10/07/2020
Ryan Newman | ROVAL Advance
ADVANCE NOTES
Focus Shifts to ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- The ROVAL at Charlotte Motor Speedway hosts just its third NASCAR Cup event ever this weekend, a race that will mark the second (and final) road course race of the 2020 season.
- This weekend’s 109-lap event is the final race in the round of 12 of the NASCAR Playoffs, with Kansas, Texas, Martinsville and Phoenix remaining on the season slate.
- The starting lineup will continue to be set by three competition-based metrics, rewarding both season-long and single-race performance. Sunday’s lineup will be announced later this week.
- Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the COVID-19 hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed before the schedule later picked back up in mid-May.
Newman Historically at the ROVAL
- Newman will make his third start at the ROVAL on Sunday, where he has an average finish of 21.5, with a best result of 11th in the track’s debut in 2018. Last season, he finished 32nd.
- Overall, Newman has 39 starts at road courses in the Cup Series, with 11 top-10s and three top five results. Newman finished runner-up in one of his first-ever road course starts back in 2002 at Watkins Glen, and followed that with a ninth-place run a season later.
- He piloted Jack Roush’s No. 6 machine to a seventh-place run last year in Sonoma, one of his eight top-10s at the track. Looking back at the Daytona Road Course in August, Newman finished 19th after starting 14th.
- Newman does have a road course win in the Xfinity Series, which came in 2005 at WGI after starting fourth.
Scott Graves Historically at the ROVAL
- Graves will call his third race at the ROVAL on Sunday, where he has an average finish of 26.5. He led Daniel Suarez to a 21st-place run in 2018, and finished 32nd last season with Newman.
- Overall on road courses, Graves has 11 starts with three top-10s, two of which were inside the top five.
- Graves went to victory lane twice in the Xfinity Series at road courses, leading Carl Edwards to a victory in the No. 60 entry in 2012 at WGI, followed by a win with Buescher in the same car two years later at Mid-Ohio.
QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at the ROVAL:
“For whatever reason, we have struggled a bit at the road courses lately, but hope to turn that around this weekend. Like last week, there are going to be many scenarios playing out with a lot of guys desperate for points. We’re looking to keep it clean until the end, and hopefully spoil the afternoon in our Castrol Ford Mustang.”
Last Time Out
Newman was patient throughout Sunday’s chaotic race from Talladega, and put himself in contention late in the Guaranteed Rate Ford. After initially crossing the line seventh, Newman was bumped to a fifth-place run after two cars were penalized, but was later relegated back to sixth after NASCAR rescinded the penalty for one of the two cars.
Where They Rank
Newman is 25th in driver points after 28 points races in his 2020 campaign. In owners’ points, the No. 6 is 23rd.
On the Car
Castrol returns to Newman’s No. 6 machine for the weekend at the ROVAL. The high-performance lubricant brand signed as the team’s official oil partner in January, with this race closing out its 2020 slate as the primary partner.
Driven for a Cause
Throughout the month of October, Roush Fenway Racing will show its support for Breast Cancer Awareness Month by running special pink numbers on its Ford Mustangs. In addition, Roush Fenway Fords will sport pink ‘Driven for a Cause’ ribbon decals on its Ford Mustangs.
About Castrol
Castrol, a global leader in lubricant technology, serves customers and consumers in over 140 countries in the automotive, marine, industrial and energy production sectors. Our branded products are recognized globally for innovation and high performance through our commitment to premium quality products, highly responsive services and cutting-edge technology. To find out more about Castrol products and programs, please visit www.castrol.com/us.
