Ryan Newman, a native of South Bend, Ind., grew up as a star in the open-wheel ranks, winning more than 100 Quarter-Midget features, earning two Midget championships and claiming the 1995 USAC Midget Series Rookie of the Year award.
In 1996, Newman was named USAC Silver Crown Series Rookie of the Year and one year later, finished sixth in Silver Crown points. By 1998, Newman had 11 top-10 finishes in 13 races for a third-place finish in the Silver Crown standings. He ended the season with three straight Midget wins.
He showed his versatility in 1999, taking the USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series National Championship with two wins and 12 top-10 finishes. He also won seven times in Midgets and picked up a victory in Sprint Cars - the first driver to win in all three major USAC divisions that season.
Newman made his stock-car debut in June 2000 in an ARCA race at Michigan, then promptly won the next race he entered - the July 22 Pepsi ARCA 200 at Pocono. He continued his hot streak, winning ARCA events at Kentucky Speedway and Lowe's Motor Speedway.
In 2001, Newman competed in the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR Nationwide Series and ARCA RE/MAX Series events, making a big impact in all three series as he prepared to step into the No. 12 Penske Racing ALLTEL Ford on a full-time basis.
He earned his first career Cup Bud Pole Award at Lowe's Motor Speedway. In seven Cup starts, he had a best finish of second (Kansas Speedway's inaugural event). He backed up that impressive performance with six Bud Poles in 15 Nationwide Series events and a victory at Michigan Speedway.
Newman's 2002 rookie season in the Cup series was nothing short of amazing. He finished sixth in the Cup standings, garnering a series-leading six Bud Pole Awards and 14 top-five finishes in 36 starts. He also got his first Cup victory when he took the checkered flag at the New Hampshire 300.
Newman's No. 12 ALLTEL Ford was running at the end of each of the final 19 races of the 2002 season. During that stretch, he earned nine top-five finishes, including a win at New Hampshire. When all was said and done, Newman was named the 2002 Cup Rookie of the Year, edging fellow freshman Jimmie Johnson in a close battle.
In 2003, Newman won eight NASCAR Cup races, leading the series in victories to go along with 11 pole positions, the most of any competitor and the most in a single season since 1985.
The next season Newman was again atop of the pole standings with nine, including four consecutive from Charlotte through Phoenix late in the season. He qualified 10th for the inaugural "Chase for the Cup," but his title hopes came to end with four DNFs in the last 10 races. His season was exemplified in the finale at Homestead where, while leading with three laps remaining, cut a tire resulting in an accident and 30th-place finish.
In 2005, Newman equaled his best finish in the standings - sixth - for the third time in his career. Although he only visited Victory Lane once in the Cup Series, he was able to score six Nationwide Series wins in just nine starts.
The 2006 season turned out to be disastrous for Newman, who was driving alongside new teammate Kurt Busch. In 42 combined Cup (36) and Nationwide Series (6) races, Newman failed to score a victory for the first time since 2000 – when he drove just one Cup race. In Cup competition, Newman scored just two top-five finishes, seven top-10 results and just two pole positions (his lowest total since 2001). All of that added up to an 18th-place finish in the championship standings.
In 2007, Newman added five more pole wins to his Cup Series record, had seven top-five finishes, and 15 top-10s, finishing the 2007 Cup season 13th.
Newman was back in the spotlight at the beginning of 2008, as he won the 50th Running of the Daytona 500 with a push in the end from then teammate Kurt Busch. The win was Newman's first in 81 NASCAR Cup races.
But Newman's success didn't remain for the rest of the season. He only managed to score one more top five on the season and a total of eight top 10s.
Newman also ended his relationship with Penske Racing at the conclusion of the 2008 season, and joins the new Newman-Haas Racing team driving the No. 39 Army Chevrolet for the 2009 season.
