BRISTOL, Tenn. (August 21, 2009) — Ryan Newman and the No. 2 Kevin Harvick Inc. (KHI) Pringles Chevrolet Silverado team started the O’Reilly 200 at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway Wednesday night from the pole with a strong run, and finished the race in the fourth position.
“Our Pringles Chevrolet was really good,” said Newman after climbing from the No. 2 KHI Pringles truck. “We had one of the best trucks out there and just messed up on the pit stop when coming back to get fuel. We lost so much track position and couldn’t get it all back. Good job to all the guys and the team for putting together a really good, fast truck. “
With the race under way, Mike Skinner jumped into the lead on lap one. Running in the top three, the team opted to make their first and only pit stop of the night beginning on lap 35 under caution. The truck was a tick tight and crew chief Ernie Cope made the call for four fresh tires with an air-pressure adjustment on the first trip down pit road. With truck series teams having to make two separate stops, one for tires and one for fuel, a pit road miscue caused Newman to miss the opportunity to immediately pit on the following lap for fuel. The No. 2 truck instead made one full lap on the track and then pitted for fuel along with the trucks of KHI teammate Ron Hornaday, as well as Mike Skinner. Following the stop and mired in traffic, the race restarted on lap 41 with Newman in the 19th position.
Continuing to slowly pick off trucks, Newman was told on lap 49 under caution to start saving fuel. Taking over the 15th spot on lap 64, Newman radioed the team to let them know he was a little free when trying to pass inside other trucks.
As the race continued under green-flag conditions, Newman was able to move back in the top 10 on lap 79 and back into the top five on lap 135.
Under caution on lap 150 for debris, the call was made for Newman to stay out for the remaining 50 laps of the 200-lap event. Newman restarted the race fourth and was able to hold off a late-race charge by Brain Scott to finish the O’Reilly 200 in the fourth position.
Kyle Busch won the race, followed by Matt Crafton, Hornaday, Newman and Scott.
STATS RECAP
August 19, 2009
Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway
O’Reilly 200
Race: 15 of 25
Driver: Ryan Newman
Started: 1st
Finished: 4th
Race length: 200 Laps/ 106.6 Miles
Banking: 36-degrees in the turns
16-degrees on the straight-a-ways
Track layout: .533 miles
Shape: Oval
Number of Laps Led: One Time for 1 Lap
Number of Race Cautions: 5 for 32 Laps
First Practice: 2nd (16.085 seconds; 119.291 mph)
Final Practice: 2nd (16.024 seconds; 119.745 mph)
Qualifying: 1st (15.700 seconds; 122.217 mph)