NEWMAN RETURNS NEXT THURSDAY FOR “J.D. BYRIDER 100”

 


Ryan Newman, last Sunday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup winner at the New Hampshire International Speedway, returns to USAC’s TRAXXAS Silver Crown Championship Series next Thursday to compete in the “J.D. Byrider 100,” part of the “Kroger SpeedFest” at Lucas Oil Raceway at Indianapolis.


 


Newman will pilot one of two cars entered by Mike Bowman of Brownsburg, Ind. His teammate will be nine-time “Little 500” Sprint race winner Eric Gordon of Indianapolis, a former Silver Crown runner-up and “Rookie of the Year.”


 


Newman qualified for the front row of last year’s race at Lucas Oil Raceway and led the opening lap but handling problems ended his bid for victory after 58 laps. His USAC career at the track includes five victories in Midgets (1997-1999) and one in the Silver Crown machines (1999). He was the 1999 series champion and three years earlier had been named the series “Rookie of the Year.”


 


The “J.D. Byrider 100” is part of a unique “tripleheader” Thursday which includes the Mopar USAC National Midgets and the “Ansell Protective Gloves 200” for the ARCA Stock Car Series presented by Menards.


 


Thursday’s 100-lap race is the fourth in the 2011 TRAXXAS series. Bobby East of Brownsburg, Ind. will try to remain undefeated on the pavement this year as he previously won in dominating fashion at the Milwaukee Mile and Iowa Speedway. Jerry Coons Jr, won the series-opening “Hoosier Hundred” at the Indiana State Fairgrounds.