NASCAR legends to race again Saturday

Jimmy Spencer once said that driving a NASCAR Sprint Cup car around Bristol's high-banked half mile oval was like flying a jet fighter in a gymnasium ... and just to complicate matters, there are 42 other guys trying to do the same thing simultaneously.

This afternoon Spencer, who has been out of Cup racing for some time, will get the chance to demonstrate his gymnasium-flying prowess in a late model car as he joins 11 other legends of NASCAR racing in Bristol's "Saturday Night Special." The 35-lap race, which will be telecast on ESPN at 3 p.m., will give recent race fans the chance to see heroes of the sport's early days in action. The lineup, with ages noted in parentheses, includes: Cale Yarborough (69), Junior Johnson (77), Harry Gant (69), Rusty Wallace (52), Terry Labonte (52), Sterling Marlin (51), Jimmy Spencer (52), Phil Parsons (51), L.D. Ottinger (70), Jack Ingram (72), David Green (51), and Larry Pearson sitting in for father David Pearson (75), who is out with back problems.

I think drivers with more recent seat time, like Marlin and Labonte, will have an advantage over those like Junior Johnson, who hasn't raced in 30 years. If the event is a success, we can probably expect to see it repeated at Bristol, and possibly at other tracks as well. Personally, I would like to see the age limit raised to 60, so those 50-something "youngsters" wouldn't have such an advantage.

When the Formula 1 season starts next weekend, there will be lots of changes from previous years. Perhaps one of the most drastic is the change in scoring announced just last week, giving the World Driving Championship not to the driver who scores the most points over the season, but the driver who wins the most races. If two or more drivers tie with the most race wins, then points will be used as a tie-breaker.

This change falls a bit short of Bernie Ecclestone's earlier proposal to award gold, silver, and bronze to the top three finishers. This, along with some very convoluted budgetary proposals, was not well received by the Formula One Team Association (FOTA). A FOTA spokesman complained that the sanctioning body had made the decision unilaterally. However, a number of other proposals that came out of a FOTA fan survey were implemented. Many of these have to do with "fan friendly" issues. For instance, drivers must be available for autographs in the pit lane on the first day of practice, and must speak to the media at the end of each qualifying session and after retiring from a race. Also, drivers finishing out of the top three in races must be available to speak to the media, with at least one senior team spokesman to speak with accredited TV crews during races. Weights of cars after qualifying will be made public, enabling commentators to gauge fuel loads at the start of the race. All these changes should provide a much more interesting show for the television viewer.

I got a phone call and an e-mail from Joy Evans at the Carson City Visitors' Bureau on Wednesday about Racers Awareness Day. Joy is inviting all local racers of every kind, from BMX bicycle racers to TT motorcycles, stock cars, open-wheel, karts, etc. to come and exhibit their vehicles. The event will take place on April 11 from 9 a.m. until noon at the Carson Mall parking lot on the west side of the mall. There is no cost to the participants, and the event is free to the public. So if you race and want to show off your ride, contact Joy Evans, Special Events Manager for the Carson City Convention and Visitors Bureau, at 687-7410. You can also send her a fax at 687-7416 or e-mail her at jevans@visitcarsoncity.com

If you have a Sirius satellite radio, be sure and listen in to the Morning Drive show with Mike Bagley and David Poole on Wednesday morning. One of the segments of the show will be in anterview with Carson City's Mackena Bell, a NASCAR Drive for Diversity racer who makes her Super Late Model debut at Irwindale Speedway in California tonight.