An ill-handling racecar hampered Ryan Newman for most of the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday night at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway, leading to a 13th-place finish in the non-points event.

Newman battled a tight-handling No. 39 Aspen Dental Chevrolet from the drop of the green flag. When rain midway through the first segment brought out the red flag, contrary to traditional rules, crews were permitted to make adjustments to their racecars before the race resumed some 45 minutes later. Crew chief Matt Borland elected to take four tires and make wedge and shock adjustments in hopes of getting the blue-and-white machine dialed in to Newman’s liking.

The Aspen Dental team decided to come to pit road at the end of the first three 20-lap segments, continuing to make multiple chassis adjustments to help improve the handling of Newman’s racecar. But it seemed those adjustments only made matters worse for Newman, as he continued to struggle with the handling.

Once the field took the green flag for the fourth 20-lap dash, Newman made an aggressive move that saw him make contact with the No. 18 car of Kyle Busch. The contact resulted in a tire rub, which fortunately was fixed after a timely caution flag was displayed at lap 67. Newman pitted, and the Aspen Dental team made the necessary repairs along with another wedge adjustment. By the end of the fourth segment, Newman was shown in the 15th position.

After coming to pit road for the mandatory pit stop at the end of the fourth segment, Newman started the fifth and final segment – which was just 10 laps – in 15th place. He continued to struggle over the final 10 laps and finished the night in 13thplace.

“We battled a lack of grip, a lack of track position and handling issues all night,” said Newman, who has participated in each All-Star Race since joining the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series as a rookie in 2002, the year he won the non-points event. “The front end wasn’t right tonight. The guys kept adjusting on the Aspen Dental Chevrolet, but it seemed like every adjustment had adverse effects. I don’t know that we would have been better toward the front of the pack and in clean air, but we never really had the opportunity to find out, either. I think we’ll be able to apply some of what we learned here tonight for next weekend.”

Jimmie Johnson won the All-Star Race, his record-breaking fourth victory in 12 All-Star starts, breaking a tie with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt for the most All-Star Race wins. Johnson’s past All-Star Race victories came in 2003, 2006 and 2012.

Joey Logano finished 1.722 seconds behind Johnson in the runner-up spot, while Kyle Busch, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch rounded out the top-five. Denny Hamlin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jamie McMurray, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards comprised the remainder of the top-10.

McMurray won the Sprint Showdown to advance into the All-Star Race. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. finished second to McMurray to also advance into the All-Star Race.

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series returns to point-paying racing Sunday, May 26 with the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. The longest race on the Sprint Cup schedule gets underway at 6 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by FOX beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Thanks to a win at Martinsville Speedway last season, Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet, is in this weekend’s field of the Sprint All-Star Race. Check out the press release to get all the details on Saturday’s event.

In some ways, getting into the Sprint All-Star Race is like getting into an exclusive club. Those not on the VIP list are going to be standing on the other side of the velvet rope without access to the events inside.

The criteria for getting onto the invite list were determined long ago. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race winners from 2012 and 2013, All-Star Race winners and Sprint Cup Series champions from the last 10 years are all welcomed. There’s some room at the bottom of the list reserved for the top-two finishers in the Sprint Showdown, the 40-lap race that immediately precedes the All-Star Race each year. And, the top Sprint Fan Vote driver – there’s a space for him or her. Beyond that, you’re going to be shut out of the exclusive event.

By virtue of his win at Martinsville Speedway in April 2012, Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Aspen Dental® Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), has earned an invitation to participate in Saturday night’s All-Star Race at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. Newman certainly knows how to get the job done when it comes to the annual classic, as he claimed the prestigious win in 2002. On that night, Newman wasn’t even qualified to race in the main event at the start of the night but raced his way in by winning what is now known as the Showdown.

After that already amazing feat, Newman and his rookie team had nothing to lose. After all, they weren’t even supposed to be part of the show. The team strategized, Newman drove his race and they all benefited when fans voted to invert the field for the final 20 laps. He took the lead with 17 laps to go and never looked back. With that win, Newman and his team proved that a new kid on the circuit had what it took to come out on top. He became only the second rookie in series history to win the All-Star Race.

The No. 39 team will be joined by another VIP: Tina Johnson is the latest Aspen Dental patient to be included on the rear quarter-panel of Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet. Continuing on a program that started in 2012, Johnson, a patient of the Aspen Dental office in Waukesha, Wis., was selected to have her photo featured on the No. 39 Chevrolet based on comments she provided regarding her dental treatment on the Aspen Dental Facebook page. Not only will she be along for the ride this weekend, she’ll spend the next three Sprint Cup races riding along with Newman, as well.

For those who will be fortunate enough to be at the track this weekend, there may be no better way to show off their smiles than in victory lane alongside the No. 39 Chevrolet.

The VIP action doesn’t stop at Charlotte. Keep an eye on the Aspen Dental Facebook wall this week for an opportunity that could really make this summer one to remember.

