Ryan Newman Returns for NASCAR’s Loudon Weekend

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Ryan Newman (right) will make his return to the NASCAR Cup Series.

Ryan Newman is set to make another start in the Next Gen era of NASCAR. The veteran driver will join the Cup Series lineup for the race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

According to the initial entry list, Newman will be behind the wheel of the No. 15 Ford Mustang for the Crayon 301 on Sunday, July 16 (2:30 p.m. ET, USA Network). He will make his 37th start at the 1.058-mile track, his first since the 2021 season.

Newman’s first two starts of 2023 featured him in control of a different stock car. He drove the No. 51 Ford Mustang at Darlington Raceway during Throwback Weekend and then he returned to the entry for the All-Star Open at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Newman will now drive the No. 15 Ford Mustang due to the presence of another driver. Xfinity Series regular Cole Custer will make his second Cup Series start of the year while driving the No. 51 Ford Mustang. His first was at Atlanta Motor Speedway on July 9.

Newman Has Previous Success at New Hampshire Motor Speedway

GettyRyan Newman meets with media members at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Newman will have a busy weekend of racing in the Northeast. He will first head to Stafford Motor Speedway on Thursday, July 13, for the SRX Series season opener, and he will try to defend his win from the 2022 season.

Newman will then head to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on July 15-16. He will take part in practice at 12:05 p.m. ET (USA) and then he will qualify for the Cup Series race at 12:50 p.m. ET (USA).

Newman has previous success at New Hampshire Motor Speedway with two different teams. He won in 2002 after starting from the pole in the No. 12 Team Penske entry and then he led 143 laps before celebrating his first career Cup Series win.

Newman won two more Cup Series races at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. He brought Team Penske back to Victory Lane in 2005 and then he won in the No. 39 Stewart-Haas Racing Chevrolet in 2011. This third win also featured Newman starting from the pole and leading 119 laps.

Another Driver Just Delivered for Rick Ware Racing

GettyRyan Newman practices for the Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway.

Rick Ware Racing has relied on several drivers during the 2023 Cup Series season. This list includes Custer, JJ Yeley, Matt Crafton, Todd Gilliland, Jenson Button, Brennan Poole, Riley Herbst, Gray Gaulding, Andy Lally, and Zane Smith.

Yeley and Herbst have delivered the two best performances for the two-car team while driving the No. 15 Ford Mustang. Herbst kicked off the year by finishing 10th in the Daytona 500, the race that marked his first Cup Series start.

Yeley’s performance took place at Atlanta Motor Speedway. He kept the No. 15 Ford clean during a rain-shortened race that featured multiple drivers losing control on the slick racing surface. He went on to finish seventh overall in what was his first top-10 since the 2013 Daytona 500.

Newman will now take over the No. 15 Ford Mustang as he prepares for his third start of the 2023 season. He finished 28th at Darlington Raceway and then he finished 12th in the All-Star Open after getting collected in a five-car incident.