Ryan Newman gets Truck Series win in very first start

ATLANTA — After a tumultuous first two-thirds of the season the No. 2 Chevrolet Silverado fielded by Kevin Harvick Inc. has found its way to Victory Lane under the guidance of NASCAR Sprint Cup veteran Ryan Newman.

Two weeks ago, the team's former wheelman Jack Sprague and KHI parted ways, and that initiated a revolving door for drivers to get behind the wheel. So, team owner Kevin Harvick called Newman and asked him to drive the truck this weekend in the EZ Go 200 at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Newman battled his teammate Ron Hornaday, who is fighting for the Craftsman Truck Series Championship with Johnny Benson, and made a last-lap pass to take the checkered flag.

"Great day for me obviously," Newman said. "I didn't really save my stuff, I just took it for what t was worth and I was pretty amazed that I got the opportunity to run them (Hornaday) down. Luckily it stayed green because we had two really good race trucks."

When asked how he felt running all-out on the final lap against a teammate who is battling for a championship, Newman said, "We he raced me like a gentleman and obviously he is racing for a championship and we were going for the win and he knew that because he was racing for the win too."

Hornaday said he missed a run off the corner and that was all it took for Newman to overtake him.

"Hats off to KHI," Hornaday said. "This is what it is all about and what that truck is supposed to be running like. To lead that many laps (110), that is what Kevin and DeLana (Harvick) are all about. I have to thank Rick Ren (crew chief) and all the guys, Camping World, and VFW. This is for all the folks out there in Iraq, all of our military.

"Ryan comes in here and steals my thunder, darn it, in the last couple of laps. That just shows how close these trucks are. Ryan was running up top and I was running the bottom. He started following me down there in (Turns) three and four and he figured it out. I don't know if I can say it, but second sticks."

Rounding out the Top 5 in Saturday's race were Denny Hamlin, Todd Bodine and Scott Speed. Hornday's finish helped him cut Benson's points lead to 31-points. The Craftsman Truck Series heads to Texas Motor Speedway next week and will race the Silverado 350 on Halloween night.