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Drivers suggest a cash drive

By JOANNE KORTH

© St. Petersburg Times,
published September 18, 2001

In an effort to help those in need after last week's terrorist attacks, people in the NASCAR community will do what comes naturally.

Turn laps.

Several Winston Cup drivers and teams will use Sunday's Delaware 400 at Dover as an opportunity to raise funds for the disaster relief fund of the American Red Cross.

The drive, mounted by Penske drivers Rusty Wallace and Jeremy Mayfield, calls for teams to donate $20 for every lap on the 1-mile oval, $10 each from the driver and team.

"What we want to do is encourage every driver and every team in the race at Dover to do the same thing," Wallace said. "We did a little math and, if we had done this in last year's race, there would have been over a quarter of a million dollars going to the American Red Cross."

Among those who have committed are Andy Petree Racing drivers Joe Nemechek and Bobby Hamilton.

"This is an opportunity for the entire NASCAR community to do something, a grassroots thing from the race teams," Petree said. "We want to be a part of that, and to give something back to our country."

Last year, 13,470 total laps were completed at Dover. At $20 per lap, that would make $269,400. A driver and team completing the race would donate a total of $8,000 to the disaster relief fund, which is aiding victims and families of victims involved in last week's terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.

"There is a lot that has been done and a lot still left to do, especially in Manhattan," Wallace said. "A lot of people have been hurt. I'm sure a lot of those people were race fans, but even if they weren't, we need to show we care and do something to help."

ZANARDI UPDATE: Though results of a follow-up operation on Alex Zanardi on Monday were encouraging, doctors say the two-time CART champion is not out of danger after losing his legs in a crash.

"In the moment, he's stable, don't get me wrong," said Walter Schaffartzik, head of the team of doctors treating the 34-year-old Italian. "But it could change at any moment. It's too early to say if he's out of danger. But it's my impression that he's getting more stable."

A dozen family members, friends, drivers and CART officials were at the Berlin Trauma Center, where Zanardi went after his crash Saturday in the American Memorial 500 in Germany.

Monday's procedure was to check for fragments or infection.

"Everything looks fine at the moment. There are no infections, the skin looks good, the muscles look good. We hope it stays that way," Schaffartzik said.

Doctors are reducing fluids and drugs to take Zanardi out of an "induced coma." How quickly he is brought back to consciousness and taken off a ventilator depends on his response, Schaffartzik said.

AT ATTENTION: Winston Cup driver Ward Burton is a military buff. A graduate of Hargrave Military Academy, in Chatham, Va., Burton attained the rank of first lieutenant his senior year and was the top-ranked marksman on the school's skeet and rifle teams.

"I have a passion for our military history," Burton said. "I watch the History Channel religiously. I feel indebted to the people who from the Revolutionary War until now gave up their lives or a big part of their lives for our freedom."

The country's war against terrorism, he said, will be unlike any other.

"There's not a clear and defined enemy to attack," he said. "It's not like World War II. Folks are walking around with us who are the enemy and we don't even know it."

THE LAST WORD: While no one in NASCAR opposed postponing the New Hampshire 300, drivers have been less than thrilled with the wintry prospects of the Nov. 23 makeup date.

"I'd say put your chains on because I'm sure the snow will be a foot deep by the time we get there," rookie Ron Hornaday said.

- Information from Times wires was used in this report.

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