Angie Fulgham, Official Fan Reporter
|
Get to know me -
click here |

Slipping Away
August 28, 2016
Ryan Newman lost 15 points in the Chase standings, putting him below the cutoff line after finishing 17th during the Pure Michigan 400. Ryan is attempting to make the Chase for the third straight year, but without any wins this season the team is depending on consistency to get them in the playoffs. Ryan qualified 10th in his Freightliner Chevy running in the top-15 the majority of the race. During the first pit stop, Luke Lambert elected to take right side tires, fuel and a round of wedge adjustments. The team continued to better the handling throughout the race.
Ryan lined up 11th in the low line with nine laps to go after a two-tire stop. Kyle Larson spun his tires in Ryan’s lane causing everyone to check up. Ryan was stuck in the middle as Jamie McMurray drove to the inside making it four wide. Ryan was shuffled back ruining his chances at a top-10 finish. He would finish 17th.
"We were a much better car than 17th" - Ryan Newman
With two races left before the Chase begins, Ryan is looking forward to racing at two of his favorite tracks; Darlington and Richmond. Hopefully, he has strong finishes and makes his way back into the Chase.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
August 28, 2016
Ryan Newman lost 15 points in the Chase standings, putting him below the cutoff line after finishing 17th during the Pure Michigan 400. Ryan is attempting to make the Chase for the third straight year, but without any wins this season the team is depending on consistency to get them in the playoffs. Ryan qualified 10th in his Freightliner Chevy running in the top-15 the majority of the race. During the first pit stop, Luke Lambert elected to take right side tires, fuel and a round of wedge adjustments. The team continued to better the handling throughout the race.
Ryan lined up 11th in the low line with nine laps to go after a two-tire stop. Kyle Larson spun his tires in Ryan’s lane causing everyone to check up. Ryan was stuck in the middle as Jamie McMurray drove to the inside making it four wide. Ryan was shuffled back ruining his chances at a top-10 finish. He would finish 17th.
"We were a much better car than 17th" - Ryan Newman
With two races left before the Chase begins, Ryan is looking forward to racing at two of his favorite tracks; Darlington and Richmond. Hopefully, he has strong finishes and makes his way back into the Chase.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

Bristol
August 21, 2016
Ryan Newman had a disappointing 28th place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ryan qualified the Caterpillar Chevy in the 15th position on Friday. He walked out to the Luke Bryan song, ’Huntin', Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day’ during driver introductions. Forty-nine laps were completed Saturday night before the track lived up to the nickname “Thunder Valley” as storms moved into the area postponing the race.
Ryan started 15th when the race resumed Sunday afternoon. Ryan took left side tires during the competition caution and restarted 4th. He passed Brian Scott for the lead on lap 93, leading nine laps, his most of the season. Ryan tried to hold off Kyle Busch for the lead but was unsuccessful. Ryan fell outside the top-10.
Luke Lambert used a two-tire strategy once again to gain track position. Unfortunately, Ryan cut a right side tire and made contact with the wall on lap 253 causing substantial damage to the car. Ryan brought the car in for repair, going down numerous laps to the leaders. Ryan would have tire issues again, losing more laps. After the race was red flagged for rain, Ryan restarted 27th. He was unable to advance any more positions, finishing 28th, ten laps down. Despite the finish, the team is confident about making the playoffs. Ryan is now 16th in the Chase standings with three races remaining.
“This was definitely not the result we expected coming in, but I'm proud of Luke and this entire race team who kept digging throughout the day.” - Ryan Newman
Ryan was one of fourteen drivers who took place in the tire test at Chicagoland Speedway on Tuesday. He had the fourth quickest time of all the drivers.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
August 21, 2016
Ryan Newman had a disappointing 28th place finish at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ryan qualified the Caterpillar Chevy in the 15th position on Friday. He walked out to the Luke Bryan song, ’Huntin', Fishin’ and Lovin’ Every Day’ during driver introductions. Forty-nine laps were completed Saturday night before the track lived up to the nickname “Thunder Valley” as storms moved into the area postponing the race.
Ryan started 15th when the race resumed Sunday afternoon. Ryan took left side tires during the competition caution and restarted 4th. He passed Brian Scott for the lead on lap 93, leading nine laps, his most of the season. Ryan tried to hold off Kyle Busch for the lead but was unsuccessful. Ryan fell outside the top-10.
Luke Lambert used a two-tire strategy once again to gain track position. Unfortunately, Ryan cut a right side tire and made contact with the wall on lap 253 causing substantial damage to the car. Ryan brought the car in for repair, going down numerous laps to the leaders. Ryan would have tire issues again, losing more laps. After the race was red flagged for rain, Ryan restarted 27th. He was unable to advance any more positions, finishing 28th, ten laps down. Despite the finish, the team is confident about making the playoffs. Ryan is now 16th in the Chase standings with three races remaining.
“This was definitely not the result we expected coming in, but I'm proud of Luke and this entire race team who kept digging throughout the day.” - Ryan Newman
Ryan was one of fourteen drivers who took place in the tire test at Chicagoland Speedway on Tuesday. He had the fourth quickest time of all the drivers.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

Rebound
August 7, 2016
Ryan Newman overcame a late-race spin to finish 16th in his Caterpillar Chevy at Watkins Glen International. Ryan had a fast race car qualifying in the 8th position. He drove aggressively with some great restarts despite the car's tight handling conditions. In my opinion, if the closing laps would not have been plagued by the late race cautions, Ryan would have easily finished in the top-10.
Ryan made a green-flag pit stop on lap 22 for tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, rejoining the field in the 30th position. Luke Lambert would instruct Ryan not to pit during the next caution to gain track position. Ryan restarted 5th. Lambert elected to keep Ryan on the track during a few of the yellow flag pit stops throughout the day. In the closing laps of the race, Ryan did an excellent job of not hitting anyone when he got three wide and drove over the curb. The car became loose and did a complete 360 in the middle of the track. Ryan would lose numerous positions but was able to continue on unscathed. He would restart in the 28th position following the incident.
As the field took the green with five to go the caution immediately came back out for an incident between Kevin Harvick and David Ragan. After the red flag was lifted, the race restarted with three laps to go. Ryan was able to fight his way back towards the front finishing 16th. Ryan is 11th in the Chase standings with only four races remaining.
"I hate it that we got behind there when we spun out. I did everything I could and luckily, no one hit us." - Ryan Newman
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
August 7, 2016
Ryan Newman overcame a late-race spin to finish 16th in his Caterpillar Chevy at Watkins Glen International. Ryan had a fast race car qualifying in the 8th position. He drove aggressively with some great restarts despite the car's tight handling conditions. In my opinion, if the closing laps would not have been plagued by the late race cautions, Ryan would have easily finished in the top-10.
Ryan made a green-flag pit stop on lap 22 for tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment, rejoining the field in the 30th position. Luke Lambert would instruct Ryan not to pit during the next caution to gain track position. Ryan restarted 5th. Lambert elected to keep Ryan on the track during a few of the yellow flag pit stops throughout the day. In the closing laps of the race, Ryan did an excellent job of not hitting anyone when he got three wide and drove over the curb. The car became loose and did a complete 360 in the middle of the track. Ryan would lose numerous positions but was able to continue on unscathed. He would restart in the 28th position following the incident.
As the field took the green with five to go the caution immediately came back out for an incident between Kevin Harvick and David Ragan. After the red flag was lifted, the race restarted with three laps to go. Ryan was able to fight his way back towards the front finishing 16th. Ryan is 11th in the Chase standings with only four races remaining.
"I hate it that we got behind there when we spun out. I did everything I could and luckily, no one hit us." - Ryan Newman
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

The Foggy Triangle
August 1, 2016
Ryan Newman started 5th and finished 12th during the foggy Pocono 400 on Monday. For the second time this year, Mother Nature was not a fan of racing on Sunday at Pocono Raceway. The Richard Childress cars showed a lot of speed the entire weekend, all three qualifying in the top-12.
Ryan had a solid day, running in the top-10 the majority of the race. The drivers began to race with urgency after the halfway point, as fog and drizzle loomed in the area. On lap 105, Ryan narrowly escaped being clipped in the tunnel turn by Chase Elliott. Elliott was loose and chased the car up the track making contact with Joey Logano. Luke Lambert called Ryan into the pits for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment with 36 to go.
Ryan reentered the race 18th and worked his way up to 12th before the race was red flagged due to low visibility. Ryan would finish 12th as NASCAR called the race with 22 laps remaining. Ryan was fast and hard to pass. I believe if the race would have gone back green Ryan would have finished right outside the top-5.
Ryan will be piloting the Caterpillar Chevy this weekend at Watkins Glen. Ryan says he's not sure how the track is going to be with the repave. He has an average finish of 17th at 'The Glen'. I am a big fan of this track and ready to watch Ryan turn left and right on Sunday.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
August 1, 2016
Ryan Newman started 5th and finished 12th during the foggy Pocono 400 on Monday. For the second time this year, Mother Nature was not a fan of racing on Sunday at Pocono Raceway. The Richard Childress cars showed a lot of speed the entire weekend, all three qualifying in the top-12.
Ryan had a solid day, running in the top-10 the majority of the race. The drivers began to race with urgency after the halfway point, as fog and drizzle loomed in the area. On lap 105, Ryan narrowly escaped being clipped in the tunnel turn by Chase Elliott. Elliott was loose and chased the car up the track making contact with Joey Logano. Luke Lambert called Ryan into the pits for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment with 36 to go.
Ryan reentered the race 18th and worked his way up to 12th before the race was red flagged due to low visibility. Ryan would finish 12th as NASCAR called the race with 22 laps remaining. Ryan was fast and hard to pass. I believe if the race would have gone back green Ryan would have finished right outside the top-5.
Ryan will be piloting the Caterpillar Chevy this weekend at Watkins Glen. Ryan says he's not sure how the track is going to be with the repave. He has an average finish of 17th at 'The Glen'. I am a big fan of this track and ready to watch Ryan turn left and right on Sunday.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

