Another piece of the Stewart-Haas Racing puzzle will be fit into place Thursday when the race team will unveil the U.S. Army as primary sponsor of Ryan Newman’s No. 39 car for next season, sources have confirmed to NASCAR.COM. The announcement is scheduled to be made at 1:30 p.m. Thursday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway, site of this weekend’s Sprint Cup event.
The Stewart-Haas organization now has both its Chevrolets sponsored for next season - no small feat in this economy - with Office Depot and Old Spice set to back the car of team co-owner Tony Stewart. It’s another setback for Dale Earnhardt Inc., which had the Army on its No. 8 car this season. DEI driver Paul Menard announced last week that he and his Menard’s sponsorship would be moving to Yates Racing for the 2009 campaign.
Ryan Newman will be announced as driver of the No. 4 Chevrolets for Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009 on Friday says The Charlotte Observer. Sources confirmed Wednesday that Newman would join Tony Stewart in driving for the team next season. Stewart’s representatives announced Wednesday that the team’s second driver would be introduced at a 10:30 a.m. news conference Friday at Michigan International Speedway, the site for this weekend’s Sprint Cup and Nationwide Series races. Newman’s decision leaves open his former ride at Penske, Stewart’s current spot at Joe Gibbs Racing and the No. 33 ride, a fourth team being added at Richard Childress Racing. Joey Logano is expected to replace Stewart in the No. 20 at JGR.
Ryan Newman’s name has surfaced prominently in early Silly Season rumors, most notably in connection with a possible move to Joe Gibbs Racing. But Penske Racing officials have said Newman is under contract through the end of the 2008 season, and the driver said Saturday that neither he nor the team are distracted by the Silly Season rumors.