Team: No. 6 Roman Ford Mustang
Crew Chief: Scott Graves
Twitter: @Roush6Team, @RoushFenway and @RyanJNewman
Race Format: 600 miles, 400 laps, Stage Lengths: 100-100-100-100
Coca-Cola 600 – Sunday, May 24 at 6 p.m. ET on FOX, PRN, SiriusXM Channel 90
ADVANCE NOTES
NASCAR Returns to Action
· NASCAR continues its historic return to racing Sunday with the prestigious Coca-Cola 600, the third of four NASCAR Cup Series events over a 10-day span. The NCS will return to Charlotte Motor Speedway on Wednesday for a 310.6-mile event, which is set for 8 p.m. ET.
· Despite heavy rain in the Darlington area on Wednesday, NASCAR was able to get an official race in under the lights for the Cup Series’ sixth points race of 2020.
· Four weeks of NASCAR action were completed prior to the hiatus with races at Atlanta, Homestead, Texas, Bristol, Richmond, Talladega, Dover and Martinsville postponed.
Wednesday Recap, Sunday Preview
· With rain in the area through much of the night Wednesday, a bold strategy call put Newman in the lead just past halfway Wednesday night, before he overcame an unlucky pit road incident to record a 14th-place finish in a rain-shortened 208-lap race.
· After two-straight events with no qualifying, the field for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 will be set by qualifying, which is slated for 2 p.m. ET (FS1). Newman will pilot the Roman Ford Mustang in the company’s debut into NASCAR.
Newman Historically at Charlotte Motor Speedway
· Sunday marks Newman’s 37th start at the oval of Charlotte Motor Speedway, and 20th start in the Coke 600. He has an overall average finish of 18.2 with a best Coke 600 finish of second (2009).
· Newman has turned in 15 career top-10 finishes at CMS, including eight in the 600-mile event. Dating back four spring events, Newman has two top-10s (ninth – 2017, 10th – 2016).
· Newman has an impressive nine poles at CMS dating back to 2001, by the far the most of any active driver at the 1.5-mile track and tied for second-most of any driver in NASCAR history. Only David Pearson has more with 14, while Newman and Jeff Gordon are tied for second. He swept the pole awards in 2003 and 2007, and also secured the top spot in 2001, 2004, 2005, 2009 and 2010.
· Newman has five Xfinity Series starts at CMS with one win (2005) and finished top-10 in each race. He also made one start in the truck series there in 2009 finishing fourth in a Kevin Harvick-owned truck.
Scott Graves at Charlotte Motor Speedway
· Graves will call his eighth NCS race at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Sunday, and fifth Coke 600. In seven prior start he has an average finish of 15.7 with one top-10 (sixth – 2017).
· He also has sixth starts in the NXS atop the pit box, earning four top-10s and one top five. He finished third with Suarez in 2016, and also earned three top-10s with Chris Buescher in 2014 and 2015.
QUOTE WORTHY
Newman on the Coke 600:
“The Coke 600 is the longest race of the season and a special tribute and thanks to all the men and women who make Memorial Day the freedom day that we should all appreciate. NASCAR does a great job of showing patriotism, so as we go into our longest race of the year, we think about those who we have lost. On the track, we have to focus on what we need to do to be good at the start of the race and especially good at the end as it is a challenging race. I’m a proud member of the Coca-Cola Racing Family so the Coca-Cola 600 is definitely special for us.”
600 Miles of Remembrance
To align with the nation’s spirit of Memorial Day, the NASCAR industry will come together to honor and remember the brave men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces who’ve made the ultimate sacrifice defending our freedom. Each driver/team entry into the Coca-Cola 600 will display a fallen service member name on the windshield header decal of the racecar.
Newman will carry the name of Nathan Bruckenthal, a native of Stony Brook, N.Y., who enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard on Jan. 5, 1999. He was later assigned to Tactical Law Enforcement Detachment South, LEDET 403, at Coast Guard Air Station Miami, Florida, and deployed to the Persian Gulf in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.
On April 24, 2004, while serving as part of Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia aboard USS Firebolt, Petty Officer 3rd Class Bruckenthal, a damage controlman, and two U. S. Navy sailors were killed in the line of duty while conducting maritime intercept operations in the North Arabian Gulf. Bruckenthal and six other coalition sailors attempted to board a small boat near the Iraqi Khawr Al Amaya Oil Terminal. As they boarded the boat, it exploded. Bruckenthal later died from the wounds he sustained in the explosion. Bruckenthal was the first Coast Guard member killed in action since the Vietnam War.
On the Car
It was announced Wednesday that Roman – a leading men’s digital health clinic – will serve as the primary partner for Newman and the No. 6 team for the prestigious Coke 600. Powered by its parent company Ro, Roman offers a personalized healthcare experience for men from online treatment to the delivery of medication and ongoing care.
About Roman
Launched in 2017, Roman is the men’s digital health clinic from Ro that brings the care of leading medical experts to the privacy of one’s home. The company’s nationwide network of physicians and pharmacies provides a personalized, end-to-end healthcare experience from online treatment to the delivery of medication and ongoing care. Roman offers treatments for erectile dysfunction, premature ejaculation, hair loss, cold sores, genital herpes, allergies, skincare and more. For information about Roman, please visit www.getroman.com.
