One of the biggest storylines entering Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Goodyear 400 at Darlington Raceway, is the return of 18-time winner Ryan Newman, after being away from the series for more than 18 months.
Newman, who last competed in the NASCAR Cup Series at Phoenix in November 2021, announced last week that he’d return to the series for a limited schedule of short-track races with Rick Ware Racing, starting at Darlington.
In the true spirit of Darlington Raceway’s ninth annual Throwback Weekend, not only has the two-car operation brought a NASCAR Cup Series winner back to the series, but will honor him with a throwback paint scheme.
To commemorate the return of @RyanJNewman to @nascar Cup Series competition, and Throwback Weekend at @TooToughToTame, RWR is recognizing his first of 18 trips to Victory Lane. Taking place during Newman’s 2002 Rookie of the Year campaign, the win was September 15 at @NHMS, and… pic.twitter.com/L4LDS6z8PR
— Rick Ware Racing (@RickWareRacing) May 9, 2023
Driving the No. 51 with sponsorship from Jacob Companies and Biohaven, Newman’s paint scheme will resemble that of his first NASCAR Cup Series victory, which came in the New Hampshire 300 on September 15, 2022 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
At the time, Newman was nearing the conclusion of his first full-time season with Penske Racing – now Team Penske – driving the No. 12 Ford Taurus, with sponsorship from Alltel and Mobil 1.
The South Bend, Indiana native dominated the event that afternoon, leading 143 of the race’s 207 laps before it was cut short due to inclement weather. That victory helped to catapult Newman to a sixth-place point finish that season.
That victory also served as a jumping-off point, for Newman’s stellar NASCAR Cup Series career, which has forever encapsulated him as one of NASCAR’s 75 Greatest Drivers, as named by the sanctioning body this season.
Newman would score 12 of his 18 NASCAR Cup Series wins from 2002 to 2005, while also cultivating a four-year streak of finishing inside the top seven in final points. However, the now 45-year-old’s best points finish didn’t come until 2014, when he brought the Richard Childress Racing No. 31 Chevrolet to a runner-up points finish.
After competing in Sunday’s Goodyear 400 at Darlington, Newman will return to Rick Ware Racing for the NASCAR All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, which is set to host a NASCAR Cup Series event for the first-time since 1996.
Tentatively, additional races for Newman include Richmond (July), Bristol (September), and Martinsville (November).
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