Ryan Newman

Ryan Newman is the driver of the #39 Stewart-Haas Racing Army Chevrolet in the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series. Newman began driving a race car at age 4½, and even in those early years he has given his all to the sport. It has been that dedication to the sport that has brought him success. In 1993, Newman won the All-American Midget Series Championship and rookie honors. Two years later he claimed USAC National Midget Series Rookie of the Year. In 1996, Newman was the top rookie in USAC's Silver Crown Series and in 1999 he was named the Sprint Car Rookie of the Year. That same year he earned the USAC Silver Bullet Series National Championship, and became the first driver in series history to record a victory in all three divisions – Sprint, Midget and Silver Crown – in one season. In 2002, Newman's rookie year in NASCAR's premier series, he broke the rookie record for most poles in a season (six). Newman finished sixth in series points that season and earned the 2002 Raybestos Rookie-of-the-Year title, establishing a new standard for the circuit's first. In 2008 he captured a historic victory in the 50th running of the Daytona 500.

A native of South Bend, Indiana, Newman grew up fishing with his grandfather who passed along his appreciation of the great outdoors. Newman earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Vehicle Structure Engineering at Purdue University in 2001. He and his wife, Krissie, enjoy spending time together outdoors when they are away from their busy lives at the racetrack. Newman takes every opportunity he has to fish--whether it is at home on his pond, at lakes near speedways across the country, or on vacation in Canada or Alaska. Newman says, "I’ve met a lot of NASCAR fans who are avid fisherman like me, and they know how important it is to protect the beautiful land and water that we enjoy today so our grandchildren can enjoy it in the future.”