Indiana native Newman wins Brickyard 400

INDIANAPOLIS -- The backs of their shirts read "Gordon" and "Stewart." The Nos. 24 and 14 were emblazoned on their hats.

But fans at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway found themselves showering praise upon a different Indiana driver Sunday.

At the end of the 20th running of the Brickyard 400, the local fans raised one finger to the sky for the sometimes forgotten son from the Hoosier state in NASCAR: Ryan Newman.

The South Bend, Ind., native and Purdue graduate started from the pole and finished the race in the same position for his first victory at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He is the third driver to win from the pole in the event, and the first since 2008.

"This is a dream come true for me," Newman said. "I can't wait to push my lips on those bricks. I don't realize it yet.

"It's a dream come true. It will take a week or so for this to set in."

While doing a donut and then enjoying a victory lap at what he considers his home track, Newman found himself the recipient of many cheers and praise from the fans wearing all sorts of gear but his.

Newman, who led 45 of the 160 laps on the day, took the lead on lap 149 and beat four-time winner Jimmie Johnson to the checkered flag by 2.658 seconds.

It is Newman's first win of the season and his first win since April 2012.

In his 12 previous runs in the Brickyard 400, Newman's best finish was fourth and he only had one other top 10 finish before Sunday's victory.

Johnson, who led the most laps with 73, could not recover from a pit stop on lap 133 that took 18 seconds. He never led again after that point.

"There's definitely disappointment there," Johnson said, "but that's racing. It happens. I've given away a few out there this year, too. Ryan was fast all day long. I can't take anything away from him."

When Newman pitted on lap 134, his stop was only 11 seconds, allowing him to maintain a lead against Johnson.

Tony Stewart, a Columbus, Ind., native and fan favorite who won the race in 2005 and 2007 as the first Indiana-born winner at IMS since 1940, is Newman's boss -- for now.

Newman's No. 39 is owned by Stewart-Haas racing. But Stewart, who finished fourth Sunday, recently announced that the team will not bring back Newman next year, replacing him with Kevin Harvick.

But it hasn't hurt the friendship between the only two native Hoosiers to win the Brickyard.

"I didn't think it would feel this good as an owner," Stewart said. "Because it's Ryan and a good friend of mine, that's the gratifying part."

Stewart said he first met Newman at a midget race "many, many moons ago." Before he made it big in NASCAR, Newman said he spent his summers in Pittsboro, Ind., fixing cars and sleeping alongside them in the garage.

"We know the history of this place," Stewart said. "Ryan can tell you more stats about here than I can, but we know, we understand, we appreciate the history of this sport, the great drivers and team that have raced and won here.

"That's a big deal to us being from here."