By Dick Mittman
allstate400atthebrickyard.com
Friday, August 1, 2003
Penske Racing driver Ryan Newman is proving once again that champions of USAC’s open-wheel Silver Crown series can be star drivers in NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series, too.
Newman comes to the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, Aug. 3 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on a hot streak, winning two of the last three Winston Cup races. His four victories this season is a series best.
Newman, from South Bend, Ind., is one of six former Silver Crown drivers seeking starting berths in the Brickyard 400 during qualifying Saturday. A seventh Silver Crown alumnus will try to win the title in the True Value IROC race. Newman won the USAC title in 1999 and used it as a springboard to the Winston Cup Series.
Newman won NASCAR’s Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award last year in the No. 12 Alltel Dodge, finishing sixth in the standings with a victory at New Hampshire as well as becoming only the second newcomer to win The Winston event at Lowe’s Motor Speedway.
While seeking his vehicle structural engineering degree at Purdue University, Newman maintained a full-time driving schedule. He competed in 62 Silver Crown races and captured the championship in 1999. He only scored two victories but applauds the series as the best training ground for young drivers on the way up the ladder.
“Definitely! Always has been ever since (Ken) Schrader and (Rich) Vogler, (Tim) Richmond, everybody came out of there,” Newman said. “It always has been, always will be as long as they keep the car the way they do.”
So, what is it that makes the Silver Crown cars and races such an excellent under-graduate school for race drivers?
“It’s car control,” he said. “I mean, you’ve got a lot of horsepower, you’ve got a decent amount of weight, but a lot of tire to work with. You’re got to do 100-lap runs, because they’re 100-lap races. That makes a difference.”
Veteran Ken Schrader was the first Silver Crown champion (1982) to move to Winston Cup racing. He had 45 career starts in the series and six victories. He has started 584 races in NASCAR and scored four victories. He’ll be driving the No. 49 AT&T Dodge this weekend.
Dave Blaney became the youngest driver to capture the Silver Crown title at 21 in 1984, but it took him until 2000 to become a full-time Winston Cup competitor. Although he earned the Silver Crown championship, he didn’t get a win in 26 starts. He’ll be at the wheel of the No. 77 Jasper Engines & Transmissions Ford.
Jeff Gordon, driver of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, won the 1991 Silver Crown title and now is one of the biggest names in stock car racing. He’s seeking his fourth Brickyard 400 victory this weekend and 63rd win of his career in his 350th start. He’s won the Winston Cup championship four times and holds third in the current standings. He won two of 14 Silver Crown starts.
Jason Leffler, who won the Silver Crown title in 1998, picked up a ride in the No. 0 NetZero Hi Speed Pontiac for the Brickyard 400. He won the first Winston Cup pole at Kansas Speedway in 2001 driving for Chip Ganassi, but has been driving in trucks since 2002. He won six times in 37 Silver Crown starts and also captured three straight USAC national midget titles.
Home Depot Chevrolet driver Tony Stewart swept USAC’s three major championships in 1995, winning the Silver Crown, sprint and midget titles. He advanced to the Indy Racing League and won the 1996-97 championship there before switching to NASCAR in 1999 and claiming his first Winston Cup title last season. He had three wins in 49 Silver Crown starts, with 16 victories already in Winston Cup.
Mike Bliss took the checkered 10 times in 45 Silver Crown starts and won the 1993 title. He won the Craftsman Truck Series title in 2002 and is second in the True Value IROC points entering the season finale IROC at Indy race Saturday.
John Andretti, who’ll drive the Dale Earnhardt Inc. No. 81 Kraft 100th Anniversary Chevrolet for the first time at the Brickyard, competed in seven Silver Crown races without winning during his USAC career.
It’s been a crazy season for Newman, who has won five poles to go with his four race victories but just 10 top-10 finishes in 20 races. He’s ninth in the standings, 614 points behind leader Matt Kenseth.
“We’ve had our share of just about everything between fires and flips and everything else,” he said, “but the guys have done a good job rebounding from everything. We’ve had good race cars; it’s just been a matter of getting to the finish line.”
The low point of his season was in June at Michigan International Speedway when the engine in his Dodge exploded, flames shot out from under the car and into the cockpit. He put them out with a fire extinguisher, but needed treatment to clear his lungs from smoke inhalation.
Newman never imagined driving for Penske as he moved up through the ranks as a youngster.
“It was just more to drive stock cars and be able to win the championship, but I didn’t know what my destiny would be, what team I got to meet with, or even if a team,” he said. “But to be a part of Penske Racing and to compete in Indianapolis is really a dream situation.”
Tickets: Reserved-seat Race Day tickets for the Brickyard 400 remain available. Tickets for the IROC at Indy race also are available. Tickets and parking can be purchased on the World Wide Web via www.imstix.com or by calling the IMS Ticket Office at (800) 822-INDY or (317) 492-6700.
Related Stories
- Newman, Montoya, Ambrose Have Varying Brickyard Perspectives
- Kyle Busch Relishes Taking On 'Old Lion' Gordon, Other NASCAR Stars
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