Race 2 Win: Coca-Cola 600 - Ryan Newman Notes

Nextel Cup Series

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Coca-Cola 600 - Ryan Newman Notes

Ryan Newman/Lowe's Motor Speedway Advance

Notes:

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 ALLTEL Dodge, will make his sixth start at Lowe's Motor Speedway this Sunday. Newman has posted three poles and three top-10 finishes at the speedway.

Newman possesses the current track record at Lowe's Motor Speedway. He set a track record in an ARCA car in 2000, then broke his own record in 2003 in a Cup car with a speed of 186.657 mph, or 28.930 seconds. In Newman's six qualifying attempts at LMS, he has earned three poles and three fourth-place starts, for an average start of 2.5, the best of all active drivers. Newman swept both LMS poles in 2003.

Newman has posted three consecutive top-10 finishes at LMS. In the Coca-Cola 600 last May, Newman won the pole event and finished fifth. In last fall's race at LMS, Newman won the pole and finished second.

Crew chief Matt Borland and the ALLTEL team will take chassis No. 52 to LMS this weekend. PRS-52 finished second in last Saturday's All-Star Challenge. Newman led 49 laps of the 90-lap event before succumbing to eventual winner Matt Kenseth on lap 87. Newman and crew chief Matt Borland gambled on worn tires to retain track position on the event's final restart.

Penske Racing will be particularly busy this weekend since Roger Penske has two drivers, Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr., competing in the prestigious Indianapolis 500 and three drivers, Rusty Wallace, Ryan Newman and Brendan Gaughan competing in the Coca-Cola 600. If all cars complete their prospective races, Penske Racing will have completed 2,800 miles in one day. The Indy 500 will air live on ABC with pre-race beginning at 11:00 a.m. EDT.

With the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series having Friday off, Newman will be using his time to co-host a bake sale/drawing/silent auction fundraiser at Penske Racing South's shop in Mooresville. SPEED Channel's Driver of the Year will sign autographs from 10-11:00 a.m. EDT. The benefit will raise money for Friends in Need and the Catawba Humane Society, which will both have puppies and dogs available for on-site adoption.

Ryan Newman will be available for an open Q&A session with the media at 6:15 p.m. EDT on Thursday at the rear of the ALLTEL transporter.

The Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway will air live on FOX at 5 p.m. EDT. PRN Radio will also cover the event, starting at 4:45 p.m. EDT.

Quotes:
Newman on the Coca-Cola 600: "The ALLTEL team is taking PRS-53 back this weekend. It's a great car. Strategy is not a huge deal. We learned some things about the tires last weekend, but that's pretty much it. Gas mileage is very important. You want to have great fuel mileage. That way you can be the last one out. You're not typically stuck in the pits when the yellow flag comes out and you get caught two laps down. That's the biggest thing."

Crew Chief Matt Borland on the Coca-Cola 600: "One of the biggest issues of the 600 is making sure you've got a car that's handling well. You'll have one or two long green-flag runs and you've got to have a car that handles well for the entire run or you can go a lap down pretty quick. The durability of pieces - engine, transmission - has to be able to handle a 600-mile race plus all the practice you put on it that week."

Stats:
Lowe's Motor Speedway Starts: 6 Poles: 3
Races Led: 3 Laps Led: 106
Best Start: 1 Best Finish: 2 (Fall, 2003)

Appearances:
Autograph Session, Penske Racing South (163 Rolling Hills Rd.), Friday, May 28, 10-11:00 a.m. EDT.
ALLTEL Fan Bash, Campground at Lowe's Motor Speedway (off of turns 1&2), Saturday, May 29, 1 p.m. EDT.
Sony Speed Street, Downtown Charlotte, Saturday, May 29, 3 p.m. EDT.

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