Did Ryan Newman quit NASCAR racing? All you need to know

Ryan Newman retired from full-time NASCAR racing at the end of the 2021 season. He made 725 starts in over 20 years and won 18 races, including the Daytona 500 in 2008 and the Brickyard 400 in 2013.

Newman didn't return to NASCAR this year. However, he participated in the SMART Modified Tour and finished third in points, behind champion Luke Baldwin. He also raced part-time in the Whelen Modified Tour.

Newman competed in eight Cup Series races for Rick Ware Racing last year. After a year off from NASCAR, he raced NASCAR’s Next-Gen car at Darlington, Richmond, Bristol, Homestead, Martinsville and other tracks.

The 47-year-old raced in the Superstar Racing Experience and finished as the championship runner-up in 2022 and won the SRX championship the next year.

Ryan Newman also continues to race in other events and won a race in the SMART Modified Tour at New River All American Speedway this August. He took the lead from Danny Bohn and cruised to his second win in this series.

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"It's not my favorite stock car generation to drive" - Ryan Newman on the Next Gen Car

Ryan Newman started racing in NASCAR'S ARCA series for Penske Racing. He debuted in the Cup Series and won his first race at Michigan International Speedway in 2001. He had a strong rookie season and won eight races and 11 poles in 2003.

Newman joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2009 and snapped a 78-race winless streak the next season. He Newman moved to Richard Childress Racing in 2013 and finished second in 2014 but missed out on the championship.

In his first race back in the Cup Series in May 2023, Newman talked about not being comfortable in his car at the Darlington Speedway.

"Yeah, my seat was not comfortable. I had rib pain after the end of the first stage, so I was miserable in the car. I got a cramp in my foot. My ribs feel like somebody punched me," Newman said during an interview (00:40).

"It’s been a big learning process because the competition's so much closer, mainly because of the way the car’s rules are now. ...The way the car drives is quite a bit different from the last generation car I was used to. It’s taken me some time, and if you watch me, I’m not the quickest at the start of the race when the green flag drops. ... But ultimately, I still love racing. It's not my favorite stock car generation to drive, though," he said in October 2023 (25:20).

Ryan Newman had an average finish of 29.9 in eight starts last year.