Ryan Newman
No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger
Daytona 500 advance
NNCS Notes (Gatorade Duels):
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge, will make his sixth appearance in the Gatorade Duels at Daytona International Speedway. The Duels help determine the lineup for Sunday’s Daytona 500. Newman will start 13th in the second Duel.
Starting in the 13th position gives Newman his best start in the Gatorade Duels since he began racing full-time in the Cup Series in 2002. His average start in the race is 17.2.
Two years ago, Newman had his best finish in the Duels with a fourth place. Newman has an 11.2 average finish in the Duels.
Newman has completed 100 percent of the laps he has run in the Gatorade Duels – 274. Newman has earned three top 10s and one top five in the past five Duel races.
Mike Nelson, crew chief of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge, and the Alltel team will race chassis PRS-99 in the 2007 Gatorade Duels. This chassis was last used at Talladega Superspeedway in May 2006. Newman qualified 18th and finished 33rd.
Quotes:
Newman on the Gatorade Duels: “We’re not the best qualifiers at Daytona, but once we get into the race, we can go straight to the front and stay there. The Gatorade Duels give us the opportunity to start the 500 in a good position based on how we race on Thursday. We knew we weren't going to have the pole for the 500, but we have the chance to get a top-10 starting position if we stay out of trouble during the Duels and race our way to the front of the field.”
Quick Stats:
Gatorade Duels: 5
Races Led/Laps Led: N/A
Best Starting Position: 15 (2006)
Best Finishing Position: 4 (2005)
2006 Start: 15
2006 Finish: 9
NNCS Notes (Daytona 500):
Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge, will make his 11th Cup start at the 2.5-mile Daytona International Speedway.
Newman’s best starting position in “The Great American Race” came in 2005 with a ninth. This is also Newman’s best start in any points-paying race at Daytona. He has an average start of 23.3.
Last year, Newman earned his best-ever finish at “The World Center of Racing” with a third-place in the 2006 Daytona 500. His average finish at the track is 19.
Newman has led three races for a total of 26 laps. He has completed 1,608 laps of a possible 1,715, giving Newman a 93.7 percent completion rate. Newman has earned two top 10s at Daytona and one top-five finish.
Mike Nelson, crew chief of the No. 12 Alltel Dodge, and the Alltel team will race chassis PRS-99 in the 2007 Daytona 500. This chassis was last used at Talladega Superspeedway in May 2006. On lap 9, Newman was involved in a multi-car wreck and the car sustained heavy damage. The Alltel crew was able to fix the car and return it to the race. Newman, who had qualified 18th for the race, finished 33rd.
The back-up car for the 500 is PRS-65. This was the car Newman used in Saturday's Budweiser Shootout. An engine failure caused Newman to exit the race early after racing his way from 14th to third at the start of the second segment.
Quotes:
Newman on the Daytona 500: “This is obviously a huge race for any NASCAR driver. This is one of those races that everyone wants to win, but there are so many factors involved. You have to stay out of trouble - whether it’s trouble you cause or someone else does – you have to have friends helping you in the draft and you have to have a car that can get up front and stay up front.”
“Last year, we had a great run and could’ve competed for the win if we had gotten a little more help. I think we’re going to have a good car for this year’s race. During testing, the car felt better than it did before last year’s 500, so hopefully, that will translate into a better finish for us in 2007.”
Quick Stats:
Daytona International Speedway: 10
Races Led/Laps Led: 3/26
Best Starting Position: 9 (February 2005)
Best Finishing Position: 3 (February 2006)
February 2006 Start: 18
February 2006 Finish: 3
