Race 2 Win: Samsung/Radio Shack 500

Nextel Cup Series

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Samsung/Radio Shack 500 - Ryan Newman Notes

Ryan Newman/Texas Motor Speedway Advance

Notes:

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 ALLTEL Dodge, will make his fourth Texas Motor Speedway start and his 123rd in the NASCAR Cup Series this Sunday.

Newman earned his second career NASCAR Cup victory at TMS in 2003. The ALLTEL team utilized a two-tire pit stop late in the race to earn its first victory of eight in the 2003 season.

Newman and the ALLTEL team have posted DNFs in their other two TMS starts. In 2002, engine failure took the No. 12 team out of the race, while tire issues eliminated the team from the event in 2004.

Newman, NASCAR's "Pole Man", has yet to earn a pole at TMS, making the track one of only eight speedways in the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series where the team has yet to start from the pole position. Newman started third-his career best start at TMS-in 2003.

Newman has led twice at TMS for a total of 79 laps.

Newman and the ALLTEL team tested at TMS on April 5.

Matt Borland, crew chief of the No. 12 ALLTEL Dodge, will bring chassis PRS-61 to Texas this weekend. PRS-61 finished ninth at both California Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway earlier this season.

Newman extended his streak of top-10 starts to 13 consecutive weeks last Sunday at Martinsville Speedway. Newman is the only driver in the NNCS to qualify in the top-10 for all six races this season.

Newman and the ALLTEL team scored their first top-five finish of the 2005 season last Sunday at Martinsville. The fourth-place finish moved the team to eighth in the NNCS point standings.

The Samsung/Radio Shack 500 at Texas Motor Speedway will air live on FOX at 12:30 p.m., EDT on Sunday, April 17 and also can be heard on PRN Radio.

Quotes:
Newman on Texas Motor Speedway: "Texas has really been a mystery track for the ALLTEL team. Up until 2003, we couldn't figure out qualifying or racing, really, at the track. Then 2003 came and we qualified in the top-five and won on Sunday. Last year, we qualified 15th, which isn't horrible, but we are a team that puts a lot of emphasis on qualifying. We were running pretty good in the race before the accident took us out. I guess you could safely say that we've experienced a lot of ups and downs in Texas.

"This year, we made a point to test at TMS and learn all we could about the new rule package and the Dodge Charger before we got to the track. It was a good test session for us. Hopefully we unraveled a few mysteries and we'll be back to our 2003 performance level at TMS this weekend."

Stats:
Texas Motor Speedway Starts: 3
Laps Led: 79
Best Start: 3 (2003)
Best Finish: 1 (2003)

Appearances:

KSCS Radio Breakfast of Champions, Driver's Meeting Room, Texas Motor Speedway. Friday, April 15, 8:45 am, CDT.

Autograph Session, ALLTEL/Team Caliber Souvenir Trailer, Texas Motor Speedway. Saturday, April 16, 1:20 pm, CDT.

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