AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 19:  Ryan Newman, driver of the #31 Grainger Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camping World 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 19, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona.  (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) | Getty Images
AVONDALE, AZ - MARCH 19: Ryan Newman, driver of the #31 Grainger Chevrolet, celebrates in victory lane after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Camping World 500 at Phoenix International Raceway on March 19, 2017 in Avondale, Arizona. (Photo by Jonathan Ferrey/Getty Images) | Getty Images

Ryan Newman named to NASCAR’s Greatest Drivers list

From NASCAR’s Whelen Modified Series to the Cup Series and everything in between, Ryan Newman has won in nearly everything he’s raced in, and it’s fitting the he was selected to join the ranks of the sport’s 75 Greatest Drivers.

Newman set an electrifying pace during his career, earning 64 pole awards, 51 of which came in the Cup Series, across the three national series. His premier-series prowess in qualifying earned him the nickname, ‘Rocket Man,’ and Newman is ninth all-time in Cup poles — trailing only Richard Petty, David Pearson, Jeff Gordon, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Bobby Allison, Mark Martin and Bill Elliott.

Across his 725 career starts, Newman scored 18 victories, 117 top-five finishes, 268 top 10s and ran over 200,000 laps, leading 4,863 of them. His biggest victories came in the 2002 All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway, earning the famous ‘Winston Million’ and the 2008 Daytona 500.

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