Thursday, July 28, 2005 | 9:29 a.m.
Local racers Matt Jaskol and Scott Lynch are well aware of the path Las Vegas native Kurt Busch took from The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway to NASCAR stardom.
Now, both drivers are poised to follow in Busch's footsteps with the announcement Wednesday that Jaskol and Lynch will be among the 25 drivers taking part in Roush Racing's three-week driver development program -- an audition team owner Jack Roush has dubbed "The Gong Show."
Jaskol, 20, and Lynch, 25, will compete against other young drivers from across North America for a fully funded ride next season with Roush Racing in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It was through the "Gong Show" in 1999 that Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Nextel Cup Series champion, beat out several other drivers and landed a Truck Series ride in 2000.
Jaskol, who only recently gave up open-wheel racing for a possible career in NASCAR, said he was stunned when he got the call from Roush's representatives that he had made the cut to the final 25 -- culled from a list of nearly 1,700 applicants.
"I couldn't believe it," said Jaskol, who had competed in only six ASA Speed Truck Challenge races when he applied for the program. "Believe me when I tell you, I thought it was a Hail Mary but I thought I'd try it anyway.
"I'd like to say I was confident and I was going to get picked but, no, not at all. I thought, 'why are they going to pick me over all these guys?' "
Jaskol's references, no doubt, played a large part in his being selected for the program, which will be held next week at Martinsville Speedway and Aug. 15-17 at Darlington Raceway.
"I've put in a lot of years (racing) and I have a lot of good people behind me," Jaskol said. "I had people like (IRL driver) Bryan Herta, (public relations director) Jeff Motley at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Mario Andretti -- I just had some good references.
"I'm really good friends with Marco Andretti (Mario's grandson) and I've sat down and had a lot of dinners with Mario. He's seen me race a lot (and) I consider him more of a friend than just an acquaintance."
Lynch, who won the 2003 NASCAR West Series championship and is leading the standings this year, said being selected for the program could prove to be a huge career boost.
"It's going to be a great opportunity and hopefully further my racing career," Lynch said. "Just to be summoned into one of the best organizations there is in racing would be awesome.
"To be given a chance to be able to work up the ladder going to the Busch Series and then eventually the Cup Series is a great milestone for a racer."
Adding to the pressure of the audition is the fact that this edition of the "Gong Show" will be taped and shown as a 13-part reality television series this fall on the Discovery Channel. According to a Roush Racing press release, candidates will compete "on and off the track, testing their skills behind the wheel as well as their marketability and fan appeal."
"I think they obviously want someone that can race," Lynch said, "but I think they're looking for an all-around package; you must work well with the team members, first of all, and the crew chief, and then you also need to sell your sponsors' products.
"I think it's not just whether you can go drive a racecar real fast around the track. I think they're looking for an all-around person that's going to fit in good with their racing organization."
That, the personable Jaskol said, should play into his favor.
"They don't just go based on the fastest guy; it's based on personality and knowledge of the racecar and consistency," he said. "I think my strong point, actually, is marketability and personality."
The first round of on-track testing for the 25 drivers will take place Tuesday through Thursday at Martinsville Speedway. The field then will be narrowed to 12 drivers before the second and final round Aug. 15-17 at Darlington Raceway.
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