Ryan Newman repeats in SRX Stafford

After coming up short in last week’s Superstar Racing Experience season opener at Stafford Speedway, Ryan Newman finally broke through for his second SRX win there on Thursday.

Newman had chased down fellow NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin in the first Stafford race, only for lightning to cut short his pursuit. This time, with no weather in play and Hamlin not taking part, Newman battled with another Cup peer in Daniel Suárez and took the lead with five laps remaining. He previously won at Stafford in 2022, making his average SRX finish at the Connecticut circuit an impressive 1.3.

The final restart came with eight to go after Tony Kanaan and Heat #2 winner Brad Keselowski crashed due to brake failures. Kanaan and Ryan Preece, a local star-turned-Cup regular, had been the top drivers throughout the main event before both retired, the latter also losing his brakes.

“We did it two years in a row. I don’t know how much of it was luck and how much of it was skill, but it doesn’t really matter,” said Newman. “The brakes were a challenge tonight.”

While the main saw plenty of brake problems, the two heats’ incidents were predominantly spins and contact. Greg Biffle did not even make it to double-digit laps in Heat #1 after contact with Suárez, while Paul Tracy‘s reign of terror claimed Ken Schrader, who ironically accused his colleagues of a lack of driving conduct following last week’s round.

Stafford hosted back-to-back rounds to begin the 2023 season after Thunder Bowl Speedbowl had to drop off the calendar due to severe flooding.

Race results

Heat #1

Heat #2