The Rocket Man has added another achievement to his resume. Veteran driver Ryan Newman is the newest name added to NASCAR‘s 75 Greatest Drivers list.
The announcement took place during the April 19 episode of “NASCAR Race Hub.” Host Josh Sims announced that Newman had joined the prestigious list. Aric Almirola and Jamie McMurray then weighed in and explained how Newman was one of the hardest drivers to pass in NASCAR.
ROCKETMAN! 🚀 🚀 🚀
Congrats to @RyanJNewman on being named to @NASCAR‘s list of 75 Greatest Drivers!
A veteran of 22 years, Newman made 725 starts at the top level of NASCAR. He celebrated in Victory Lane 18 total times, and he secured 268 top-10 finishes.
Newman also started from the pole 51 times, which puts him ninth on the all-time list behind such names as Bill Elliott (55), Mark Martin (56), and Bobby Allison (59) among others. Richard Petty is atop the list with 123 starts from the pole.
Newman is the latest driver in 2023 to join the Greatest Drivers List. He follows Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne, Randy LaJoie, Mike Stefanik, Kyle Larson, Sterling Marlin, and Greg Biffle.
Newman Captured Multiple Crown Jewel Races
GettyRyan Newman celebrates a Crown Jewel win.
Newman drove for four prominent teams during his time in the NASCAR Cup Series. He made his debut with Team Penske in 2000 and then he ran full-time for the team from 2002 until the end of the 2008 season.
Newman was with Stewart-Haas Racing from 2009 until the end of the 2013 season and then with Richard Childress Racing from 2014 until the end of 2018. He closed out his career with three seasons at Roush Fenway Racing — now RFK Racing.
Newman kicked off his full-time tenure in the NASCAR Cup Series by winning at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in 2002 and then winning Rookie of the Year. He then went on to deliver an eight-win season in 2003 before finishing sixth in the championship standings.
“Pedal, baby! Pedal!”
@RyanJNewman held off the field to win The Great American Race! #NASCAR75
Newman posted 13 of his 18 career Cup Series wins with Team Penske. He also won the 2002 All-Star Race. He added four more points-paying wins with Stewart-Haas Racing and one with Richard Childress Racing.
Two of Newman’s wins were Crown Jewel events. He won the 2008 Daytona 500 for Team Penske and then he won the 2013 Brickyard 400 for Stewart-Haas Racing. Though it was called the Crown Royal Presents the Samuel Deeds 400 during the 2013 season.
Newman’s Career Has Featured Wins Across Other Series
GettyRyan Newman celebrates a Daytona 500 win.
The NASCAR Cup Series is not the only place where Newman captured several wins. He also won seven times in the Xfinity Series, once in the Craftsman Truck Series, and four times in the ARCA Menards Series.
Newman has also celebrated after events in the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour. He has posted four wins in 33 starts across 15 seasons. This run includes all three of his starts during the 2010 season as he joined forces with Kevin “Bono” Manion.
Newman did not compete in NASCAR during the 2022 season, but he bested some championship-winning drivers in another racing arena. He ran full-time in the SRX Series and he finished second in the championship standings behind Marco Andretti. Newman achieved this by winning at Stafford Motor Speedway and stacking points in the other five races.
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The Rocket Man Joins a Prestigious NASCAR List