RYAN NEWMAN, Driver of the No. 39 Aspen Dental Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What makes the All-Star Race so different from any other race?

“When push comes to shove in the All-Star Race on Saturday night, you do what you have to do to win. This race is about the glory and the big prize. There are no points on the line so, the way I see it, you want to either win it or bring back just the steering wheel in your hands, knowing you did everything you could to be the best of the best that night.”

What is it about the All-Star Race that you like so much as a driver?

“I think one of the coolest things about the All-Star Race for us is that it’s a short race. It’s kind of like the races we all grew up racing. It’s a ‘make-your-move-and-make-it-now’ kind of thing. It’s a unique layout and, to me, that’s what makes it fun. You have the different segments and the rules, and the strategy changes each and every lap. The All-Star Race is huge in our eyes because it’s the All-Star Race and it’s in our backyard – everybody’s backyard. It’s all about bragging rights. We’re all about beating each other at our own game at our home field, I guess you would say. It’s definitely a challenging race but it’s a lot of fun. Everyone wants to come out on top not just for the $1 million, but also for the bragging rights. ” 

In 2002, you got your first-ever NASCAR Sprint Cup Series win in the non-points-paying All-Star Race. Talk a little bit about that All-Star win and what it meant to you.

“Honestly, until I won the Daytona 500 in 2008, the win in the All-Star Race was my greatest win, I thought, as a driver and as a team. What we did and what we achieved that night, it’s all for the glory. Obviously, there’s some money on the line, but you’re in your own backyard and you’re in everybody’s backyard. When you win on the home field and it’s the race that’s the All-Star Race, it meant a lot to me. We weren’t even expected to be in it and that’s why it was even sweeter, yet, because we had to race our way in. I mean, we raced our way into the race and got the invert and walked away with it for a while, there. It was a close finish at the end, with (Dale) Earnhardt Jr. It was just a great team victory and that’s what we’re here for as a team and as an organization – to put those events together – and it usually doesn’t happen like that. In an All-Star Race, it’s that much more pride.”

What is your favorite moment at Charlotte Motor Speedway?

“My All-Star win was really my only one. I won an ARCA race there. We led every lap. And I won a Nationwide race there. That was a lot of fun. But the All-Star Race, when we raced our way into the race and then started last, made the cut, then got the invert and had a fast racecar, that was really cool because nobody expected us to even be in the race. When you race your way in, then beat the best, in my opinion, that was a true All-Star moment.”

Ryan Newman, driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet picked up his 10th top-10 finish at Darlington Raceway. Check out the press release below to get all the info on Ryan’s fifth top-10 finish.

Ryan Newman and the No. 39 Quicken Loans team of Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) “engineered” an impressive run that resulted in a 10th-place finish in the Southern 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Saturday night at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.

“That was a really good comeback by our Quicken Loans team,” said Newman, who has 10 top-10 finishes in 15 career starts at the 1.366-mile oval. “Our racecar was loose pretty much all night up until that last run, but Matt Borland (crew chief) and the guys kept adjusting on it and working on it trying to make it better. They really just didn’t give up, and we were able to get the ‘Lucky Dog’ two different times to get back on the lead lap, and we ended up with a top-10 finish. I’m just really proud of how hard these guys battled tonight.”

Newman, who started 21st, fought a loose-handling racecar for the majority of the 367-lap event. Despite his struggles, Newman managed to stay inside the top-20 throughout the event. But extended green-flag runs resulted in Newman losing track position, and the Quicken Loans machine fell one lap down to the race leaders by lap 115.

Luckily, a caution at lap 125 played in to Newman’s favor, as he was the first car one lap down and was awarded the “Lucky Dog” and allowed to get back on the lead lap.

Borland called for a variety of chassis adjustments during the race to aid Newman’s loose-handling condition, including track bar, wedge and air pressure adjustments. But as the laps clicked off, the handling characteristics of the Quicken Loans Chevy didn’t improve as much as Newman needed to gain spots on the racetrack. Another long stretch of green flag racing led to Newman going one lap down to the leaders a second time at lap 257.

A caution flag at lap 301 afforded Newman’s team the opportunity to take a big swing at improving Newman’s “crashing loose” racecar. Borland called for four tires, fuel and air pressure adjustments in addition to making a packer adjustment to the right-front shock.

Newman returned to the track in 13th place, one lap down, with one goal before the end of the race – to put the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet in position to get back on the lead lap should the caution flag wave. Newman was able to do that when a caution came out at lap 328.

Back on the lead lap in 13th place, Newman was able to move up three spots in the closing laps to finish 10th.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 15th.

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 28th. It was Patrick’s 21st career Sprint Cup start and her second at Darlington.

Matt Kenseth won the Southern 500 to score his 27th career Sprint Cup victory, his third of the season and his first at Darlington.

Denny Hamlin finished 3.155 seconds behind Kenseth in the runner-up spot, while Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson and Kevin Harvick rounded out the top-five. Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Juan Pablo Montoya, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Newman comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were five caution periods for 25 laps, with eight drivers failing to finish the 367-lap race.

