Race 2 Win: UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400

Nextel Cup Series

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UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 - Ryan Newman Notes

Ryan Newman/Vegas Advance

Notes:

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 ALLTEL/Mobil 1 Extended Performance Dodge, will make his fifth Las Vegas Motor Speedway start and his 119th career NASCAR Cup Series start this Sunday. In his four previous starts at the speedway, Newman has posted two top-10 finishes.

Newman has yet to earn a pole at LVMS, making it one of only 10 tracks on the NNCS circuit where the three-time Bud Pole Award winner hasn't earned a pole position. Newman has, however, qualified in the top-five in the past three consecutive races at LVMS.

Crew chief Matt Borland and the No. 12 ALLTEL/Mobil 1 Extended Performance team will take chassis PRS-61 to LVMS this weekend. This is the same chassis that Newman finished ninth in two weeks ago at California Speedway.

This Sunday's race will mark a major corporate sponsorship program for long-time Penske Racing supporter Mobil. Mobil will be the primary sponsor on all three of the Penske Racing South NNCS entries to promote its new line of high-endurance motor oils. The high-endurance line of Mobil motor oils meet the longer oil-change intervals being recommended by many of today's automobile manufacturers.

Thursday afternoon, Newman and Borland, along with Krissie Newman and Penske Racing South President Don Miller, will visit the historic Hoover Dam. The group, along with a large collection of media will receive a behind-the-scenes, hard hat tour of the Dam. Both Newman and Borland have engineering degrees. Miller's father-in-law worked on the dam.

Thursday evening, Newman and Borland will join their Penske Racing South teammates as well as Team Penske drivers Sam Hornish Jr. and Helio Castroneves in the Mobil High-Endurance Charity Poker Tournament at the Golden Nugget Hotel & Casino. The Mobil-sponsored tournament will award $50,000 to the winner's charity of choice. Each player's charity will receive a favorable donation. The poker tournament is open to the media, as well as the general public.

After a ninth-place finish in the Auto Club 500 at California Speedway, Newman and the ALLTEL/Mobil 1 Extended Performance team moved to 12th in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series point standings. This is the same position the team was in after the second race in the 2004 season.

The UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway will air live on FOX at 2 p.m., EST on Sunday, March 13 and also can be heard on PRN Radio.

Quotes:
Newman on Las Vegas Motor Speedway: "We struggled pretty badly at Vegas last year. That was probably our worst showing of the 2004 season. We didn't test at the track last year, but we made sure we were out there this year for the pre-season test. We had a great test session there and hopefully that will show this weekend.

Newman on Mobil: "Mobil has always been a huge supporter of the No. 12 team as well as Penske Racing. I got my first Cup win in a Mobil 1 sponsored car, so it's kind of a good luck charm to me. This is a really big deal for them this weekend, and they're pouring a lot of hard work and energy into this program. The 12 team is going to do all we can to get them the victory as well.

Stats:
LVMS Starts: 4
Laps Led: 53
Best Start: 2 (2002)
Best Finish: 4 (2002)
2004 Start: 5
2004 Finish: 27

News and Results | Point Standings | 2005 Schedule | 2005 Teams | 2004 Schedule and Results