Two to Go
Amy Henderson


Part of the fun of being a race fan, at least for me, is the fact that every time there are cars (or trucks) on the track, history is made in some small way. Good thing too, or else I’d have to find a new title for my column. Some of that history might not be earth-shattering, glue-you-to-the-TV, this-may-never-happen-again, history changing history. But every additional win recorded by a veteran, every first win by a rookie, every on-track vendetta or strange victory celebration has a story behind it, to give it meaning.

For a long time, part of that fabric of stories has been woven by Rusty Wallace and Mark Martin. Long before either was a household name, their fate was intertwined from the bullrings of the Midwest to NASCAR’s biggest superspeedways. Both drivers began their final season at NASCAR’s highest level this year. They will be missed for a long time coming.

Martin and Wallace are as different as two drivers can be. Martin has spent his career rather quietly, making noise on the track but never louder than necessary to get the job done. Wallace is more outgoing, on track and off. Where Martin is likely to get past by running the low line, smooth, lap after lap, Wallace is a master blocker and as adept as anyone at the bump and run. Both are usually in contention at the end of a race, and neither one backs down until they’ve passed the checkered flag.

By the numbers, Wallace has 54 victories and 36 poles at the Nextel Cup level, Martin 33 wins and 41 poles. Wallace was the then-Winston Cup Rookie-of-the-Year in 1984. Martin is a 4-time International Race of Champions (IROC) champion. Wallace is the 1989 Cup champ, Martin may be written into the history books as the best driver never to win the championship, although a penalty and the resulting point fine effectively took one from him. Martin is the winningest driver in NASCAR Busch Series history. Wallace’s mark on that series may be as a car owner, a role in which he is in his second stint. The first time around, his team fell just 74 points shy of the series championship (the team owner of the championship team was fellow driver Terry Labonte. Both were fielding cars driven by their younger brothers.) in 1991.

Martin and Wallace have been on-track rivals since both were racing on tracks around the Midwest. By accounts, Martin, whose team was well-known for their almost obsessive attention to detail, drove Wallace crazy with this virtue. Wallace, on the other hand, really got to the detail-oriented Martin by arriving late for practice at many tracks on Friday nights, due to the necessity of having to wait for his brother/mechanic, Kenny, to finish his day at high school, and then running as well as anyone in heat races and features.

Both drivers enter the next chapter of their racing lives in support of their sons. Stephen Wallace and Matt Martin are just beginning to make names for themselves in racing. Both have interests in NASCAR: Martin is co-owner of Matt Kenseth’s Nextel Cup Series team, Wallace is a partner in Penske Racing South and owner of a Busch Series team.

Growing up in Batesville, Arkansas, Martin leaned to drive at the tender age of five by standing on his father’s lap and steering while Dad kept the gas pedal pushed to the floor. As a teenager, he was known to the local police for keeping the pedal to the floor himself. Wallace was known to the local police in Missouri for building a bomb in the backyard trash can, and to many local newspaper readers for being less than diligent about the paper route he shared with his younger brothers. Both had goofy hair once upon a time.

Both entered NASCAR in the 1980’s, racing their own teams, but had to wait for success later with teams owned by someone else. Each has since left his mark of excellence at every left turn. Both will be missed, neither forgotten. Both are, and will be, history.

"Jamie, there's gonna be 300,000 of us there. If one of you gringos touches one of the Mexicans' cars, it's gonna be hard. When you see me coming, you better pull over."
— Mexican driver Adrian Fernandez to Jamie McMurray

Comments from the Peanut Gallery

from Jack
This may sound somewhat simplistic but I feel it's worth a thought.  Why not give driver/owner points in the Busch/Truck series only to those drivers who participate ONLY in Busch/Truck races.  If you enter any Cup race during the season you get no Busch/Truck points.  Why give owners' points to a team that may have several drivers during the season?  I don't feel that's the way the system should work. 
 
Actually, I'm not so sure Cup drivers should even be given anything more than a pittance for entering a Busch/Truck race.  Gaining the experience of additional lap time on a track before their main event should be enough.
 
Quit trying to bring your game to someone else's ball field!
 