With round 11 of 36 complete, Newman continues to lead the SHR contingent in the championship point standings. He maintained his 17th position in the standings and has 276 points, 147 back of series leader Johnson and 39 points behind 10th-place Harvick. Stewart moved up one spot to 21st in the standings and has 253 points, 170 out of first and 62 behind Harvick. Patrick dropped one spot to 28th in the standings and has 196 points, 227 behind Johnson and 119 away from Harvick.

Fifteen races remain before the 12-driver, 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins Sept. 15 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Only the top-10 in points are locked into the Chase. Positions 11 and 12 in the Chase are wild cards, awarded to the two drivers between 11th and 20th in points with the most wins. If multiple drivers have the same number of wins, a driver’s point standing serves as the tiebreaker.

Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished 10 spots behind Stenhouse, who placed 18th.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race on Saturday, May 18 at Charlotte (N.C.) Motor Speedway. The non-point-paying event begins at 7:30 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by SPEED beginning with its pre-race show at 7 p.m. SPEED’s “RaceDay” begins at 4 p.m.

It’s entirely appropriate that Ryan Newman calls Darlington (S.C.) Raceway his favorite stop on the NASCAR Sprint Cup circuit.

As the story goes, the 1.366-mile oval is uniquely configured thanks to a pond that its owner refused to relocate when constructing the racetrack in the late 1940s. The track’s architect made one end of the track tight, narrow and high-banked while the other he made wide, sweeping and flat.

The resulting egg-shaped layout has created quite the challenge for engineers, crew chiefs and drivers for decades. But the small pond located right outside the racetrack was not disturbed and could still be fished.

Not surprisingly, Newman ranks the South Carolina racetrack among his favorites, considering he’s an avid outdoorsman who has been fishing as long as he has been racing – since the age of 4.

But it isn’t simply the fact there’s a pond right outside the racetrack that makes the driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) look forward to the 64th annual running of the Southern 500.

While he’s fished the pond, his affinity for the place is mostly because of its on-track action.

For Newman, there’s nothing quite like the challenges of racing at Darlington, where drivers and their teams are constantly adjusting to the tires, the bumps and the overall character of the racetrack – and racing that predominantly occurs just inches from the outside SAFER Barrier.

From racing the racetrack to racing the 42 other competitors on the track, Newman says there’s none better on the circuit. It’s the most challenging and the most rewarding. It’s also one of the most historic Sprint Cup races, which is why a win at the Southern 500 ranks among the top wins a driver can earn, in Newman’s opinion.

While the Sprint Cup veteran has yet to find victory lane at the 1.366-mile oval, he has amassed impressive stats at the “Track Too Tough To Tame.”

Newman has scored top-five finishes in half of his 14 starts at Darlington, and also has nine top-10s.

His best finish at Darlington came during his rookie campaign in the fall 2002 Southern 500. In just his second start at the legendary racetrack, Newman was 12th on the grid, led one lap and finished second to Jeff Gordon. Newman also had a third-place finish in spring 2004, fourth-place efforts in 2007 and 2009, and fifth-place runs in the spring 2002, 2005 and 2011 events at Darlington.

And since joining Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009, Newman & Company has produced solid performances at the racetrack. Newman has not started worse than sixth in the No. 39 car, and has two top-five finishes and three top-10s in four starts.

With Newman’s recent history at Darlington, this could be the year for him to “Bring it Home” in the form of a victory in the Southern 500.

RYAN NEWMAN, Driver of the No. 39 Quicken Loans Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Talk about racing at Darlington Raceway.

“Well, I’ve always said this is one of my favorite racetracks. I really look forward to it, just racing the racetrack and the competition. The way you drive this racetrack, it’s rewarding in several different aspects, but it can reach out and bite you at any second. It has always been my favorite track because you’re always adjusting. You adjust to the tires, the bumps, the character of the track. The fact that you’re running right next to the wall is challenging. It’s the most challenging track we have and that’s why I enjoy it the most.”

You mentioned that Darlington is 90 percent about the wall collecting right sides and fenders. Do you consider that something you can use to your advantage?

“I guess it’s an ally. You just have to respect the track. I enjoy racing there. I always have, from the very first lap I went there with Buddy Baker. The opportunity to drive there in the Nationwide Series was a lot of fun. On the racetrack and off, I like the area, I like the people, I like the places, I like the history of NASCAR. The racetrack just makes it that much more icing on the top of the cake, and I like icing.”

Considering the degree to which you’re racing the track there versus racing your opponents, how aggressive can you afford to be? How bold can you afford to be at Darlington? Is there an element of patience that you need to be successful?

“It’s more like 90 percent racing the racetrack and 10 percent racing the competition. But there are times where it can be almost 50 percent racing the competition, like on restarts. You have to just be respectful of the racetrack, respectful of the wall. Any kind of slip-up and you can get in trouble. It’s not like at Richmond, where you get a little hot, you can slide up to the second lane. It doesn’t happen like that at Darlington. You ride up to the second lane, your right side is 6 inches from the wall. It’s just demanding. You have to race the racetrack the entire time. There are things that change around different racetracks, but there it’s 90 percent racing the racetrack.

