The Kansas City Star from Kansas City, Missouri • 35

Friday January 29 1999 THE KANSAS CITY STAR 99 Wyandotte track plans for future (r JRIHMi ON THE NET ftagMire to check out wwwthatsracin com jn Internet site updated every day of the Winston Cup racing news Uk for daily live reports on what's happen Ingjnthe-sport and find it first at wyyjhatsracincom About the only question is where foe Cup date would come from: Will a new date be added to an already crowded schedule or would some other track that is currently host of two dates give up one of those dates? What Kennedy and her group are promising right now however is a state-of-arf racing facility that area fans will fall in love with are so many new things so many fan that International Speedway can draw off of in building foe new track Kennedy said not just at other race tracks but in sports Kansas City area Lesa Kennedy executive vice president of International Speed way Corporation developer of foe trade said her group is not in position to announce an opening date Nor would she say what kind of racing would be featured at foe track now got quite a bit of construction to Kennedy said Word around the industry is that the track will get a Winston Cup date in its first foil year of operation because NASCAR president Bill France heads International Speedway Corporation By JIM PEDLEY Tbc Kantat City Star The only engines roaring at Kansas International Speedway in the near future will be those of earth movers But at least now it is dead certain that auto-racing engines will have their time at the track in Wyandotte County The final legal obstacles con fronting the developers of the track were cleared late last week and revenue bonds are being issued to complete construction of the facility Fans can at least begin fantasizing about big-time racing in foe In other words expect to have i lots of room lots of choices food luxury suites lots of rat rooms uodirt In designing Kansas Intematfoe-al Kennedy said architects hoped capture foe flavor of Karisas Tlie facility will initially have a seating capacity of 75000 Diver time that will increase to 150000 The track surface vnll be a mile and -a-half banked ovaL Those interested in ticket information can call (913) 328-3300 1 -O 0 -0 rT 7b reach Jim Pedley assistant sports editor for The Star call 234-4860 or send e-mail to 1 1 30185 POLL POSITION Who ha he bed 'Ainrn raj jamJlSuiui Lm QldlliX 01 yolffly IE ith(fPpw 9 i MVMonCupwin in 19991 If Last week we asked: How will Rick Hendrick's return affect the success of Jeff race team? There were 3391 votes: AUTO RACING NOTEBOOK Jk -Register your vote at wwMhatsracincom The results will appear here next Double dose of Earnhardts at IROC STOP GO Father and son among 12 drivers in elite series Random thoughts on Wmston Cup AW Mnu 41 -L ycv jJlIk- rntnU- i rtf STE already thinking about where going to go to Victory Lane this season As you think about how much work goes into getting ready for the Daytona 500 remember that there could be as many as a dozen cars that don't even make the race Imagine how tough that is on a race team to spend all winter getting ready only to have to pack up and leave on Thursday afternoon after the 125-mile qualifying races a bitter bitter pill to swallow David Poole good rule of thumb when to people talk about the coming season is this: In general Trail expectations are inversely putportional to preseason opti-adaiLA driver or team owner who he believes his team can come fflwell back in the standings to wB race or two and finish in the tqjrjo in the standings" is giving you wishful thinking not careful is Along the same lines a driver who wins on a regular basis tells you his team "is going tdwfork just as hard as it can and see how everything turns SCHEDULE By JIM PEDLEY The Kama City Star Teresa Earnhardt may have a tough time deciding whom to pull for when foe International Race of Champions season gets under way at Daytona International Speedway next month Does she pull for her husband? Or for her stepson? Neither? Both? Tough choice It was a choice made necessary late this week when it was announced that both Dale Earnhardt and Dale Earnhardt Jr would participate in foe series The first race of the series will be Feb 12 at Daytona Daytona is the site of dad last big victory as he won his first 500 a year ago Earnhardt Jr is coming off a Busch Grand National championship season and will compete in five Winston Cup races this season It was also announced Thursday that CART series star Adrian Fernandez