Another race weekend is upon us, State Racing fans, and for Ryan Newman, it’s a chance to wipe the slate clean. Only thing is, it might be his last chance.
As you all know, last weekend at Kansas Speedway proved to be a forgettable race day for the No. 39 driver. When Newman started the Hollywood Casino 400 on Sunday, he was seventh in the overall point standings. After getting caught up in a wreck during lap 137, Newman struggled to recover, leading him to a disappointing 35th place finish and ultimately pushing him back to twelfth in overall points.
With six races left until the victor is crowned at the Ford EcoBoost 400 on Nov. 17, some might say Newman doesn’t hold much of a chance to win the 2013 Sprint Cup. Some might also say that if ever there was a silver lining for a driver who is likely out of the championship running, this weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway would be it.
His past experiences at Charlotte have been solid, and although he’s never won at the track, he’s set the bar high for qualifying with nine poles in his 25 Sprint Cup starts at the speedway.
In this week’s #behindthewheel with Ryan Newman, we pick his brain on how he’s dealing with the disappointment from last weekend and what he’s doing to prepare for Sunday’s Bank of America 500, plus the usual extras thrown in for good measure. Enjoy!
Q: Are you looking forward to racing at Charlotte after last weekend?
A: “I look forward to that. A good rebound weekend from what we had in Kansas would be good for not just me but for everybody.”
Q: Matt Kenseth is leading the Chase by 73 points. Is that intimidating to you with only six races left?
A: “I’m entirely, 100 percent focused on 2013 and having an opportunity. I mean, there’s a sixth of the season still left to go. We have a lot of great opportunities, a lot of good race tracks to go to.”
Q: What advice would you have for someone who is thinking about pursuing a career in racing?
A: “My advice for anyone would be to pursue something that you truly love and give it your all. If you can dream it, you can do it. And that applies not only to someone looking to get in to racing, but really, any walk of life.”
Q: Is your wife a good driver? Why or why not?
A: “According to her, she’s better than me!”
The Bank of America 500 Sprint Cup race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C. starts this Sunday, Oct. 12 at 6:30 p.m. EST on ABC.
