The Official Ryan Newman Website

Round 4 of 36 - Kobalt Tools 500 -
Atlanta Motor Speedway in Hampton, Ga.

Car No.: 39 - Tornados Chevrolet Impala
 
Teammate:    Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Office Depot/Old Spice Chevrolet Impala for Stewart-Haas Racing 

Primary Team Members:

Driver: Ryan Newman
Hometown: South Bend, Ind.
Crew Chief: Tony Gibson
Hometown: Daytona Beach, Fla.
Car Chief: Kevin Pennell
Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C.
Engine Builder: Hendrick Motorsports
Headquarters: Concord, N.C.
Engine Specialist: Jay Nolan
Hometown: Jacksonville, Fla.   

Spotter: Jimmy Kitchens
Hometown: Hueytown, Ala.

Over-The-Wall Crew Members:

Gas Man: Michael Moore
Hometown: Springfield, Mass.   

Front Tire Changer: Scott Brzozowoski
Hometown: Sterling Heights, Mich.

Catch Can: Andy Rueger
Hometown: Seymour, Ind.
Front Tire Carrier: Josh Mick
Hometown: Houston, Texas
Windshield: Jay Guarneri
Hometown: Naples, Fla.   

Rear Tire Changer: Ryan Pepe
Hometown: Orlando, Fla.

Jackman: Andrew Turner
Hometown: Coloma, Mich.
Rear Tire Carrier: James Houk
Hometown: Fair Play, Mo.
Road Crew Members:

Truck Drivers: Rick Hodges and Todd Cable
Hometowns: Raleigh, N.C. and Shelby, N.C.
Tire Specialist: Jeff Zarrella
Hometown: Southington, Conn.
Shock Specialist: Brian Holshouser
Hometown: Charlotte, N.C.
Engineer: Johnny Klausmeier
Hometown: Perry Hall, Md.
Mechanics: Joe Cline and Shawn Warren
Hometowns: Maiden, N.C. and Concord, N.C.   

Gas Runner/Pit Support: Chris Morris
Hometown: Kannapolis, N.C.

Kobalt Tools 500 Car - Chassis No. 39-531:
This chassis last saw action just two weekends ago at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. Although the team started deeper in the field than it had hoped after an 18th-place qualifying effort, Newman quickly moved up. He was a fixture in the top-12 prior to an engine failure at lap 148. Despite the 36th-place finish, Newman was pleased he had such a strong racecar and said it was the most competitive he had been at the 2-mile track in recent years. Prior to the car's first outing of the 2010 season, Newman piloted this chassis at three races in 2009 - twice at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway for the Sprint All-Star race in May and for the NASCAR Banking 500 in October, and at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., in July. In the car's first outing at the All-Star race, Newman shot from the back to the front of the field in just a handful of laps. However, as he was battling for the lead with less than 10 laps to go, he got tangled up with two other cars, sending No. 39 Chevy into the wall and ending the team's day. The team repaired the damaged bodywork, and it returned to the track in Chicago, where Newman finished sixth. In the October Charlotte race, Newman qualified sixth and had a strong racecar but pit-road issues kept him mired in traffic which led to an 11th-place finish. During the offseason, the original body was cut off the car. The car was made lighter and the bodywork was rebuilt.

Atlanta Motor Speedway Notes of Interest:

• Atlanta will mark the second consecutive race for Newman's new sponsor Tornados, a brand of family owned Ruiz Foods, which is located in Dinuba, Calif. Tornados will adorn the No. 39 Chevrolet at nine races in 2010. So what exactly is a Tornado? Simply put, it's a bold, rolled snack. The quick treat combines meat, cheese and sauces all rolled into a crispy tortilla crust.

• History in the Making? - This weekend's Kobalt Tools 500 will mark the 300th career NASCAR Sprint Cup Series start for Newman. His 300th career start has the potential to be more than just another race start - the weekend could be history-making on several levels. Newman, who will pilot the No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet, has a shot at setting the all-time pole record at Atlanta on Friday night. Newman has seven poles at the 1.54-mile oval, tying him for the all-time track record with Buddy Baker. Turning the quickest lap on Friday night would give Newman sole possession of the record. Meanwhile, Newman, who has 39 starts with Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), is also looking for his first victory with the team. A win on Sunday would be Newman's first with SHR and the first victory for the No. 39 in NASCAR Sprint Cup Series competition.

• The Kobalt Tools 500 will mark Newman's 17th career Sprint Cup start at Atlanta. The driver of the No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet has seven poles, one top-five and five top-10 finishes in 16 starts at Atlanta.

• Newman's best Sprint Cup finish at Atlanta was a fifth-place effort in the 2004 spring race. Newman started on the pole and led 43 laps en route to his top-five finish.

• Last Season in Atlanta - In both Atlanta outings in 2009, Newman's No. 39 Chevy was a solid-performer. In last year's March race, Newman had a competitive top-10 racecar, but he dropped a cylinder with less than 100 laps remaining, which led to a 22nd-place finish. During the fall race, handling issues left Newman deep in the field but his team patiently worked on the problems with each opportunity and got the car to Newman's liking toward the end of the race. With less than 75 laps remaining, Newman showed just how strong his racecar was as he mounted a charge that resulted in a ninth-place finish.

