Drivers' Bios
Ryan Newman
Date of Birth: December 8, 1977
Hometown: South Bend, IN
Career Stats |
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| Nextel Cup Series | ||
| Year | Starts | Finish |
| 2001 | 7 | 49th |
| 2002 | 36 | 6th |
| 2003 | 36 | 6th |
| 2004 | 36 | 7th |
| 2005 | 36 | 6th |
| 2006 | 36 | 18th |
Ryan Newman's Nextel Cup career begins and ends with owner Roger Penske. In 2001 he had seven starts for the then-Ford owner, his best finish being a second place at Kansas. Newman also won a Busch race that year, in one of his 15 starts in that series.
In 2002, just his first full season in the Cup Series, Newman finished 6th in points. He scored his first career win at New Hampshire and had the most poles in the season with 6, a record for most poles in a season by a rookie. He won Rookie of the Year by a small margin over Jimmie Johnson.
The following year, after switching manufacturers to Dodge, Newman had a rollercoaster season, leading the series with 8 wins and 11 poles, but also amassing many DNF's, killing his hopes for the championship and leaving him 6th in points. A similar predicament occurred in 2004, when Newman ran another strong season with nine poles and two wins, but suffered nine DNF's.
2005 saw the fourth season in a row that Newman led the series in poles, with 8 that year. Though he won only one race, he qualified for the inaugural year of the Chase For The Nextel Cup and eventually finished 6th in points for the third time.
The following year saw struggles for Newman, with no wins, but one second-place finish, completing the year 18th in points. 2007 looks to be a stronger year for Newman and he hopes for a comeback.
