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NEWS
LINKS |
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PHOTO GALLERIES ARE AVAILABLE FOR
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CHASSIS NOTES
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PRS-519:
Atlanta will be the first race for this
car. The Charger was tested at Lowe’s
Motor Speedway last season by the No. 12
team, and it served as a backup car at
various tracks during the year.
PRS-513: The backup car is the same
No. 12 Alltel Dodge that served as the
backup at California and Las Vegas.
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 Atlanta
Motor Speedway
Hampton, GA
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Since being purchased by Bruton
Smith in 1990, Atlanta Motor Speedway has become an
ultra-modern, multi-purpose venue that has raised the
bar of excellence. Amenities include a nine-story
office/condominium complex, improved parking, over
53,000 additional permanent seats, a road course, a
four-color electronic message center, a new ticket
office and gift shop.
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Appearance
Schedule |
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| DATE |
START |
FINISH |
LAPS
COMPLETED |
MONEY
WON |
| Mar-02 |
2 |
10 |
325/325 |
$78,000.00 |
| Oct-02 |
6 |
10 |
248/248 |
$92,900.00 |
| Mar-03 |
1 |
10 |
324/325 |
$94,450.00 |
| Oct-03 |
1 |
29 |
320/325 |
$107,900.00 |
| Mar-04 |
1 |
5 |
325/325 |
$120,467.00 |
| Oct-04 |
1 |
17 |
323/325 |
$138,092.00 |
| Mar-05 |
1 |
14 |
325/325 |
$120,266.00 |
| Oct-05 |
1 |
23 |
323/325 |
$137,266.00 |
| Mar-06 |
2 |
18 |
325/325 |
$137,266.00 |
| Oct-06 |
17 |
30 |
321/325 |
$125,258.00 |
| Mar-07 |
1 |
23 |
324/325 |
$111,000.00 |
| Oct-07 |
9 |
37 |
267/329 |
$112,375.00 |
| STARTS: |
POLES: |
TOP 5s: |
TOP 10s: |
WINS: |
LAPS
COMPLETED: |
MONEY WON: |
| 12 |
7 |
1 |
4 |
0 |
3,750/3,827 |
$1,353,007.00 |
|R. Newman '07 Alltel #12 COT Avenger,
1:24
Buy Now
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R. Newman Nylon Full-Zip Jacket
Buy Now
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|R. Newman Lead Lap T-Shirt
Buy Now
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PIT
CREW |
| Crew Chief |
Roy McCauley |
Davidsonville, Md. |
| Team Engineer |
Travis Geisler |
Pittsburgh, Penn. |
| Car Chief |
Bryan Dilly |
Ringwood, N.J. |
| Front-tire Carrier |
Scott Reiniger |
Salisbury, N.C. |
| Front-tire Changer |
Ben Brown |
Charlotte, N.C. |
| Jackman |
Bryan White |
Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Rear-tire Carrier |
Trent Cherry |
Charlotte, N.C. |
| Rear-tire Changer |
Joe Piette |
Wausaw, Wis. |
| Gasman |
George Whitley |
Chocowinity, N.C. |
| Catch Can |
Britt Goodrich |
Gastonia, N.C. |
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 RYAN NEWMAN RALLIES FOR
TOP-15 FINISH
Hampton, Ga. (March 9, 2008) – Ryan Newman, driver of
the Penske Racing No. 12 Alltel Dodge Charger, fought back from
an on-track incident late in the running of Sunday’s Kobalt
Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway to score his second
consecutive 14th-place NASCAR Cup finish.
The incident occurred approximately 100 laps from the finish
when Newman was running in fifth place. Juan Pablo Montoya
(driver of the No. 42 Dodge) shot up the track on lap 226 and
into Newman’s left fender. Newman was able to avoid hitting the
outside wall, but the contact to the left side of the No. 12
Alltel Dodge created a severe tire rub, forcing Newman to give
up his top-five spot in the running order to pit under green in
order to fix the problem.
Newman lost a lap to the leaders due to the unscheduled pit
stop. Although he was unable to get that lap back in the closing
stages of the race, Newman fought to a 14th-place result. The
No. 12 finished as the first car one lap down to the leaders.