“Racing-wise, I’ve always said Darlington is not the perfect racetrack. To me, it’s my favorite racetrack to drive. But, racing-wise, going three- and four-wide, you’re not going to see that at Darlington. It’s going to be a very important track-position race in the sense that, if you’re out front, it’s going to be easier to stay out front because it’s difficult to pass there. It’s always been a give-and-take racetrack. It’s a give-and-take racetrack when it comes to passing.”

What would a win at Darlington mean to you?

“Winning a Southern 500 at Darlington has always been a goal of mine. For me, personally, it ranks right up there with the Daytona 500, the Brickyard and the Coca-Cola 600, as a race I want to win before I retire. I’ve always considered myself to be a driver who appreciates the history of our sport and someone who respects the drivers, the races – really, everything that has come before us. The Southern 500 is part of this sport’s heritage. It’s tradition. It’s been such an important race and the track has been such a legendary place to race that, to be added to the list of drivers who have won it – David Pearson, Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty – is a dream of mine.”

Ryan Newman had a strong Haas Automation Chevrolet Sunday at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway, a car he thought could contend for the win. Unfortunately, it wasn’t meant to be for the No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team in the marathon adventure that was the Aaron’s 499. Newman could not avoid the inevitable “big one” that occurred in the final laps of the event, as the multi-car accident on lap 184 eliminated him from the race, resulting in a 32nd-place finish.

Newman’s crew decided to play it safe in practice Friday, limiting the amount of laps spent on track drafting. Knowing the “big one,” the multi-car accident that typically happens at Talladega, can strike even in practice, Newman’s on-track activity was limited to just 15 laps in the first session. Crew chief Matt Borland made the call to hold Haas Automation driver Newman out of the second session.

Rain forced the cancellation of qualifying Saturday for the Aaron’s 499. So the 43-car field was set by taking the fastest lap each driver posted during Friday’s first practice session, per the NASCAR rulebook. Thanks to Newman’s fifth-fastest lap, the No. 39 Chevrolet SS took the green flag from the fifth position Sunday.

Newman’s plan was to take a cautious approach at the beginning of the race, given his history at Talladega where more often than not, he has been left with battered racecars that were towed into the garage area. Newman dropped from his fifth-place starting position in the early going, opting to ride at the back of the pack rather than be caught in an incident. The decision proved to be the right one when, on lap 44, a multi-car accident occurred in front of him. He was able to avoid the carnage and kept to the strategy of riding at the back of the pack until heavy rain at lap 124 delayed the race for three hours, 36 minutes.

Following the lengthy red flag, Newman restarted the race in 14th place. He waited patiently to make his move toward the front. But in the closing stages of the race, the intensity began to build. At lap 184, the second “big one” struck, and Newman was in the middle of it. The No. 78 machine of Kurt Busch was sent barrel-rolling, eventually coming to rest on the hood of Newman’s Chevrolet. The damage sustained in the incident eliminated Newman from the event, leaving him 32nd in the finishing order.

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Tracker Boats Chevrolet SS, led the way for SHR by finishing 27th. Stewart was involved in the multi-car accident on lap 44. He was able to return to the race but finished five laps down.

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 33rd after also being caught in the wreck that eliminated Newman. It was Patrick’s 20th career Sprint Cup start and her first at Talladega.

David Ragan won the Aaron’s 499 to break a 64-race winless streak. The win is his second career Sprint Cup victory and his first at Talladega.

Ragan’s Front Row Motorsports teammate David Gilliland finished .212 of a second behind Ragan in the runner-up spot while Carl Edwards, Michael Waltrip and Jimmie Johnson rounded out the top-five. Regan Smith, Matt Kenseth, Martin Truex Jr., Scott Speed and Aric Almirola comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were five caution periods for 31 laps, with 11 drivers failing to finish the 192-lap race, which was extended four laps by a green-white-checkered finish.

With round 10 of 36 complete, Newman continues to lead the SHR contingent in the championship point standings. He fell one spot to 17th and has 242 points, 141 back of series leader Johnson and 38 points behind 10th-place Greg Biffle. Stewart maintained his 22nd-place standing and has 224 points, 159 out of first and 56 behind Biffle. Patrick dropped one spot to 27th place in the standings and has 180 points, 203 behind Johnson and 100 away from Biffle.

Sixteen races remain before the 12-driver, 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins Sept. 15 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Only the top-10 in points are locked into the Chase. Positions 11 and 12 in the Chase are wild cards, awarded to the two drivers between 11th and 20th in points with the most wins. If multiple drivers have the same number of wins, a driver’s point standing serves as the tiebreaker.

Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished 20 spots behind Stenhouse, who placed 13th.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Southern 500 Saturday, May 11 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway. The race starts at 6:45 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 6 p.m.

