This Week’s No. 31 Bass Pro Shops/Cabela’s Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 at Daytona International Speedway
Newman will make his 585th Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series start when the Series returns to the World Center of Speed. Newman is the proud owner of a Harley J. Earl trophy by winning the 50th running of the Daytona 500 in 2008. In total, the South Bend, Ind. native has 32 starts at the 2.5-mile superspeedway, earning five top-five and eight top-10 finishes. His average start is 20.2 and finish is 19.6. He’s led 103 laps in competition.
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 … On Thursday, Newman is scheduled to sign autographs with Austin and Ty Dillon at 2:30 p.m. ET at the Bass Pro Shops in Daytona Beach, Florida. It’s located on 1880 W. Checkered Flag Blvd. across from Daytona International Speedway. Newman is also scheduled to participate in a Q & A on the Team Chevy Stage in the Daytona International Speedway fan midway area on Sunday, February 18 at 11:05 a.m. ET and he is scheduled to stop by the Alert Florida stage in the Fan Zone courtesy of Coca-Cola for a fan Q&A at 11:45 a.m. ET.
RYAN NEWMAN QUOTES:
What did it feel like to pull into the Daytona 500 victory lane in 2008?
“It’s pretty special and each time I watch it back, it’s a different kind of special. I think after you go two, three, four, 10 years, it changes your perspective on how special it was on that day. It was amazing because my dad was spotting for me and he and I had been in the grand stands watching the race and sneaking into the garage area for many years. You name it, we did it. To be able to share it with him and my family, Roger Penske and all the people and having Kurt there as my teammate with the 1,2 finish, so many parts of that day were so very special.”
Where were you and what to do you remember about Dale Earnhardt’s 1998 Daytona 500 win with Richard Childress Racing?
“I was watching it from the grandstands just at the end of pit road and the biggest thing about that day was nobody left. The race was over and like in years past, everybody runs to their cars to avoid traffic, but this time, nobody left. Every pit crew, every fan, everybody stood there and watched what was happening and that’s what made it special.”
What is it that you truly love about racing?
“I love the competition of the sport. The fact that it takes so many people to be successful on a given day. Because it is so difficult it becomes so sweet that you can’t explain it. It’s not like any other sport where you have a 50-50 chance of winning. You have a one in 40 chance of winning and those wins do not come that easily.”