Ryan Newman: The Rocket Man Who Won 18 NASCAR Cup Races

Ryan Newman built his reputation on qualifying speed, which earned him the nickname Rocket Man. He was a regular in the NASCAR Cup Series from 2000, went on to win 18 official races, and finished second in the 2014 championship. A serious crash at Daytona in 2020 interrupted his career, and he later moved into modified racing.

How did Ryan Newman start his racing career?

Newman began racing in 1993 in midget cars, winning both the rookie award and the championship in his first season. He moved up to USAC in 1995 and was named rookie of the year again in 1996. By 1999 he had won in every one of the division's three categories, a first.

His early midget career produced one hundred feature wins and two titles, a record that earned him induction into the Quarter Midget Hall of Fame.

In 1995 he joined USAC with the C.E. Lewis No. 39 entry, a team that raced Drinan chassis with Brayton power. His results in the Midget and Silver Crown series earned him rookie honours again.

In 1999 he also took the Silver Bullet Series title, driving a No. 14 Chevrolet built on a Beast chassis. Those titles set the stage for his move into stock cars the following year.

A driver whose qualifying speed earned him the nickname Rocket Man, and whose career spanned midgets, Cup stock cars and modified racing.

How did Newman's Penske years begin?

Newman joined Roger Penske in 2000 to move into stock cars, running a No. 27 Ford in the ARCA series and winning three of the five races he entered. He made his Winston Cup debut that year at Phoenix. By 2002 he had set a rookie record for poles and taken his first Cup victory at New Hampshire.

The 2001 programme combined ARCA, NASCAR and Busch Series starts while he studied at Purdue University, with fifteen Busch races among them. His first career win came at Michigan International Speedway in his ninth Busch start, and he took several poles along the way.

During that period he met the veteran driver Buddy Baker, who later became his mentor on superspeedways. The relationship shaped his approach to the big ovals for years afterwards.

In 2002 he won six poles, breaking a rookie record set by Davey Allison. Alongside Dale Earnhardt Jr., he became one of only two rookies to take The Winston all-star race, and he led eleven laps at Watkins Glen before finishing second behind Tony Stewart.

The Watkins Glen finish was disputed, because Stewart had restarted too early. Penske protested, but NASCAR upheld the win. In September Newman scored his first Cup victory at New Hampshire, starting from the pole, and he finished the rookie season ahead of Jimmie Johnson in the Rookie of the Year vote.

How did his 2003 and 2004 seasons go?

In 2003 Newman had 11 poles, 17 top-five finishes and 22 top-ten finishes, but he also suffered seven DNFs and finished sixth in the points. In 2004 he made the first Chase for the Cup, ending the season seventh in the points with two wins and nine poles.

The 2003 season opened with a flip at the Daytona 500, triggered by Ken Schrader. At Watkins Glen he spun into the foam blocks and ended up on his side, and at the Aaron's 499 a blown tyre nearly turned him over, setting off a 27-car accident.

His average finish that season was 13.9. The nickname Rocket Man reflected how often he started at the front, and the 2003 pole total was the clearest sign of his speed.

In 2005 he went back to the Busch Series after four years away, winning six of his nine starts, a run that included a record five straight victories. He also made the 2005 Chase, showing that his consistency had carried over into the premier series.

Why was 2006 a difficult season for Newman?

Newman went winless in 2006 and finished eighteenth in the points. Matt Borland, who had been his crew chief for years, moved to Michael Waltrip Racing. He won the 2008 Daytona 500 on 17 February, ending a long winless stretch in the Cup Series and giving Penske its first win in the race.

In 2007 he had a streak of three consecutive poles and still failed to win. He came close at Lowe's Motor Speedway, but a blown tyre spoiled the chance. He finished thirteenth in the points that year and seventeenth in 2008, and he missed the Chase in each season from 2006 to 2008.

By the end of 2020 he had 51 Cup poles, which placed him ninth on the all-time list. Across the years from his rookie season to 2006, he averaged a pole roughly every third race.

How did his Stewart-Haas years shape his career?