“We had a good a car – a top-10 car most of the day. Montoya
couldn’t hold the steering wheel straight going down the back
straightaway and drove up into me and knocked my fender in,”
Newman said. “We had to pit – we had a tire rub – it’s
unfortunate that we couldn’t get a yellow late in the race to
get on the lead lap.
“I’m positive that our Alltel Dodge Charger was better than 14th
- I guarantee you that.”
With his fourth top-15 finish in four races this season, Newman
is sitting fourth in the NASCAR Cup point standings, just three
points out of third place.
Newman started the Kobalt Tools 500 in 12th place on Sunday
afternoon. Although he quickly moved into the top 10, Newman
radioed his crew that the Alltel Dodge was too loose early in
the race. Despite battling the loose condition, Newman was
turning solid lap times and was able to keep his Dodge in the
top 10.
When the caution flag waved at lap 39, Newman brought the Alltel
car to the attention of his pit crew. The team made a wedge
adjustment, changed four tires and added fuel.
“I need to tighten it up just a little bit,” Newman told the
team. “Tighter I think will be better for me.”
Newman restarted in the ninth position. The Alltel Dodge
remained in the top 10 over the course of the next 30 laps.
However, at lap 65, Newman told his crew that the car had now
gone too far to the tight side.
A caution at lap 85 gave the No. 12 pit crew the opportunity to
go to work on Newman’s Alltel Dodge once again. The team changed
four tires, added fuel and made a track bar adjustment, in an
attempt to loosen up the car.
Newman restarted in the 13th spot and just laps after taking the
green flag, he radioed his team that the adjustments were not
enough – the car was still a tick too tight.
Another caution at lap 114 gave the pit crew the chance to make
another wedge adjustment, change four tires and add fuel.
“We’ll keep getting you freed up to where you are happy,” crew
chief Roy McCauley told Newman. “You just keep doing what you
are doing on the track.”
Newman continued to turn solid, competitive laps on the race
track, and his crew worked on the car at every opportunity,
trying to get the handling just right. By lap 220, Newman had
moved back into the top 10.
A caution on lap 221 sent the No. 12 team to work for the sixth
time on the Alltel Dodge, which was once again too loose. The
pit crew made a wedge adjustment, changed four tires and added
fuel. The team’s quick work helped Newman gain four spots on pit
road. He restarted in fifth place, his highest running order of
the race.
Just moments after celebrating a solid gain in the pits,
Newman’s crew was jolted into unexpected action after the
contact on the back straightaway with the No. 42 Dodge left
Newman with left-side damage. Heavy smoke from a tire rub that
was only getting worse forced Newman to give up his spot with
the leaders and come to pit road.
The crew changed the left side tires and pulled out the damaged
fender. Newman returned to the track in 20th place, one lap
down.
Despite the frustration of being taken out of contention for a
top-five finish, Newman did not waver. In the closing laps of
the race, he battled back to the 14th spot and was the first car
one lap down, but he was never able to get a caution flag which
would have put him back on the lead lap.
“Thanks for hanging in there,” McCauley told Newman following
the race. “We had a tough break today.”
After two days of Goodyear tire testing at Darlington Raceway on
Monday and Tuesday, the No. 12 Alltel Dodge will return to
action at Bristol Motor Speedway on Sunday, March 16 for the
Food City 500. The race can be seen on FOX beginning at 1:30
p.m. ET and will be heard live on PRN Radio.
 NEWMAN
TO START 12th IN KOBALT TOOLS 500
HAMPTON, Ga. (March 7, 2008) - Ryan Newman, driver of
the Penske Racing No.12 Alltel Dodge Charger, will start 12th in
the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on Sunday.
Newman, who was going for a record-setting eighth pole at
Atlanta, posted a fast lap of 182.135 mph (30.439 seconds). Pole
winner Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet turned
a lap of 185.251 mph (29.927 seconds).
"Our Alltel Dodge has been struggling a little bit today
especially with grip," said Newman, who has been under the
weather this weekend. "We have some work to do, but we've got
two practices tomorrow to get it right for Sunday."
Newman has one win (Daytona) and two top-10 finishes in the
first three races of the 2008 season. He is currently second in
the NASCAR Cup points standings.
The Kobalt Tools 500 will air live on FOX on Sunday, March 9,
2008, beginning at 1:30 p.m. ET. The race will also be broadcast
live on PRN.