Jack.
 
(I'm sure full of it this week.  That's what you get for taking a few days off.)

from Bob S
Is coverage getting worse?
Kathy's Pit Stop - That's Racin.com
Maybe it's just me, but it seems like the coverage is getting worse, if you're not running in the top ten or one of the commentators picks for the race, it's hard to get information on what's going on with drivers throughout the race, unless they wreck.

Well, if their sponsor is also an official NASCAR approved shampoo or something, you can be sure they will get a mention.

Everyone is getting a sore arm kissing up to Brian and patting him on the back for being such a genius, marketing to new groups. As a result, fans get second shrift. The overweening attention to celebs that no one knows had me choking. And NASCAR Nation is such a MTV clone with cutsie commentators, and even the good ones reading useless pap. And it's on three times a day!

Yeah, I got bothered by the egos gone wild format of Pit Bulls, which degenerated into a repetitive shout down session, but it needed a good "Meet the Press" moderator, not cancellation.

We have all these highly intelligent, well informed insiders who just babble the party line. The only guy who has spokent the truth so far this season was Chris Economacki who pointed out that NASCAR first tried to sell danger, then sponsors reined that in, then they tried to sell speed, but safety checked that, now they don't know what to sell. He hasn't been seen since. It was interesting watching the announcers squirm during that interview.

Cheers, Bob

from Shareen
Hi Guys,
About having the race in Rockingham instead of Fontana. I understand how you guys feel however, even with the empty seats in the stands in Fontana, there were 95,000 people there. Rockingham has a capacity of 40,000.  It's all $ and cents. Hey, I don't make the decisions.  Love to all NASCAR fans...Shareen in California

Also from Shareen.....

Sandra,
I do have something else to say & see what others think.  Firstly, about smaller teams not being shown out front on TV.  I wonder why the Women like Shauna Robinson and Kim Crosby are hardly mentioned. FOOD for THOUGHT.  Secondly, Marty Smith mentioned yesterday on NASCAR Nation , that Steve Park was overlooked because of his age and the Big team wants to invest in younger drivers.  The thing that worries me about younger drivers is this. Younger usually means immature, not just inexperienced.  I don't want to see Nascar drivers become young, arrogant, over paid, poor excuses for role models like basketball, football & baseball stars.  NASCAR drivers, for the most part are still approachable and believe in TEAMWORK.  Most of the drivers, no matter who you pull for, are a better example for children as role models.  Someone at 18, 19 or 20 beingput on a pedestal, making millions of dollars, is a receipe for a swollen head.  Just my opinion.
Again, Love to all the NASCAR fans, Shareen in
California

from Chris
I agree with Larry about going back to Rockingham where it belongs.  I actually fell asleep watching this past Sunday's race at - what NASCAR calls Los Angeles.
 
Chris

Bits and Pieces

Jarrett to make first Busch start at Bristol since 1998
Dale Jarrett spent quite a few years in the Busch Series, honing the skills that would ultimately propel him into NASCAR’s elite NEXTEL Cup Series. During an 18-year Busch career, which began in 1982 and ended in 1999, Jarrett picked up 11 wins and was fourth in career starts with 382.
 
For the past five seasons, Jarrett has concentrated solely on his Cup career but this year, he’s decided to get back to his roots by running a limited Busch schedule. One of the races he decided was a must for him to compete in was the Sharpie Professional 250 on April 2.

“When we sat down and started working out a schedule for this Busch car Bristol was one of the tracks I looked at as an opportunity for me to learn and to really supplement the Cup race on Sunday,” said Jarrett. “Obviously, Bristol is a track unlike any other we race on because of the banking and primarily because of the track’s surface.

“It’s going to be our first race on a concrete surface (this year) and hopefully we’ll be able to learn a lot about how the cars will react to changes, especially with tire adjustments.”

For Jarrett, who last raced at Bristol in a Busch car in August of 1998 and who made his only trip to victory lane here in a Busch ride in August of 1991, there’s nothing not to love about racing at BMS – no matter what series it is.

