They say Hollywood is a place where dreams come true, and even though this Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400 Sprint Cup Series race is in Kansas, Ryan Newman aims to edge even closer to the ultimate driver’s dream: winning the Sprint Cup.
Going into Kansas this weekend, Newman is holding at seventh place in the point standings. With seven races until the last checkered flag waves at the Ford EcoBoost 400 on November 17, the No. 39 Chevrolet driver knows he has to make his time at every track count.
In this week’s installment of “Behind the Wheel with Ryan Newman,” we’ll see what the driver has on his brain for this week’s race, and of course, we’ll throw in a few fun questions for your reading pleasure. Enjoy!
Q: Kansas Speedway went through a repave last year. Do you think it’s changed in that time?
A: We did the tire test at Kansas a few months ago and it hasn’t changed much. I think it’s all going to depend on how the rubber lays down, how fast the track is and if we get to sliding around in practice and widening out the groove to see if the track will have changed for the racing conditions on Sunday.”
Q: With seven races left, are you starting to feel the pressure?
A: “We’re not going to get too worked up yet. The bottom line is I can’t make the racecar any faster than we are currently making it go. A lot can happen in seven races. We have to be in a position, where if some of the guys we’re racing against have misfortune, we’ll be able to capitalize on it.”
Q: If you could change one thing about this season, what would it be?
A: One less DNF (Did Not Finish) would have changed everything!
Q: In the spirit of Halloween, what’s been your most frightening experience on the track?
A: I’ve been upside down, I’ve landed on other drivers, I’ve had other drivers land on me, but I think the craziest was being on fire. Because with a crash, you know it’s going to stop at some point. But with a fire, you don’t exactly know when it’s going to stop.
That’s all for now, State Racing fans! Check back next week for our third installment of #behindthewheel!
The Hollywood Casino 400 Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City starts this Sunday, Oct. 6 at 1 p.m. EST on ESPN.