Newman Takes a Hit In Points
July 24, 2016
Ryan Newman took a hit in the points standings on Sunday after being involved in two late-race incidents. Ryan started 6th and finished 31st in ‘The Combat Wounded Coalition 400’. Ryan reported to Luke Lambert that the car was bad in the dirty air. Despite these handling issues Ryan raced outside the top-10 the majority of the day.
The race was uneventful as Kyle Busch put on a dominating performance leading 149 of the 170 laps. As the race approached 30 laps to go, the restarts were crazy as the drivers knew it was their only opportunity to make a move on Kyle Busch. The phrase, ‘cautions breed cautions’, would stand true in the closing laps.
It appeared as though Ryan was on his way to a top-5 finish. However, for the second week in a row, Carl Edwards made contact with Ryan causing a multi-car accident. During the restart, Edwards drifted up the track into Ryan. The contact sent Edwards hard into the wall and Ryan into the grass. Ryan’s car then slid backward up the track into Ryan Blaney.
The race was red flagged during the clean up. The 31 car had heavy damage to the front and rear. The team elected to patch the nose of the car. Ryan reentered the race in the 16th position in the hopes of salvaging at least a top-15 finish. The cars would line up once more for what we thought was the final two laps.
On the restart, however, Jamie McMurray took a hard left to an opening on the inside line, in front of Tony Stewart. The cars made contact sending McMurray up the track, body slamming Ryan. Ryan sustained more damage to the left front. With only three wheels turning, Ryan would limp the car to pit road.
The race would go into its second and final overtime as the battered Grainger Chevy sat on pit road. Ryan would finish a disappointing 31st, dropping to 13th in points.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
July 24, 2016
Ryan Newman took a hit in the points standings on Sunday after being involved in two late-race incidents. Ryan started 6th and finished 31st in ‘The Combat Wounded Coalition 400’. Ryan reported to Luke Lambert that the car was bad in the dirty air. Despite these handling issues Ryan raced outside the top-10 the majority of the day.
The race was uneventful as Kyle Busch put on a dominating performance leading 149 of the 170 laps. As the race approached 30 laps to go, the restarts were crazy as the drivers knew it was their only opportunity to make a move on Kyle Busch. The phrase, ‘cautions breed cautions’, would stand true in the closing laps.
It appeared as though Ryan was on his way to a top-5 finish. However, for the second week in a row, Carl Edwards made contact with Ryan causing a multi-car accident. During the restart, Edwards drifted up the track into Ryan. The contact sent Edwards hard into the wall and Ryan into the grass. Ryan’s car then slid backward up the track into Ryan Blaney.
The race was red flagged during the clean up. The 31 car had heavy damage to the front and rear. The team elected to patch the nose of the car. Ryan reentered the race in the 16th position in the hopes of salvaging at least a top-15 finish. The cars would line up once more for what we thought was the final two laps.
On the restart, however, Jamie McMurray took a hard left to an opening on the inside line, in front of Tony Stewart. The cars made contact sending McMurray up the track, body slamming Ryan. Ryan sustained more damage to the left front. With only three wheels turning, Ryan would limp the car to pit road.
The race would go into its second and final overtime as the battered Grainger Chevy sat on pit road. Ryan would finish a disappointing 31st, dropping to 13th in points.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

A Good Points Day
July 17, 2016
Ryan Newman qualified 25th in his Whelen Chevy for the New Hampshire 301, finishing 7th. Ryan struggled with the handling of the car running in the top-20 the majority of the race. He reported to Luke Lambert, that the car was ‘tight center-loose off’ and bad in dirty air. Lambert adjusted the car throughout the day to better the handling. Ryan went down one lap, but took the wave around at lap 218, restarting in 21st.
Ryan’s car was better the last 30 laps, as he gained valuable track position. By lap 282, Ryan had worked his way up to the 12th position. Ryan was on his way to a solid finish when things got a little dicey. During the restart with 15 laps to go, Ryan ran into the back of Carl Edwards, who made contact with Kyle Larson bringing out the last caution of the day. Ryan made it through the incident with only slight damage. Luckily, Ryan was able to continue the race gaining four more positions finishing 7th.
Ryan credited his team for keeping him in the game with the wave around, but said the team needs to perform better. With a 3rd place finish last week at Kentucky and a 7th place this week, Ryan moves up to 12th in the points standings. Ryan is consistent but to better his chances of winning the Championship, the team needs to lead laps and win races.
Ryan also drove the No. 7 Menards/Wix Filter Chevy on Saturday afternoon during the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, finishing 10th.
Ryan returns home to Indiana this weekend to compete in the Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ryan will be making his 15th career start at Indy, scoring his only win at the track in 2013 from the pole.
“The key to success at Indy is actually two things and that's downforce and horsepower.” - Ryan Newman
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
July 17, 2016
Ryan Newman qualified 25th in his Whelen Chevy for the New Hampshire 301, finishing 7th. Ryan struggled with the handling of the car running in the top-20 the majority of the race. He reported to Luke Lambert, that the car was ‘tight center-loose off’ and bad in dirty air. Lambert adjusted the car throughout the day to better the handling. Ryan went down one lap, but took the wave around at lap 218, restarting in 21st.
Ryan’s car was better the last 30 laps, as he gained valuable track position. By lap 282, Ryan had worked his way up to the 12th position. Ryan was on his way to a solid finish when things got a little dicey. During the restart with 15 laps to go, Ryan ran into the back of Carl Edwards, who made contact with Kyle Larson bringing out the last caution of the day. Ryan made it through the incident with only slight damage. Luckily, Ryan was able to continue the race gaining four more positions finishing 7th.
Ryan credited his team for keeping him in the game with the wave around, but said the team needs to perform better. With a 3rd place finish last week at Kentucky and a 7th place this week, Ryan moves up to 12th in the points standings. Ryan is consistent but to better his chances of winning the Championship, the team needs to lead laps and win races.
Ryan also drove the No. 7 Menards/Wix Filter Chevy on Saturday afternoon during the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, finishing 10th.
Ryan returns home to Indiana this weekend to compete in the Combat Wounded Coalition 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Ryan will be making his 15th career start at Indy, scoring his only win at the track in 2013 from the pole.
“The key to success at Indy is actually two things and that's downforce and horsepower.” - Ryan Newman
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