Historically, Ryan Newman has had his ups and downs at Talladega Supersweedway. Check out the press release to get Ryan’s thoughts on the upcoming race.

It shouldn’t be surprising to see Ryan Newman cringe at the mere mention of Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway.

There have been times of feast or famine for the Haas Automation driver at the 2.66-mile superspeedway. In 22 races at the largest track on the Sprint Cup circuit, he has 11 finishes of 16th or better, including four top-fives and eight top-10s. It’s the other 11 finishes that have been less than kind to Newman. Those are the results that have played a part in making his average Talladega finish 22.4, which happens to be his worst of the active tracks on the Sprint Cup Series schedule.

Newman and his Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) team have endured more than their fair share of trials and tribulations at the Alabama racetrack. Over the past few seasons, the No. 39 Chevrolet has been involved in a series of accidents that have left his racecar with everything from minimal damage to complete destruction. It seems, as of late, that wherever Newman finds himself on the racetrack, trouble doesn’t have a hard time chasing him down.

Newman has been involved in some of the most dramatic wrecks in recent Talladega history. He’s been turned end-over-end, and has landed on his roof in the infield grass. He’s found himself involved in the “big one” on more than one occasion. So, it would be no surprise that, when it comes to Talladega Superspeedway, Newman may focus on the negatives rather than the positives.

However, Newman has proven in the past that he can get it done when it comes to superspeedway racing. Case in point, Newman claimed the checkered flag at Talladega’s sister facility, Daytona (Fla.) International Speedway, in the 2008 running of the Daytona 500. And, in his first start at Talladega for SHR in April 2009, Newman recorded his best finish there when he crossed the finish line third. But even that wasn’t without incident as it came in dramatic fashion. Carl Edwards’ racecar flipped over Newman’s hood and windshield before slamming into the catchfence that separates the frontstretch from the grandstands as Newman made his way to the checkered flag. Despite not being able to see through the massive front-end damage his car received during the incident, Newman was able to drive his No. 39 Chevrolet across the finish line.

So while the fans will likely be on the edge of their seats lap after lap in anticipation of the “big one,” don’t be surprised if Newman is, as well. Having a good finish will require patience, skill, mental prowess, a fast Haas Automation Chevrolet and, of course, being in the right place at the right time when the white flag waves. And, if he’s to score another top-three finish like he did in 2009, he wouldn’t mind at all if it comes in a less dramatic fashion.

RYAN NEWMAN, Driver of the No. 39 Haas Automation Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

What does it take to have a good, clean finish at Talladega?

“I wish I knew the answer to that. We’ve been on the short end of the stick at Talladega for the past few years. To be successful at Talladega, you’ve got to keep yourself in the hunt so you can be there at the end. If you have a good car, you can stay toward the front all day. If you don’t, you have to put yourself in a position that will allow you to be in the best possible position at the end. It’s as simple, or as complex, as that.”

You’ve had some bad experiences at Talladega and have been quite vocal about the racing there. So, what are your thoughts on coming to Talladega and how do you approach the weekend?

“I wouldn’t say I dread coming to Talladega. It’s not my favorite racetrack, but I don’t say I dread it. I love doing what I do. I love driving a racecar, even at Talladega. I think the difference is there’s more potential to get involved in something not of your making there, and that’s frustrating to me. But that’s not just me. Everyone hopes they can avoid the big crash there. And, to be honest, when you’re up front at Talladega, it’s great. When you’re not, it can be miserable. When you’re the recipient of somebody else’s lack of judgment, then it’s not easy to talk about it. And that’s pretty much it. It’s just that there is way more potential for that than there is at most other racetracks. So, I don’t think I’m any different than anybody else. I’d love to win the race but, when I’m the recipient of somebody else’s misjudgment, that’s even more aggravating to me.”

How mentally demanding is racing at tracks like Talladega and Daytona?

“Honestly, you prepare yourself from the moment you get to the track and you know that you’re going to be using your head a lot when it comes to this type of racing. It’s a high-speed chess match. You have to know what you are doing and pay attention to what the people around you are doing. But I go into the race ready for it. It’s really hard on the mind just as far as what’s going to play out, working together and really being on top of things. You have to think one step ahead. It’s definitely a different mindset. I just think you have to be ready for it.”

Ryan Newman finished in the same position as he qualified at Richmond International Raceway: 15th. Read the press release to find out about Saturday night’s race.

Ryan Newman struggled with an ill-handling Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet SS and finished 15th in the Toyota Owners 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Saturday night at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway.

Newman started 15th, but a tight-handling racecar saw him fall to 19th in the opening laps. Crew chief Matt Borland called for track bar and air pressure adjustments each time Newman came to pit road, which improved the handling characteristics of the car. But Newman continued to struggle as the laps clicked off, and his concerns of abusing the right-front tire saw him play it safe throughout the first half of the race.

