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JOLIET, Ill. -- 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 today, 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.

Newman was supposed to start today'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 today, has the same problem as Busch. He'll have to come from 37th after wrecking his primary car Friday morning.

Busch series: JOHNNY SAUTER WENT 112 MILES BETWEEN PIT STOPS SATURDAY AND OUTRAN POLESITTER TODD BODINE FOLLOWING A RED-FLAG RESTART TO WIN NASCAR BUSCH SERIES TROPICANA TWISTER 300 AT CHICAGOLAND SPEEDWAY, HIS FIRST CAREER VICTORY.

SAUTER LAST PITTED ON LAP 125 FOR FUEL AND FOUR TIRES, ALONG WITH BODINE AND JOE NEMECHEK. THE GAMBLE PAID OFF WITH THE TRIO ABLE TO MAINTAIN TRACK POSITION WHEN THE RACE WAS STOPPED ON LAP 195 AFTER KASEY KAHNE CRASHED IN TURN 4.

BODINE FINISHED SECOND, FOLLOWED BY JEFF BURTON, WHO HAD THE FASTEST CAR MOST OF THE DAY, AND NEMECHEK.

CART: Cristiano da Matta, one victory away from making CART history, easily captured the pole on Saturday during final qualifying for the Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland.

Another pole. Another championship point. And moments after da Matta's latest conquest, another flag hoisted up the crowded mast rising above the Newman-Haas pit area.

There are nine flags flapping there now, five for his wins this season and four for his poles.

"If we have to get an extension for our flag pole, that's a good problem," da Matta said.

For da Matta, who has won four straight races and four of the last five poles, the domination continues as he enters today's 115-lap race. He was more than four-tenths of a second faster than any other car during qualifying -- a huge gap in auto racing -- and more than one second quicker than six drivers.

-- From wire reports