Stealth Mode
July 9, 2016
Ryan Newman finished 3rd, his best finishing position of the season, in the Quaker State 400. Ryan has moved to 12th in the points standings. With only eight races left until the Chase begins, Ryan is in stealth mode proving once again that consistency pays off. Ryan started 14th in the Caterpillar Chevy after qualifying was canceled Friday due to rain. Kentucky Speedway has had a makeover since the team’s last visit. During solo runs in the practice sessions on Saturday, a number of drivers hit the wall. With the repave, new tires, low downforce rules and forty cars on the track, no one knew what to expect.
Ryan had a strong race car, running in the top-15 most of the day. Ryan took left side tires and fuel during the competition caution on lap 25. The car transitioned to ‘loose’ after the pit stop and began to fade back. Ryan would change right-side tires only for the remainder of the race. Luke Lambert continued to make chassis adjustments on each stop to better the handling of the car. With 40 laps to go Ryan was in 7th place and started his fuel saving mode. As the cars ahead of him began to peel down pit road for a splash of fuel, Ryan and Luke Lambert chose to push the fuel envelope. Ryan moved into the 4th position with ten laps to go. He was hoping the cars in front of him would run out of fuel so he could steal the win.
It would be a nail biter to the end. Brad Keselowski was leading the race but low on fuel. Would he have enough fuel? Carl Edwards was running in second, would he have enough fuel? Ryan moved into the 3rd position. Keselowski slowed to conserve fuel, both Carl Edwards and Ryan were there ready to pounce. Keselowski was able to hold on to take the checkered flag running out of gas at the finish line. Ryan also ran out of fuel crossing the finish line in the 3rd position. Ryan credited Luke Lambert and the team with a well played race.
“Leading into this stretch of races, especially where we are in the Chase, to have good points tonight even though it wasn't a win, is a small victory in itself” - Ryan Newman
Ryan will be piloting the Whelen Chevy this weekend as the Sprint Cup Series travels to New Hampshire. Ryan has seven poles and three wins in Loudon. His most recent win was in September 2013. Hopefully Ryan can build on his momentum and score another top-5 finish.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
July 9, 2016
Ryan Newman finished 3rd, his best finishing position of the season, in the Quaker State 400. Ryan has moved to 12th in the points standings. With only eight races left until the Chase begins, Ryan is in stealth mode proving once again that consistency pays off. Ryan started 14th in the Caterpillar Chevy after qualifying was canceled Friday due to rain. Kentucky Speedway has had a makeover since the team’s last visit. During solo runs in the practice sessions on Saturday, a number of drivers hit the wall. With the repave, new tires, low downforce rules and forty cars on the track, no one knew what to expect.
Ryan had a strong race car, running in the top-15 most of the day. Ryan took left side tires and fuel during the competition caution on lap 25. The car transitioned to ‘loose’ after the pit stop and began to fade back. Ryan would change right-side tires only for the remainder of the race. Luke Lambert continued to make chassis adjustments on each stop to better the handling of the car. With 40 laps to go Ryan was in 7th place and started his fuel saving mode. As the cars ahead of him began to peel down pit road for a splash of fuel, Ryan and Luke Lambert chose to push the fuel envelope. Ryan moved into the 4th position with ten laps to go. He was hoping the cars in front of him would run out of fuel so he could steal the win.
It would be a nail biter to the end. Brad Keselowski was leading the race but low on fuel. Would he have enough fuel? Carl Edwards was running in second, would he have enough fuel? Ryan moved into the 3rd position. Keselowski slowed to conserve fuel, both Carl Edwards and Ryan were there ready to pounce. Keselowski was able to hold on to take the checkered flag running out of gas at the finish line. Ryan also ran out of fuel crossing the finish line in the 3rd position. Ryan credited Luke Lambert and the team with a well played race.
“Leading into this stretch of races, especially where we are in the Chase, to have good points tonight even though it wasn't a win, is a small victory in itself” - Ryan Newman
Ryan will be piloting the Whelen Chevy this weekend as the Sprint Cup Series travels to New Hampshire. Ryan has seven poles and three wins in Loudon. His most recent win was in September 2013. Hopefully Ryan can build on his momentum and score another top-5 finish.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

The Slow Lane
July 2, 2016
Ryan Newman high fived his team as he drove past to start the Coke Zero 400. Ryan is not a fan of restrictor plate racing but it was time to go to work. Ryan started in the 23rd position. The team's strategy was to ride in the back and hopefully avoid trouble. Ryan’s Florida Lottery Chevy was great from the drop of the green flag. The competition caution was at lap 20. Ryan pitted for fuel, four tires and slight chassis adjustment.
Ryan continued to ride in the back of the pack. The race was calm but at the halfway point business started picking up. The drivers decided it was time to start making their move towards the front. The “Big One” would happened at lap 89 as Jamie McMurray and Jimmie Johnson made contact. McMurray was in the outside lane and came across the nose of Jimmie Johnson. McMurray then made contact with the 42 of Kyle Larson possibly cutting down a tire. As the cars began to check up Johnson was carrying so much momentum he was unable to avoid running into the back of McMurray. The wreck collected 22 cars including Ryan and teammate Paul Menard. Ryan approached the wreck at a high rate of speed, running into the back of Greg Biffle and narrowly escaping hitting Jamey McMurray. Ryan then body slammed the 34 of Chris Buescher but was able to continue on taking his battered car to pit road.
On pit road, Luke Lambert and the team began to access the damage. Most of the damage was to the front of the car. They would need to repair the duct work and put a new nose on the car, but luckily the radiator was fine. Ryan made multiple pit stops and rejoined the race in the 24th position, one lap down.
The car was strong despite the damage as Ryan began to move towards the front. The caution flag waved for debris at lap 131 and Ryan was able to get his lap back. The caution flag would wave once more with five to go due to a spin by Carl Edwards setting up NASCAR overtime. Ryan restarted 13th but his car faded back. He finished 18th.
“On that final restart in overtime, we just raced in the line that wouldn't go when we needed it to.” - Ryan Newman
Ryan will be driving the Caterpillar Chevy in Kentucky Saturday night during the Quaker State 400. Ryan’s best finish is third in June 2014. Ryan says he doesn't know what to expect this weekend at Kentucky because they have made changes to the track. We hope Ryan and the 31 team have a solid finish.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
July 2, 2016
Ryan Newman high fived his team as he drove past to start the Coke Zero 400. Ryan is not a fan of restrictor plate racing but it was time to go to work. Ryan started in the 23rd position. The team's strategy was to ride in the back and hopefully avoid trouble. Ryan’s Florida Lottery Chevy was great from the drop of the green flag. The competition caution was at lap 20. Ryan pitted for fuel, four tires and slight chassis adjustment.
Ryan continued to ride in the back of the pack. The race was calm but at the halfway point business started picking up. The drivers decided it was time to start making their move towards the front. The “Big One” would happened at lap 89 as Jamie McMurray and Jimmie Johnson made contact. McMurray was in the outside lane and came across the nose of Jimmie Johnson. McMurray then made contact with the 42 of Kyle Larson possibly cutting down a tire. As the cars began to check up Johnson was carrying so much momentum he was unable to avoid running into the back of McMurray. The wreck collected 22 cars including Ryan and teammate Paul Menard. Ryan approached the wreck at a high rate of speed, running into the back of Greg Biffle and narrowly escaping hitting Jamey McMurray. Ryan then body slammed the 34 of Chris Buescher but was able to continue on taking his battered car to pit road.
On pit road, Luke Lambert and the team began to access the damage. Most of the damage was to the front of the car. They would need to repair the duct work and put a new nose on the car, but luckily the radiator was fine. Ryan made multiple pit stops and rejoined the race in the 24th position, one lap down.
The car was strong despite the damage as Ryan began to move towards the front. The caution flag waved for debris at lap 131 and Ryan was able to get his lap back. The caution flag would wave once more with five to go due to a spin by Carl Edwards setting up NASCAR overtime. Ryan restarted 13th but his car faded back. He finished 18th.
“On that final restart in overtime, we just raced in the line that wouldn't go when we needed it to.” - Ryan Newman
Ryan will be driving the Caterpillar Chevy in Kentucky Saturday night during the Quaker State 400. Ryan’s best finish is third in June 2014. Ryan says he doesn't know what to expect this weekend at Kentucky because they have made changes to the track. We hope Ryan and the 31 team have a solid finish.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

Righty Tighty Lefty Loosy
June 26, 2016
Ryan had a solid race in Sonoma finishing in the 8th position. Ryan started 17th in the WIX Filters Chevy. Ryan had a fast race car running in the top-10 at lap 12. The car had some handling issues at the beginning of the race. Ryan said the car was ‘loose on left turns and tight on right turns’. During the first pit stops Luke Lambert would make chassis adjustments which greatly improved the handling of the car.
Ryan had a few dicey situations during the course of the day. At one point racing alongside Tony Stewart, Tony went wide into the turn almost hitting the end of the wall. Ryan took evasive action turning to the right to give Tony more room nearly hitting the 5 car of Kasey Kahne. Luckily, they all made it through unscathed. The caution flag came out with 20 laps to go. Ryan pitted for four tires and fuel restarting 14th. Ryan moved into the 8th position with 12 laps remaining but was unable to advance any further. Ryan finished 8th, his fifth top-10 of the year.
“I think those last couple of caution flags helped cool our tires down and we were able to pick up an extra few spots before the end of the race. Overall it was a good day for the WIX Filters Chevrolet team." - Ryan Newman
Ryan will be driving the very colorful Florida Lottery Chevy Saturday night in the Coca-Cola 400. Ryan has one victory at Daytona, winning the Daytona 500 in 2008.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
June 26, 2016
Ryan had a solid race in Sonoma finishing in the 8th position. Ryan started 17th in the WIX Filters Chevy. Ryan had a fast race car running in the top-10 at lap 12. The car had some handling issues at the beginning of the race. Ryan said the car was ‘loose on left turns and tight on right turns’. During the first pit stops Luke Lambert would make chassis adjustments which greatly improved the handling of the car.
Ryan had a few dicey situations during the course of the day. At one point racing alongside Tony Stewart, Tony went wide into the turn almost hitting the end of the wall. Ryan took evasive action turning to the right to give Tony more room nearly hitting the 5 car of Kasey Kahne. Luckily, they all made it through unscathed. The caution flag came out with 20 laps to go. Ryan pitted for four tires and fuel restarting 14th. Ryan moved into the 8th position with 12 laps remaining but was unable to advance any further. Ryan finished 8th, his fifth top-10 of the year.
“I think those last couple of caution flags helped cool our tires down and we were able to pick up an extra few spots before the end of the race. Overall it was a good day for the WIX Filters Chevrolet team." - Ryan Newman
Ryan will be driving the very colorful Florida Lottery Chevy Saturday night in the Coca-Cola 400. Ryan has one victory at Daytona, winning the Daytona 500 in 2008.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

