05/29/2020
Ryan Newman – Bristol I Advance
ADVANCE NOTES
NASCAR Returns to Action
- Following four races in the Carolinas as part of NASCAR’s return to the track, the focus shifts to ‘The World’s Fastest Half Mile’ in Bristol, Tennessee, as the NASCAR Cup Series battles for 500 laps Sunday afternoon.
- Following action at Bristol, the NCS will enjoy its first midweek off since the return before heading to Atlanta Motor Speedway on June 7 for the 10th points race of 2020.
- Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed.
Wednesday Recap, Sunday Preview
- Ryan Newman found himself in the top-15 at the start of the final stage in Thursday night’s 208-lap event from Charlotte Motor Speedway, before crossing the line 17th in the Roush Performance Ford.
- The starting lineup for Bristol will be determined by a random draw based on teams’ order in owner points. Newman and the No. 6 team are 21st in owner points, meaning he will be in the same group alongside teammate Chris Buescher to draw for starting spots 13-24.
Newman Historically at Bristol Motor Speedway
- Newman makes his 37th start at Bristol on Sunday, where he carries an average finish of 15.4. He has 19 top-10 finishes overall including two top-fives.
- Newman’s best finish at ‘The World’s Fastest Half Mile’ came in the fall of 2004 when he finished second after starting fourth. He also finished fifth in the 2015 spring event. In the last five events overall, Newman has three top-10s and an average result of 9.6.
- The 19-year Cup Series veteran crossed the line ninth in last season’s spring event and followed that with an 11th-place run in the fall. He has an overall average starting spot of 12.2 with three career poles (2003, 2004, 2001).
- Newman has an additional nine combined starts in the Xfinity and Truck series, winning in NXS action back in 2005. He earned the pole in the NXS in 2006 and finished 10th or better in five NXS starts overall. He recorded a fourth-place result in the No. 2 truck in 2009.
- Newman will line up 17th on Sunday afternoon.
Scott Graves at Bristol Motor Speedway
- Graves will call his ninth NCS race at Bristol on Sunday. With an overall average finish of 14.5, he led Newman to a ninth-place run in the 2019 spring race.
- Graves also called seven Xfinity Series events at Bristol dating back to 2012, recording one top five with Chris Buescher (2015) and two additional top-10s with Buescher (2014) and Daniel Suarez (2016).
QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on racing at Bristol:
“I’m for one excited to get back to a short track and see what we’ve got at Bristol this weekend, one of my favorite tracks we go to. Our team put together a couple solid runs last year and proved we had some raw speed, so we are looking forward to improving on that this weekend. Glad to have Castrol on the car, my first race with them this season, and excited to put on a good run in our Castrol Ford.”
On the Car
Castrol returns to the No. 6 machine this weekend for its second race of 2020. The high-performance lubricant brand signed as the team’s official oil partner in January and will serve as the primary for select races in 2020.
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.