Shortly after a restart at lap 240, Joey Logano made a move to the outside of Newman’s Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet. As he made the move, Kasey Kahne dove to his inside, placing Newman in the middle of a three-wide scenario. Newman showed his displeasure in the following laps by hitting Kahne’s car from behind. Unfortunately, the contact had adverse effects for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) driver Newman, as tape was removed from the grille of his racecar, resulting in a change to the handling characteristics once again.

A timely caution period at lap 293 gave Newman the opportunity he needed to hit pit road to rectify the situation. Another caution period just a handful of laps later saw Newman stay on the racetrack to gain track position, a move that would see him advance to fourth place at lap 321.

But on the following restart, Newman began to drop through the field as he was unable to fend off the competition. When the checkered flag dropped, Newman was 15th.

“It was a long, challenging night,” Newman said. “We didn’t hit on what we needed to with our Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet. Matt Borland and the guys kept working on it all night, and we made some improvements on it, but we never got it where we needed it to be. It certainly wasn’t the finish we were expecting tonight at Richmond, but I’ve got to thank all the guys at Stewart-Haas Racing for all their hard work.”

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Rush Truck Centers/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 18th, while Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 29th.

Kevin Harvick won the Toyota Owners 400 to score his 20th career Sprint Cup victory, his first of the season and his third at Richmond.

Clint Bowyer finished .343 of a second behind Harvick in the runner-up spot, while Joey Logano, Juan Pablo Montoya and Jeff Burton rounded out the top-five. Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth, Aric Almirola, Kurt Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were 11 caution periods for 75 laps, with six drivers failing to finish the 406-lap race, which was extended six laps by a green-white-checkered finish.

With round nine of 36 complete, Newman continues to lead the SHR contingent in the championship point standings. He moved up one spot to 16th and has 229 points, 114 back of series leader Jimmie Johnson and 42 points behind 10th-place Paul Menard. Stewart fell one spot to 22nd place in the standings and has 207 points, 136 out of first and 64 behind Menard. Patrick dropped one spot to 26th place in the standings and has 169 points, 174 behind Johnson and 102 away from Menard.

Seventeen races remain before the 12-driver, 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins Sept. 15 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Only the top-10 in points are locked into the Chase. Positions 11 and 12 in the Chase are wild cards, awarded to the two drivers between 11th and 20th in points with the most wins. If multiple drivers have the same number of wins, a driver’s point standing serves as the tiebreaker.

Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished 13 spots behind Stenhouse, who placed 16th.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Aaron’s 499 Sunday, May 5 at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway. The race starts at 1 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at noon.

Looking at Ryan Newman’s stats at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, it’s fairly easy to see why the driver of the No. 39 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR) is looking forward to Saturday night’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race.

In 22 Sprint Cup starts at the .75-mile oval, Newman has a pole, a win, five top-five and 13 top-10 finishes, and has led 450 laps. Richmond has been a stout venue for Newman, who recorded consecutive second-place finishes in his first two starts at “The Action Track.” His average finishing position of 11.6 makes Richmond best among all tracks for the 16-time race winner. 

For Newman, Richmond couldn’t come soon enough. Needing a breakout performance to quiet skeptics who have written off the SHR teams as contenders in 2013, there’s no better place to prove them wrong.

While the 12-driver Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship field is far from being set, if Newman is to be included in the group come September, wins and strong finishes are what he needs. Just as signs of spring are blossoming around Richmond, it’s time, too, for Newman to do the same in the point standings. Ranked 17th heading into this weekend, it’s time for the No. 39 team to bloom. And there would be no better way than scoring his first “Bloomin’” win of the season this weekend. 

With Outback Steakhouse making the first of three 2013 appearances as primary sponsor of Newman’s No. 39 Chevrolet this weekend at Richmond, memories of last year’s spring race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway evoke memories of that fateful day. Newman scored his only win of the 2012 season at the other Virginia venue, and did so with the Tampa, Fla.-based steakhouse across the hood of his racecar.

Outback Steakhouse has been celebrating Newman’s top-10 finishes since last season with a free Bloomin’ Onion® for its customers on Mondays. Come Saturday night, Newman would like nothing more than to relive last year’s April success at Martinsville – by scoring his first “Bloomin’” win of the 2013 season at Richmond.

RYAN NEWMAN, Driver of the No. 39 Outback Steakhouse Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Talk about heading to Richmond this week.

“I’m looking forward to heading to Richmond this weekend. It’s a great short track, and it’s unique as far as a short track goes because of its length and shape. We don’t really have another racetrack like it. It’s a racetrack I always look forward to going to. We’ve struggled a little bit with right-front tires at short tracks this season, so I look forward to getting on track and seeing if we’ve got those issues resolved. It’s the first race with Outback Steakhouse as the primary sponsor on our No. 39 Chevrolet and, if you look back to last year, the first time we had them on the car, we won the race at Martinsville.”

What do you need out of your car at Richmond?