Rocket Man
June 12, 2016
Ryan Newman’s Grainger Chevy was fast during the FireKeeper Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Ryan started in the 6th position and ran in the top-10 most of the day. With the low downforce package and smaller spoilers the cars were sliding all over the track, some reaching speeds of over 200 mph. On the restarts the cars were three and four wide. As the cars passed, the air was sucked off the rear of the cars causing them to get loose. The final restart of the day would prove to be Ryan’s Achilles heel.
Ryan’s car was great from the drop of the green flag. Paper getting caught on the grills of the cars was a major concern for most teams at the beginning of the race. Ryan had paper on his grill but luckily was able to remove it before any overheating issues took place. While battling Jimmie Johnson for 11th place, Ryan's car lost grip and gave up two positions. Ryan pitted at lap 41 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment re-entering the field in the 13th position.
On the restart at lap 62 Ryan took off like a rocket, quickly advancing from 8th to 3rd. The car was good but a little loose. Luke Lambert told Ryan to switch to the reserve tank when the fuel light came on – a strategic move to gain track position. Ryan took the lead on lap 95 for one lap.
On the restart with 33 to go, Ryan was bumped by teammate Paul Menard as they went down into turn one making it three wide, but was able to maintain his position.
The restarts had been chaotic all day and the last one would be no different. As the pace car prepared to exit the track Mike Joy quoted the phrase of long time announcer Ken Squier, “Great-Grandma put your teeth in your pocket for this one. It's about to get wild with 7 laps to go.” As the cars took the green, Austin Dillon moved down the track causing Ryan to get loose. Ryan started losing positions falling back into the 13th position, but would rebound and charge back to front. Ryan was able to gain two more positions before taking the checkered flag in 11th.
“ I apologized to the Grainger crew at the end of the race because we were a sitting duck on the final restart.” - Ryan Newman
The team will take the weekend off before heading out west to Sonoma in the WIX Filters Chevy.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
June 12, 2016
Ryan Newman’s Grainger Chevy was fast during the FireKeeper Casino 400 at Michigan International Speedway. Ryan started in the 6th position and ran in the top-10 most of the day. With the low downforce package and smaller spoilers the cars were sliding all over the track, some reaching speeds of over 200 mph. On the restarts the cars were three and four wide. As the cars passed, the air was sucked off the rear of the cars causing them to get loose. The final restart of the day would prove to be Ryan’s Achilles heel.
Ryan’s car was great from the drop of the green flag. Paper getting caught on the grills of the cars was a major concern for most teams at the beginning of the race. Ryan had paper on his grill but luckily was able to remove it before any overheating issues took place. While battling Jimmie Johnson for 11th place, Ryan's car lost grip and gave up two positions. Ryan pitted at lap 41 for four tires, fuel and an air pressure adjustment re-entering the field in the 13th position.
On the restart at lap 62 Ryan took off like a rocket, quickly advancing from 8th to 3rd. The car was good but a little loose. Luke Lambert told Ryan to switch to the reserve tank when the fuel light came on – a strategic move to gain track position. Ryan took the lead on lap 95 for one lap.
On the restart with 33 to go, Ryan was bumped by teammate Paul Menard as they went down into turn one making it three wide, but was able to maintain his position.
The restarts had been chaotic all day and the last one would be no different. As the pace car prepared to exit the track Mike Joy quoted the phrase of long time announcer Ken Squier, “Great-Grandma put your teeth in your pocket for this one. It's about to get wild with 7 laps to go.” As the cars took the green, Austin Dillon moved down the track causing Ryan to get loose. Ryan started losing positions falling back into the 13th position, but would rebound and charge back to front. Ryan was able to gain two more positions before taking the checkered flag in 11th.
“ I apologized to the Grainger crew at the end of the race because we were a sitting duck on the final restart.” - Ryan Newman
The team will take the weekend off before heading out west to Sonoma in the WIX Filters Chevy.
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

Solid Day For Newman
June 6, 2016
Ryan Newman started 22nd in the 31 Kalahari Resorts Chevy at Pocono Monday. Due to rain on Sunday the race was postponed until Monday. Ryan complained of a loose race car at the beginning of race. When the competition caution came out on lap 15, Ryan pitted for 2 tires, fuel and air pressure adjustment. Ryan quickly gained positions and was scored in 7th by lap 26.
The restarts were crazy as the cars fanned out as many as seven wide. During the restart on lap 27, Joey Logano made contact with Ryan's bumper causing the 31 car to get sideways. As Logano pulled in front of Ryan, Ryan showed his displeasure by hitting Logano not once, not twice, but three times in the bumper. The contact forced Logano up the track causing damage to the 22. Ryan sustained damage to the nose of his car during the incident. At lap 42 Ryan was scored inside the top-20. Ryan pitted during green flag stops on lap 54 for repairs to the nose, a chassis adjustment, tires and fuel coming out in 26th position.
The caution flag waved again on lap 93 for an incident involving Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick. Ryan would restart 5th. As the laps wound down, Ryan was running in the top-10 trying to conserve fuel. Ryan was fighting for the 10th position with Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch with 51 laps remaining. As Kasey Kahne's car got under Ryan, Kasey’s car took the air off of the 31 causing him to get loose. Ryan's car grazed the side of Kyle Busch's causing Kyle to hit hard into the outside wall bringing out the 8th caution. Ryan would remain in the 16th position before working his way up to finish 12th.
“We got as high as fifth place but over the course of the race it was evident that we were missing a little bit on our handling.” - Ryan Newman
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530
June 6, 2016
Ryan Newman started 22nd in the 31 Kalahari Resorts Chevy at Pocono Monday. Due to rain on Sunday the race was postponed until Monday. Ryan complained of a loose race car at the beginning of race. When the competition caution came out on lap 15, Ryan pitted for 2 tires, fuel and air pressure adjustment. Ryan quickly gained positions and was scored in 7th by lap 26.
The restarts were crazy as the cars fanned out as many as seven wide. During the restart on lap 27, Joey Logano made contact with Ryan's bumper causing the 31 car to get sideways. As Logano pulled in front of Ryan, Ryan showed his displeasure by hitting Logano not once, not twice, but three times in the bumper. The contact forced Logano up the track causing damage to the 22. Ryan sustained damage to the nose of his car during the incident. At lap 42 Ryan was scored inside the top-20. Ryan pitted during green flag stops on lap 54 for repairs to the nose, a chassis adjustment, tires and fuel coming out in 26th position.
The caution flag waved again on lap 93 for an incident involving Tony Stewart and Danica Patrick. Ryan would restart 5th. As the laps wound down, Ryan was running in the top-10 trying to conserve fuel. Ryan was fighting for the 10th position with Kasey Kahne and Kyle Busch with 51 laps remaining. As Kasey Kahne's car got under Ryan, Kasey’s car took the air off of the 31 causing him to get loose. Ryan's car grazed the side of Kyle Busch's causing Kyle to hit hard into the outside wall bringing out the 8th caution. Ryan would remain in the 16th position before working his way up to finish 12th.
“We got as high as fifth place but over the course of the race it was evident that we were missing a little bit on our handling.” - Ryan Newman
Follow and chat with me here: @Angief530

Coca-Cola 600
May 29, 2016
Ryan Newman started 14th in the 31 Whelen Engineering Chevy Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ryan honored US Marine SSGT Jason Ramseyer who lost his life conducting combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006.
The car was fast and solid on the long runs despite some handling issues. Ryan ran in the top-15 most of the night, even though the car was terrible in traffic. Luke Lambert made chassis adjustments throughout the race to improve the handling of the car. Ryan made a nice save when Chase Elliott clipped him in the bumper on turn four. On lap 203, during pit stops Ryan received a penalty for speeding and restarted in the 20th position.
This was only a minor setback as he quickly began regaining positions. Ryan was logging laps equal to the leader Martin Truex, Jr. During green flag stops on lap 34, Ryan moved into 13th position. He would continue to push forward finishing in 10th position moving him into 16th in points.
“I'm just proud of everybody on this Whelen Chevrolet team” - Ryan Newman
Ryan will have a new sponsor on board, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, as the 31 team travels to Pennsylvania to take on the “Tricky Triangle”. Ryan has one win, nine top-fives and fourteen top-ten finishes at Pocono. Due to the length of the front straight-away, Ryan believes that turn three is where a lot can be lost or won at Pocono.
It was announced on Wednesday that Ryan's team owner Richard Childress (along with Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin, Benny Parsons and Raymond Parks), were the 2017 inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
May 29, 2016
Ryan Newman started 14th in the 31 Whelen Engineering Chevy Sunday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Ryan honored US Marine SSGT Jason Ramseyer who lost his life conducting combat operations in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2006.
The car was fast and solid on the long runs despite some handling issues. Ryan ran in the top-15 most of the night, even though the car was terrible in traffic. Luke Lambert made chassis adjustments throughout the race to improve the handling of the car. Ryan made a nice save when Chase Elliott clipped him in the bumper on turn four. On lap 203, during pit stops Ryan received a penalty for speeding and restarted in the 20th position.
This was only a minor setback as he quickly began regaining positions. Ryan was logging laps equal to the leader Martin Truex, Jr. During green flag stops on lap 34, Ryan moved into 13th position. He would continue to push forward finishing in 10th position moving him into 16th in points.
“I'm just proud of everybody on this Whelen Chevrolet team” - Ryan Newman
Ryan will have a new sponsor on board, Kalahari Resorts and Conventions, as the 31 team travels to Pennsylvania to take on the “Tricky Triangle”. Ryan has one win, nine top-fives and fourteen top-ten finishes at Pocono. Due to the length of the front straight-away, Ryan believes that turn three is where a lot can be lost or won at Pocono.
It was announced on Wednesday that Ryan's team owner Richard Childress (along with Rick Hendrick, Mark Martin, Benny Parsons and Raymond Parks), were the 2017 inductees into the NASCAR Hall of Fame.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

