Rookie Newman goes for first win at Tropicana

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Posted 7:55AM on Sunday, July 14, 2002

JOLIET, ILLINOIS - Ryan Newman is feeling a little frustrated. The 24-year-old racer is having an outstanding rookie year, but is still being overshadowed by fellow first-year driver Jimmie Johnson. Worse, that first Winston Cup victory hasn't happened yet. ``This team is too good not to win,'' said Newman, a teammate to former series champion Rusty Wallace at Penske Racing South. ``The wins will come.'' Newman will try to make good on that promise Sunday, when he starts from the pole in the Tropicana 400 at Chicagoland Speedway, a place that suits the Purdue graduate from nearby South Bend, Ind. ``It is the closest track to my home that we race at,'' he said. ``I think that's cool, but it's still a racetrack and we're still here trying to do the same job we tried to do last weekend.'' While the 26-year-old Johnson, an impressive third in the points, has three poles, two wins, seven top-fives and 11 top-10s in the first 17 races this season, Newman is 16th with two poles, no wins, five top-fives and eight top-10s. The biggest difference between the two is that victory category and poor finishes. Johnson has failed to finish only twice, but Newman has been sidelined five times. ``Every racetrack we've been to, we've been pretty successful,'' Newman said. ``Our biggest struggle all year has been at the Coca-Cola 600 where we just missed the handle at the start and ended up blowing the motor. ``But every place we've been to, we've been running in the top 10, whether we finish up there or blow up. It's been one of the two. I think our worst finish without any accidents has been a 14th, and that's pretty good.'' Newman pointed out that his No. 12 Ford Taurus has been taken out of races by things like a faulty fuel pump and a broken oil pump belt. ``Those are just freak things,'' he said. Newman was supposed to start Sunday's 400-mile race alongside another member of NASCAR's outstanding Kiddie Corps, Kurt Busch. Instead, thanks to NASCAR's one-engine rule, the 23-year-old Busch will have to pull out of line during the pace laps and go to the back of the field after blowing his engine in Saturday's practice. That hasn't been much of a problem, though, with Busch, Matt Kenseth and series points leader Sterling Marlin winning races earlier this season after being forced to go to the back after engine changes. That will be a tough chore here for the second-year driver, because the 1 1/2 -mile oval is still a tough track on which to pass in only its second year. ``The big question is whether that second groove will come in,'' said Busch, 10th in the points. ``Last year, on a new track, there was definitely only one racing line, but the second groove is at least starting to come in. That's going to decide how much passing we'll be doing.'' Johnson, who would love to turn a bad week around with a strong showing on Sunday, has the same problem as Busch. He'll have to come from 37th after wrecking his primary car Friday morning. That came after his crew chief, Chad Knaus, was hit with a $25,000 fine and Johnson lost 25 championship points because NASCAR discovered an unapproved part on their No. 48 Chevrolet last weekend at Daytona. ``Luckily for our team, the backup car is just as good,'' Johnson said. ``This is the car we won Dover with. All our efforts for qualifying were in the original car, so we got behind. Chad and the guys will have it ready to race.'' Marlin, who has a 77-point lead on runner-up Mark Martin, qualified fourth and will move his Dodge right up alongside Newman after Busch vacates that spot. The 45-year-old Marlin, chasing his first championship, says he's ready for the 20 consecutive weekends of racing that begin Sunday. ``This stretch should favor the bigger, more experienced teams, but you never know what's going to happen,'' said Marlin, who has led in points since the second week of the season.