Race 2 Win: Checker Auto Parts 500

Nextel Cup Series

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Checker Auto Parts 500 - Ryan Newman Notes

Ryan Newman/Phoenix Advance

Notes:

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 ALLTEL/TXT2Win MVP Sweepstakes Dodge, will make his fifth start at Phoenix International Raceway this Sunday in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. In his four previous starts, Newman has earned two poles, and one top-five finish.

The NO. 12 ALLTEL Dodge will run a special paint scheme this weekend promoting ALLTEL's "TXT2Win MVP Sweepstakes" from Motorola. A $1 million prize will be awarded to one of five winners selected to attend Super Bowl XXXIX in ALLTEL Stadium at Jacksonville, Florida on February 6, 2005. For more information, please visit www.txt2winmvp.com.

Newman scored his career best finish-third-at PIR last November.

Newman is the defending Bud Pole award winner at PIR. He missed the track record, held by teammate Rusty Wallace, by one-tenth of a second.

Newman is one of only five drivers who have earned multiple poles at PIR. Newman has earned the pole position for the last two NNCS events at PIR, becoming the only driver to earn consecutive poles at the track.

Crew chief Matt Borland and the ALLTEL/TXT2Win MVP Sweepstakes team will take chassis No. 59 to PIR this weekend. PRS-59 was raced at both Richmond races this year where it finished ninth in May and earned the pole in September.

Newman is the only driver in the "Chase for the Championship" that has scored bonus points in all seven races thus far in the "chase."

Newman's average starting position this season of 7.88 leads all active drivers. He is the only driver with an average finish of eighth or better. He also leads all drivers with 23 top-10 starts.

Newman's eight pole starting positions lead all active drivers this season. Newman has earned the pole position in the past three NNCS events and will be working on his fourth straight this Friday in Phoenix. Newman has won the Bud Pole award every year since joining NASCAR's elite series full-time in 2002.

The No. 12 ALLTEL /TXT2Win MVP Sweepstakes Dodge team moved to seventh in the NNCS point standings following its 17th-place finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Newman is currently 186 points behind the standings leader, Kurt Busch, and 41 points behind sixth-place Tony Stewart.

The Checker Auto Parts 500 at Phoenix International Raceway will air live on NBC at 3 p.m., EST. MRN Radio will also cover the event, starting at 2:30 p.m., EST.

Stats:
Phoenix International Raceway Starts: 4
Poles: 2
Top-10s: 1
Races Led: 2 for a total of 55 laps

Quotes:
Newman on Phoenix: "Every year, our race at Phoenix is like a birthday for the ALLTEL team. Kind of hard to believe that we've been doing this for four years now.

"Phoenix has always been a great track, and the changes they made last year with the turn two wall and tunnel only improved it. Last year we finally got a good finish there. We've done well in qualifying but we seem to struggle a bit with the race. Every time we race there, we learn more about the track and that can only help us."

Appearances:

Autograph Session, SONY Tech Pit, Phoenix International Raceway. Saturday, November 6, 1 p.m., PST.

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