All-Star Confusion
May 21, 2016
Ryan competed in his 15th All-Star race Saturday night driving the No.31 Caterpillar/Grainger Chevy. The best looking car on the track, I might add. The teams were able to run ‘hot’ pit road practice on Friday, but qualifying was rained out and the field was set by owner points.
The race was divided into two 50 lap segments and one 13 lap segment. Ryan started 14th.
During the mandatory pit stop on lap 27, Ryan came in for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment re-entering the field in 9th position. The caution came out at lap 46. Confusion started when Matt Kenseth didn't come in for his mandatory stop. Ryan, along with half the field, were caught one lap down. There was a lot of confusion among the teams, announcers and fans after this happened. Ryan came over the radio and said, “We’re the only people I know that drops their pants around their own ankles then try to run.”
During the second segment, Ryan was in the 14th position. The yellow came out for weepers near the outside wall. Ryan radioed that the car had a possibile tire going down. The car transitioned to tight and Ryan pitted for tires. Chase Elliott was attempting to pit on lap 73 and caused a wreck of which brought out the yellow once again. Ryan took the wave around still in the 15th position.
Ryan was able to gain two more spots and finish in 13th. However, the only position that mattered Saturday night was first. And after a hard fought battle with Kyle Larson, Joey Logano drove away with the million dollar check.
This Sunday night Ryan and the 31 team will compete in the Coca-Cola 600.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
May 21, 2016
Ryan competed in his 15th All-Star race Saturday night driving the No.31 Caterpillar/Grainger Chevy. The best looking car on the track, I might add. The teams were able to run ‘hot’ pit road practice on Friday, but qualifying was rained out and the field was set by owner points.
The race was divided into two 50 lap segments and one 13 lap segment. Ryan started 14th.
During the mandatory pit stop on lap 27, Ryan came in for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment re-entering the field in 9th position. The caution came out at lap 46. Confusion started when Matt Kenseth didn't come in for his mandatory stop. Ryan, along with half the field, were caught one lap down. There was a lot of confusion among the teams, announcers and fans after this happened. Ryan came over the radio and said, “We’re the only people I know that drops their pants around their own ankles then try to run.”
During the second segment, Ryan was in the 14th position. The yellow came out for weepers near the outside wall. Ryan radioed that the car had a possibile tire going down. The car transitioned to tight and Ryan pitted for tires. Chase Elliott was attempting to pit on lap 73 and caused a wreck of which brought out the yellow once again. Ryan took the wave around still in the 15th position.
Ryan was able to gain two more spots and finish in 13th. However, the only position that mattered Saturday night was first. And after a hard fought battle with Kyle Larson, Joey Logano drove away with the million dollar check.
This Sunday night Ryan and the 31 team will compete in the Coca-Cola 600.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

Solid Day
May 15, 2016
Ryan Newman started 7th in the 31 Caterpillar Chevy at Dover on Sunday. Qualifying was rained out Friday and the field was set by practice times. Ryan struggled with a tight race car, but ran in the top-10 most of the day. During the competition caution on lap 40, Ryan brought the car in for 4 tires, fuel, and added tape on the grill. Ryan was in 10th place, however on lap 174 during pit stops the team had a penalty for an uncontrolled tire.The 31 team came back into the pits to serve their penalty and changed left side tires. Ryan restarted 25th. Ryan was good in traffic and quickly moved up through the field.
It looked as though Ryan was on his way to another top-10 finish, however ‘Miles the Monster’ had other ideas. On the restart at lap 354, Jimmie Johnson missed a gear causing the ‘big one’, collecting 18 cars including Ryan. The race was red flagged during clean up. Luke Lambert brought the 31 car into the pits on laps 356-363 to repair the damage. The car had extensive damage but was able to finish in 16th place. Ryan felt like they had a solid weekend despite the accident.
This Saturday night it's the All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and a chance at $1,000,000. This will be Ryan’s 15th appearance in the All-Star race.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
May 15, 2016
Ryan Newman started 7th in the 31 Caterpillar Chevy at Dover on Sunday. Qualifying was rained out Friday and the field was set by practice times. Ryan struggled with a tight race car, but ran in the top-10 most of the day. During the competition caution on lap 40, Ryan brought the car in for 4 tires, fuel, and added tape on the grill. Ryan was in 10th place, however on lap 174 during pit stops the team had a penalty for an uncontrolled tire.The 31 team came back into the pits to serve their penalty and changed left side tires. Ryan restarted 25th. Ryan was good in traffic and quickly moved up through the field.
It looked as though Ryan was on his way to another top-10 finish, however ‘Miles the Monster’ had other ideas. On the restart at lap 354, Jimmie Johnson missed a gear causing the ‘big one’, collecting 18 cars including Ryan. The race was red flagged during clean up. Luke Lambert brought the 31 car into the pits on laps 356-363 to repair the damage. The car had extensive damage but was able to finish in 16th place. Ryan felt like they had a solid weekend despite the accident.
This Saturday night it's the All-Star race at Charlotte Motor Speedway and a chance at $1,000,000. This will be Ryan’s 15th appearance in the All-Star race.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

Good Night for Newman
May 7, 2016
Ryan Newman started 8th in the No. 31 Grainger Chevy Saturday night at Kansas Speedway. Ryan was racey from the drop of the green flag quickly moving into the top-5. However, the car began having handling issues and faded outside the top-10. When the first caution came out on lap 22, Ryan brought his car onto pit road for tires and fuel. By lap 29 he was running in 8th complaining of a tight race car. Once again he was shuffled back outside the top-10.
When the caution came out on lap 56, Ryan came in for 4 tires and fuel, gaining 3 spots. Ryan was having a solid run when handling issues returned, the car transitioned from tight to loose. The race would stay caution free for more than 60 laps. Luke Lambert brought the car in for a chassis adjustment, tires and fuel during green flag pit stops on lap 213. Ryan was having a good night, once even battling teammate Austin Dillon for position. At one point Dillon ran the 31 car up the track causing Ryan to brush the wall.
At the closing laps of the race, a number of the lead lap cars were bunched up running 3-wide when the 5 of Kasey Kahne ran into the back of 31 causing slight damage. The caution would wave on the next lap due to an incident involving 4 cars. Denny Hamlin tried to use his car as a bowling ball to pick up the ‘7-10’ split of the 2 and 42 cars. Luckily, Ryan made it through the carnage unscathed only running over some debris. Ryan was up to 8th place with 12 laps to go, however he would only gain one more position and finish 7th in the GoBowling 400.
“Tonight was our best finish of the season and like I told the team, keep digging.”- Ryan Newman
Ryan's primary sponsor will be Caterpillar as the 31 team takes on ‘Miles the Monster’ this weekend at Dover in the Autism Speaks 400. This is the same chassis Ryan drove at Texas earlier this year where he finished 17th. Ryan has 3 poles and 3 victories, including a sweep in 2003 at The Monster Mile. Ryan said one of the biggest challenges at Dover is the concrete itself.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
May 7, 2016
Ryan Newman started 8th in the No. 31 Grainger Chevy Saturday night at Kansas Speedway. Ryan was racey from the drop of the green flag quickly moving into the top-5. However, the car began having handling issues and faded outside the top-10. When the first caution came out on lap 22, Ryan brought his car onto pit road for tires and fuel. By lap 29 he was running in 8th complaining of a tight race car. Once again he was shuffled back outside the top-10.
When the caution came out on lap 56, Ryan came in for 4 tires and fuel, gaining 3 spots. Ryan was having a solid run when handling issues returned, the car transitioned from tight to loose. The race would stay caution free for more than 60 laps. Luke Lambert brought the car in for a chassis adjustment, tires and fuel during green flag pit stops on lap 213. Ryan was having a good night, once even battling teammate Austin Dillon for position. At one point Dillon ran the 31 car up the track causing Ryan to brush the wall.
At the closing laps of the race, a number of the lead lap cars were bunched up running 3-wide when the 5 of Kasey Kahne ran into the back of 31 causing slight damage. The caution would wave on the next lap due to an incident involving 4 cars. Denny Hamlin tried to use his car as a bowling ball to pick up the ‘7-10’ split of the 2 and 42 cars. Luckily, Ryan made it through the carnage unscathed only running over some debris. Ryan was up to 8th place with 12 laps to go, however he would only gain one more position and finish 7th in the GoBowling 400.
“Tonight was our best finish of the season and like I told the team, keep digging.”- Ryan Newman
Ryan's primary sponsor will be Caterpillar as the 31 team takes on ‘Miles the Monster’ this weekend at Dover in the Autism Speaks 400. This is the same chassis Ryan drove at Texas earlier this year where he finished 17th. Ryan has 3 poles and 3 victories, including a sweep in 2003 at The Monster Mile. Ryan said one of the biggest challenges at Dover is the concrete itself.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

