Personal Information
Full Name | Ryan Newman |
Date of Birth | December 3, 1977 |
Nationality | American |
Height | 5'10" |
Role | Driver |
Past Team(s) |
Ryan Newman: A Brief Biography
Biography - About Ryan Newman
Ryan Newman competes in the NASCAR Cup Series for Roush Fenway Racing, driving the No. 6 Mustang. He will be entering his 20th full-time season and third with RFR. A veteran of 689 races, Newman had won 18 times, his best season coming in 2003 when he took the checkered flag eight times with 17 top-fives and 22 top-tens. He leads all active drivers with 51 career poles and eleven in a single season.
Despite his accomplishments, race fans and those inside the sport will only remember a race that nearly took his life. Daytona International Speedway was the scene of one of the most horrific looking wrecks ever seen in the 2020 Daytona 500 when his car went airborne, flipped, landing on the roof with sparks flying as he crossed the finish line.
No one was concerned that he finished sixth; they were with his health when the safety crews arrived at the scene. Many feared Newman had suffered the same fate as Dale Earnhardt did in the same event in 2001. It took some time to extract him, and he was immediately taken to a nearby hospital where the racing community held its collective breath.
Newman survived and only suffered what was called a brain injury with no other significant injuries. Known as the Rocketman, he was back in the car as soon as NASCAR returned to action after COVID-19 suspended the season. That day at Darlington Raceway, he finished 15th.
Ryan Newman - Racing Career
He began racing at the age of four and a half, winning his first event the next year at Plymouth in the Junior Novice Division.
Inducted into the Quarter Midget Hall of Fame in 1993, Newman had 100 feature wins, six championships, and two Grand National titles. Mentored by NASCAR Hall of Famer Buddy Baker, he gained the “Rocketman” tag after his eleven poles in 2003.
He was honored by the St. Joseph County (Indiana) Board of Commissioners when they dedicated a half-mile stretch of Lincoln Way West near the South Bend Regional Airport as “Newman Way.”
Ryan Newman - Records
1999 United States Auto Club Silver Crown Series Champion
2008 Daytona 500 winner
2013 Brickyard 400 winner
2002 The Winston Winner
Ryan Newman - Awards and Accolades
2002 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Rookie of the Year
2003 Driver of the Year
Ryan Newman - Family
Ryan Joseph Newman was born on Dec. 3, 1977 (now 43) in South Bend, Indiana, and now lives in Statesville, NC. He had separated from his wife Krissie just four days before the Daytona 500 crash. He has two daughters, Brooklyn and Ashlyn, who were seen walking out of the hospital hand in hand with their father after the accident. Newman’s hobbies are restoring classic cars, fishing, and hunting.