Newman joined Haas CNC Racing for 2009 after announcing in July 2008 that he was leaving Penske. The team was renamed Stewart-Haas Racing before the season began, and he drove the No. 4 Chevrolet, which was later changed to 39.

In November 2009 at Talladega he was involved in a heavy crash, flipping over on top of Kevin Harvick. Crews used the Jaws of Life to remove the roof after NASCAR officials turned the car back over. Newman was unharmed.

On 10 April 2010 he broke a winless streak of 78 races with a win at Phoenix. It was the first NASCAR victory for a car numbered 39, and he led only four laps on the way to the flag.

In 2011 he took a fuel-mileage win at New Hampshire, giving Stewart-Haas its first one-two finish, with Tony Stewart second. In 2012 he won at Martinsville, the sixteenth victory of his career, in the No. 39 car sponsored by Outback Steakhouse.

How did his Richard Childress Racing years go?

Newman moved to Richard Childress Racing for 2014, taking over the No. 31 Chevrolet. The championship went to Kevin Harvick that year, with Newman second, after the Homestead finale.

The 2014 season opened well at Phoenix, where he controlled the race before a late caution. He survived a violent crash at Watkins Glen after rear-ending Greg Biffle, and both he and Michael McDowell walked away uninjured.

At Homestead, Newman was in a position to win with a two-tyre call before the final caution. He ended up second to Harvick, and the championship went to Harvick.

The 2015 season brought a team penalty. NASCAR seized tyres, and the team received a 75-point deduction and a fine of $125,000, along with a six-race ban for its crew chief, Luke Lambert. The team appealed, but the penalties were upheld with only a small reduction. Newman still made the Chase and finished eleventh overall.

In October 2016 he signed a multi-year extension. Later that season he won the Camping World 500 at Phoenix, his 18th career win and the 106th Cup victory for Richard Childress Racing. In September 2018 RCR confirmed he would not return in 2019.

How did his Roush Fenway years and the Daytona crash unfold?

Newman joined Roush Fenway Racing for 2019 in the No. 6 Ford and reached the playoffs. On 17 February 2020 he was leading the final lap of the Daytona 500 when Ryan Blaney tapped his rear bumper, sending the car into the wall. It rolled and was struck by Corey LaJoie, and he was hospitalised with serious but not life-threatening injuries.

The 2019 season had its own tensions. After the All-Star Race, Clint Bowyer chopped Newman's nose, and Bowyer then attacked him on pit road. Neither driver was penalised. Newman made the playoffs but was eliminated in the Round of 16, finishing 15th in the standings.

His best finish that season was second at Talladega in October. He lost the lead to Ryan Blaney in a photo finish decided by .007 seconds, one of the closest finishes in the sport's history.

After the Daytona crash, the extraction took nearly 15 minutes. He was taken to Halifax Medical Center and released on 19 February. A statement later said he had no broken bones, but he was recovering from a head injury.

Ross Chastain took over the No. 6 Ford from the Pennzoil 400 at Las Vegas. Newman was medically cleared to return on 27 April 2020, and NASCAR granted him a playoff waiver. He finished with only two top-ten results, ninth at the Daytona 500 and sixth at the YellaWood 500, and he missed the playoffs.

In 2021 he returned to Roush Fenway. On 20 July that year Brad Keselowski was announced as the driver of the No. 6, through a minority stake in the organisation. Newman finished 28th in the standings, the lowest of his career.

What has Newman done since his Cup career wound down?

After his Cup career wound down, Newman made eight starts for Rick Ware Racing in 2023, averaging a finish of 29.9. He also raced in the SRX Series, finishing second in the 2022 drivers' championship and winning the title the following year. From 2024 onward he has raced in the SMART Modified Tour with Coulter Motorsports.

The SRX title came after a second victory at Stafford in 2023. Newman also returned to the Whelen Modified Tour in April 2022, finishing thirteenth at Richmond after leading a few early laps.

He claimed his first SMART Modified victory in 2025 at Orange County Speedway.

What were Newman's key results by series?