Strategy and The Big One
May 1, 2016
Ryan Newman qualified 15th in the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevy for the Geico 500 on Sunday. However, he had to start at the rear of the field due to an unapproved tail flange repair. The tail flange was cracked during qualifying. The drivers were very aggressive from the drop of the green flag due to the threat of rain in the area. The first 50 laps were caution free, but that would quickly change.
Ryan’s strategy was to ride in the rear to avoid trouble and be there at the end. At lap 21 he was in the 37th position complaining of a tight race car. During the first green flag pit stop Ryan came in for 2 tires, fuel and chassis adjustment. Ryan moved into the top-15 after this stop. Ryan narrowly escaped being hit on lap 59 when Michael Waltrip lost control of the 55 car and came spinning across the nose of Ryan’s Chevy.
As the race approached the halfway mark Ryan was running in the 29th position. The possibility of rain was imminent as the drivers charged to the front. Dale,Jr. and Carl Edwards brought out the caution on lap 95 causing Ryan to make contact with the 46 car of Michael Annett. Although the front nose was damaged, he stayed out under caution to gain track position. Luke Lambert brought Ryan in during the next caution for fuel and to repair the hole in the nose of the car. At this point Ryan was knocking on the door of the top-10.
Ryan's strategy was paying off. The 31 car was strong and heading to the front. At lap 158 he had cracked the top-10. Unfortunately his hopes of a top-10 finish were dashed with 28 laps to go. The 41 car of Kurt Busch hooked the bumper of the 48 of Jimmie Johnson sending the 48 car spinning into the outside wall causing the ‘Big One’. Twenty one cars were involved, including Ryan.
Ryan's car had a trail of flames behind it from damage to his oil line. Ryan quickly extinguished the fire from inside the car and brought his Caterpillar Chevy down pit road for repairs. Luke would bring the car in twice-more for repairs and at lap 167 he was back on track. Ryan was black flagged because of damage to the quarter panel, the crew brought the car down pit road and cut the quarter panel off.
Ryan was back on track and would bring his damaged race car home in 28th.
“ We made the move when it was time to go and got caught up in the big wreck.” Ryan Newman
The Caterpillar team has had strong cars but not the finishes to prove it. I hope their luck will change in the upcoming races. The team heads to Kansas for the GoBowling 400 Saturday night. Ryan has one victory and 3 top-fives at Kansas. Ryan says Kansas is super fast and he looks forward to getting back there.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
Take the challenge @NWTF_official #RiseandFly (https://t.co/yeZwRggM5H) pic.twitter.com/AjSTZhPufc
— Ryan Newman (@RyanJNewman) May 2, 2016

Disappointment at Richmond
April 24, 2016
Ryan Newman had a disappointing 18th place finish at the Toyota Owners 400 in Richmond. The Grainger Chevy was fast in practice and was an early favorite. Qualifying was canceled due to rain, so the field was set by speeds from Friday's practice, placing Ryan in the 14th position.
The Grainger Chevy was ‘tight’ early in the race, later transitioning to ‘loose’ with some grip issues. The car quickly improved with chassis adjustments during pit stops. Ryan was having a solid run, passing cars and running in the top 10. It looked as though the 31 team would score another top 10 finish.
Unfortunately, Ryan's solid run would come to an end. Ryan was running 3 wide with Logano and Larson with 80 laps to go, when his car made contact with Larson. The contact caused his left rear tire to be ‘cut down’ sending him spinning off turn 4. Luckily, the crew was able to make repairs to the car on pit road and he remained on the lead lap in 22nd position. Jeff Gordon suspected the 31 car made contact with Larson's exhaust pipe causing the damage to the tire. As the laps wound down Ryan was only able to gain four more positions.
“This was definitely not the finish this Grainger team expected or deserved” - Ryan Newman
This weekend Ryan and crew take their Caterpillar Chevy to my favorite track Talladega Superspeedway. Ryan has 5 top five and 11 top 10 finishes in 28 starts. I have witnessed Ryan get airborne on two of my visits to Talladega. I hope he keeps the car on all four during the Geico 500 on Sunday. Ryan's thoughts about Talladega, “It’s all about being lucky.”
Ryan and crew chief Luke Lambert participated in #AskGraingerRacing on Twitter Friday. One of the questions Ryan was asked was if he had any prerace rituals. His response was no real ritual, just make sure to hydrate and oatmeal cream pies. Ryan answered a question I submitted as well during the Q&A session. Thanks Ryan!!
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
April 24, 2016
Ryan Newman had a disappointing 18th place finish at the Toyota Owners 400 in Richmond. The Grainger Chevy was fast in practice and was an early favorite. Qualifying was canceled due to rain, so the field was set by speeds from Friday's practice, placing Ryan in the 14th position.
The Grainger Chevy was ‘tight’ early in the race, later transitioning to ‘loose’ with some grip issues. The car quickly improved with chassis adjustments during pit stops. Ryan was having a solid run, passing cars and running in the top 10. It looked as though the 31 team would score another top 10 finish.
Unfortunately, Ryan's solid run would come to an end. Ryan was running 3 wide with Logano and Larson with 80 laps to go, when his car made contact with Larson. The contact caused his left rear tire to be ‘cut down’ sending him spinning off turn 4. Luckily, the crew was able to make repairs to the car on pit road and he remained on the lead lap in 22nd position. Jeff Gordon suspected the 31 car made contact with Larson's exhaust pipe causing the damage to the tire. As the laps wound down Ryan was only able to gain four more positions.
“This was definitely not the finish this Grainger team expected or deserved” - Ryan Newman
This weekend Ryan and crew take their Caterpillar Chevy to my favorite track Talladega Superspeedway. Ryan has 5 top five and 11 top 10 finishes in 28 starts. I have witnessed Ryan get airborne on two of my visits to Talladega. I hope he keeps the car on all four during the Geico 500 on Sunday. Ryan's thoughts about Talladega, “It’s all about being lucky.”
Ryan and crew chief Luke Lambert participated in #AskGraingerRacing on Twitter Friday. One of the questions Ryan was asked was if he had any prerace rituals. His response was no real ritual, just make sure to hydrate and oatmeal cream pies. Ryan answered a question I submitted as well during the Q&A session. Thanks Ryan!!
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

The Gambler
April 17, 2016
Ryan Newman had good practice sessions leading up to the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ryan qualified his WIX Chevy in the 19th starting position. During driver introductions he walked out to his song choice “The Gambler” with his daughter Brooklyn.
The car started out ‘loose-in tight-center’ but improved with adjustments throughout the race. Ryan was at a disadvantage on a few restarts lining up on the inside, not the place you want to be at Bristol. On lap 259 Ryan was running 11th when he narrowly avoided being hit by Kyle Busch as Kyle slammed the outside wall. Ryan wasn't so lucky on lap 341 when he made contact with Jimmie Johnson and sustained right-front nose damage. Luke Lambert brought the car to pit road for repairs.
Ryan took a gamble late in the race staying out under caution to gain track position. With 10 laps to go Ryan came over the radio and said it was about to get crazy. There was hard racing, bumping and banging all over the track. Ryan and the 31 team overcame bad restarts, damage and speeding penalties to finish 9th. He moves up three spots to 16th in points.
“We stayed focused and dug deep” -Ryan Newman
This weekend Ryan will pilot the Grainger Chevy at his favorite track Richmond International Raceway. The race has been moved from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon. He has one victory at Richmond and six top 5 finishes.
Ryan will participate in the Goodyear Tire test at Pocono Tuesday and Wednesday along with Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex, Jr and Kyle Larson.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
April 17, 2016
Ryan Newman had good practice sessions leading up to the Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ryan qualified his WIX Chevy in the 19th starting position. During driver introductions he walked out to his song choice “The Gambler” with his daughter Brooklyn.
The car started out ‘loose-in tight-center’ but improved with adjustments throughout the race. Ryan was at a disadvantage on a few restarts lining up on the inside, not the place you want to be at Bristol. On lap 259 Ryan was running 11th when he narrowly avoided being hit by Kyle Busch as Kyle slammed the outside wall. Ryan wasn't so lucky on lap 341 when he made contact with Jimmie Johnson and sustained right-front nose damage. Luke Lambert brought the car to pit road for repairs.
Ryan took a gamble late in the race staying out under caution to gain track position. With 10 laps to go Ryan came over the radio and said it was about to get crazy. There was hard racing, bumping and banging all over the track. Ryan and the 31 team overcame bad restarts, damage and speeding penalties to finish 9th. He moves up three spots to 16th in points.
“We stayed focused and dug deep” -Ryan Newman
This weekend Ryan will pilot the Grainger Chevy at his favorite track Richmond International Raceway. The race has been moved from Saturday night to Sunday afternoon. He has one victory at Richmond and six top 5 finishes.
Ryan will participate in the Goodyear Tire test at Pocono Tuesday and Wednesday along with Brad Keselowski, Martin Truex, Jr and Kyle Larson.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

