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Ryan Newman to leave Penske Racing
By Reid Spencer,Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service
Posted:0835hrs

Newman's Career at Penske

Year	Races	Win	T5	T10	Pole	Rank
2000	1 of 34	0	0	0	0	70
2001	7 of 36	0	2	2	1	49
2002	36 of 36	1	14	22	6	6
2003	36 of 36	8	17	22	11	6
2004	36 of 36	2	11	14	9	7
2005	36 of 36	1	8	16	8	6
2006	36 of 36	0	2	7	2	18
2007	36 of 36	0	7	15	5	13
2008	19 of 19	1	2	7	1	16

9 years

243

105

The 2008 Daytona 500 winner won't be defending his title with Penske Racing next year.

According to team owner Roger Penske, Ryan Newman will leave the organization at the end of the season in a parting described as a mutual decision.

The departure paves the way for Newman to sign with newly formed Stewart-Haas Racing, in which driver Tony Stewart recently acquired 50 percent ownership. Newman, 30, is the leading candidate to team with the two-time champion at Stewart-Haas next year.

"We want to thank Ryan for his hard work and contributions to Penske Racing over the past nine years," Penske said in a statement. "We wish Ryan all the best for the future, and we'll continue to focus our efforts on making the Chase (for the NASCAR Sprint Cup) with Ryan and the Alltel Dodge team this season."

Newman is 16th in the championship standings, 189 points behind 12th-place Denny Hamlin, who currently holds the last Chase-eligible position. Newman, who debuted with Penske in 2000 but didn't run his first full Cup season until 2002, has 13 victories and 43 poles in 243 races. He has one win (Daytona 500) and one pole (Phoenix) this season. The victory ended an 81-race winless drought.

--(Cont'd From Front Page)-- "I appreciate Penske Racing and all they have done for me, but more importantly, I appreciate their friendship and what they have done for my career," Newman said.

Penske indicated a successor to Newman in the No. 12 Alltel Dodge would be named in the near future.

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