ANDERSON, IN – Daytona 500 Champion and NASCAR veteran Ryan Newman has entered the 76th Annual Little 500 presented by UAW. The effort will be his second attempt to qualify for the Little 500 after an eighth-place finish in the 2022 edition of the historic Sprint Car Classic. Newman will be entering a newly acquired chassis and will once again join forces with Tim Clauson and Richard Marshall to form Clauson Marshall Newman Racing.
“Our goal is to go and have fun,” Newman proclaimed. “Best way to have fun is to go and win. Obviously, we would be thrilled with a solid finish in our first year with this group. However, the plan is to sit on pole position, lead the most laps, and win the race”.
The partnership between the Clauson’s and the Marshall’s working with Newman dates back to their first Little 500 entry in 2022. Through a partnership with Driven2Save Lives and Clauson Marshall Racing, Newman entered his first Little 500 and looked strong from the first green flag of the week. After qualifying in eighth position, Newman was running a strong seventh with eight laps to go when a wheel broke and put him out of the race. After a year away from pavement sprint car competition, Newman is back with Clauson Marshall Newman Racing with a chassis Newman acquired from Brian Gerster last winter.
Newman will have a wealth of knowledge by his side during this year’s Little 500. Nine time Little 500 Champion, Eric Gordon, will be coming on board as Newman’s race strategist and crew chief. Gordon is the winningest driver in Little 500 history and has completed more than 10,000 laps in his Little 500 career. Newman also has Richard Marshall as part of his ownership group. Marshall’s teams have won multiple USAC Championships and gone to victory lane in the Knoxville Nationals. With Eric Gordon and Richard Marshall by his side, Newman will have all the assets available to him to compete for the win this May.
Through an effort put together with Ford Performance, the primary sponsor on the number 39BC Clauson Marshall Newman Racing entry will be Ed Martin Ford. Newman maintains a great relationship with Capital Ford in North Carolina as a spokesperson for the car dealer. Newman was granted permission from Capital Ford to partner with Ed Martin Ford, a local Indiana dealer, for the 76th Annual Little 500 presented by UAW. Newman will be participating in a Meet and Greet at Ed Martin Ford in Anderson, Indiana on Tuesday, May 21st.
“I can’t thank the guys at Capital Ford enough for everything that they do for me,” Newman said about the partnership. “We have had a great relationship over the years, and they were gracious enough to let me work with Ed Martin Ford for the Little 500 this year”.
Newman built a strong relationship with Ford Performance during his years competing in NASCAR while driving for both Team Penske and Roush Fenway Racing. Ford has committed to bringing a new engine to pavement sprint car racing and will be working with Newman to see that effort come into fruition. Although still early in the developmental stages, Ford Performance will play a pivotal role in Newman’s quest to win the 76th Annual Little 500 presented by UAW and to see a Ford powered sprint car in victory lane in the future.
The Little 500 race over Memorial Day weekend will also mark the first time Newman carries the logo of Finzer Roller, a new sponsor to the sport of auto racing. Finzer Roller is a family-owned business, started in 1968, headquartered in nearby Itasca, IL and one of the largest industrial rubber roller manufactures in the US. “It’s great to have new businesses enter our sport, and I’m looking forward to working closely with Finzer in 2024. They are a leader in the roller industry, and I am excited to partner up with them to help expand their customer base,” Newman said. Finzer Roller will have a private hospitality event before the race for their customers to celebrate their inaugural sponsorship of Ryan Newman.
The 76th Annual Little 500 presented by UAW will be held on Saturday, May 25th at 8:00pm. Tickets for the event are available now and are reserved seating only. All tickets are $45 and can be purchased online HERE or by calling Anderson Speedway Monday through Friday from 10am-4pm. The event will also be streamed live on DIRTVision. For more information on the Little 500, visit us at andersonspeedway.com and on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
