Ryan Newman NASCAR Auto Racing Driver

Ryan Newman - NASCAR Driver and Mechanical Engineer

Ryan Joseph Newman was born in South Bend, Indiana on December 8, 1977 and is currently a driver for NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series. Newman and the late Alan Kulwicki are one of the few drivers who attained a college degree before racing for NASCAR. Ryan Newman graduated with a B. S. in vehicle structure engineering and Kulwicki with a mechanical engineering degree from Purdue University in 2001. Newman drives for Penske Racing in a #12 Alltel, Mobil Oil Dodge Charger.

Ryan's stats throughout the whole Nextel Cup Series has been 152 starts of which he won 12 and is now currently part of his car number. He has been in the Top-5 list 54 times, the Top-10 list 81 times, and has had 37 Bud Poles. With so many Bud Poles in so short a time has led to Newman being nicknamed Rocket Man. He ended with the MBNA RacePoints 400, having completed in total 20 races all in one go. During the Busch Series Ryan had a total of 23 starts, 9 top 5's, 15 top 10's, seven wins and 9 Bud Poles. In 2005 Ryan Newman had an exciting year completing 9 Busch races of which he won 6 of them and broke a record for 5 consecutive wins all in one go with only one top 5. Of the nineteen races he took part in during the 2006 season his best finish was at the Dodge/Save Mart 350 when he came second.

Between 2003 and 2006 Newman was invited specifically to the International Race of Champions three times and came second to Matt Kenseth in 2004.

Ryan Newman and his wife Krissie control the Ryan Newman Foundation. The foundation has no association to racing but focuses primarily on unwanted dogs and cats in pounds and shelters insuring that they all receive adequate care. Newman also helped with the funding of the Catawba Country, North Carolina Humane Society shelter, which was constructed in his home country. Newman also enjoys spending time working on vintage cars, particularly the 1950's Chrysler and apart from that enjoys fishing.