Ryan Newman might describe the Superstar Racing Experience (SRX) as a “go out and have fun” kind of series, but at the end of the day, the championship hopeful takes every lap seriously.
The reason is simple, really.
The semi-retired NASCAR Cup Series driver is a racer with an inherent desire to win. And it shows, even in the six-race summer tour that features a blend of former and current stars of motorsports.
“Definitely serious, always serious. Always trying to win,” Newman said stoically.
With two races to go in the season, the 45-year-old has a tight grip on the series points lead.
He is 33 points ahead of current Cup Series driver Brad Keselowski, while reigning series champion and NTT IndyCar Series competitor Marco Andretti is close behind. But if there’s one factor Newman has to his advantage over Keselowski and Andretti, it’s the craving for redemption that’s been fanning the flame of his campaign.
As he closes down his second full-time venture on the SRX circuit, Newman is reminded of his runner-up effort to Andretti last season, where he came up two points short of the championship.
As he’s waged war on some of the best short tracks in the East, Newman’s past experience with SRX has played to his favor.
“(It’s helped me) understand the cars a little bit more and the process,” Newman said. “The tracks, with the exception of Stafford (Motor Speedway) were totally different — I never ran Eldora (Speedway) the first year — so no real benefit on the tracks.”
Benefit or no benefit, Newman has been putting on a show since the season began.
He’s collected a win, two podium finishes and one fifth-place result in the opening four races, making him the only full-time driver to have consistent top-five finishes throughout the season.
However, the final pair of races will present a few new challenges for Newman, as both events will be held at dirt tracks. His best SRX finish on dirt was fourth-place last year at I-55 Raceway, a one-third-mile dirt oval in Missouri.
The upcoming “Thursday Night Thunder” event is set for Ohio’s Eldora Speedway, a half-mile dirt oval, while the season finale will be held at Missouri’s Lucas Oil Speedway, a three-eighths-mile dirt track.
With NHRA Funny Car champion Ron Capps as well as Cup Series drivers Austin Dillion and Chase Briscoe joining the 12-car field at Eldora to make their first SRX starts, Newman will have a few new drivers to ward off at the Ohio oval.
But he’s become accustomed to checking his mirrors and navigating the field without a spotter over the last few years in SRX.
“You’ve got guys coming from all different types of race cars, so you don’t know exactly what you’re going to be racing against,” Newman commented. “You have to try to predict what some guys are going to do, and you have to be very guarded in some situations, but at the same time, just embrace it and have fun.”