Newman Likes New Surroundings, but Wants to Keep Some of the Old

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. February. 3, 2009: While Ryan Newman is hyped about the newness of his Sprint Cup stock car team, he would still prefer a little of the old for NASCAR's Daytona 500 season opener, Feb. 15.

The South Bend, Ind. native kicks off the 2009 campaign with a new team (Stewart-Haas Racing), new owner and teammate (Tony Stewart), new crew chief (Tony Gibson), new sponsor (U.S. Army) new car number (39), new manufacturer (Chevrolet) and new engine builder (Hendrick Motorsports).

The only thing of the "old" that Newman would like to retain is another victory in NASCAR's most prestigious race. The 31-year-old driver won the Daytona 500 last year and is looking to become the first repeat winner since Sterling Marlin's back-to-back 500 victories in 1994 and 1995.

"From a personnel standpoint I feel we have everything we need to win," offered Newman about his new Stewart-Haas Racing team. "Even though it's a new situation here with a new team and new owner I feel we will be competitive right out of the box. So many of these people have been through this type of situation that they're fully capable of hitting the ground running."

It's not only the new team that has Newman pumped, it's his new legion of fans who will be cheering the flat black No. 39 U.S. Army Chevrolet Impala SS from all corners of the world.

"Having the United States Army as a primary sponsor brings a large domestic and international fan base," noted Newman. "It's pretty humbling to know that our Army Chevy Impala SS will be representing more than one million Soldiers. When you think about one million Soldiers who are fighting for freedom in a time of crisis, it kind of puts it all in perspective. What I am doing is relatively easy in the grand scheme of things."

But when it comes to superspeedway racing on NASCAR's fabled 2.5-mile track, nothing is easy as 43 cars run inches apart, bumping and banging at speeds approaching 200 miles per hour.

The 51st running of the Daytona 500 will be Newman's eighth appearance at what is known as the Great American Race. He finished seventh in his Daytona 500 debut in 2002. His other top 500 finish prior to last year's win was third in 2006.

“It’s an honor to race in the Daytona 500,” said Newman. “My father (Greg Newman) and I would always watch the race on television, and starting in 1992 we attended the event in person.

“Last year's final lap was emotional. My father, who is my spotter, was tearing up and kept on saying, ‘Go boy, Go boy’. When I crossed the finish line there was no doubt that I knew the significance of what the Daytona 500 victory meant.”

Newman has an automatic qualifying berth for the 500 – inheriting the No. 66 Haas Racing owner points from 2008 (30th place).