Ryan Newman to do 'whatever it takes to win and not lose' at Michigan

Ryan Newman is 30/1 to win Sunday at Michigan

Ryan Newman
No. 31 WIX Filters Chevrolet SS
Event Preview Fact Sheet

This Week’s WIX Filters Chevrolet SS at Michigan International Speedway … Ryan Newman will drive chassis No. 479 in Sunday’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan International Speedway. This chassis was utilized earlier this season at Indianapolis Motor Speedway where Newman qualified fourth and finished 11th.

Newman at MIS … In 26 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series events at Michigan, Newman scored back-to-back victories in the fall 2003 and spring 2004 events. The “Rocket Man” also owns a pole award. In total, he’s recorded five top-five and seven top-10 finishes. He has led 97 laps in competition. The South Bend, Ind., native has an average start of 13th and average finish of 12th.

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Point of Interest … In the last six races at the two-mile oval, the RCR driver ranks sixth in most points earned. He is ninth in the championship point standings entering this weekend’s Pure Michigan 400 at Michigan Speedway

MIS Rewind … Newman raced as high as second and as low as 19th throughout the Quicken Loans 400 on June 15. With 10 laps to go while running in the top five, the No. 31 pitted for a splash of fuel en route to a 15th-place finish.

Pick Newman’s Ride … The Quicken Loans “Paint Your Way to Dover” contest is giving race fans the power to select Newman’s No. 31 Quicken Loans Chevrolet paint scheme for the upcoming Sprint Cup Series race at Dover International Speedway on September 28, 2014. Fans can visit QLRacing.com to cast their vote for one of three paint schemes that were selected from a pool of nearly 1,000 designs submitted by fans nationwide. The entrant whose design receives the most votes will win a trip to Dover, Delaware to see their custom paint scheme on track as Newman attempts to tame the “Monster Mile” in September. If Newman finishes first at Dover, the grand prize winner will also receive a prize of one year’s worth of mortgage payments. Also part of the Paint Your Way to Dover contest, Quicken Loans has also partnered with three charities - Autism Speaks, Folds of Honor and the Childress Institute for Pediatric Trauma - to also take part in the contest. Along with selecting their favorite design, fans visiting QLRacing.com will also be able to select one of the three charities. The nonprofit with the highest vote count will then receive a $10,000 donation from Quicken Loans and the remaining charities will each be awarded $2,500.

RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:

The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series raced at Michigan in June. How much does the track change?
“To me, the second race is so much better because of the track in keeping some of the rubber laid down during the first race. It’s like we start the weekend at least halfway through what we experience the previous race weekend. This race is so much more fun to drive because the track is racier.”

This week is Michigan, how many teams will take a chance on fuel mileage?
“Teams have to be in a position to take chances on fuel mileage. You never know ahead of time if that will occur. It doesn’t occur at the start of the race or typically in the middle of the race. It usually happens near the end. If we have a caution that sets things up differently, then it may not even be an issue.”

With the Chase closing in, how aggressive are you willing to be to get that win?
“The risks I’m willing to entail are whatever it takes to win and not lose. You can’t afford to really lose anything, or at least not as much as some. To be honest, I’ve never raced that way, so the situation we are in isn’t changing the way I drive or the way I approach racing week in and week out.”

- Richard Childress Racing