College boy Newman takes on NASCAR

The 22-year-old joins team mates Rusty Wallace and Jeremy Mayfield in Sunday's race at Phoenix International Raceway. Wallace will start from pole postion while Mayfield could only manage 25th place.

Newman is finishing up his college education while preparing for a full-time racing effort in 2001. Last month at Charlotte, team owner Roger Penske announced Newman would compete in a 23-race blended schedule next season that would include ARCA, NASCAR Busch Series and Winston Cup events.

Juggling both a fledgling motorsport career and university is similar to Indy Racing Northern Light Series star Sarah Fisher, who is attending Butler University in Indianapolis studying a degree in mechanical engineering.

The engineering student was just a child when he first heard of NASCAR legend Wallace, who he now finds as his Penske team mate.

"I never would have thought of the opportunity to have him as a teammate," said Newman. "Things have grown so rapidly over the summer and I'm very happy to be in the position I'm in."

Full grid for Sunday's race:

Checker/Dura Lube 500 Starting Lineup
Phoenix International Raceway



1 2 Rusty Wallace Ford 26.830 134.178
2 99 Jeff Burton Ford 26.845 134.103

3 77 Robert Pressley Ford 27.011 133.279
4 10 Johnny Benson Pont 27.032 133.175

5 1 Steve Park Chev 27.035 133.161
6 55 Kenny Wallace Chev 27.044 133.116

7 36 Ken Schrader Pont 27.044 133.116
8 6 Mark Martin Ford 27.054 133.067

9 18 Bobby Labonte Pont 27.055 133.062
10 02 Ryan Newmann Ford 27.061 133.033

11 50 Ricky Craven Chev 27.063 133.023
12 17 Matt Kenseth Ford 27.064 133.018

13 93 Dave Blaney Pont 27.073 132.974
14 26 Jimmy Spencer Ford 27.107 132.807

15 27 Mike Bliss Pont 27.147 132.611
16 4 Bobby Hamilton Chev 27.182 132.441

17 28 Ricky Rudd Ford 27.183 132.436
18 8 Dale Earnhardt Jr Chev 27.184 132.431

19 22 Ward Burton Pont 27.186 132.421
20 75 Wally Dallenbach Ford 27.211 132.299

21 32 Scott Pruett Ford 27.220 132.256
22 16 Kevin Lepage Ford 27.223 132.241

23 11 Brett Bodine Ford 27.240 132.159
24 24 Jeff Gordon Chev 27.248 132.120

25 12 Jeremy Mayfield Ford 27.251 132.105
26 97 Kurt Busch Ford 27.260 132.062

27 40 Sterling Marlin Chev 27.261 132.057
28 14 Rick Mast Pont 27.263 132.047

29 43 John Andretti Pont 27.264 132.042
30 31 Mike Skinner Chev 27.327 131.738

31 3 Dale Earnhardt Chev 27.332 131.714
32 96 Andy Houston Ford 27.368 131.540

33 21 Elliott Sadler Ford 27.395 131.411
34 66 Darrell Waltrip Ford 27.406 131.358

35 94 Bill Elliott Ford 27.411 131.334
36 88 Dale Jarrett Ford 27.413 131.325

37 20 Tony Stewart Pont Provisional
38 5 Terry Labonte Chev Provisional

39 33 Joe Nemechek Chev Provisional
40 25 Jerry Nadeau Chev Provisional

41 7 Michael Waltrip Chev Provisional
42 60 Rich Bickle Chev Provisional

43 44 Steve Grissom Pont Provisional


Ted Musgrave
Robby Gordon
Stacy Compton
Dave Marcis
Hut Stricklin