RICHMOND, Va. – Roush Fenway Racing officially announced Saturday that NASCAR veteran Ryan Newman will take the reins of its iconic No. 6 Ford Mustang, competing full-time for the organization in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series next season.
The length of Newman’s contract was not disclosed.
“I’m in a position where I’ve never wanted to quit, never wanted to stop, never wanted to retire, and I want to win a championship,” said Newman. “I look forward to this opportunity—obviously, finishing out this year as strong as we both can in our respective positions—but also, at the same time, with enthusiasm for the Daytona 500 in 2019.
“I’ve always respected what Jack Roush has brought to the sport,” added Newman. “I can remember some intense battles with the No. 6 back when Mark Martin was in the car. There is a lot of history there and I am excited about getting behind the wheel of the No. 6 Mustang to compete for wins and the playoffs next year.”
A Cup career that spans 19 years, Newman has earned 18 victories, 51 poles, 112 top-five and 246 top-10 finishes at NASCAR’s pinnacle level.
Roush Fenway Racing will be the fourth team Newman has driven for in Cup. He started his Cup career with Team Penske in 2000 and joined the Cup tour full-time in 2002, winning Rookie of the Year.
After success with Team Penske, he left the organization for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009, where he earned four victories before moving to Richard Childress Racing in 2014, where he earned one win in 2017 and collected a career-best second in the Cup Series standings in 2014.
Among his career accolades include victories in the Daytona 500 (2008) and a hometown victory in the Brickyard 400 (2013). Newman has led more than 4,800 laps and his 51 poles place him ninth best in NASCAR history.
Newman, 40, a native of South Bend, Ind. becomes the sixth driver to pilot the No. 6 Ford for Roush who launched his NASCAR team with fellow Hall of Famer Mark Martin behind the wheel in 1988.
2011 Daytona 500 winner Trevor Bayne and 2003 Cup champion Matt Kenseth most recently piloted the No. 6 Ford, sharing the ride this year. Since its inception, the No. 6 Ford has won 36 times, captured 41 poles and led over 11,400 laps under the Roush Fenway Racing banner.
Roush Fenway Racing president Steve Newmark said while Kenseth returning to the organization next season was an option, Kenseth wasn’t interested in a full-time deal.
In an era where Roush Fenway is utilizing all their available resources to return them to their former championship form, the addition of Newman brings additional experience and knowledge – a criteria that was critical in the team’s decision for their next driver.
Newman holds an engineering degree from Purdue University.
“You bring a level of experience,” he said. “That is good experience or bad, shock or spring packages, dealing with certain people, different programs, shop layouts. All different perspectives I feel I have kept in the back of my mind that has made an impact on the end result of being successful.”
For team co-owner Jack Roush, the more determination a driver has on the track, the better. Roush has noticed Newman’s on-track demeanor and is excited to have his ability behind the helm of one of his race cars.
“Ryan has been one of the most fierce drivers we’ve faced on the racetrack,” Roush said. He has demonstrated himself to have good values. One thing a driver has to have is a code that makes sense to other drivers. Whenever you race, you know what to expect.”
With respect to Newman’s canter, Roush sees promise in the expected multi-year relationship.
“We’ve always respected where he came from,” Roush added. “His engineering degree makes him more valuable to me as a driver than he might be without it. We look forward on going down the road for multiple years. I can’t say how many. But for a number of years.”
Sponsorship for Newman’s program will be announced at a later date.
Follow Chris Knight on Twitter @Knighter01.