• Newman, who is known as the "Rocketman" for his penchant for winning pole positions, credits Baker for his ability to turn a quick lap. Baker was especially helpful to Newman's qualifying efforts early in his career at tracks like Atlanta. According to Newman, Baker would take him to a track and have him drive it backward because it would give him a "different perspective on entry and exit points." Those lessons taught Newman what to do and what not to do in qualifying - especially at Atlanta - and they have stuck with him.

• The South Bend, Ind., native scored six consecutive pole positions at the 1.54-mile Atlanta oval from 2003-2005. His most recent pole position at Atlanta came in the March 2007 event. Newman has 45 career Sprint Cup poles, tying him for 11th on the all-time career pole list with the legendary Buck Baker. Newman is third among active fulltime Sprint Cup drivers behind Jeff Gordon (68) and Mark Martin (49). His last pole came on Oct. 23, 2009, at Martinsville Speedway just eight races ago.

• Newman also recorded a pole in NASCAR Nationwide Series competition at Atlanta. Newman scored his first-ever Nationwide pole at the track in just his second series start during the 2001 season.

• Las Vegas Finish a Start for No. 39 Tornados Team - The debut of the No. 39 Tornados Chevrolet at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend also marked the first race finish for Newman & Company this season. At Las Vegas, Newman qualified third and had a strong racecar in the race's early stages. However, struggles on pit road cost Newman valuable track position which led to an 18th-place finish. Although it wasn't the outcome the team had hoped for, finishing the race was a much needed boost for the team after recording DNFs (did not finish) in the season's first two races. The team, which now sits 32nd in points, hopes that the top-20 finish will be the start of a string of solid races, which will help it move up in points.

• Truckin' in Atlanta - Newman made his first-ever NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Atlanta in the fall of 2008, when he piloted the No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc., Chevrolet Silverado. Newman started 10th and led 11 laps en route to victory. It was Newman's first start in the Truck Series, and his first win - making him the fourth driver to win in his first outing behind the wheel of a truck. Newman is one of 20 drivers to record a victory in all three of NASCAR's top-tier series - Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Truck.

• Numerology and Newman's No. 39 - The No. 39 has been lucky for Newman throughout his racing career. His first major USAC win came in May 1997, when he drove the No. 39 Midget car to victory in the 52nd Night Before the 500 race at O'Reilly Raceway Park near Indianapolis, the day before that year's Indianapolis 500. It was the biggest win of Newman's career at the time, and one he credits with putting him on the racing map. In 2005, Newman piloted the No. 39 in Nationwide Series competition for Penske Racing, and he won six of the nine races he entered and finished outside of the top-three only once. The No. 39 has never been to victory lane in Sprint Cup competition.

• In his first season with SHR, Newman scored two pole positions - Charlotte in May, and Martinsville in October - five top-five and 15 top-10 finishes en route to a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship and a ninth-place points finish.

• Setting the Standard - Newman, along with teammate and SHR co-owner Stewart, led all Sprint Cup drivers in laps completed in 2009 in only the team's first season. Newman and Stewart each completed 10,468 of a possible 10,492 laps over the 36-race points-paying season - an incredible 99.8 percent. They failed to complete just 24 laps and they both finished all but one race - the fall event at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

• Newman has a career total of 13 wins, 45 poles, 68 top-fives and 121 top-10 finishes in 299 Sprint Cup starts. His most recent Sprint Cup win came 74 races ago in the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in February 2008, which ended a winless streak of 81 races that dated back to the 2005 event at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon.

 Ryan Newman's History at Atlanta Motor Speedway:
Year    Event    Start    Finish    Status/Laps    Laps Led    Earnings
2009    ×Kobalt Tools 500    12    22    Running, 327/330    3    $109,679
    Pep Boys Auto 500    23    9    Running, 325/325    1    $135,479
2008    Kobalt Tools 500    12    14    Running, 324/325    0    $115,075
    † Pep Boys Auto 500    17    16    Running, 325/325    0    $133,950
2007    Kobalt Tools 500    1    23    Running, 324/325    0    $111,000
    ×Pep Boys Auto 500    9    37    Engine, 267/329    0    $112,375
2006    Golden Corral 500    2    18    Running, 325/325    2    $115,033
    †Bass Pro Shops 500    17    30    Running, 321/325    0    $125,258
2005    Golden Corral 500    1    14    Running, 325/325    5    $120,266
    Bass Pro Shops/MBNA 500    1    23    Running, 323/325    1    $137,266
2004    Golden Corral 500    1    5    Running, 325/325    43    $120,467
    Bass Pro Shops/MBNA 500    1    17    Running, 323/325    58    $138,092
2003    Bass Pro Shops/MBNA 500 I    1    10    Running, 324/325    21    $94,450
    Bass Pro Shops/MBNA 500 II    1    29    Accident, 320/325    13    $107,900
2002    MBNA America 500    2    10    Running, 325/325    15    $78,000
    *†NAPA 500    6    10    Running, 248/248    1    $92,900
* Race cut short due to weather.
† Qualifying canceled due to weather, starting position set via car owner points.
× Race length extended due to green-white-checker finish.