BROOKLYN, Mich. (August 22, 2021) – Ryan Newman navigated a chaotic race at Michigan International Speedway for the majority of Sunday’s 400-mile race at the track with an eye on a top-ten result, but a large pileup with just 13 laps to go collected the veteran driver and relegated him to a 24th-place finish.
Newman began the day from the 16th position in his ITsavvy Ford Mustang, and maintained that position through the early laps even with two cautions in the first 30 laps of the day. With changing track conditions as weather threatened the area, he would ease into a 23rd-place finish in the opening stage.
Restarts were a strength for the No. 6 team throughout the afternoon, and Newman jumped up ten positions on the start of the second stage. With a long green flag run bracketing the stage, crew chief Scott Graves played the long game strategy to set the team up for the end of the race by pitting just before the end of the segment – which Newman finished 22nd.
The strategy paid off for the team, as Newman restarted for the third and final stage in the 10th position. He again showed great short run speed, jumping as high as fifth in the opening laps of the segment. Fresher tires back in the field eventually evened out, with Newman fading to just inside the top-15 by the time a caution came out for rain with just 20 laps to go in the event.
Restarting with just under 15 laps to go, Newman once again surged forward on the green flag. The ITsavvy Mustang looked poised to secure a second consecutive top ten finish, but a large pileup triggered just ahead of the No. 6 and collected the Indiana native. The team was able to repair much of the damage, but Newman had to start from the rear of the field with only a handful of laps remaining. He would pick off several positions in the closing laps, netting a 24th-place finish.
The team returns to action next week at Daytona International Speedway for the regular-season finale. Race coverage is set for 7 p.m. ET on NBC and MRN, and can also be heard on SiriusXM Channel 90.
