Ryan Newman Goes to Victory Lane in First Truck Series Start for KHI

Newman’s win is the first for him at Atlanta Motor Speedway and he becomes the 19th driver in NASCAR history to win in all three series.

Courtesy: ryannewman.org/

HAPMTON, Ga. - Ryan Newman, driving in his first NASCAR Truck Series race, drove the No. 2 American Commercial Lines (ACL) Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Chevrolet to Victory Lane at Atlanta Motor Speedway. It is the first win of the season for the No. 2 KHI team as well as crew chief Ernie Cope’s first NASCAR victory. Newman ran among the top three for the entire race and took the lead from KHI teammate Ron Hornaday for the final time with seven laps remaining. The two continued to a one-two finish, the second for KHI this season.

“It was a great day for me running in the Truck Series for the first time here at Atlanta Motor Speedway,” said Newman in victory lane. “I want to thank the fans for coming out as well as Kevin and DeLana for giving me this opportunity to run the No. 2 and put the Ryan Newman Foundation on the side of the truck. I also want to thank American Commercial Lines for all of their support. I didn’t really save my stuff. I just took it for what it was worth. I was pretty amazed that I got the opportunity to run them down and luckily it stayed green because we had two really great race trucks.”

The Truck Series starting field was set based on the 2008 Owner’s Point standings after qualifying for the E-Z-Go 200 was cancelled due to inclement weather on Friday. Newman began the race from the 10th position. Making quick work of the field the “Rocket Man” went from 10th to fourth in five laps. Newman took the lead for the first time on lap 23 and led two laps before the caution came out. Newman brought the No. 2 down pit road for their first scheduled pit stop of the day at lap 27. The team changed four tires and made an air pressure adjustment to fix Newman’s loose-handing race truck.

Coming off pit road in the second position, Newman continued to fight a very loose race truck as he battled Kyle Busch and Todd Bodine for the second and third positions. A caution at lap 58 was just what the No. 2 team needed, coming down pit road for four tires, fuel and a major track-bar adjustment. Newman resumed competition in the fifth position.

Newman began to try other grooves where his truck was faster and worked his way to the second spot by lap 84. The final caution of the day at lap 88 again fell into the strategy of the No. 2 team. Newman came to pit road on lap 91, for the third and final time for four tires, fuel and one last track-bar adjustment. Restarting in the second position with 36 laps to go, Newman struggled to get to Hornaday’s bumper becoming aero-loose as he approached the No. 33. However, with seven laps remaining Newman caught Hornaday in turn one and passed him to take the lead.

Newman’s win is the first for him at Atlanta Motor Speedway and he becomes the 19th driver in NASCAR history to win in all three series. He also becomes the fourth driver in Truck Series history to win in his first career start. Newman collectively has recorded 21 career victories in NASCAR competition (13 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, seven NASCAR Nationwide Series and one NASCAR Truck Series).

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