Ryan Newman/Martinsville Advanvce
Notes:
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge, will make his ninth Martinsville Speedway start and his 158th in NASCAR's Cup Series this Sunday. The race also marks his 150th consecutive Cup Series start.
In his eight previous Martinsville starts, Newman has posted four top-five and five top-10 finishes, all in the last five races. He scored his career-best finish, third, in October 2004.
In eight qualifying attempts, Newman has posted eight top-10 starts. He has earned two poles and has an average starting position of 4.0, the best of all active drivers.
Newman has led in four of his eight Martinsville races for a total of 83 laps. .
Matt Borland, crew chief of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge, and the Alltel team will race chassis PRS-69 in the DirecTV 500. PRS-69 was raced in both Martinsville events in 2005, posting a fourth-place finish in April and a 10th-place finish in October.
The Alltel team finished ninth at Bristol Motor Speedway last Sunday, posting the team's second top-10 finish of the 2006 season. The team advanced five positions to 12th in the series point standings.
Newman tested his No. 39 Dodge, Penske Racing South's NASCAR Busch Series entry, at Richmond International Raceway on Tuesday and Wednesday. Newman will next compete in the NBS at Darlington Raceway on May 12.
Quotes:
Newman on Martinsville: "The Alltel team has always done an excellent job qualifying at Martinsville. Every time we've been there, it seems like we finish in the top-five or the bottom five depending on mechanical issues. We're knocking on the door to score our first win at the track. We're definitely close. Hopefully it's coming this Sunday.
"Martinsville is a true 500 lapper. The race is tough on equipment, especially on brakes. The hardest lesson to learn is when to be patient. You've got to be patient at Martinsville. You know, that whole 'go slow to go fast' saying. Track position at the end of the race is critical. It's not easy to pass at Martinsville, so in those final laps, you want your car to be in a winning track position.
"Honestly, I used to hate Martinsville. But, I don't anymore. I really had to adapt to Martinsville over the years. The Alltel team has gotten its mechanical problems worked out, mostly those were brake problems because I abused them. We've learned how important qualifying is there, so we've really worked with that. It's not impossible to pass at Martinsville, but it is difficult. So, starting up front definitely helps. As does having that first choice of pit stall."
For quotes from Newman's crew chief Matt Borland, listen to the Alltel Racing podcast on www.alltelracing.com.
Quick Stats:
Martinsville Speedway Starts: 8
Races Led/Laps Led: 4/83
Best Starting Position: 1 (Oct. 2002 and 2004)
Best Finishing Position: 3 (Oct. 2004)
April 2005 Start: 2
April 2005 Finish: 4