Rough Ride at Texas
April 9, 2016
Ryan qualified his Caterpillar Chevy in the 21st-position on Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. The race started Saturday under caution after a two hour rain delay. The rain and cooler temperatures drastically changed the track conditions as compared to Friday when the cars qualified.
When the competition caution came out on lap 30, the team came in for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. As the green flag waved Ryan settled into the 19th-position. The car transitioned from tight to loose as the race approached lap 100. The handling improved some, but Ryan requested more adjustments on his next pit stop.
The cautioned waved on lap 294 due to a spin by Ryan's teammate Austin Dillon. Ryan received right-rear damage in the accident. There were 13 cars involved, including all three of the RCR cars. The 31-team was able to make repairs on pit road and finish the race in the 17th position one-lap down.
“The right-side of the car was tore up but not enough to take us out of the race. The Caterpillar team never gave up, that's something to be proud of.”- Ryan Newman
Ryan will be driving the WIX Filters Chevy this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ryan has 3-poles and two top-5 finishes at Bristol. Ryan had a solid run at Martinsville two-weeks ago. Hopefully, the team can build on that momentum and get another top-5 finish at ‘Thunder Valley’.
Over the weekend Ryan took part in the ‘Raceday U’ Q&A session at the speedway along with Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer. He also participated in the filming of Blake Shelton's video for NASCAR on NBC which will be airing this summer.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
April 9, 2016
Ryan qualified his Caterpillar Chevy in the 21st-position on Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. The race started Saturday under caution after a two hour rain delay. The rain and cooler temperatures drastically changed the track conditions as compared to Friday when the cars qualified.
When the competition caution came out on lap 30, the team came in for four tires, fuel and a chassis adjustment. As the green flag waved Ryan settled into the 19th-position. The car transitioned from tight to loose as the race approached lap 100. The handling improved some, but Ryan requested more adjustments on his next pit stop.
The cautioned waved on lap 294 due to a spin by Ryan's teammate Austin Dillon. Ryan received right-rear damage in the accident. There were 13 cars involved, including all three of the RCR cars. The 31-team was able to make repairs on pit road and finish the race in the 17th position one-lap down.
“The right-side of the car was tore up but not enough to take us out of the race. The Caterpillar team never gave up, that's something to be proud of.”- Ryan Newman
Ryan will be driving the WIX Filters Chevy this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway. Ryan has 3-poles and two top-5 finishes at Bristol. Ryan had a solid run at Martinsville two-weeks ago. Hopefully, the team can build on that momentum and get another top-5 finish at ‘Thunder Valley’.
Over the weekend Ryan took part in the ‘Raceday U’ Q&A session at the speedway along with Kevin Harvick and Clint Bowyer. He also participated in the filming of Blake Shelton's video for NASCAR on NBC which will be airing this summer.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

Taking on the Paperclip
April 3, 2016
Ryan Newman had a challenging day at the STP 500 on Sunday. The Grainger Chevy was fast off the truck putting down some of the fastest laps in each practice session. He qualified the car in 5th. Ryan ran in the 20th position most of the day which was disappointing considering how well the car looked coming into Sunday’s race.
“Coming into this race I told the team they brought me the best car I've ever had at Martinsville Speedway.”-Ryan Newman
Ryan ran in the top-5 at the start but faded back as the race went on. The car was tight-center throughout the day despite crew chief, Luke Lamberts’ adjustments on pit road. On lap 14, Ryan was running 7th when he was knocked out of line and passed by several cars. He continued to struggle with the handling of the car, which was attributed to a splitter issue and unfortunately went a lap down.
When the caution flag waved with 17 laps to go, Luke made the decision to stay out and take the free pass. Despite a challenging day Ryan was able to rally back to a 10th place finish making this his 14th career top-10 at Martinsville. Ryan was happy with his finish. All three RCR teams had a strong showing at the Paperclip finishing in the top-10.
Ryan said Tuesday on NASCAR America that he is looking forward to the next short-track on the schedule at Richmond. But first Ryan and the 31 team will mosey into the Texas Motor Speedway and saddle up for the Duck Commander 500 Saturday night.
Since the NASCAR wagon train is headed to Texas it's fitting Ryan shared a picture of the newest addition to his farm on Twitter.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
April 3, 2016
Ryan Newman had a challenging day at the STP 500 on Sunday. The Grainger Chevy was fast off the truck putting down some of the fastest laps in each practice session. He qualified the car in 5th. Ryan ran in the 20th position most of the day which was disappointing considering how well the car looked coming into Sunday’s race.
“Coming into this race I told the team they brought me the best car I've ever had at Martinsville Speedway.”-Ryan Newman
Ryan ran in the top-5 at the start but faded back as the race went on. The car was tight-center throughout the day despite crew chief, Luke Lamberts’ adjustments on pit road. On lap 14, Ryan was running 7th when he was knocked out of line and passed by several cars. He continued to struggle with the handling of the car, which was attributed to a splitter issue and unfortunately went a lap down.
When the caution flag waved with 17 laps to go, Luke made the decision to stay out and take the free pass. Despite a challenging day Ryan was able to rally back to a 10th place finish making this his 14th career top-10 at Martinsville. Ryan was happy with his finish. All three RCR teams had a strong showing at the Paperclip finishing in the top-10.
Ryan said Tuesday on NASCAR America that he is looking forward to the next short-track on the schedule at Richmond. But first Ryan and the 31 team will mosey into the Texas Motor Speedway and saddle up for the Duck Commander 500 Saturday night.
Since the NASCAR wagon train is headed to Texas it's fitting Ryan shared a picture of the newest addition to his farm on Twitter.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

The Need for Speed
March 27, 2016
With only five races complete in the 2016 NASCAR season and having barely recovered from the three month off season, as fans we experienced a relapse of ‘racing withdrawals’.
I know many of you rushed home Friday to check your recordings to see who won the pole for Sunday, only to find there were no poles, no failed inspections, no starting field. You checked the guide on your television no racing for the entire weekend. Panic set in.
When you realized what was happening all those horrible symptoms you had experienced in the off season came rushing back, the crying, the restlessness, the shaking, the nausea..wait that might have been from all the Easter candy you ate.
I browsed Twitter throughout the weekend only to find pictures of vacations, March Madness and a creepy scorpion. Where were the tweets about the new aero-package, squinty- eyed drivers and fake debris cautions? It was a tough weekend.
NASCAR has the longest season of any sport with the shortest off time. The drivers and crews are well deserving of this two week break to spend with their family and friends. As for the rest of us we could ease our symptoms by watching a race or two on the DVR, going to the gas station timing people's pit stops or maybe racing strangers down the aisles with a grocery cart.
In the coming months there will be a few more weekends when the Sprint Cup Cars will not be on the track but stay strong race fans.
Racing returns this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. The full weekend schedule is listed on NASCAR.com. The Camping World Trucks are first on the track for practice Friday at 10:00. The Sprint Cup series will follow at 11:00 for their first practice and will qualify at 4:15. You can catch all the action on FS1.
Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
March 27, 2016
With only five races complete in the 2016 NASCAR season and having barely recovered from the three month off season, as fans we experienced a relapse of ‘racing withdrawals’.
I know many of you rushed home Friday to check your recordings to see who won the pole for Sunday, only to find there were no poles, no failed inspections, no starting field. You checked the guide on your television no racing for the entire weekend. Panic set in.
When you realized what was happening all those horrible symptoms you had experienced in the off season came rushing back, the crying, the restlessness, the shaking, the nausea..wait that might have been from all the Easter candy you ate.
I browsed Twitter throughout the weekend only to find pictures of vacations, March Madness and a creepy scorpion. Where were the tweets about the new aero-package, squinty- eyed drivers and fake debris cautions? It was a tough weekend.
NASCAR has the longest season of any sport with the shortest off time. The drivers and crews are well deserving of this two week break to spend with their family and friends. As for the rest of us we could ease our symptoms by watching a race or two on the DVR, going to the gas station timing people's pit stops or maybe racing strangers down the aisles with a grocery cart.
In the coming months there will be a few more weekends when the Sprint Cup Cars will not be on the track but stay strong race fans.
Racing returns this weekend at Martinsville Speedway. The full weekend schedule is listed on NASCAR.com. The Camping World Trucks are first on the track for practice Friday at 10:00. The Sprint Cup series will follow at 11:00 for their first practice and will qualify at 4:15. You can catch all the action on FS1.
Hope everyone had a Happy Easter!
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