“I don’t think there’s any doubt that any kind of racing at Bristol is exciting whether you’re in a Cup car, a Busch car or a truck,” said the 1999 Cup champion. “Bristol is such a fast track for no bigger than it is and that’s exciting any time.”

Jarrett, at age 48, is looking forward to seeing how the younger drivers react to Bristol’s high banks and high speeds. His experience on the half-mile oval, which also includes a Cup win in August of 1997, might give him an edge.

“I think it’s going to be particularly exciting (at Bristol) because there is a lot of young, new talent in the Busch Series and it’s going to be interesting to see how those guys adapt to racing at Bristol because that is a type of racing that is probably going to be new for a lot of them,” he said.

“It really is a race that offers a great lesson about the importance of patience so I’m looking forward to it.”

Defending race champion Martin Truex, Jr., will try to make it two spring Busch wins in a row while other Cup regulars who will compete in the Sharpie Professional 250 include Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick and Michael Waltrip.

Wheaties® And Total® Brands Promote Healthy Living With First-Time introduction Of Multivitamins - Richard Petty Provides Daily Vitamin Reminder- Launch of Vitaminreminders.com Tied With New Multivitamin Lines:  General Mills and Leiner Health products today announced the launch of Wheaties* and Total* nutritional supplement products, produced under license from General Mills. Wheaties and Total cereals have long been on consumers' breakfast tables, and now they can enhance their diets with multivitamins from these trusted brands. These four new vitamin products are part of an extension of the Wheaties and Total brands. The Wheaties Multivitamins provide health-minded individuals with 100% or more of 17 essential vitamins and minerals; in addition Wheaties Daily Performance Vitamin Packs offer consumers a convenient daily nutritional system specifically formulated to enhance energy. Total Multivitamins contain important daily nutrients essential for an active and healthy lifestyle, and Total High Potency Daily Vitamin Packs are ideal for consumers looking for additional support for their bones, joints, eyes and heart health as well as help with overall fitness. ...In conjunction with the new Wheaties and Total branded products, General Mills and Leiner also announced the launch of Vitaminreminders.com. This interactive website is another tool to help Americans get and stay healthy. Vitaminreminders.com offers consumers a daily video image alert from a sports legend reminding them to take their Wheaties and Total vitamins. In turn, consumers can develop and maintain a system for incorporating vitamins into their daily routine. The site features legendary sports champions, including "The King" of racing Richard Petty, hall-of-fame baseball player Ozzie Smith, and U.S. soccer star Brandi Chastain. Individuals simply select their favorite sports legend and designate a schedule to receive their video image reminder. Based on that information, a video image message appears on the consumer's PC prompting them to take their Wheaties and Total vitamins. This convenient and innovative tool infuses excitement into staying healthy.

Andretti family opening indoor karting center in Georgia
Three members of the Andretti racing family are about to become business owners in the metro Atlanta area.

John, Michael and Mario Andretti are planning a March 16 opening for Andretti Indoor Karting and Games in Roswell.

The 100,000-square-foot building at 11000 Alpharetta Highway in Roswell has undergone a $1 million renovation to create a track for super race karts, a 25-foot rock wall and ropes course, a games arcade, Fuddruckers Restaurant, and a bar called "The Adrenaline Sky," which features Andretti wines.

