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Night races not new to drivers

Most Winston Cup drivers did their share of Saturday night short-track racing before hitting the big time, but the Pepsi 400 will not exactly take them back to their roots.

The track is so big.

Accustomed to racing under the lights at half-mile tracks, drivers have adjusted to the flicker of lights while racing 190 mph in large packs inches apart on the 2.5-mile tri-oval at Daytona International Speedway.

"As a driver, you worry about shadows and dark spots where you can't judge where you are up to the wall and in relationship to other cars, especially when you're running in that tight of a pack," said Jeff Gordon, who won the inaugural night race in 1998.

"You can't pay attention to the flicker of the lights coming in from the infield. The mirrors shoot them up, but after a while, you don't even notice them."

Sterling Marlin, whose three Daytona victories came during the day, doesn't have a problem with the lighting, but would rather run the race during the day.

He likes it hot.

"I like daytime races better," said Marlin, who leads the standings after 16 events. "It's hot and you have about half the guys beat when the race starts because they don't like being in the hot weather. But the night races are neat. The fans really like them."

READY TO RACE: The 2003 Pontiac Grand Prix has been approved by NASCAR, General Motors racing officials said Wednesday. Under development since August 2001, the G-Force passed a battery of wind tunnel and track tests in the spring and was approved last week by the sanctioning body. The car will debut at the Daytona 500.

BLAST OFF!: Driver Bobby Hamilton met space shuttle astronaut Mike Mullane during a visit Wednesday to Kennedy Space Center. The two had a "meet and greet" session with the public.

"I think that job is one of the neatest things in the world to do," Hamilton said. "We think things are so crazy in our little world of racing, but I can't even imagine what goes on in theirs."

MEDAL MEETS PEDAL: Seven 2002 Winter Olympics medalists will be guests of Home Depot at the Pepsi 400: Derek Parra (gold and silver, speed skating), Tristan Gale (gold, skeleton), Garrett Hines (silver, four-man bobsled), Rusty Smith (bronze, speed skating), Dan Steele (bronze, four-man bobsled), Monte Meier (silver, disabled alpine skiing) and Danielle Goyette (gold, ice hockey).

All financed their Olympic training by working for the home improvement store. They will watch the race from a VIP suite.

HEAVY HARDWARE: The championship trophies for NASCAR's three major touring series -- Winston Cup, Busch Grand National and Craftsman Truck -- will be on display this weekend at an interactive exhibit at Daytona International Speedway. All three series will end their seasons at Homestead-Miami Speedway in November.

PIT STOPS: Darius Rucker of Hootie and the Blowfish will sing the national anthem for the Pepsi 400. Singer Jessica Simpson will give the command for drivers to start their engines. ... Five drivers will be eligible for a $1-million bonus for winning: Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, Ricky Craven, Jeff Gordon and Ricky Rudd. Each is paired with a fan who also would win $1-million.

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