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USAC: White, Newman, Fike, Kaeding, Harris & Wise earn 1999 Rookie of the Year Honors

1 December 1999

Posted By Terry Callahan
Motorsports Editor, The Auto Channel
Paul White of Temple, Texas, Ryan Newman of South Bend, Ind., A.J. Fike of Galesburg, Ill., Bud Kaeding of Campbell, Calif., Alex Harris of Simi Valley, Calif. and Josh Wise of Riverside, Calif. are USAC's 1999 National and Western "Rookies of the Year."

White, the Turbines, Inc. "Rookie of the Year" in the Coors Light Silver Bullet Series, started all but two of the 15 races, finished eighth in the "Hulman-Hoosier Hundred" in Indianapolis and ninth at Irwindale. Calif. He also earned three Turbines, Inc. "Rookie of the Race" awards and was 16th in the final point standings.

Newman, the True Value "Rookie of the Year" in the Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car Series, won the Winchester "Oldtimers Weekend" feature at the Winchester (Ind.) Speedway and added four second-place finishes in just 11 starts to finish 17th in the final Stoops Freightliner Sprint Car points. He also won the 1999 USAC Coors Light Silver Bullet Championship and was one of only two drivers to win races in all three of USAC's National series.

Fike, who is the recipient of the 1999 Wynn's Bob Stroud Memorial "Rookie of the Year" Award, finished ninth in the final MCI WorldCom National Midget Car point standings on the strength of seven "top-10" finishes, including a third-place at Winchester Speedway in May.

Two of the three drivers who will be honored by Hoosier Tire West were crowned divisional champions in their respective USAC Western series.

Kaeding stormed to the championship in the Western Sprint Car Series with seven victories and three seconds in 17 races! He was also the fastest qualifier on six occasions and only once finished out of the "top-10!"

Harris, who won the USAC MCI WorldCom TQ Midget title in 1997 and 1998, scored his initial MCI WorldCom Western Midget Car feature win at Madera, Calif. and added more than a dozen more "top-10" finishes on his way to fourth in the final series standings.

Wise, USAC's youngest professional driving champion ever at age 16, won four races and added four seconds and a third on his way to the MCI WorldCom TQ Midget Car championship.

The three "National" rookies will be honored at the January 7 USAC "Night of Champions" National Awards Dinner at the Westin Hotel in downtown Indianapolis, Ind. The three "Western" rookies will be honored at the USAC Western Awards Banquet January 15 at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Monrovia, Calif. Tickets for both awards ceremonies are available by calling the USAC National office at (317) 247-5151 or the USAC Western office at (916) 635-8722.

--USAC--

Editors Note: To view hundreds of hot racing photos and art, visit The Racing Photo Museum and the Visions of Speed Art Gallery.