This Week’s Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona International Speedway

Ryan Newman helps debut Chevrolet’s new Camaro ZL1 in the pre-season event recognizing 2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole winners, past winners of the Clash, drivers who earned a berth in the 2017 Playoffs and Daytona 500 pole winners who competed in the Series full time last year. Newman is one of 17 drivers participating in the 75-lap race and earned his spot by qualifying for the Playoffs. Sunday’s race format consists of two segments with a competition caution at lap 25 to separate the segments.

The Starting Position … It will be up to crew chief Luke Lambert to draw Newman’s starting position for the Clash. It happens on Saturday, February 10 at 6:30 p.m. ET at the main stage of the UNOH Fanzone.

Welcome Aboard … Newman, an avid outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman and conservationist will have Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s on board the No. 31 Camaro ZL1 for select races in 2018. Bass Pro Shops is North America’s premier outdoor and conservation company. Founded in 1972 when avid young angler Johnny Morris began selling tackle out of his father’s liquor store in Springfield, Missouri, today the company provides customers with unmatched offerings spanning premier destination retail, outdoor equipment manufacturing, world-class resort destinations and more. In 2017 Bass Pro Shops acquired Cabela’s to create a “best-of-the-best” experience with superior products, dynamic locations and outstanding customer service. Bass Pro Shops also operates White River Marine Group, offering an unsurpassed collection of industry-leading boat brands, and Big Cedar Lodge, America’s Premier Wilderness Resort. Under the visionary conservation leadership of Johnny Morris, Bass Pro Shops is a national leader in protecting habitat and introducing families to the outdoors and has been named by Forbes as “one of America’s Best Employers.”

Meet Newman … Newman is scheduled to join his teammate Austin Dillon along with select drivers competing in this year’s Advance Auto Parts Clash in a fan event in the UNOH Fanzone from 7 to 8 p.m. ET. It happens on Saturday, February 10.

RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:

What makes the Daytona International Speedway so special?

“I think as a racecar driver you know that the track is special. You know that the competition is special. You know that the history of our sport and the history of it is super special. Everybody’s perspective of it is what I think makes that place what it is.”

What would it mean to you to be the first driver to take the new Camaro to victory lane?

“I believe last year I was the first driver to take a Chevy to victory lane in 2017 so to take the new Camaro ZL1 in the first race of the year during Daytona 500 Speedweeks would be super cool. It would be spot on.

“What Chevrolet has done to build a car around these templates, these rules and this aero package is what really makes the difference. It is cool because there is a lot of history with Camaros, but I think what Chevrolet has done is to build a car that will give us a competitive advantage is what I am super excited about. It was built and designed to do that regardless of what track it is … a restrictor-plate track, road-course, short-track, you name it, I look forward to reaping the benefits of this design.”

We’ll get to see the new five-guys over the wall format in Daytona for the first time. Do you like change?

“Realistically we are only going back to the way it used to be. Those guys are athletes and they must do their job better than anybody else each and every time so that we are not taken out of a race or put in a bad situation. It’s just another opportunity for us to do better than other teams.”