points, while Newman, in 14th, is only 61 points behind the third-generation driver.

“That’s a huge gain there, but a lot of it was due to the No. 8 car [Earnhardt] having their problems and finishing on back there [38th],” Busch said. “Tonight really worked to close things up all the way around. The bottom line is that we do not just have to focus on catching Dale Jr.; it’s becoming a tight battle between a lot of teams hoping to make the cut.”

Newman and Busch started 14th and 16th, respectively, since the grid was determined by car owner points due to rain interrupting qualifying. The Penske Racing teammates quickly moved into the top 10, and from the race's beginning, they had good luck riding in their Dodge Chargers.

When a five-car accident occurred on the frontstretch on lap 14, Newman and Busch were among the first to dive down pit road to avoid the crashing cars. When the race restarted on lap 20 of the 160-lap event, Newman was sixth and Busch was 14th. Busch cracked the top 10 for the first time on lap 27 and remained there for the rest of the event on the 2.5-mile track.

Busch and Newman drafted together for much of the event, with Busch, his younger brother Kyle, and Newman forming a freight train on the inside lane at one point.

By lap 76, Busch had maneuvered his way into second. He took the lead for the first time on lap 78 when then leader Clint Bowyer fell off the pace with ignition problems. Busch set the pace for the next 31 laps before pitting on lap 109 during a round of green-flag stops. When the stops sequenced around three laps later, Busch was back in the lead and Newman was seventh.

When the fifth of eight caution flags waved on lap 115, Busch and Newman elected not to pit since they had only six laps on their tires. That decision left Busch second and Newman fifth on the restart.

Busch continued to run in the top five, but with 38 laps remaining, Newman, who was then fourth, got shuffled backwards. He dropped out of the top 10, falling as far as 17th before fighting his way back to the front.

With 15 laps remaining, Newman had again reached the top 10, but he was unable to maintain the position and had to settle for a 14th-place finish.

“We started 14th, finished 14th and fell to 14th in the standings," Newman said. "The only good result was we’re only 61 points out of 12th now and we entered the race 127 out of 12th. It’s going to be tough, but we really want to qualify for The Chase. We had a good car tonight, but we didn’t get a good finish with it. We’ll try to bounce back and get ‘em next week in Chicago.”

While Newman was fighting for a top-10 finish, Busch was battling for a victory in the last restrictor-plate race for the Dodge Charger. Busch aligned himself with his younger brother on the low side, while Carl Edwards positioned himself behind Jamie McMurray in the high line. They raced that way, side-by-side, nose-to-tail for the final two laps around the mammoth facility before McMurray edged ahead of the younger Busch for the second closest finish in NASCAR history. Kurt Busch inched by Edwards for third.

“I’m real proud of this team and real proud of this year," Busch said. "It feels good to come to a plate track and do well. We definitely came back strong to Daytona, looking for a good finish after the Daytona 500 didn’t turn out like we wanted. To build a car five months in advance with more downforce, we felt like that was the way to go.

"We were really strong on the long runs … [but] long runs were minimal tonight with yellows early and yellows late. Everybody was real strong at the end. We expected everybody to be out there three wide and never lifting. That’s what’s so exciting at these plate tracks. For me to finish third, it feels great to do that. It would have been great to win it, but we’re real happy with that."

Busch also praised crew chief Pat Tryson, who was in his third race with the Miller Lite team.

"Pat Tryson is an experienced crew chief," Busch said. "He’s confident in his pit calls. This was the first car he got his hands on. Our Sonoma car and Loudon car had already been built and setup and put on the trailer. This one here he was able to put some ideas into.

"We’ll be able to go to the wind tunnel with our Chicago car this week and double-check where we are. It’s going to begin to roll. I’m happy about that. I can’t express my thanks about him being able to come over to this team. I think we can put a good thing together. We’re excited to have him. I think he’s excited to be here and Miller Lite wants us to do better. This was a good sign of that."

The NASCAR circuit travels to Chicagoland Speedway next weekend. Newman will compete in Saturday's Busch Series race – USG Durock 300 -- in his No. 12 Kodak Dodge Charger. The USG Sheetrock 400 NEXTEL Cup race is scheduled for Sunday at 2:30 p.m. CDT. It is the last telecast for TNT this season. MRN Radio will broadcast the event.

Newman to attend Slocumb fundraiser

Usually when the Nextel Cup Series visits Atlanta Motor Speedway, Ryan Newman and his team have a place to escape the race track and go fishing, courtesy of Juliette's Beau Slocumb and his family.

