NAME: Ryan Newman	CAR OWNER: Tony Stewart/ Gene Haas
SPONSOR: US Army/Tornados/Quicken Loans	CREW CHIEF: Tony Gibson
CAR #: 39	MANUFACTURER: Chevrolet

Preseason Rank: 12

2012 Spin
Solid. Consistent. Dependable. You could put Ryan Newman’s name next to those words in the dictionary. At age 34, the veteran enters his second decade of Sprint Cup competition defined by reliable B-plus results. Occasionally, the “Rocket Man,” known for his qualifying, can go out and win from the pole during a good week, like he did at Loudon last summer. But even on a not-so-good day, Newman will put together a lead-lap performance that’s just enough to get the sponsors what they need: a playoff bid.

Putting up remarkably consistent numbers, Newman failed to finish outside the top 20 only nine times in 2011, and outside the top 25 only twice. Twenty-one times, he was in the top 15. Those numbers get drivers into the Chase. In fact, he began the postseason last fall as a higher seed than the eventual champion, his teammate and boss, Tony Stewart.

The problem is, recent years have shown that a driver has to be consistently brilliant in those final 10 races to win it. And for Newman, that string of brilliance hasn’t happened for a talent once considered to be multiple-championship material. It’s hard to believe now, but in 2002 it was Newman, not rival Jimmie Johnson, who captured Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year honors. At the end of their first four seasons, numbers between them were still comparable: Johnson had 18 victories to Newman’s 12, and both had four top-10 points finishes. But since the introduction of the new car, Johnson’s career has taken off to record heights, while the engineering-based Newman seems to struggle with getting over the hump on turning top-10 finishes into top 5s, and scoring the wins he once earned with regularity.

That’s left Newman as a sidekick at Stewart-Haas Racing, albeit an excellent one. Generally more consistent than the oft-streaky Stewart, he makes the No. 39 car a valuable asset when the No. 14 experiments and loses its way. Stable setups can immensely help his owner and buddy, Stewart, and his even keel is a perfect model to follow for incoming teammate Danica Patrick as well. With competition for the Chase stiffer than ever, though, Newman may need to pick it up a bit. A career-best average finish of 14.0 got him in last year, but if he’s forced to duke it out for a “wild card” berth this time, he’ll need at least a couple of wins to rely on.

Newman’s prowess in time trials surely helps. He secured three poles last year (he has 49 in his career) and had an average start of 12.2, which ranked fifth in Sprint Cup. That’s one reason he is able to stay out of trouble as the race wears on, and it should be noted that Newman did not fail to finish a single race in 2011. In fact, the last time he recorded a DNF was at Daytona in July 2010. But while Newman collects his share of top-5 finishes through survival, those runs can be deceiving. Only one of those nine performances last season was inside the top 3 (his Loudon victory). The rest? Seven fifth-place finishes and one fourth. That’s a lot of points to leave on the board, especially in a Chase defined by title contenders running 1-2 every week.

In the shop, Newman’s team has the parts and pieces to improve. The operation gets chassis and engines from Hendrick Motorsports, and in three years at SHR, Newman has suffered just one engine failure. Crew chief Tony Gibson, with Newman since the advent of SHR in 2009, has delivered on setups and is likely to acquire additional help. New competition director Greg Zipadelli, Tony Stewart’s former crew chief, brings championship experience to the table and is hungry to win after three disappointing years with Joey Logano. Their biggest challenge is getting Newman back on track at the races he hates — restrictor plate events at Daytona and Talladega. After all, his lousy average finish of 27.0 in 2011 won’t work with Talladega always a part of the Chase.

Funding was once a concern for Newman, but no longer: Quicken Loans and Outback Steakhouse join longtime backers U.S. Army and Tornados on the car as sponsors for 2012. Patrick’s team, running part-time, also brings in additional cash from GoDaddy.com that should help this Chevy keep up with its SHR/HMS counterparts. The problem for Newman is that at least three of those men are “A-plus” level drivers. Can Newman up his grade to compete? Nine years removed from his best season — an eight-win performance in 2003 — you’d think that the second breakout could come at any time.

What the Competition is Saying
Anonymous quotes from crew chief, owners, media members and fellow drivers
While teammate Tony Stewart was hoisting the championship trophy, Newman was simply another “also-ran” in the Chase. With solid, proven equipment at his disposal, Newman’s case is a perplexing one.

“He drives like the outdoorsman he is,” one person in the garage explains. “He gets in there, waits for the right shot, and takes it. The championship for SHR only proves they are a great team and the pressure may be on Ryan, but the spotlight will be on Tony and Danica (Patrick).”

A throw-back, hard-nosed driver behind the wheel, Newman is a college-educated engineer. Among the toughest guys to pass on the track, he is also one of the most complicated guys off of it. “He’s one of those people who believes he’s the smartest guy in the room and wants everyone to know it,” says one insider.

2011 Stats
Starts: 36
Wins: 1
Top 5s: 9
Top 10s: 17
Poles: 3
DNF: 0
Laps Led: 430
Laps Completed: 10,578
Lead Lap Finishes: 27
Bonus Points: 24
Races Led: 18
Average Start: 12.2
Average Finish: 14.0
After First 26 Races: 8th
Final Points Standing: 10th
Driver Rating: 88.3 (10th)

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