Race 2 Win: Auto Club 500 - Ryan Newman Notes

Nextel Cup Series

News and Results | Point Standings | 2004 Schedule | 2004 Teams | 2003 Schedule and Results

Auto Club 500 - Ryan Newman Notes

Ryan Newman/California Advance

Notes:

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 ALLTEL/Mobil 1 Dodge will make his third start at California Speedway this Sunday. In 2002, Newman earned the pole position and led three laps before finishing 14th. Last season, Newman and Steve Park collided on lap one, ending the team's day in 42nd place.

The No. 12 ALLTEL/Mobil 1 Dodge team will take PRS chassis No. 23-"Patience"-to California this weekend. Patience is one of the oldest cars in the No. 12 team's stable. First used as an ARCA car, PRS-23 set the track qualifying record at Lowe's Motor Speedway in October 2000 and won the race, thus earning the name "Patience." Newman went on to break that track record, again in Patience, last Fall. Patience also earned the pole position at Atlanta Motor Speedway last season.

The No. 12 ALLTEL/Mobil 1 Dodge will sport the Mobil 1 30th Anniversary paint scheme this weekend. The 30th Anniversary commemorative paint scheme and promotion are part of a year-long program celebrating Mobil 1's leadership in the synthetic motor oil category.

The Mobil 1 paint scheme might be seen as a lucky charm for Newman and the No. 12 team. In 10 events with the Mobil 1 design, Newman has earned seven poles, three victories (including his first career Cup victory), four top fives and five top 10s. He has led nine of the 10 races for a total of 471 laps. His average start is 3.4 and average finish is 15.1 in Mobil 1 colors.

On April 13th, Newman, Matt Borland and the over-the-wall crew for the ALLTE/Mobil 1 team visited Beaumont, Texas for a special Mobil 1 promotion where Newman and his crew changed the oil in three lucky fans' street cars.

Newman will be available for an open question and answer session with the media at 2 p.m., PDT at the back of the ALLTEL transporter on Friday, April 30th.

The ALLTEL team rebounded back into the top 10 in the series' point standings with an 11th-place finish last weekend at Talladega Superspeedway. At this time last season, Newman and the ALLTEL team were 20th.

The Auto Club 500 at California Speedway will air live Sunday on FOX, with pre-race beginning at 3 p.m., EDT. MRN Radio also will cover the event beginning at 2:30 p.m., EDT.

Quotes:

Newman on Mobil 1: "I think it's amazing that Mobil 1 has been protecting engines longer than I have been alive. I am thrilled to be a part of the company's anniversary program and look forward to having Mobil 1 in my engine and its logo on the hood of my car at Fontana."

Newman on California Speedway: "We have such a good car every time we go to this track. I kind of look at last year's race here as the one that got away. That was painful for the whole team. We tested here in January and learned a lot that I think will pay-off this weekend. "This year has been more consistent for the ALLTEL/Mobil 1 team and I look for that to continue on Sunday."

Stats:
California Speedway Starts: 2 Poles: 1 (2002)
Races Led: 1 Laps Led: 3
Best Start: 1 (2002) Best Finish: 14 (2002)

Appearances:

Autograph Session, ALLTEL Souvenir Trailer, Friday, April 30 approximately 5:30 p.m. PDT. (A Ryan Newman Fan Club card or ticket obtained from Team Caliber is needed to receive an autograph.)

California Fan Fest, California Speedway, Saturday, May 1, 12:30-12:50 p.m. PDT.

Sony Tech Pit, California Speedway, Saturday, May 1, 1:00 p.m. PDT.

News and Results | Point Standings | 2004 Schedule | 2004 Teams | 2003 Schedule and Results