RICHMOND, Va. – With dominoes continuing to fall in silly season, Ryan Newman appears headed to Roush Fenway Racing in 2019.
The announcement could come as early as tomorrow when Roush Fenway is expected to hold a press conference at 3:00 p.m. ahead of Saturday night’s Federated Auto Parts 400 at Richmond (Va.) Raceway.
Following practice last weekend at Las Vegas (Nev.) Motor Speedway, Newman, 40, announced through social media his departure from Richard Childress Racing and their No. 31 Cup team at year’s end but still had intentions to compete in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series next year and beyond.
“Thirty-five years into my racing career, I feel like I’m as good as I’ve ever been, if not better,” Newman told ESPN on Sept. 15. “I’ve been really close before and my ultimate goal is to win a Cup championship.
“I don’t want to quit. I don’t want to retire. I’ve got the blessing of my wife and kids to pursue my goal, and not everybody gets that. I look forward to pursuing that goal.”
Newman is expected to take the seat of the No. 6 Ford that is currently being split between Trevor Bayne and Matt Kenseth. Bayne, a native of Knoxville, Tenn. had been the team’s full-time driver of the car since 2015 before the organization announced in April that 2003 Cup champion would return beginning at Kansas Speedway in May.
An 11th-place outing by Bayne last month at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway is the No. 6 team’s best finish in 2018. Kenseth finished a season-high 12th in his most recent race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway after winning Stage 2 of the Brickyard 400.
Partial-season support from AdvoCare has kept Bayne in the ride, but team co-owner Jack Roush said recently that the 2011 Daytona 500 winner won’t return in 2018. AdvoCare is expected to remain with Roush Fenway Racing.
Neither Roush’s No. 6 car or the No. 17 Ford Fusion driven by Ricky Stenhouse Jr. qualified for the Playoffs this season. After winning two races last year with Stenhouse, the Concord, N.C.-team is winless this year after 27 races.
Newman, 40, has been with RCR since 2014, the year the elimination-style format in the Playoffs was introduced. Despite not winning a race throughout the entire season, Newman finished second in the championship standings to former RCR driver Kevin Harvick whom Newman replaced after Harvick’s departure for Stewart-Haas Racing.
In his five years aboard the No. 31 Chevrolet, Newman has won just one race last spring at ISM (Phoenix) Raceway. He did not make the Playoffs in 2018.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
