Ryan Newman is going back to his roots in a big way. 

On Thursday, the current Monster Energy NASCAR Driver and former USAC champion announced he will become part of the ownership group of Clauson Marshall Racing. With the announcement, Clauson Marshall Racing (CMR) will now be known as Clauson Marshall Newman Racing (CMNR).

Tyler Courtney will run the full USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car season.

Thank you @ClausonMarshall and @RyanJNewman for the opportunity to be apart of this. Can’t wait for 2018! https://t.co/uKBhTogEd8

— Tyler Courtney (@TyCourtney23) December 7, 2017

Courtney won the USAC award for Most Improved Driver in his 2017 run. Courtney has spent the last two years racing Sprints with TOPP Motorsports. During those two years he recorded six USAC Sprint Car wins. In 2017, he also drove the CMR USAC Midget and recorded three victories in the series.

“It’s an opportunity I felt like I couldn’t pass up with the people who are going to be involved,” Courtney said. “I don’t want to have any regrets 10 years down the road for not doing it. I talked to a lot of people who helped me make this decision. They all said to go with my heart. My heart is staying right here at Clauson/Marshall/Newman Racing.”

The addition of former champ Newman made the opportunity too big to pass. With his new role as team owner, Newman is excited to help other climb the same ladder that he did to success and give back to his sport.

“Both Tim (Clauson) and Richard (Marshall) gave me the opportunity to be involved with something that I’ve thought about for a while,” Newman said. “I wanted to do this at the right place at the right time. It’s a no-brainer for me to be a part of something that I think will be great. This was a path in my career that made a difference. It was several rungs on the ladder that made a difference, being a part of USAC Midget, Sprint Car, and Silver Crown racing. It’s an honor to be a part of what they’re putting together.”

Courtney is excited to take on the series with the 1999 Silver Crown champion and 2008 NASCAR Daytona 500 winner in his corner.

“It’s pretty dang cool,” Courtney said. “The fact that Ryan wants to come back and support a USAC team is really special. The fact they wanted to do this with a kid like me is even cooler. I get to work with Tim, who’s been a part of my career basically since it started. It’s such a big comfort level over here. They’ve got everything to go for a championship.”

Newman’s heart has stayed with USAC and Sprint racing as he's climbed through the NASCAR ranks.

“I think it’s some of the best racing there is in the world,” Newman said. “It was what I was born and raised in. With their horsepower-to-weight ratio, big tires, tacky racetracks, wheel stands, and methanol, you name it, it’s pretty spectacular if you like racing.”

Clauson is trying to build a championship-caliber team and believes that connecting Courtney and Newman is a step in that direction.

“Having Ryan Newman involved in our program is both exciting and humbling, as is his history in not only USAC but motorsports as a whole,” Clauson said. “It is something I feel we will all be able to lean on as we continue to build CMR. As proud as I am of this partnership. I am also proud that Ryan wants to be involved and support the USAC series which we all feel has the best on-track product in motorsports. While it will be a busy next two months getting ready for Florida, we are excited to add another top quality ride to the USAC Sprint Car series.”

This partnership came together over a dinner between Newman, Clauson, and Marshall, and the result could be greater than they ever expected.

“Ryan’s a great friend,” Marshall said. “We were talking a couple times last month over dinner how cool it would be to go USAC racing. I thought it would be really cool. I talked to Ryan quite a bit and he’s very passionate. He said he wanted to support the sport and be involved again. Tim, Ryan, and I put our heads together and here we are. Game on!”

CMNR will make its debut in the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series season opener in the “Winter Dirt Games” held Feb. 15-17 at Bubba Raceway Park in Ocala, FL.