“The biggest thing at Richmond is it’s pretty high braking, so you have to keep a brake pedal in the car all night. But, like I’ve always said, using that brake pedal is one of the reasons I enjoy short-track racing so much. As a driver, it’s important for me to be smart on the racetrack and keep my head about me. Track position at Richmond is typically pretty important. It’s hard to make up a lot of ground there. You can go from the back to the front, but it takes a lot of the race to do it. It’s also a place where strategy, as far as getting off-sequence on tires, has potential to make a big difference. So this is a big race where not only is it important for the driver to be at his best, but the pit crew has to be on top of it all night. We need to maintain and gain positions in the pits. It all depends on how the yellows fly, too.”

How difficult is it to make passes at Richmond?

“I’d say this is not the easiest place or it’s not the hardest place at the same time as far as passing. It is great side-by-side racing at Richmond. I enjoy it. I’ve won there. We did it in 2003, staying out on old tires, and had a good car to be able to do that.”

Talk about your 2013 season. It’s still early but, obviously, the goal is to make the Chase and contend for the championship.

“Well, we have two DNF’s (did not finish). We need to not have any more DNF’s if we’re going to make the Chase. We’ve got four top-10s, and those have definitely helped us in points, but those two DNF’s just knock you out of it. It’s like getting three A’s, and two F’s –you wind up with a C-plus average. We need to have an A-minus or B-plus average if we’re going to make the Chase. We need to pull the average up.”

Ryan Newman was unable to keep up his speed during the final laps of the STP 400 at Kansas Speedway. Read the press release to find out all about his 14th-place finish.

Ryan Newman looked to contend for his fifth top-10 finish of the 2013 season in the STP 400 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race Sunday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan., but a lack of speed over the closing laps saw former Kansas winner Newman fade to 14th at the checkered flag.

Newman struggled early with a tight-handling No. 39 Code 3 Associates Chevrolet, dropping from his ninth-place starting spot to as low as 25th at lap 80. Crew chief Matt Borland kept calling for chassis adjustments on each pit stop, but the changes were eventually too much, as the racecar began to break loose exiting the corners at each end of the 1.5-mile speedway.

As the field remained under green flag conditions at the mid-point of the 267-lap race, the leaders began coming to pit road for their scheduled stops. Borland left Newman on the track, and the No. 39 was displayed at the top of the leaderboard for two laps. A handful of laps later, a single-car spin on the backstretch brought out the caution flag. Borland and Newman agreed to stay on the track rather than come to pit road, a move that saw Newman advance to the fifth position for the restart.

Over the closing laps of the race, Newman struggled with a lack of speed. He waged spirited battles, fighting for each position, but fell to 14th in the closing laps.

“We struggled a little bit today with our Code 3 Associates Chevrolet,” Newman said. “The guys made good adjustments, and we used pit strategy to get some track position toward the end of the race, but we didn’t have the speed we needed to keep it up there. It was a good effort by everyone on this No. 39 team. We learned a lot today. We’ll head to Richmond next week and see what we can do there.”

Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 14 Bass Pro Shops/Mobil 1 Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 21st.

Danica Patrick, driver of the No. 10 GoDaddy.com Chevrolet SS for SHR, finished 25th in her 18th career Sprint Cup start and her second at Kansas.

Matt Kenseth won the STP 400 to score his 26th career Sprint Cup victory, his second of the season and his second at Kansas.

Kasey Kahne finished .150 of a second behind Kenseth in the runner-up spot, while Jimmie Johnson, Martin Truex Jr. and Clint Bowyer rounded out the top-five. Brad Keselowski, Jamie McMurray, Aric Almirola, Mark Martin and Paul Menard comprised the remainder of the top-10.

There were eight caution periods for 40 laps, with 10 drivers failing to finish the 267-lap race.

With round eight of 36 complete, Newman leads the SHR contingent in the championship point standings but dropped one spot to 17th. He has 200 points, 111 back of series leader Johnson and 40 points behind 10th-place Menard. Stewart moved up one spot to 21st in the standings and has 181 points, 130 out of first and 59 behind Menard. Patrick also moved up one spot and is 25th with 154 points, 157 behind Johnson and 86 away from Menard.

Eighteen races remain before the 12-driver, 10-race Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup begins Sept. 15 at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill. Only the top-10 drivers in points are locked into the Chase. Positions 11 and 12 in the Chase are wild cards, awarded to the two drivers between 11th and 20th in points with the most wins. If multiple drivers have the same number of wins, a driver’s point standing serves as the tiebreaker.

Patrick, who is competing for Rookie of the Year honors against Ricky Stenhouse Jr., finished 14 spots behind Stenhouse, who placed 11th.

The next event on the Sprint Cup schedule is the Toyota Owners 400 Saturday, April 27 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway. The race starts at 7:30 p.m. EDT, with live coverage provided by FOX beginning with its pre-race show at 7 p.m.

Ryan Newman picked up his fourth top-10 finish of the season last week at Texas Motor Speedway. Can he earn no. 5 in Kansas? Check out the press release to find out more about the STP 400!

