The Official Ryan Newman Website

Sharpie 500
Saturday, August 23, 2008
Race 24 of 36
ESPN 7:00 p.m.

Track Facts

Bristol Motor Speedway
Bristol, TN

Banking/Turns: 36
Distance: 0.533 miles
Shape: Oval

Bristol, one of the shortest tracks on the Nextel Cup circuit, has the highest banking, making for an appealing combination for driver and spectator alike. Added to the schedule in 1961 and resurfaced from asphalt to concrete in 1992, Bristol's attendance has increased from 18,000 to well over 160,000 with the reconstruction of the speedway's backstretch

Contact Information
151 Speedway Blvd., P.O. Box 3966
Bristol, TN 37625
(423) 764-1161  

CHASSIS NOTES

PRS-561: The primary No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger at Bristol was first raced at Richmond International Raceway in May. In that race, Newman started 10th and finished sixth. This will be the car's second race.
PRS-513: The backup car is the same No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger that served as the primary car at Chicagoland Speedway's inaugural night race. After starting 17th, Newman finished 10th.

TRACK STATS

NEWMAN SCORES SIXTH-PLACE FINISH IN SATURDAY NIGHT BRISTOL RACE
BRISTOL, Tenn. (August 23, 2008) - Penske Racing driver Ryan Newman and the No. 12 Alltel Dodge team ran as high as second-place and finished sixth in the Sharpie 500 on Saturday night at Bristol Motor Speedway. It was Newman's eighth top-10 finish of the 2008 season.

With his strong finish, Newman gained two spots and moved into 15th place in the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series driver point standings, 181 points behind the 12th-place cutoff for the 2008 "Chase for the NASCAR Cup."

"It was a good run for the Alltel Dodge," Newman said after the race. "We got up to second place at one point in the race, got a little bit loose and fell back, but we held our own. I'm proud of my guys and how they battled here all night. It was a solid top-10 for our team and that's a good day here at Bristol."

Newman started in 11th place for the 500-lap event at the .533-mile concrete oval. Following final practice on Friday night, Newman told his Alltel team not to change anything on the car prior to the green flag, as he felt he had a solid car for the race.

Once the green flag dropped on Saturday night, Newman told his crew that his car was a little bit free before getting to the center of the corner but overall the car was good. By lap 50, Newman had moved into the top 10 of the fast-paced race. He did not fall out of the top 10 for the rest of the night.

As the first part of the race unfolded, Newman steadily gained on the cars in front of him. Thanks to a quick No. 12 machine, Newman was able to pass with ease at the tight short track. When the first caution of the night waved at lap 96, Newman had moved up to fourth place.

Before coming down pit road for his first stop of the night, Newman radioed his team and expressed his pleasure with the Alltel Dodge. "Leave it," he said, instructing the crew that he didn't want any changes. Newman came down pit road for four tires and fuel. He returned to the track in fourth place.

After 20 laps, Newman radioed his crew and said the car was a little bit tighter during the second green flag run of the night. Despite the tight-handling condition, Newman was running well and posted some of the quickest laps of anyone on the track. By lap 170, Newman had moved into the top three, and at lap 190, he was sitting in second spot.

Although happy with his car, Newman told his crew that he needed the car to be just a little bit "freer" on his next run to pick up more ground on the leaders.

When the caution flag waved at lap 195, the Alltel crew had the opportunity to assist Newman with the handling of his car. The pit crew changed four tires, added fuel and made a track bar adjustment, returning Newman to the track in second place.

Following the restart, Newman couldn't hold onto his runner-up position, dropping to sixth place when a multi-car accident between turns one and two brought out the red flag, stopping race action. Under the 12-minute red flag period, Newman told Alltel crew chief Roy McCauley that he thought the car's low tire air pressures did not work well on restarts or shorter runs, which was why he slipped back in the running order.

When the race resumed, Newman remained in sixth spot. As a green-flag run progressed, Newman told his crew that he was too free all the way around the track, particularly exiting the corners. The caution flag waved again at lap 280, giving the crew the opportunity to work on the No. 12 machine.

At lap 289, Newman pitted for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment to assist him on shorter green flag runs. The team also made a wedge adjustment to help tighten up the Alltel Dodge on corner exits.

Newman returned to the track in sixth place, which he maintained for the remainder of the 500-lap event.

"We ran in sixth position for about 350 laps which is not a bad thing," said Newman. "All in all, it was a good night for us. The restarts are hard to get around the lapped cars, so its hard to make gains on the guys running in front of you. All in all, it was a good night for us."

Newman's Penske Racing teammates Kurt Busch and Sam Hornish Jr. finished 15th and 37th, respectively.

The NASCAR Cup Series returns to action next Sunday night, August 31, for the Pepsi 500 at Auto Club Speedway. The race can be seen live on ESPN at 7 p.m. EDT and heard on the MRN radio network at 7:15 p.m. EDT.

NEWMAN STARTS 11th IN SHARPIE 500 AT BRISTOL MOTOR SPEEDWAY
BRISTOL, Tenn. (August 22, 2008) - Ryan Newman, driver of the Penske Racing No.12 Alltel Dodge Charger, qualified 11th for the Sharpie 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Saturday night.

