Soldiers Inspire Ryan Newman, NASCAR's Best

It was not the scars and burns, nor all the prosthetic limbs, or even the constant hum of machines dripping life into some patients that most struck Ryan Newman during a visit Thursday with injured soldiers at Walter Reed Army Medical Center.

It was a far more simple concept that impacted the 2008 Daytona 500 winner most.

"The age of the people we visited is mind-boggling,'' Newman said. "The average age of the soldier is way younger than you'd imagine.''

Eighteen, 19, 20 years old. ... ages when Newman, 31, in a pre-Sept. 11 era was frantically working toward an engineering degree at Purdue University during the week, then barnstorming across the Midwest during the weekend racing sprint cars in preparation for what's been a distinguished career in NASCAR.

"Every time I walked into a room, the first thing I said was 'Thank you, thanks for giving us the opportunity to do what we love,'' Newman said.

His No. 39 Chevrolet carries the United States Army colors on its hood. Newman carries a bit of the Army's morale on his broad shoulders.

So many of the soldiers he visited love watching Newman do what he loves. The pride goes both ways.

Newman, his wife Krissie, and a handful of other NASCAR stars, including Newman's team owner and two-time NASCAR champ Tony Stewart, stopped by Walter Reed on their way to this weekend's Sprint Cup Series venue in Dover, Del., for Sunday's second race in NASCAR's 10-race Chase for the Championship.


Newman's seventh place finish last week at New Hampshire moved him up three positions in the standings. He's seventh out of the 12 drivers eligible to win the season title and only trails leader Mark Martin by 79 points.

Newman, who will start third in Sunday's race, is a three-time winner in Dover ... four, if you count the impression he made on soldiers Thursday.

His visit to the hospital and also to troops at bases across the country this season are something he considers his privilege -- a mutually beneficial experience.

Having the U.S. Army as a team sponsor isn't like hawking beer or energy drinks or razors or dot-coms.

Newman has had major corporate sponsors before, such as Mobil Oil, and he's starred in national commercials advertising cell phones and wireless networks for Alltel.

But it's incomparable to having the U.S. Army or any branch of the armed forces on your car -- especially during a time of war. And Newman is reminded of that daily in ways both obvious and subtle.

His work on behalf of the Army isn't merely a photo op or chance for good publicity. It's about contributing to a greater sense of pride.

"I'm representing people, people fighting for our freedom,'' Newman said, his voice rising in conviction with each word. "And that's different than a corporation or a product or a service you're trying to sell.

"It's an absolute honor to represent and get the chance to connect to these people.''

"Today, we'd go into a room and you didn't know what to expect,'' Newman told FanHouse by phone Thursday evening shortly after leaving Walter Reed.

"Sometimes you'd walk in and be totally shocked that here was someone who just went through hell and they're talking about when they can get back (to the war).

"You'd walk into the next room and they're cheering you up.''

At times, it was hard to tell who was inspiring who, and who was motivating who.

Newman spoke of one young man in particular, Brendan, a 22-year-old from Staten Island. He had lost both legs and most of both arms in combat and told Newman that his nickname around Walter Reed is "Quad." He showed off four "bionic" prosthetic limbs and was proud to report that only four and a half months after being injured, he was walking again.

"He was breaking all kinds of records for healing time,'' Newman said. "Just to see his fight and drive, was one of the most eye-opening experiences.''

And that's when this all becomes a tangible moment when the seriousness of war meets the powerful diversion of sport.

"You can't put into words how grateful we are and how thankful we should be,'' Newman said.

"Some people we met didn't have a clue there was an Army race car out there, some just wanted us to beat the National Guard car and others had been Ryan Newman fans for a long time.''

Here's betting many more count themselves such now.