PENSKE RACING TEAMMATES
29. Kurt Busch
33. Sam Hornish Jr.
ALLTEL “MY CIRCLE
500”
Alltel will once again sponsor the “My Circle 500”
sweepstakes, a national text-to-win promotion that puts race
fans in the driver’s seat for a chance to win a grand prize
of up to $500,000. From now until May 3, fans can enter the
Alltel “My Circle 500” by texting RACE to 38229 or by
logging onto
www.alltelracing.com.
The 10 sweepstakes finalists and their ‘Circle of Friends’
will win an all-expense-paid trip to Charlotte, N.C., May
23-26 to compete in the second annual Alltel “My Circle
500.” The finalists will get in the driver’s seat and take
one lap around the go-kart track. Then, it’s up to their
‘Circle of Friends’ to change four tires on the No. 12
Alltel Dodge. The fastest team will be declared the winner
and take home at least $200,000. The champions will receive
an additional $300,000 if they beat the time of 2008 Daytona
500 champion Ryan Newman and the Alltel pit crew –
increasing the grand prize purse to $500,000.
Notes
- Ryan Newman, driver of the Penske Racing No. 12 Alltel
Dodge Charger, has seven career poles at Atlanta Motor
Speedway and is currently tied for the all-time pole record
at the track. Newman’s friend and mentor Buddy Baker also
owns seven poles at Atlanta. Newman credits Baker for
teaching him how to get around the Atlanta race track when
he first joined Penske Racing in 2000, and says it would be
an honor to own the all-time pole record.
- Newman scored six consecutive pole positions at the
1.54-mile quad oval from March 2003 to October 2005. He
scored his seventh pole at Atlanta last March.
- Newman’s qualifying prowess at Atlanta isn’t just about
pole positions. In 12 starts at the track, Newman has
started outside the top 10 only once — and that was in
October 2006 when inclement weather forced the starting
lineup to be set by points and Newman started 17th. Newman’s
qualifying efforts at Atlanta include the seven poles, two
outside poles and a sixth- and ninth-place starting
position.
- Newman’s best finish at Atlanta Motor Speedway came in
March 2004, when he finished fifth. He also had three
consecutive 10th-place finishes at the race track from March
2002 to March 2003.
QUALIFYING AT ATLANTA: “Atlanta has always been a
place where I like to qualify, and it would be an honor to get
the all-time pole record there. Buddy Baker has really helped me
throughout my racing career and that’s why we named the car we
won the Daytona 500 with after him. Buddy would never tell me
what I was doing right when he worked with me , but he would
always tell me what I was doing wrong, so I could learn from my
mistakes. We always drove the tracks backwards because it gives
you a different perspective of entry and exit points. It lets
you know how to approach those points when you are going the
right way on the track. That’s something we did at Atlanta when
he was teaching me about the track and I have always qualified
well there.”
RACING AT ATLANTA: “My qualifying record hasn’t
transferred to my racing record, and I’m not sure why. We have
some top 10s, but we’ve also had some not so great runs there. I
hope we learned a lot from our test there last fall that will
help us out this weekend. Our Alltel team wants top fives and
top 10s each weekend, so that’s our goal.”
QUALIFYING AT ATLANTA: “Our first goal is that we
would like to continue Ryan’s history of qualifying success
at Atlanta. Just because Ryan has a solid history at the
track in qualifying, it doesn’t put more pressure on us. We
want to qualify well so that we can pick a good pit, which
benefits the entire team and therefore benefits Ryan during
the race. Our goal is to do as good as we can as a team. We
know Ryan’s qualifying history at the track and we know that
we have the capability of giving him a car that can qualify
on the pole. ”
STRATEGY AT ATLANTA: “At Atlanta, the key is how
you are on long runs. The tires there have a history of
wearing out quickly, so it’s not about how fast you are
during the first 10 laps, but it’s about how consistent you
are over the last 30 laps of a run. So you want to focus on
long runs in practice. This weekend, weather looks to be an
issue, so we’re just going to have to see how much race
practice we get. We’re going to have to do as much work as
we can during that time to get the Alltel Dodge ready for
our race runs.”
For news about Ryan Newman's charity work and
special events visit
THE RYAN
NEWMAN FOUNDATION WEBSITE
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Ryan everyday for
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