When a natural disaster strikes, coordinated efforts between architects, construction crews, local residents, individuals and volunteer groups focus their energies on recovery and rebuilding. Getting the area functioning as it was before the devastation becomes a priority for those involved.

While numerous organizations dedicate themselves to both relieving human suffering and the rebuilding efforts, the plight of animals affected by the disaster is almost an afterthought. That’s where Code 3 Associates, Inc., comes in. A 501(c)(3) non-profit, Code 3 is dedicated to providing professional animal disaster response and resources to communities, as well as providing professional training to individuals and agencies involved in emergency response. The group, founded in 1985, accomplishes its mission through hands-on animal rescue and care operations during disaster events in the United States and Canada.

Code 3 is mostly known for its dedication to animal rescue and recovery. However, Code 3 annually spend nearly 20 weeks traveling the country to provide a series of educational training courses to individuals and agencies involved in animal-related law enforcement and emergencies.

Many of Code 3’s students have utilized their training experiences to make substantial differences in their communities, including Krista Kurvers. A former law enforcement officer who worked with a K-9 unit, Kurvers now works with Code 3 as part of the group’s animal welfare training staff.

After leaving the force, Kurvers moved to Las Vegas, where she joined the city of Las Vegas as part of its Animal Control division. In 2007, when her supervisor brought Code 3 in for training, Kurvers found herself wanting to get more involved with the group. She attended every class she could and became certified in Cruelty Investigations and Equine Cruelty Investigations before taking training on the disaster preparations that are part of Code 3’s curriculum. In March of 2012, Kurvers joined Code 3 as a full-time employee. For her efforts with Code 3, she is getting to spend the Kansas race weekend as a special guest of the group.

Not only has Code 3 expanded its disaster response efforts, but the team of five full-time employees and 16 instructors has also increased its humane education class topics and reach. Code 3 has roughly 75 professional responders around the country with highly trained response team leaders and dedicated volunteers working to further the mission. Additionally, via a partnership with Colorado State University, more than 300 students a year have gone through training classes taught by Code 3 Associates.

Code 3’s partnership with driver Ryan Newman and the Stewart-Haas Racing NASCAR Sprint Cup Series team is a natural fit, as animal rescue and welfare is a passion for both Newman and his wife Krissie, and the precise mission of the Ryan Newman Foundation. In addition to educating and encouraging people to spay or neuter their pets, the foundation also encourages people to rescue and adopt dogs and cats from animal shelters.

In 2005, an estimated 600,000 companion animals were killed, displaced or even trapped in homes where the animals were left to drown or starve when Hurricane Katrina struck the Gulf Coast. Animals were refused entry to shelters, leaving their owners to make the difficult decision to abandon them in order to care for themselves.

In September of that year, after Hurricane Katrina struck, Krissie Newman and representatives from both Ryan Newman Motorsports and the Ryan Newman Foundation traveled to Gulfport, Miss., with supplies for people and their pets. The group spent a week traveling to New Orleans, Jefferson Parish and Slidell, La., to distribute the supplies and food to Hurricane Katrina victims. The experience opened the eyes of the Newmans about the tremendous need for disaster training for the pets and families with pets who are victims of disasters in our country. Since then, the Newmans have raised hundreds of thousands of dollars through their efforts with their foundation to support various animal causes.

Through years of growth and change, Code 3’s mission remains the same – to provide professional disaster response for animal needs, and to train individuals involved in animal-related law enforcement and emergency response to safely and effectively carry out their responsibilities to the animals and people in their communities.

RYAN NEWMAN, Driver of the No. 39 Code 3 Associates Chevrolet SS for Stewart-Haas Racing:

Does finishing well after having a not-too-spectacular run last week at Texas give you momentum? Does it at least give you confidence knowing that, if you’re not fast off the truck, you can overcome in the race?

“Well, it’s a rebound, for sure, from our poor finish at Martinsville. It’s been like that this year, where we’ve been good one week, maybe two in a row, then we have a problem the next week. If we can get the valleys out of our drive, then the peaks will be that much better and we can keep climbing in the point standings. Overall, it was a good points weekend for us. A 10th-place finish isn’t bad, but it’s a lot better than 31st, where we qualified.”

You’re up to 17th in the point standings. You have four top-10 finishes. Brad Keselowski has the most of any driver with six. So, you’re right about the valleys.

“If we can get rid of those valleys, it’ll be much better for us. But, our peaks need to get better, too. We need to be talking about having sixth-place top-10 finishes instead of 10th, and second-place top-five finishes instead of fifth. Those are the things we need to work on and, as a team, we’re doing that. It doesn’t ever come easy, in any form or fashion.”

What’s it like racing at Kansas Speedway since the reconfiguration?

“It’s faster, obviously. We had a lot of grip with the tire compound that Goodyear brought last year, which is equally as important a part of the repave as the asphalt that’s used. We learned last year what a difference it made when the sun came out, what it did to the racetrack. It allowed us to lay more rubber down and move around more. The more laps we turned, the more rubber we put down, and the more the track changed.”