SCR: You're not touching any gray areas there when you say it'scompletely legal?
NEWMAN: No, it's completely legal. Everything about it is andalways will be completely legal.
SCR: I read somewhere that you like to work on vintage cars. Doyou have a collection of cars?
NEWMAN: Got a few, yeah. A '57 T-Bird, a '57 Dodge Super D-500,two '53 Plymouths, a '28 Ford Roadster, a '74 Triumph TR-6, a '39 HudsonSedan, and that's it.
SCR: So which is your favorite?
NEWMAN: All of 'em. All of 'em for different reasons.
SCR: Do you do all the restoration work yourself, the bodyworkand all?
NEWMAN: A little bit, but no bodywork. Mostly the mechanicalstuff. And I can paint and make things look purty, but mechanical stuffand keeping things running, that's what I enjoy.
SCR: What was your first car?
NEWMAN: A '74 TR-6. My grandparents gave it to me for my 16thbirthday.
SCR: You like to fish also, is that right?
SCR: Talk about that a little.
NEWMAN: I enjoy mostly bass fishing, just being out on the lakeand relaxing. I enjoy going fishing as much as I do catching fish, so Idon't need to catch fish, but it's always an added bonus. Mostly largemouth bass, and anything that'll bite. I like trying to outsmart 'em.
SCR: Is that something you and your dad did when you were growingup?
NEWMAN: Actually I mostly did it with my grandfather up inMichigan on a little lake called Dewey Lake. I'll never forget thosemoments and always enjoyed fishing.
SCR: So you like outsmarting the fish? All about the competition,isn't it?
NEWMAN: That's right. You'll never catch a smart fish.
SCR: Any plans on starting a family since you were recentlymarried, in January?
SCR: If you have a young son someday, would you encourage him toget into this sport, knowing what you know now?
NEWMAN: I wouldn't discourage, for sure. Where I am at this pointin my career is great. I've had a great life and wouldn't wish anythingdifferent on anybody else, especially my own son if that were the case.
SCR: Who do you look up to most in this sport? Historically oreven one of you contemporaries.
NEWMAN: Nobody in particular as far as drivers go. I've learned alot from Buddy Baker and Don Miller. My father in everyday life, justracing and everyday life. But there's no one individual that I startrunning over to and start asking questions.
SCR: You mentioned Buddy Baker and he certainly has gotten a lotof credit for helping you. Didn't he encourage Mr. Penske to hire you?
NEWMAN: He's a very smart man when it comes to driving a racecar. All you've got to have is a good set of ears and tune into theBuddy Baker station and he'll help you out quite a bit.
SCR: I would guess that he would be more of a seat-of-the-pantsdriver.
NEWMAN: We're all seat-of-the-pants drivers, so we've got to useour voice box to communicate.
SCR: The cars haven't changed so much in the last 20 years thathe's lost touch?
NEWMAN: They still have an engine and four tires and a steeringwheel. And the race tracks, ironically, are still about the same.
SCR: Even with the level of engineering in this sport today, itstill all comes down to what you're feeling on the track?
NEWMAN: It doesn't all come down to that, but it's a big part ofit.
SCR: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
NEWMAN: Don't know. Probably not where I am right now, as far asdoing what I'm doing. But whatever I can do to enjoy life with my wifeand whatever else is what I'll be aiming for.
SCR: Not driving or not driving in this series? Let's clarifythat.
NEWMAN: I would say 10 years will probably be max.
SCR: Any plans of becoming a team owner someday?
NEWMAN: No, don't need that headache. I've seen enough. The risksoutweigh the reward in my opinion. My old car owner, Johnny Vance, oncesaid that you had to be crazy to be a car owner, and he was one.