Newman turned a quick lap of 120.512 miles per hour (15.922 seconds) at the .533-mile concrete oval. Carl Edwards, driver of the No. 99 Office Depot Ford, won the pole with a lap of 121.860 miles per hour (15.746 seconds).

"I'm happy that we improved our Alltel Dodge from where we were at in practice earlier today," Newman said. "Considering that we were down in the speed charts during practice, we'll take it. I'm looking forward to our second practice tonight.

"We had a really fast car here in the spring, and I'm hoping we can be just as good here tomorrow night."

In 13 previous starts at Bristol, Newman has one top-five and six top-10 finishes. Newman is currently 17th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings. He is 211 points away from the cutoff for the Chase for the NASCAR Cup.

Live coverage of the Sharpie 500 begins on the ESPN television network on Saturday, August 23 at 7 p.m. EDT. The race can also be heard on the PRN Radio Network at 7:15 p.m.

PENSKE RACING TEAMMATES

• 19. Kurt Busch
• 35. Sam Hornish Jr.

ALLTEL PODCASTS

Every two weeks, fans can tune into Alltel Racing podcasts on http://www.alltelracing.com/.  The podcasts give fans the opportunity to hear No. 12 Alltel Racing driver Ryan Newman's thoughts on a variety of subjects, from racing to fishing to Alltel's latest commercials. Fans can call 1-800-279-5612 to record a personalized question for Newman or can email questions to Newman at ryannewmanmailbag@gmail.com.  By listening to the podcasts, fans also have the opportunity to win special Alltel Racing prizes.

This week's installment of the podcast features Alltel Dodge driver Ryan Newman. Newman discusses the team's practice routine and the upcoming race at Bristol. Newman also talks about his team's battle to get into the Chase for the Championship. To listen to this podcast and past podcasts, visit http://www.alltelracing.com/.

Notes

• Ryan Newman, driver of the Penske Racing No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, has two poles, one top-five and six top-10 finishes in 13 NASCAR Cup starts at Bristol Motor Speedway. Newman's best result at the half-mile short track is a second-place effort, which came during the fall night race in 2004.
• With three races to go to until the "Chase for the NASCAR Cup", Newman is sitting 17th in the 2008 NASCAR Cup Series driver points standings. He is 211 points away from the 12th-place cutoff for drivers making the Chase.
• Newman holds the qualifying record at Bristol Motor Speedway. He established the all-time track mark in March 2003, when he turned a qualifying lap of 128.709 mph (14.908 seconds). That qualifying run earned Newman the nickname "Rocket Man" from the television broadcasters covering the event. Newman also claimed the pole position in 2004.
• Newman had a stout car at Bristol earlier this spring, but was hit with bad luck during the weekend. After starting in the back in 43rd place due to an engine change, Newman was able to drive the No. 12 Dodge into the top 10 before being caught up in five-car wreck. Newman finished 33rd.
• In six starts at Bristol in the NASCAR Nationwide Series (NNS), Newman has one pole, one win (2005) and five top-10 finishes.
• Crew chief Roy McCauley knows the way to victory lane at Bristol. McCauley led Newman to his NNS victory at Bristol in 2005. He was also the winning crew chief for Kurt Busch and the No. 2 Dodge in 2006.
• The No. 12 team will have a new race engineer this weekend. Ben Atkins replaces Travis Geisler, who is now the crew chief on the No. 77 Mobil 1 team.

Newman Quotes

• SURVIVING BRISTOL: "Everyone will tell you that Bristol has always been a game of survival. Everything happens so fast there. You don't have time to think or blink. I learned that in 2003 when I won the pole there. I knew I had a good car, but I never anticipated that I could put down a lap that fast. You just don't realize how quickly everything happens at Bristol. You could have the best car out there, but everything is completely out of your hands. One minute you could be running in the lead and just seconds later, you could be wrecked in the corner and out of the race and it be no fault of your own. You won't even realize what has happened to you until afterwards. That's what happened to us in the spring. We got into the top 10, and we had a really fast car. But a couple of cars got crossed up in front of me, and I had nowhere to go. Our car ended up being a casualty of a wreck that wasn't our fault."
• THE BRISTOL NIGHT RACE: "I have always enjoyed the Bristol night race, and I know that its something that the fans really love. I know the fans didn't think that there was enough bumping and banging at Bristol last fall, but to me the racing is better there now. We can race side-by-side and actually gain spots without having to wreck someone. And the fans will still get an exciting race - it's Bristol. To me, the night races are some of my favorites because I grew up racing on Saturday nights at local tracks. This race has that feel to it although there are hundreds of thousands of fans in the stands."

McCauley Quotes

RACING AT BRISTOL: "Bristol is all about survival. It's a matter of keeping your nose clean and trying to survive the first 400 laps and putting yourself in position to go for the win in the last 100 laps. We have the driver and team to do that. The Alltel team had a great car at Bristol for the spring race, but things just didn't go our way. We had to start in the back, which isn't ideal at a short track like Bristol, but Ryan was able to drive it into the top 10. Then even after getting caught up in a wreck, he was still one of the fastest cars on the track. Hopefully, we can have some luck go our way this time around because we had a good package the last race there."