While championship standings often paint a picture of a NASCAR driver’s performance, they don’t always tell the whole story. Take Ryan Newman, for example. Some might argue that his second-place finish in 2014 was his best attempt at the championship. However, fans of the racing veteran know that his 2003 season was perhaps his best showing in NASCAR’s premier division.
In that year, Newman, driving the No. 2 Penske Racing South Dodge, clinched eight race wins – his highest ever tally. In comparison, the 2014 season saw him failing to visit the victory lane even once. But it’s not just his winning streak that defines Newman’s 2003 performance. There’s one record he holds from that year that stands out, and it’s not linked to any of his eight victories. Instead, it was set at the half-mile short track – Bristol Motor Speedway.
On March 21, 2003, during Bristol Motor Speedway’s qualifying session, Newman didn’t just claim the pole position; he smashed records and exceeded all expectations by pushing the boundaries of speed on one of NASCAR’s most challenging tracks. He completed the lap in an astonishing 14.908 seconds, breaking the previous record by reaching a speed of 128.709 mph at the Last Great Coliseum.
This was the fastest qualifying lap ever recorded at Bristol, taking place before NASCAR implemented modifications that slowed vehicles down, such as the transition to the Car of Tomorrow and subsequent aerodynamic and tire upgrades. Prior to Newman’s feat, the fastest lap record at the half-mile short track was held by Jeff Gordon, clocked at 15.470 seconds and 124.034 mph. It seemed unlikely that any driver could complete a lap under 15 seconds, but Newman did just that in 2003, surprising everyone.
Newman himself couldn’t believe he had managed to beat Gordon’s record. “I was so surprised with that lap,” he said. “I knew we had a fast car in practice, but I didn’t think we were capable of going that fast, let alone beating Jeff. That’s the most amazed I’ve ever been after a qualifying run—to go that fast and not anticipate it.” Even Gordon, who had five Cup wins at the racetrack, acknowledged Newman’s accomplishment.
In 2003, Newman’s incredible speed wasn’t limited to Bristol. He managed to bag 11 pole wins alongside his eight race victories. His consistent ability to win the pole earned him the nickname “Rocketman”. Even Jimmie Johnson was awed by Newman’s ability to outpace his fastest lap at Brickyard. Johnson admitted, “You can’t count Ryan out, and he put up a whale of a lap.”
Newman’s record remained unbeaten for a decade, despite subsequent rule revisions and advancements in car technology. It was eventually broken by Kyle Busch in 2013, who emerged with a new generation race car and a determination to make his mark on the NASCAR stage.
Newman’s record at Bristol stood for ten years, largely due to NASCAR’s regulation modifications. Newman’s record-breaking speed became impossible to replicate following the introduction of the Car of Tomorrow in 2007, which prioritised safety and resulted in slower speeds due to increased drag and ride height. Changes to Bristol’s banking that year also affected how drivers cornered, further preventing them from duplicating Newman’s speedy arc. However, in 2013, Busch and the No. 18 JGR team finally broke the record with NASCAR’s newest offering at the time – the Gen 6 car.
Busch secured his first career pole at Bristol Motor Speedway with a lap in his No. 18 Toyota at 129.535 mph, surpassing Newman’s 10-year-old track record of 128.709 mph. “This new car, I like driving it because you can drive it like the older car we had years ago where you could just abuse it a little bit and drive it a little harder,” Busch said.
As NASCAR continues to evolve in the Next Gen era, it’s increasingly rare for a lap record to remain unbroken for a decade. With drivers like Ryan Blaney and Kyle Larson clocking impressive lap times at Bristol, it’s intriguing to see who will be the next to follow in Newman’s historical footsteps and etch their name in NASCAR history.