GLADEVILLE, Tenn. -- David Stremme has been a regular at race tracks ever since he was a baby in a booster seat with his mother stuffing cotton in his ears.

Pressure meant installing the right part correctly in the race car being driven by either his father, Lou, or his mother, Cindy. That, and not getting caught being under age in the pits.

	Rookie David Stremme, right, talks with a crew member before the start of the Pepsi 300 at Nashville.

"We didn't go on family vacations," David said. "That was going to the race track."

The stakes are considerably higher now that Stremme is the latest driver to be "discovered'' by Chip Ganassi. But Stremme says he doesn't feel any pressure, at least not this year.

"I have set some goals for myself, but I feel I can get the job done. They must feel that way because I'm in the car,'' he said.

Stremme has had only one race to show why Ganassi plucked him out of the American Speed Association last year. But he showed his potential in his Busch Series debut April 12.

He overcame a blown motor that forced him to start at the back of field at the Pepsi 300 at the Nashville Superspeedway and finished seventh, the highest finish for a rookie in the race.

"Very impressive,'' said car chief Jon Wolfe.

"I didn't really know much about David until we went and tested for Nashville the week before. I was very impressed with the test and how it went. It's one thing to be out there all by yourself and run some good laps as opposed to being in competition.''

Not Stremme. He thinks he was too cautious and spent valuable time learning how to pass on the 1.33-mile concrete track.

"It's like I've graduated high school and gone to college, which is great because I learned so much in the Busch race I can't wait to get behind the wheel of a car again,'' he said.

Stremme's current education could be seen as more of an internship, thanks to a partnership between Ganassi and Phoenix Racing owner James Finch. Stremme, who races again May 3 at Richmond, is running 18 Busch races this year, filling in for Jamie McMurray in the Yellow Racing No. 1 Dodge.

His graduation will be running the full Busch schedule in 2004.

"It's for sure too early to tell much about where David's going to end up in this whole picture,'' Wolfe said. "This year the plan is to let him make laps and get some experience and learn how to race these cars. Then, as he gets some racing under his belt, we can say, 'OK, David, it's time to go win.'''

Racing and winning is a family tradition for Stremme.

His father has several track championships racing in South Bend, Ind. His mother was even asked to run road races in Europe, but she said no, so she could stay with her family.

Brother Bobby also has won three track titles of his own.

David grew up working on his parents' cars because age limits required a driver's license to race. He finally sneaked in his first races at age 15.

Stremme, whose high school classmate Ryan Newman is in his second Winston Cup season, honed his ability by driving at 41 different tracks in seven different divisions.

He finally attracted Ganassi's attention in 2002 as he raced his first full season in ASA, winning twice with 13 top-five finishes that earned him top rookie honors.

The Winston Cup team owner brought Stremme to Lakeland, Fla., to test alongside his other drivers -- McMurray, Casey Mears and veteran Sterling Marlin. Stremme ran laps as well or faster.

Ganassi and Finch teamed up and put Stremme into the No. 1 Dodge with McMurray, leaving the testing to Stremme.

Wolfe said Stremme quickly earned respect for how hard he works with the crew.

"He's not a pretty boy that rolls in here and just brings his helmet bag and sits in the car. He's not afraid to dive in and get dirty. He's had to do that with his cars and his parents' cars,'' Wolfe said.

Stremme just considers himself lucky. He can turn to McMurray, Mears or Newman for answers to his questions while he learns his way around.

"You're not able to purchase experience off the shelf,'' Stremme said. "It's something you have to have to gain along with respect from the drivers. I figure it'll increase my learning curve."