04/28/2021
Ryan Newman – Kansas Advance
ADVANCE NOTES
Newman at Kansas Speedway
- Sunday marks a milestone achievement for Ryan Newman as he makes his 700th NASCAR Cup Series start at Kansas Speedway. He joins an elite group of drivers to accomplish the feat, and will put himself tied for 18th on the all-time starts list with his mentor and friend Buddy Baker.
- He will join Kevin Harvick and Kurt Busch as the only active Cup drivers to reach 700 starts, and by season’s end he is projected to reach 725 starts, which will slot him 15th on the list.
- It marks his 31st Cup start at Kansas, a track he won at back in 2003. Overall, he has seven top-10s, three of which were inside the top five, with a 19.8 average finish.
- One of his eight wins in 2003, Newman held off Bill Elliott and Jeremy Mayfield at Kansas and led the final 28 laps en route to the victory.
- Prior to that, he finished runner-up in each of his first two races at the track (2001, 2002). He also finished top-10 in 2010 (ninth), 2014 (sixth), 2015 (10th) and 2016 (seventh).
- He also made one start in the Truck Series at Kansas, finishing second after starting fourth in 2015.
Scott Graves at Kansas Speedway
- Graves will be atop the box for his 10th Cup event at Kansas Speedway on Sunday where he has an average finish of 25th. His best result came with Daniel Suarez in 2017 where he ran seventh.
- In his first-ever Cup race at Kansas, Graves finished 11th with Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
- He also called three Xfinity events – two with Chris Buescher – including a sixth-place run in 2015 and third in 2016 with Suarez.
QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Kansas:
“There’s a lot riding with me this weekend with my 700th start and the return of Hy-Vee to our car. While it is just another number, it’s a special one and I am thankful and joyed to be in the position to enjoy such a long career in something I am so passionate about. We’re glad to once again carry the Hy-Vee banner in their backyard come Sunday, and look forward to putting the puzzle pieces together for a solid run.”
Last Time Out
Newman overcame a pair of late speeding penalties Sunday at Talladega and persevered to a 13th-place run in the Castrol Ford.
Where They Rank
Newman is 19th in points entering Kansas.
On the Car
Hy-Vee, in partnership with Coca-Cola, will ride with Newman this weekend at Kansas. It marks the second-straight Kansas event for Hy-Vee as they joined Newman’s No. 6 Ford for the fall Kansas race in 2020.
- With beginnings traced back to a one-story brick building in a tiny, rural Iowa town of 200 people, today Hy-Vee has more than 275 stores in eight states and employs more than 88,000 employees.
- Hy-Vee ranks in the top-10 most trusted brans and has been named one of America’s top five favorite grocery stores. The company’s more than 88,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day.
- Hy-Vee has also ranked in America’s top five favorite gas station brands, and in 2020 was recognized nationally for its COVID-19 response efforts by Food & Wine magazine and Supermarket News.
- Hy-Vee is on a mission to become the “Best Place to Work and Shop in America” through its new employee and customer initiatives, which includes deals, discounts, giveaways and more.
About Hy-Vee
Hy-Vee, Inc. is an employee-owned corporation operating more than 275 retail stores across eight Midwestern states with sales of $11 billion annually. The supermarket chain is synonymous with quality, variety, convenience, healthy lifestyles, culinary expertise and superior customer service. Hy-Vee ranks in the Top 10 Most Trusted Brands and has been named one of America’s Top 5 favorite grocery stores. The company’s more than 88,000 employees provide “A Helpful Smile in Every Aisle” to customers every day. For additional information, visit www.hy-vee.com.