On July 18, Newman is returning the favor when he'll be the one of the guests at a NASCAR benefit BBQ at the Bass Pro Shops on Bass Road.

While at the fundraiser, Newman will be promoting his book, "Pit Road Pets," for the Ryan Newman Foundation.

Tickets for the 6 p.m. event are $30 in advance or $40 at the door, and anyone 15 years old and under will be admitted free with a paying adult.

Advance tickets can be purchased either by either calling 808-4743, in person at Macon Machine, Ingleside Gunworks or at the office of State Farm Insurance agent Chuck Thompson.

NEWMAN FINISHES 14TH IN PEPSI 400

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, was having a top-10 day until the final 35 laps of Saturday night’s Pepsi 400.

Newman started the race from the 14th position after qualifying was rained out on Saturday night, leaving NASCAR to set the field based on owners’ points. Within four laps, the caution flag waved for the first time and Newman was up in the top 10.

The first 13 of 26 laps would be run under yellow-flag conditions and while Newman didn’t get much of a chance to get a good feel for the balance in green-flag laps, he radioed in to his crew that he was “definitely on the free side”. He also informed the Alltel crew that he needed more grip.

After coming in for his first pit stop on lap 17 and receiving four tires and fuel, Newman still fought the loose condition, but the car began to tighten up on him as the run went on and Newman was comfortable with the balance of the race car.

By lap 40, Newman was running in the top five and was pretty happy with the car only needing more grip.

When the caution flag waved again on lap 57, crew chief Mike Nelson brought the Alltel Dodge down pit road for their second stop of the night.

“It’s a little free in turns one and two, but good in turns three and four,” Newman relayed to Nelson. “It’s free in general.”

In order to tighten the car up, Nelson called for two rounds down on the right side track bar along with four tires, fuel and a half pound of pressure out of the left side tires.

As soon as the field took the green again, Newman said that the car was just a tick loose, but after 10 laps, the car got aero tight and Newman wanted the car freed up a bit on the next stop.

The field cycled through one round of green-flag pit stops and Newman came down pit road for his third stop on lap 110. To loosen the car up, Nelson had the Alltel crew put two rounds in the right rear wedge along with four tires and fuel. Once Newman got back on the track, he radioed in that the car was a tick free, but soon the car began to tighten up on him.

On lap 122, Newman – who was running fourth at the time – got shuffled out of line and fell back through the field, dropping out of the top 10. He dropped as far back as 17th at one point and had a hard time fighting his way through the field without any drafting help.

With 15 laps to go, Newman made his way back into the top 10 after avoiding the spinning car of David Gilliland, but Newman wouldn’t be able to hold on to that spot. When the checkered flag waved on lap 160, Newman was in the 14th position.

“We started 14th, finished 14th and fell to 14th in the standings. The only good result was we’re only 61 points out of 12th now and we entered the race 127 out of 12th,” Newman said after climbing out of his car. “It’s going to be tough, but we really want to qualify for The Chase. We had a good car tonight, but we didn’t get a good finish with it. We’ll try to bounce back and get ‘em next week in Chicago.”

Jamie McMurray, who had been just behind Newman in the drivers’ standings, earned his first win in five years and with the victory, McMurray moved ahead of Newman in the points. Although Newman fell to 14th in points, he gained ground on the 12th position and is now only 61 points behind Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who holds onto the 12th spot after finishing 36th following an accident on lap 14.

Next weekend, Newman will drive the No. 12 Mobil 1 Dodge Charger in the USG Sheetrock 400 at Chicagoland Speedway. TNT will broadcast their final race of the 2007 season begining at 2:30 p.m. EDT. MRN Radio will also cover the race live.

Newman will also be driving the No. 12 Kodak Dodge Charger in the NASCAR Busch Series race. The USG Durock 300 will be broadcast live by ABC and MRN Radio starting at 2:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday, July 14.

Ryan Newman Finishes 14th in the Pepsi 400

Ryan Newman had a great day in Daytona for the Pepsi 400. Newman ran in the top ten most of the day and in the top 5 for a lot of it.

Newman finished 14th after the last caution went green with about 10 to go. Newmans car was good, his drafting choices may not have been so good in the end. At one point he was up to 8th, but got shuffled back to about 16th at one point.

Newman started 14th, finished 14th and ended up 14th in point standings. Although he dropped one position in the standings, he did gain on the 12th place in standings. He is only 61 points from the 12 place chase positon.