Get the lead out..so a group asks NASCAR UPDATE: NASCAR is under fire from environmentalists for using leaded gasoline more than six years after the Environmental Protection Agency asked the stock car racing industry to switch to unleaded. "By permitting the continued use of lead, your organization may be putting millions of spectators and nearby residents at unnecessary risk of suffering serious health effects," the environmental group Clean Air Watch said in a recent letter to NASCAR chairman Brian France. "Because of the clear public health threat, lead is being eliminated from gasoline throughout most of the world," the letter said. "If Kazakhstan can eliminate lead from gasoline, why can't NASCAR?" The elimination of lead in gasoline in the United States in the 1970s and 1980s and in the rest of the world in recent years is considered one of the great public health victories of the 20th century. Lead levels in the blood of U.S. children have dropped dramatically as a result. In 1990, Congress exempted the aviation and racing industries from EPA regulations on the lead content of gasoline. NASCAR has "looked into and will continue to look into making the switch to unleaded," but has not been able to find an alternative additive to lead, which lubricates engine valves, NASCAR spokesman Ramsey Poston said. "Without being able to keep the valves lubed, the engines don't work as well."(Rocky Mountain News)(3-1-2005)
AND Environmentalists have blown a gasket over the NASCAR's continued use of leaded gasoline in its stock car races. Since NASCAR has science and safety on its side, I hope it has the good sense not to cave in to this eco-harassment. The Clean Air Trust "urged" NASCAR in a Jan. 19 letter to consider the supposedly dire consequences of using leaded fuel: "By permitting the continued use of lead, your organization may be putting millions of spectators and nearby residents at unnecessary risk of suffering serious health effects, according to the Environmental Protection Agency." Lead was eliminated from most gasoline in the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s. In 1990, however, Congress exempted the aviation and racing industries from the lead ban. The exemptions made sense since no one wanted airplanes falling from the sky because of stalled engines and auto racing would only add an insignificant amount of lead to the environment. NASCAR engines run on a high performance fuel designed exclusively for competition called 110 Leaded Racing Gasoline. Not only does the "Official Fuel of NASCAR" make stock cars run better, but its components make it resistant to explosion, which naturally makes things safer for drivers in racing accidents.(JunkScience at FoxSports)

Group proposes track in southern Washington

LONGVIEW, Wash. (AP) -- The Cowlitz Indian tribe has met with International Speedway Corp. and proposed a plan to build a track for NASCAR races somewhere in the southern part of the state.

Tribal spokesman David Barnett has not publicly discussed possible sites, but any spot in south Cowlitz County would be near the tribe's proposed $400 million casino and resort in the La Center area.

"The goal is to help a distressed county -- create some economic development that would allow people to come back to work and also complement our casino in northern Clark County," Barnett, son of Cowlitz tribal chairman John Barnett and the tribe's point man on the casino project, told The Associated Press on Thursday.

Barnett said he met Tuesday with Grant Lynch, vice president of International Speedway Corp., which is considering several potential sites in Washington and Oregon.

Lynch could not immediately be reached for comment.

Barnett plans to discuss the proposal with the tribal council during a retreat Saturday. He said it's not yet clear how the track would be financed.

At one point, ISC was considering a site near Marysville, north of Seattle. But Snohomish County and Marysville withdrew from negotiations, citing the fiscal risk to taxpayers.

ISC officials say any site chosen needs to be on at least 800 acres to accommodate a track seating 75,000, retail shops and parking.

At least 20,000 hotel rooms must be near the track, and the site must be between 30 and 50 miles or Seattle or Portland, Ore., and near major highways.

Cowlitz County is in southwest Washington, not far from Portland. Other sites ISC is considering include Scappoose and Troutdale, Ore.

ISC is controlled by the France Family of Daytona Beach, Fla. The Frances own NASCAR, which presumably would race at such a facility.

ISC operates several tracks nationwide, including Daytona International Speedway.

Kerry Earnhardt loses truck ride
Shane Hmiel will replace Kerry Earnhardt as the driver of Billy Ballew Motorsports' No. 15 Chevrolet for the March 18 World Financial Group 200 Craftsman Truck Series race.

Team owner Billy Ballew said Earnhardt won't race at Atlanta because Albertson's is no longer sponsoring the truck. Ballew said he anticipates the announcement of a new sponsor within the week.

Hmiel tested the truck at Atlanta this week.

Schrader set for race of champions
Ken Schrader has been named as one of four NASCAR NEXTEL Cup drivers who will compete at Jennerstown Pa. Speedway on July 23 in a special Race of Champions exhibition race.

The Fenton, Mo. native is a 20-year veteran of the NEXTEL Cup Series, and is regarded as one of the most popular and congenial drivers in the sport.

"Ken Schrader is probably the most respected driver in racing today," said Jennerstown General Manager Larry Mattingly. "He is admired around the NASCAR garage area as a true 'racer's racer'. Ken has driven and won races in just about any kind of car that has wheels."

