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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

At 72, Newman Remains Driven By Rush Of Indycars

Mike Harris Associated Press

Paul Newman may be 72 years old, but he still doesn’t like to pass up a chance to drive a race car.

Newman is co-owner of the Newman-Haas IndyCar team and was a professional sports car and sedan racer until two years ago, when he was part of the winning team in the Daytona 24 Hours endurance race.

Although he never announced his retirement, Newman had not been in a race car since that event.

The two-time Oscar-winning actor is filming the movie “Magic Hour,” with fellow racing fans James Garner and Gene Hackman, in Southern California. The day before shooting began last month, Newman was invited to visit nearby Perris Auto Speedway for a chance to drive Ron Shuman’s Texaco sprint car.

Newman’s lap times in the special Sunday morning session were good enough to have qualified for the previous night’s feature race on the new half-mile clay oval.

“It was amazing,” Newman said. “The car was set up so well, and my driving coaches (Shuman, Eddie Wirth and Bubby Jones) were so good, they got me comfortable very quickly.

“What they told me made everything I felt make sense. There’s a lot going on out there when you open that throttle up.”

Newman never drove a race car or had any interest in the sport until he made the movie “Winning” in 1969. Since then, he has been an avid fan and participant.

Championship feeling

For Terry Labonte, his 1996 Winston Cup championship was a repeat of his title 12 years earlier. For crew chief Gary DeHart, it was a first-time experience.

The teammates, who came to New York this week to collect their accolades and the money that goes with them at Friday night’s Awards Banquet, say it took a while for the impact of winning the championship to be absorbed.

“I had some tears in my eyes after the last race (in Atlanta),” DeHart said. “I got all choked up. I couldn’t talk. I stayed on top of that tool box for a pretty good while. Everbody else was jumping up and down celebrating, having a good time.

“I still keep telling myself every morning when I get up that we are the champs. We won this thing. It’s starting to sink in a little bit now. It’s a weird feeling, but I’ll tell you what, it’s a good feeling. I want to do it again. My team wants to do it again. We’re going to do it again. If it’s not next year, then the year after.”

Labonte can’t wipe the smile off his face.

“Every time I look at Jimmy Johnson (general manager of the Hendrick Motorsports team), we just grin and laugh,” he said. “It’s really an exciting feeling to win the championship. It’s really satisfying for me, personally. I know it is for all the guys on this team.”

Alone on top

It’s true that Johnny Benson Jr. was the only full-time competitor for Winston Cup rookie-of-the-year honors in 1996, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t deserve the prestigious award.

A comparison of average points scored in each of the races shows Benson second only to 1993’s top rookie, Jeff Gordon, in the last five years.

Gordon, who beat out Bobby Labonte and Kenny Wallace for the rookie prize that year, averaged 114.9 points per event in a 30-race season and was 14th in the series points.

Benson, who moved to the Winston Cup series after winning the Busch Grand National Series championship the previous year, averaged 96.9 points for each of 31 races and was 21st in the standings.

Ricky Craven, who won the 1995 rookie title, averaged 93 points and wound up 24th in the standings, as did 1994 winner Jeff Burton, who averaged 87.9 points. Both ran 31 races.

Jimmy Hensley, the top 1992 rookie, was 28th overall and averaged 83.1 points in 29 races.

Still growing

Another illustration of how big NASCAR’s top division is getting is on the newsstands this month.

Sports Illustrated has published a special collector’s edition, “1996 NASCAR Winston Cup,” an in-depth review of the season.

“The popularity of NASCAR and the Winston Cup Series continues to grow by leaps and bounds throughout the country,” said Matt Barr, in charge of the project for SI, which also publishes annuals for college and pro football, college and pro basketball and major league baseball.

Another Foyt

Larry Foyt, the youngest of four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt’s four children, will take a shot at open-wheel racing in 1997.

The 19-year-old steps up to the 2.0-liter, 150-horsepower United States Formula Ford 2000 National Championship cars after three years of racing in 125cc shifter-karts.

“I’m really looking forward to this opportunity, both to compete in a super-competitive series and carry on my father’s legacy,” said Foyt, who will make his FF2000 debut Jan. 25 at Walt Disney World in Orlando.

The elder Foyt, who retired from IndyCar racing in 1992 but still races in an occasional NASCAR stock car or pickup truck event, said the U.S. FF2000 is the right place for his son, since it gives drivers experience that could lead to a ride at the Indy 500.

“The best young talent in America is coming out of this series,” said A.J. Foyt, whose Foyt Enterprises team will field the cars for his son.

Foyt’s middle son, Jerry, initially entered the sport without his father’s knowledge and with an assumed name. He had limited success in stock cars and sports cars.