Ryan Newman Signs One-Year Deal To Remain At Stewart-Haas Racing

Ryan Newman will return to Stewart-Haas Racing in 2013, he said Thursday. But it’s unclear exactly which companies will sponsor the driver’s No. 39 ride when it hits the track next season.

Newman, speaking to reporters at Richmond International Raceway, said SHR has yet to sign any sponsors for his car in 2013.

When asked if SHR was taking a gamble by re-signing the driver without sponsorship, Newman acknowledged “there’s a certain amount of risk that they have.” The U.S. Army is leaving NASCAR at the end of the season, and it’s unclear what Newman’s other sponsors – such as Outback and Quicken Loans – will decide to do.

“I feel fairly confident we’ll have good branding on the car,” he said. “I can’t sit here and say who it’s going to be and how it’s going to lay out and what race it’s going to be.”

Newman said his focus “never left SHR” during the free agency process, though the driver did consider his options with other teams. Out of respect for his current team, though, he said he never seriously chased another offer.

“I never pursued it, never put anything on paper,” he said. “It’s like fishing in a pond – every once in awhile, you cast in different directions to try to get a bite.

“There’s rides out there. There’s opportunities out there. It wasn’t my goal to go out there and knock every door down and get a written proposal from every team.”

Newman, who can make the Chase by winning Richmond and hoping teammate Tony Stewart stays in the top 10, said he’s simply going for a victory on Saturday night.

“We still have the potential to have that dream come true, but you can have it all abolished in one lap or one corner,” he said. “There’s a lot of emotion that gets carried with that. It’s the do-or-die moment on Saturday night.”