While many NASCAR drivers today are cutting back on their racing schedules, Schrader still runs over 80-events a season, driving everything from outlaw dirt late models and modifieds to competing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series when time permits.

"I want to spend my time racing," Schrader said. "It's not only my job, but it is also my hobby. I love the time that I get to spend behind the wheel, and as long as I can, I'm going to race whenever I get the chance.

"I really don't think it is an exaggeration when I say that racing is all I've ever known," he said. "I have been racing since I could walk, and it is all I have ever wanted to do. To be honest, I would race everyday if I had the opportunity."

Schrader has 636 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup starts on his resume, and has won over $25 million in prize money. He has four wins to his credit, as well as 64 top-five and 176 top-10 finishes. In addition, Schrader has also qualified for the pole position on 23 occasions during his NASCAR career.

The 49-year-old veteran is also a former open wheel champion, having captured two United States Auto Club (USAC) titles in 1982 and 1983.

Schrader, who currently drives the number 49 BAM Motorsports Dodge on the NASCAR circuit, finished a disappointing 39th in this years Daytona 500 following an engine failure early in the event. In his most recent outing Schrader finished 14th in a 500-mile contest at the California Speedway in Fontana.

The Jennerstown Race of Champions contest will feature four NEXTEL Cup stars driving super late models in a special exhibition contest. The quartet will also participate in a pre-race autograph session. Advance discount tickets may be purchased online at jennerstown.com, or by calling the track office at (814) 629-6677.

Unsung Biffle may be man to beat in NASCAR
By Mike Harris, The Associated Press


FONTANA, Calif. (AP) -- People tend to overlook Greg Biffle.

At 35, he certainly isn't one of NASCAR's so-called Young Guns, nor is he a big talker who elicits much attention. But Biffle definitely has credentials.

A newspaper recently did an anonymous survey of 15 Nextel Cup drivers, asking their opinion on the best in the series. Biffle was on a very short list led by four-time champion Jeff Gordon.

Biffle is the only driver to have won championships in both the Busch and Craftsman Truck series. Now, he's giving every indication of being a serious contender for another title in his third full season on NASCAR's top circuit.

"Biffle is no surprise to anybody in the NASCAR garage," said teammate and series champion Kurt Busch. "Everybody knows what a good driver he is and how tough he and that No. 16 team can be if they put it all together."

Although his first two years in the Cup series produced finishes of 20th and 17th in the standings, the driver from Vancouver, Wash., has four victories. But two of those wins have come in his last three races -- the season-finale last year at Homestead-Miami Speedway and last Sunday at California Speedway.

The win here was particularly impressive, with Biffle twice coming from far back in the field and leading the last 23 laps.

It was apparently no surprise to Biffle, who predicted he would win the race after testing at the track in January.

"After that test, I had a pretty strong feeling that we would win out here if something crazy didn't happen," he explained.

But that doesn't mean it was easy. He muscled his ill-handling Ford to the end, beating hard-charging Jimmie Johnson by six car-lengths.

"This was the toughest of my life to earn," Biffle said. "We overcame more in that race than I ever have in a race car. The car was so loose at times I could hardly keep it going in the right direction, and I didn't know why."

Now, thanks to that masterful driving job -- and despite a 25th-place finish in the season-opening Daytona 500 -- Biffle is fifth in the standings, trailing leader Busch by just 67 points.

Biffle gave car owner Jack Roush his first NASCAR title when he won the truck championship in 2000, and added the Busch championship two years later. Now, Biffle would like nothing better than to present his boss a third straight Cup title.

Matt Kenseth gave Roush his first in 2003.

"I've learned a lot about myself and the way you have to race to win in Nextel Cup," said Biffle, who has been in some trouble on the track by being overly aggressive. "I really think we've got everything we need to be contenders.

"I think Jack gives us everything we need. Now we just have to put it together and make it happen."

It wouldn't surprise crew chief Doug Richert if Biffle becomes the first driver to win titles in all three of NASCAR's top touring circuits.
 
"I really feel this team is ready," Richert said. "The team has matured, and we've figured out what we need to give Greg for him to win."

Richert knows a bit about calling the shots for championship teams. He was the crew chief in 1980, when the late Dale Earnhardt won the first of his record-tying seven titles.