Solid Run for Newman at Fontana
March 20, 2016
The track at Auto Club Speedway was all ‘a buzz’ Friday with preparations for a double-header weekend and also from the bee invasion on the flag stand.
The RCR cars were strong in qualifying. Ryan Newman had the 4th starting position with Paul Menard rolling off 13th. For Austin Dillon and the 3 team it was ‘hive fives’ all around after Austin put down the fastest lap winning his first pole of the year. Enough with the bad bee puns.
Saturday's practice started early with a heavy blanket of fog engulfing the track. For the second time on this west coast swing Mother Nature was making conditions less than favorable for the spotters and cameramen. Ryan had two good practice sessions. In the first he was 3rd on the speed charts and in the final practice he was 10th quickest.
Ryan had a solid run on Sunday staying in the top 15 most of the day. He finished 14th. Tire management was a challenge due to the tracks worn out, bumpy surface. On long runs Ryan complained of the car getting too loose. The 31 crew had some impressive pit stops throughout the day, their best being a 10.84 second stop for four tires and fuel.
The race certainly did not disappoint. It had a little of everything: three-four wide racing, non-stop action and drivers with ruffled feathers.
A scary moment came on lap 47 when Kyle Larson cut a tire and sailed into the inside wall. Danica Patrick took a hard hit after tangoing with Kasey Kahne on lap 121. Once again we applaud NASCAR for the SAFER barrier.
Closing in on the finish, it was déjà vu for Kyle Busch- blowing a tire bringing out the caution. The green-white-checker was sure to set up for an exciting finish.
As Harvick and Hamlin took the green, ‘Superman’ Jimmie Johnson flew pass them onto his 77th career victory. With this win, Jimmie broke the tie with Dale Earnhardt Sr. for seventh on the all-time wins list.
Post race Twitter feeds were full of fans, drivers and crew chiefs voicing their opinions and displeasure with some of the day's events. This made for a very entertaining evening.
NASCAR takes the weekend off for Easter, then it's on to the shortest track on the circuit Martinsville Speedway and the STP 500. Martinsville has a long history of beating, banging and hot tempers. With little give and take among the drivers , we are sure to see some exciting racing action.
Ryan has earned one Grandfather clock from his win at the ‘Paperclip’ in April 2012 and has won 3 poles. Last year he started and finished 7th in the spring race and posted a disappointing 27 in the fall race.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
March 20, 2016
The track at Auto Club Speedway was all ‘a buzz’ Friday with preparations for a double-header weekend and also from the bee invasion on the flag stand.
The RCR cars were strong in qualifying. Ryan Newman had the 4th starting position with Paul Menard rolling off 13th. For Austin Dillon and the 3 team it was ‘hive fives’ all around after Austin put down the fastest lap winning his first pole of the year. Enough with the bad bee puns.
Saturday's practice started early with a heavy blanket of fog engulfing the track. For the second time on this west coast swing Mother Nature was making conditions less than favorable for the spotters and cameramen. Ryan had two good practice sessions. In the first he was 3rd on the speed charts and in the final practice he was 10th quickest.
Ryan had a solid run on Sunday staying in the top 15 most of the day. He finished 14th. Tire management was a challenge due to the tracks worn out, bumpy surface. On long runs Ryan complained of the car getting too loose. The 31 crew had some impressive pit stops throughout the day, their best being a 10.84 second stop for four tires and fuel.
The race certainly did not disappoint. It had a little of everything: three-four wide racing, non-stop action and drivers with ruffled feathers.
A scary moment came on lap 47 when Kyle Larson cut a tire and sailed into the inside wall. Danica Patrick took a hard hit after tangoing with Kasey Kahne on lap 121. Once again we applaud NASCAR for the SAFER barrier.
Closing in on the finish, it was déjà vu for Kyle Busch- blowing a tire bringing out the caution. The green-white-checker was sure to set up for an exciting finish.
As Harvick and Hamlin took the green, ‘Superman’ Jimmie Johnson flew pass them onto his 77th career victory. With this win, Jimmie broke the tie with Dale Earnhardt Sr. for seventh on the all-time wins list.
Post race Twitter feeds were full of fans, drivers and crew chiefs voicing their opinions and displeasure with some of the day's events. This made for a very entertaining evening.
NASCAR takes the weekend off for Easter, then it's on to the shortest track on the circuit Martinsville Speedway and the STP 500. Martinsville has a long history of beating, banging and hot tempers. With little give and take among the drivers , we are sure to see some exciting racing action.
Ryan has earned one Grandfather clock from his win at the ‘Paperclip’ in April 2012 and has won 3 poles. Last year he started and finished 7th in the spring race and posted a disappointing 27 in the fall race.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

Ryan Newman's Day Ends Early at Phoenix
March 13, 2016
Ryan Newman's Grainger Chevrolet started in the 20th position on Sunday. However on lap 52 his hopes of a good finish were dashed when he blew a right-front tire sending him hard into the outside wall. The car was taken to the garage for repair, but they were unable to repair the damage, causing Ryan to finish in the 39th position.
Larry McReynolds explained the reason for the tire issue was bead failure caused by extreme brake heat. Ryan's teammate Paul Menard and other drivers, including Ricky Stenhouse and Kasey Kahne, fell victim to tire issues as well.
Kevin Harvick won the Good Sam 500 beating Carl Edwards to the checkered flag by 0.010-one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history.
#NASCARGoesWest series is on its final stop this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Ryan finished in the top five last year. This west coast swing has not gone well for the 31 team, hopefully we will see Ryan with a good run on Sunday.
"We just blew a right-front tire. It must have melted the bead or something. I don't know if something failed in the cooling department or what the deal was. I didn't do anything different than I've ever done here before. Just definitely blew a right-front tire out and that was the end of our day.” -Ryan Newman
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
March 13, 2016
Ryan Newman's Grainger Chevrolet started in the 20th position on Sunday. However on lap 52 his hopes of a good finish were dashed when he blew a right-front tire sending him hard into the outside wall. The car was taken to the garage for repair, but they were unable to repair the damage, causing Ryan to finish in the 39th position.
Larry McReynolds explained the reason for the tire issue was bead failure caused by extreme brake heat. Ryan's teammate Paul Menard and other drivers, including Ricky Stenhouse and Kasey Kahne, fell victim to tire issues as well.
Kevin Harvick won the Good Sam 500 beating Carl Edwards to the checkered flag by 0.010-one of the closest finishes in NASCAR history.
#NASCARGoesWest series is on its final stop this weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Ryan finished in the top five last year. This west coast swing has not gone well for the 31 team, hopefully we will see Ryan with a good run on Sunday.
"We just blew a right-front tire. It must have melted the bead or something. I don't know if something failed in the cooling department or what the deal was. I didn't do anything different than I've ever done here before. Just definitely blew a right-front tire out and that was the end of our day.” -Ryan Newman
Send me a tweet: @Angief530

About Me
March 15, 2016
Hello, I'm Angie from Vicksburg, Mississippi. I love all sports but NASCAR is my heart.
About twenty years ago, while visiting my step-dad in the hospital, I saw my first NASCAR race and have been hooked ever since.
I have a room full of NASCAR memorabilia including Rusty’s tire, Tony’s quarter panel and Ryan Blaney's windshield. The first race I attended was at Bristol in 2000. There is nothing like being at the racetrack experiencing the roar of the engines, the smell of burning fuel and the grit in your teeth.
I began as a Tony Stewart fan, but I am truly a race fan from asphalt to the dirt track . I go to least one NASCAR race a year.
I've attended races at Bristol, Talladega, Texas, Charlotte and the local dirt tracks here at home. A goal on my bucket list is to attend a race at every track on the circuit.
I am the OFR for "The Rocket Man", Ryan Newman. Ryan drives the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevy for Richard Childress Racing. Ryan was the 2002 Rookie of the Year and has proven that consistency pays off making ‘The Chase’ the past two years.
Not only am I a fan of Ryan on the track, but off the track as well He and his wife Krissie do amazing work with Rescue Ranch and the Ryan Newman Foundation where they bring awareness to environmental issues, wildlife care and animal rescue.
I am excited to be the OFR for Ryan Newman on NASCARfemale.com and I am looking forward to a great 2016 season.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530
March 15, 2016
Hello, I'm Angie from Vicksburg, Mississippi. I love all sports but NASCAR is my heart.
About twenty years ago, while visiting my step-dad in the hospital, I saw my first NASCAR race and have been hooked ever since.
I have a room full of NASCAR memorabilia including Rusty’s tire, Tony’s quarter panel and Ryan Blaney's windshield. The first race I attended was at Bristol in 2000. There is nothing like being at the racetrack experiencing the roar of the engines, the smell of burning fuel and the grit in your teeth.
I began as a Tony Stewart fan, but I am truly a race fan from asphalt to the dirt track . I go to least one NASCAR race a year.
I've attended races at Bristol, Talladega, Texas, Charlotte and the local dirt tracks here at home. A goal on my bucket list is to attend a race at every track on the circuit.
I am the OFR for "The Rocket Man", Ryan Newman. Ryan drives the No. 31 Caterpillar Chevy for Richard Childress Racing. Ryan was the 2002 Rookie of the Year and has proven that consistency pays off making ‘The Chase’ the past two years.
Not only am I a fan of Ryan on the track, but off the track as well He and his wife Krissie do amazing work with Rescue Ranch and the Ryan Newman Foundation where they bring awareness to environmental issues, wildlife care and animal rescue.
I am excited to be the OFR for Ryan Newman on NASCARfemale.com and I am looking forward to a great 2016 season.
Send me a tweet: @Angief530