Ryan Newman

Birthday: 12/08/1977
Hometown: South Bend, IN

YEAR-BY-YEAR CUP SERIES RECAP

2011 -- Finished 10th in series points. ... Raised Loop Data Driver Rating six points from 2010. ... Earned second berth in Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup in three years at Stewart-Haas Racing, as eighth seed. ... Had most top-five finishes (nine) in seven years, most top-10 finishes (17) in eight years. ... Won at Loudon-1 to fashion Stewart-Haas sweep for season at NHMS with Tony Stewart. ... Average finish of 14. ... Tied for series-best with three poles, sweeping Loudon and at Bristol-2 and maintaining streak of 11 consecutive seasons with a pole. ... Average start of 12.2. ... Opened season points with 22nd in Daytona 500 but after second race remained in a Chase-qualified spot all season. ... Completed 99.3 percent of laps attempted. ... Led 403 laps, his most in seven years. ... Maintained 44-race streak of races running at the finish.

2010 -- Finished 15th in series points. ... Won first race with Stewart-Haas Racing at Phoenix-1. ... Won ninth career Charlotte pole in May, making 10th consecutive season with at least one pole. ... Had 17 top-10 starts, average start 11.9. ... Average finish 15.7. ... Average Driver Rating 82.2.

2009 -- Finished ninth in series points. ... Regained his status as a weekly threat in his first season with first-year Stewart-Haas Racing. ... Had a best finish of second in the Coca-Cola 600. ... Gained his footing after an inconsistent start to the season by finishing third (Talladega), fourth (Richmond and Darlington), second (Charlotte), eighth (Dover) and fifth (Pocono) in the spring to stand fourth in series points. ... Started the Chase seeded 10th, improved to seventh twice, the latest after finishing seventh at Martinsville with four races left. ... Led the series with 10,468 laps completed. ... Tied team owner/teammate Tony Stewart by completing 99.77 percent of laps run in 2009. (10,492 were run in 2009).

2008 -- Finished 17th in series points. ... Opened season by winning the 50th Daytona 500. ... Also had eight top-10 finishes and won one pole (Phoenix spring race). ... Eighth consecutive year with a pole. ... Announced exit from Penske Racing to drive for new Stewart-Haas organization.

2007 -- Finished 13th in series points. ... Earned five poles. ... Finished second three times (Dover, Pocono, Martinsville). ... Pole at Atlanta ended a drought of 20 races without a pole, the longest of his career. ... Won three consecutive poles at Charlotte, Dover and Pocono. ... Average start of 13.8 was fifth-best in the series.

2006 -- Finished 18th in series points. ... Won the pole at Dover in June and at New Hampshire in July.

2005 -- Finished sixth in series points. ... Fourth consecutive season leading series in poles (eight). ... Scored only win of season at New Hampshire, passing Tony Stewart on Lap 199 and holding the top spot by two cars-lengths. ... Qualified for the second Chase in 10th.

2004 -- Finished seventh in series points. ... Strong season slowed by nine DNFs. ... Led series with nine poles, including four consecutive from Charlotte through Phoenix. ... Held off Kasey Kahne at Michigan to score the first of two wins. ... Dominated in his second win at Dover in September leading 325 of 400 laps. ... Qualified for the inaugural Chase in 10th. ... Title hopes dashed by four DNFs in last 10 races.

2003 -- Finished sixth in series points. ... Led the series in wins (eight), poles (11) and miles led (1,509.13) ... Had five DNFs in the first half of the season. ... Finished 38th or worse in six of the first 15 races. ... Scored first win at Texas, but followed with a four-race skid of three DNFs and 39th-place finish at Richmond in May, leaving him 27th in series points. ... With a victory at Chicago in July, kicked off a 13-race hot streak that included six wins ... His series-high 11 poles, including three consecutive at Atlanta, Phoenix and Rockingham, was the most since Cale Yarborough's 14 poles in 1980. ... Finished with a series-high 17 top-fives.

2002 -- Finished sixth in series points. ... Topped Jimmie Johnson for rookie of the year honors in one of the most heated rookie battles in years. ... Set a rookie record with 22 top-10 finishes. ... Scored his first career win at New Hampshire in September in his 34th career start. ... Became just the second rookie to win the All-Star Race -- following Dale Earnhardt Jr. in 2000. ... Led the series with six poles, setting a rookie record for most poles in a season, topping Davey Allison's five poles in 1987. ... Had 14 top-five finishes, second only to series champion Tony Stewart. ... Tied Stewart in races led (22).

2001 -- Finished 49th in series points. ... Scored first pole in third career Cup start, at Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, tying Mark Martin's record for earliest career pole. ... Competed in seven races with his best finish a second at Kansas. ... Also raced 15 times in Busch Series, winning one race.

PREVIOUS RACING HISTORY

In 2011, made one NASCAR Camping World Truck Series start and maintained string of top-five finishes in all four career starts. ... In 2000, made stock-car debut in ARCA RE/MAX Series race at Michigan, then won the next race he entered at Pocono. ... Also won ARCA races that year at Kentucky and Charlotte. ... In 1999, won USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Series national championship with two wins and 12 top-10 finishes. ... Earned USAC Rookie of the Year honors in sprint cars (1999), Silver Crown (1996) and national midgets (1995). ... Was also the 1993 All-American Midget Series champion and Rookie of the Year. ... Earned the nickname "Rocketman" after a series-high 11 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series poles in 2003. ... Is a member of the Quarter Midget Hall of Fame. ... Started racing quarter midgets at age four-and-a-half.

NOTEWORTHY

Graduated from Purdue University in August 2001 with a B.S. degree in Vehicle Structure Engineering. ... Enjoys working on vintage cars and fishing. ... With wife Krissie operates Ryan Newman Foundation for pet welfare, nature conservation and college scholarships through the Rich Vogler Scholarship Program. ... The Newmans welcomed their first child, Brooklyn, in November 2010. ... Active on Twitter: @RyanNewman39.