and Winston Cup star Jeff Burton would also compete in IROC completing this field IROC pits 12 drivers from stock-car and open-wheel racing against each other in a series of four races held at top tracks around the country They drive identically prepared stock cars Drivers previously announced as IROC entrants are Jeff Gordon Mark Martin Dale Jarrett and Rusty Wallace from Winston Cup A1 Unser Jr and Greg Moore of CART and Kenny Brack and Eddie Cheev-er of the Indy Racing League Supertrucks at Lakeside New at Lakeside this year will be a date with Big Daddy On Sept 18 the Big PRO Supertruck Series will race on Lakeside's -mile paved oval PRO Supertruck racing is a new touring series with Chevy Ford and Dodge trucks The 500-plus horsepower machines make them sort of like truck-bodied late-model stock cars They weigh 2750 pounds The event will be held on a Saturday night and will be the season-ending event in 1999 schedule ill NIGEL COOKIThe Associated VMss Didier Theys part of last year's winning team at foe Rolex 24 hours of Daytona took his Ferrari out for practice Thursday Speedweeks schedule Bullet Bliss The initial race in the Silver Bullet Series went to Mike Bliss It took Bliss two days to gej foe win however The green flag dropped on foe event Saturday at Walt Disney World Speedway in OrlanddJFla but the race was postponed by rain after only five laps Bliss the reigning USAC Silver Crown champion covered foe final 45 laps on Sunday after the seasonopening IRL event Make a left The racing world will find out whether Winston Cup star Ernie Ir-van can turn left at Daytona Irvan is behind the wheel of a sports car and will compete in the Rolex 24 Hours of Daytona on Saturday and Sunday Trying to catch up Just as the job of Winston Cup teams will be to figure out a way to catch Gordon the job of Formula One constructors this year will be to figure out a way to catch the Williams and Ferrari teams The new British American Racing-Supertec entry could be a top contender In testing this month in Barcelona Spain Jacques Vil-leneuve topped the time sheets which included cars from Winfield Williams-Supertec piloted by Alex Zanardi and a Ferrari driven by Eddie Irvine The problem is Villeneuve was driving a 1999 car designed by Reynard while Zanardi and Irvine were in Ferrari and Williams will unveil their new rides very soon Look for them to feature improvements Fast Fords Those hoping that Jeff stranglehold on Winston Cup will be broken in 1999 must be cheered by the results of testing last week at Daytona Rusty Wallace in a Ford Taurus turned the fastest lap at 193129 mph Gordon far behind however as he pushed his Chevrolet past 192 mph Also surpassing 192 mph were foe Fords of Dale Jarrett and Jerry Nadeau new car is Gordon said not up to the speed of last week numbers now are not important when we come back for the 500 when it With testing over Cup team will remain in the garages until returning to Daytona early next month WEEK TWO Wednesday Feb 3: Practice for First Plus Financial 200 practice for IROC Thursday Feb 4: Practice and qualifying for First Plus Financial 200 practice for Bud Shootout practice for IROC Friday Feb 5: Practice tor Winston Cup: practice for First Plus Financial 200 practice (or IROC Saturday Feb 6: Pole qualifying for Daytona 500 (position 1 and 2): practice and qualifying for First Plus Financial 200 practice for IROC Sunday Feb 7: Bud Shootout race First Plus Financial 200 ARCA race practice for Winston Cup: practice for IROC Speedweeks 1999 at Daytona officially got under way Thursday with practice and quaDlying for the Rolex 24 Follivving is a schedule for the first two weeks of Speedweeks WICK ONE Thursday: Practice and qualifying for (tele 24 It Today: Practice and qualifying for ItolaxT and Two-hour Endurance Chaplpronship Saturday: Start of Rolex 24 Sunday: Finish of Rolex 24 ahifl 425 Lawn and Garden Tractor with 2Mtp V-Twin liquid-cooled engine 484nck cutting width two-pedal hydrostatic transmission and over 20 different attachments available fcA off farced with a IX 7 Utility Cart with botted-box design and removable tailgate ltd haA a 4J 1X188 Lam Tractor with 48-tnch cutting width 17-kf liquid-cooled V-Twin engine and two-pedal hydrostatic transmission GT235 Lawn and Garden Tractor with 18-kp overhead-valve engine 48-inch cutting width and hydrostatic transmission To locate a John Deere dealer near you call toll-free 1-888 MOW PROS i ST off $91 per month with no money down Tow-behind 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