Ryan Newman/Chicagoland Advance
Notes:
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, will make his fifth NASCAR Cup Series start at Chicagoland Speedway on Sunday and his 170th in the NASCAR Cup Series.
In Newman's first-ever Cup Series race at the 1.5-mile trioval in Joliet, Ill., Newman started from the pole position in July 2002. Since then, Newman has only one start outside the top-10 - a 14th in 2003. His other two starts were from the eighth position in 2004 and from the outside of the front row last year. His average start at the Midwest track is 6.25.
In 2003 at the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland, Newman recorded his only career win at the track. He has one other top-five finish - a fifth in 2002. His last two races in Joliet have not ended as well. He finished 34th in 2004 and 29th last year. Newman's average finish at the track that opened in 2001 is 17.25.
Of the four races Newman has driven at Chicagoland, he has led three of them for 163 laps. He has one DNF at the track, the result of being involved in a crash in 2004. Newman has completed 962 of a possible 1,068 laps for a 90 percent completion rate.
Matt Borland, crew chief of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, and the Alltel team will take chassis PRS-76 to this weekend's USG Sheetrock 400. Newman has driven this car three previous times this season; most recently at Michigan. Newman used this same chassis at Lowe's Motor Speedway in the Coca-Cola 600, where he finished 35th after starting 18th, and at Darlington in May, where he placed sixth after starting second. Newman also tested this car at Lowe's Motor Speedway on May 3. Last year, Newman raced this car at Chicagoland Speedway. Prior to the 2005 Chicago race, the car was used in May at Darlington and at Charlotte, and in June at Michigan. The car qualified on the front row in each of the four 2005 races, winning two poles - one at Charlotte and the other at Michigan.
Quotes:
Newman on Chicagoland Speedway: "Chicagoland is a good track for me. We've done well here in the past with a win in only my second Cup start at the track and I think we have a good chance of getting a solid finish this weekend. The Alltel Dodge Charger crew always gives me a good car for qualifying, so if we can start up front and stay out of trouble, we should have a great weekend in Chicago."
Quick Stats:
Chicagoland Speedway: 4
Races Led/Laps Led: 3/163
Best Starting Position: 1 (July 2002)
Best Finishing Position: 1 (July 2003)
July 2005 Start: 2
July 2005 Finish: 29
Appearances
Legends Club, Firestone Indy 400 IRL IndyCar® Series (July 30)
Victory Lane Club, Carfax 250 NASCAR Busch Series, (August 19)
Victory Lane Club, GFS Marketplace 400 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series (August 20)
