Westport’s Paul Newman was in Chicago Friday night and took the opportunity to jump in a go-kart to race wheel-to-wheel at 35 m.p.h. against his friend and longtime stunt double, Stan Barrett.

The 80-year-old Oscar-winning actor appeared at Chicago Indoor Racing for a private event staged by McDonald’s, a major sponsor of the Newman-Haas racing team.

Newman said he caught racing fever after filming “Winning” in 1968, and hasn’t looked back since claiming his first national title in 1976.

Racing a go-kart is not that different from racing a car, he told the Chicago Tribune. “The smoother you are, the quicker you go. You can’t muscle your way around the track in these cars.”

Larry Kurzner: new Commodore. Contributed photoWestport’s Saugatuck Rowing Club (SRC) has named Westporter Larry Kurzner its Commodore for 2005-2006. 

As Commodore, Kurzner will serve as the club�s liaison with U.S. Rowing, the sport�s national governing body, and other regional and international rowing organizations, as well as presiding over club events and committees.

Kurzner has rowed competitively since his days as captain of the Clark University crew.  He has been a national medalist eight times in the last five years and was the captain of the club’s 2004 U.S. Rowing National Championship Masters team. 

After college and before joining SRC when he moved to Westport with his family in 1996, Kurzner rowed at clubs in Boston, New York and Norwich and London.

The Westport Center for Senior Activities and the boy’s and girl’s golf teams from Staples High School recently teamed up for the Friendship through Fitness golf tournament to raise money for the Friends of the Westport Center for Senior Activities. All proceeds will go toward maintaining the fitness room at the center. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Contributed photo

It was a long Sunday for Westport’s Dave Kashetta. The former Staples High School football standout and Boston College tight end was not among players chosen in the National Football League Draft.

But a short time later he signed as a free agent with the Washington Redskins.

“I’m really excited,” he told reporters later. “I definitely feel I have a lot to prove now.”

The 2000 Staples grad, who is listed at 6 feet 3 1/2 inches and 247 pounds, last season made 22 catches for 218 yards with four touchdowns for the Eagles. He will join the Redskins at rookie camp this weekend in Washington.

The warm weather this week brought out the Staples High School volleyball players for some action in the sand at Compo Beach. Jackson Lesser (l) and Mike Smith (r) both go for a block in a late afternoon pick-up game. Both the Staples varsity and JV teams are undefeated so far this season, 6-0. (CLICK TO ENLARGE) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com

Chairs at Westport’s Wakeman Park Wednesday awaited the day’s sports fans. (CLICK TO ENLARGE ) Emily Laux for WestportNow.com

A three-year fund-raising effort aimed at rebuilding three Westport athletic fields with artificial turf kicks off Friday, June 10 at Mitchells of Westport. The Staples Gridiron Club’s “Field of Dreams Gala” at 6:30 p.m. will provide seed money for a community project to install artificial turf for football, soccer, lacrosse, field hockey and rugby teams. The campaign slogan is “If you contribute it will be built.”  Westport is one of only four school districts in the Fairfield County Interscholastic Athletic Conference still with grass fields. Tickets are $75 per person and can be purchased by calling Gala Chair Chris Romann at (203) 222-1422 or e-mail at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). (CLICK TO ENLARGE ) Betsey Lebow for WestportNow.com

The Westport/Weston Water Rats swim team left today for Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., where they will compete in the YMCA national swim competition. Staples sophomore Cydney Eldh and her mother, Joyce, pose for a photo. Cydney is one of two “rookies” first-time qualifiers for the national competition—making the trip. (CLICK TO ENLARGE ) Dave Matlow for WestportNow.com

The Westport Police Athletic League (PAL) recently made a donation to the Staples High School lacrosse team. Over the last three years, the team has grown from just over 20 players to 60 players this year.The team did not have money in its budget to deal with the increase and Westport PAL stepped into to assist in funding the program. Shown turning over a Westport PAL check are (l-r): Officer Jill Ruggiero, Head Coach Jonathan Lake, Chief Al Fiore, president of Westport PAL, and Officer David Wolf. John Calka/Westport Police Department photo