Roush, who also fields Cup cars for Busch, Kenseth, longtime star Mark Martin and promising newcomer Carl Edwards, has stood behind Biffle even when the driver made disparaging remarks about the team last year.

"There has never been any doubt about his talent," said Roush, who signed Biffle sight unseen after a recommendation from former NASCAR champion Benny Parsons. "He has the ability to do just about anything he wants in this sport, and I expect him to do it for our team."

But, after just two of 36 races, Biffle doesn't want anybody to get too excited.

He shrugged when asked if his victory here is a sign of things to come.

"I don't know," Biffle said. "I'll let everyone else figure that one out."

Fans love it, drivers hate it — can mean one thing: Martinsville
By Bill Whitehead correspondent


Sports Illustrated probably isn't the most popular magazine in the Martinsville Speedway administrative offices right now, but it might be the most read.

SI's Feb. 21 publication, a Nextel Cup preview, polls 36 drivers (under the promise of anonymity) about what they like and dislike about the NASCAR season. SI asked five questions that ranged from drivers they would least like to have on their bumpers (40 percent chose Robby Gordon) to who, other than themselves, they think will win this year's championship (53 percent picked Jimmie Johnson).
 
But what had to have addled the Martinsville folks was the question, "Which track is your least favorite on the Nextel Cup circuit?"

Remarkably, the top answer was Martinsville Speedway by 23 percent of the drivers polled.

What's the problem?

Could it be hospitality? No chance. Veteran motorsports writer David Poole of The Charlotte Observer ranked the Martinsville staff as the most cordial and media-friendly in the business, and I can attest to that as well, firsthand, as both a fan in the stands and covering the short-track action. While some tracks simply do what is asked of them in facilitating fans and media, Martinsville goes way beyond what is required.

Tradition? Can't knock it there. Martinsville is the only track on the Cup schedule that appeared on NASCAR's schedule during its inaugural 1949 season. Founded by Clay Earles and a fixture in that family, Martinsville Speedway is steeped in tradition. Heck, even SI dubbed it the Wrigley Field of NASCAR, which makes it even more surprising that drivers would dislike it. Who dislikes Wrigley Field? Mark Prior? Kerry Wood?

The SI piece said drivers "consistently complain about Martinsville's rough, flaky surface . . . and about the boring, fender-banging racing that it produces." Yet Martinsville re-surfaced its track before last October's Subway 500, and the "Boring, fender-banging racing" expression may become the new hot oxymoron on the schedule because say what you will about the bumping and shoving, it's what the fans want to see, not follow-the-leader, Indy-style racing.

The answer to the drivers' feelings about the track might be as simple as two words: hard work. A driver who straps in to turn 500 laps at the half-mile circuit faces no leisurely Sunday drive, and beating and banging is inherent. It's often said that the driver whose car does not bear the battle scars of rubber doughnuts and torn decals from rough driving at Martinsville hasn't been doing his job.

Consider, for example, John Andretti in 1999. The then-Petty Enterprises driver rallied from a two-lap deficit and chased down local favorite Jeff Burton in the closing laps to win the April race. Andretti persevered with what Sterling Marlin calls "want to" — that indeterminate quality that makes a driver get up on the wheel a little more, drive a foot or so deeper into the corner than the guy in front of him, and refuse to lose. Hard work and "want to," not aerodynamics and wind-tunnel testing, are the foundation of Martinsville race winners.

Martinsville, though, had the last laugh. In NASCAR.com's third annual 2004 Fan's Voice Awards, nearly 600,000 voted and honored the track as the "Location You'd Hate to See Lose a Race."

I'll take the opinion of 600,000 fans who shell out their hard-earned money and make a pilgrimage to a time-honored track over the opinion of 36 drivers who are going to get a nice paycheck regardless of how hard they drive on any given Sunday.

BUSCH SERIES QUALIFYING	1 p.m. Saturday	Speed Channel
BUSCH SERIES TELCEL-MOTOROLA MEXICO 200	3 p.m. Sunday	Fox
All times Eastern. Times and stations subject to change.