Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Drivers promise an exciting Las Vegas 400

Veteran racing observers and numerous fans called last year's inaugural Las Vegas 400 one of the most boring NASCAR Winston Cup races of the season.

In a poll by Winston Cup Scene magazine of its readers -- all diehard fans -- the Las Vegas race was ranked the fifth "worst race" of 1998. (The number-one choice: Any race Jeff Gordon won.)

Even the drivers who competed in the race agreed. Because of rules affecting the rear spoilers and front air dams on the cars, particularly the Ford Tauruses, last year's Las Vegas 400 failed to produce the door handle-to-door handle racing that is NASCAR's trademark.

Instead, the race featured plenty of single-file racing, similar to the multi-car freight trains that are common at Daytona and Talladega.

Because the cars were running with smaller rear spoilers last year, thereby creating less downforce, they were more difficult to handle in the corners. The rule, known as the "Five and Five Rule" was revised after last year's race here and Winston Cup veteran Rusty Wallace said next Sunday's race will be different.

Joe Nemechek guaranteed it.

"I would agree (that last year's race was boring)," Nemechek said. "You have to go back in time to what was happening at that point. NASCAR had just changed all the rules and everybody had the small spoilers on and I think the Chevrolets had a big disadvantage.

"Now that we've got the (old) spoilers back on them, it's going to be a good race. The Busch cars put on a heck of a show every time they come and it's just a matter of getting the Cup cars more stable and putting the spoilers back on them."

Wallace agreed.

"Last year, people complained that the race got to be too single-file and was boring and all that type of stuff," Wallace said. "That was with the Five-and-Five spoiler rule and I don't think we could get near as aggressive with those cars getting in the corners and stuff.

"Now, with the bigger spoilers, I think you're going to see a better race this year. Because of that, I think we're going to be able to get much, much more aggressive with the setups and I think the cars will be able to get around the race track better."

Nemechek also is hoping the Chevrolets will be at more of an advantage this year in Las Vegas. The Ford Tauruses dominated last year's race, claiming nine of the top 10 positions and 13 of the top 14.

"I thought I had the best Chevy until we broke something in the motor and we ran around on seven cylinders all day," Nemechek, who finished 37th, said. "But we didn't have anything for (race winner) Mark (Martin); we were racing for third or fourth place until we broke.

"You're not going to have a (good) race like that."

Wallace, who finished third in a Taurus, and Nemechek both discounted the notion that last year's race had anything to do with the track's design.

"This is one of the best race tracks we have on the circuit," Nemechek said. "NASCAR is copying this thing to put in their (Kansas City track).

"There are so many drivers who have raced here who like it because you can race two-wide, three-wide and the track is very forgiving in the corners. You can make a mistake and it doesn't cost you. If your car is tight, you can move up high and run; it's just a really neat race track and there are very few of them we can do that on. The drivers love this place."

"It really is a terrific track," Wallace said. "You can run anywhere on the track and you can run two- and three-wide. I finished third there last year and I'm looking forward to coming back."

* NASCAR: Three-time Winston Cup champion Jeff Gordon said he was thoroughly overwhelmed by the enthusiastic reception he received during a three-hour appearance Monday night at the All-American Sport Park.

An estimated 2,300 fans showed up for the event, which included Gordon's two-hour appearance on a live remote by the QVC cable shopping network.

"It just blows me away when I see 2,000 people from this area out there just going crazy," Gordon said. "You think you only see that in the Southeast (but) I'll tell you, I would probably have to argue that I probably wouldn't draw that many people in the Southeast at a place like that.

"I was pretty impressed with that type of a draw -- it just shows you how many (racing) fans there are in this area." ...

After two days of testing at LVMS, Brett Bodine posted the fastest unofficial lap at 165.02 mph in the No. 11 Paychex Ford Taurus. Dale Jarrett had the second-fastest lap at 164.42 mph in the No. 88 Ford Quality Care Taurus.

Jarrett captured the pole for last year's Las Vegas 400 at 168.224 mph. ...

In case you missed the full-color, full-page ad in Thursday's Sun, the Las Vegas Motor Speedway is offering local fans a great deal on tickets for the March 6 NASCAR Busch Series Sam's Town 300 -- a race in which Gordon will compete.

Fans who bring the ad to the LVMS ticket office can purchase $35 general admission tickets for $20.

* CART: While many CART teams were testing at Laguna Seca Raceway in California this week, Las Vegas resident Paul Tracy and Team Kool Green teammate Dario Franchitti opted to run the road course at Sebring International Raceway in Florida last weekend.

Tracy declared the test session a success.

"I'm happy with the car and the progress we made," Tracy said. "We got the car handling better and the balance was good. We just focused on road course/street circuit settings for Long Beach and Detroit.

"We had no mechanical problems at all and the engine was perfect -- really good power and good driveability. It makes me wish we had more road courses at the beginning of the year."

* IRL: Nearly 30 drivers, including Las Vegas resident Davey Hamilton and Henderson's Sam Schmidt, are expected to take part in an open test today and Saturday at Phoenix International Raceway.

The test is in preparation for the MCI WorldCom 200, the second round of the 11-race IRL season, on March 28 at PIR. ...

Despite one published report, Arie Luyendyk will not compete in next month's IRL race at Phoenix or the May 1 race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Charlotte, N.C.

Although Luyendyk will test his G-Force/Aurora in both Phoenix and Charlotte, the May 30 Indianapolis 500 will be the only -- and final -- race two two-time Indy 500 winner will run. Luyendyk will retire following the Indy 500. ...

Larry Curry and former IRL champion Tony Stewart finally have named the team they have formed with Indianapolis businessman Andy Card. The team is called Tri Star Motorsports and is campaigning former CART driver Gualter Salles in a Dallara/Aurora.

Curry served as Stewart's crew chief before Stewart left the IRL at the end of last season for a full-time NASCAR Winston Cup ride and Curry was released by team owner John Menard.

* BACKMARKERS: The first NASCAR Winston Racing Series event of the year will be held Saturday at the 3/8-mile paved oval at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Scheduled to run are Late Models, Grand American Modifieds, Limited Late Models and Legends. Gates open at noon, with racing set for 2 p.m. Tickets are priced at $10 for adults and $5 for seniors, military with identification and children ages 6-11. Children 5-under will be admitted free. ...

Las Vegas Motor Speedway will be holding an open house on Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., during which fans will be given tours of the entire facility, including the garage area and luxury suites.

There will be concessions available as well as discounts on Las Vegas Motor Speedway merchandise. There also will be a collectible gift for everyone attending Saturday's open house and a drawing will be held every hour during the open house in which two lucky fans can win free rides in Winston Cup-style cars as part of the Richard Petty Driving Experience. There will also be a grand prize drawing for a fan to win a free Richard Petty Driving Experience, which would include an actual behind-the-wheel experience.

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