Notebook: Hammond has bond with troops

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- If there is anyone who appreciates what the U.S. soldiers are going through as the war against Iraq rages, it's Jeff Hammond.

	Jeff Hammond

The Fox television analyst was among a group of NASCAR people who in the offseason traveled overseas to visit American troops. Hammond is certain that some of the soldiers he met during the visit are among the soldiers advancing on Iraq.

"I definitely look at it differently," Hammond said. "Some of those folks that I'm watching on television may be some that I actually had the opportunity to meet.

"I know when we were in Spain, we were with a group of Marines that were headed to Kuwait. They were scheduled to be one the first groups in, so I've gotta believe that a lot of those young men and women I saw over there are making their way across Iraq toward Baghdad."

That puts things in perspective for Hammond, who like a lot of folks in the NASCAR family is as patriotic as can be. Hammond said he is in full support of the war on Iraq and hopes something positive can come from it.

But when Sunday's Food City 500 rolls around and Hammond has to go to work, he won't have one eye on coverage of the war.

"It won't be hard to focus," Hammond said. "I want to have the same type of commitment that they do over there. They've got to be focused on their job to be good at what they do, and we need to be focused on our job so that we're not being distractive.

"We do have a commitment to the men and women who do have an opportunity to watch overseas. I've met too many of them who said, 'We don't miss races. It's one of recreational periods. It's one of our connections back to the United States. We're so excited because it gives us a moment to enjoy like never before.' They're very passionate about their racing over there, and I don't want to let them down. I've got my job, and I'm going to do it."

Hammond said he might send a message to the U.S. troops watching the broadcast, but only if it's "appropriate."

"We don't need to be making political statements on air," Hammond said.

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Hammond, fellow analyst Larry McReynolds, car owner Richard Childress, Craftsman Truck Series driver Brendan Gaughan and others visited U.S. troops in Germany, Bosnia, Spain and Sicily. Hammond said he plans on making a similar trip later this year.

"We realize that there are still going to be a lot of men and women left over there even after this conflict is over with," Hammond said. "I was overwhelmed. I'm very respectful of the fans here, but when you go over there, it just brings a new meaning of fans. They have a passion that's second-to-none."

The war does put a small damper on this weekend' racing, said Channellock 250 pole-sitter David Green.

"It kind of takes a little glimmer off what's happening here today," Green said. "Yeah, I'm excited for our team and all that. But as a country, we hope that the word we're hearing is all positive."

NASCAR chief operating officer George Pyne said government officials wanted the sanctioning body to run this weekend's race.

"We've been in touch with Homeland Security and other government agencies," Pyne said. "(Homeland Security secretary) Tom Ridge went on (TV) and encouraged NASCAR to continue on with the event. We're going to support the government, the country, the troops. We'll be in step with whatever our leaders of the country want us to do regarding the operation of the race."

DW eats his Wheaties

Darrell Waltrip will be featured on special Wheaties boxes as part of the "Legends of Racing" series the breakfast cereal is packaging. The Wheaties boxes with Waltrip and his 1973 Chevelle will be available in early April, primarily in the Southeast.

"I've sat at my kitchen table in Owensboro, Ky., with my brother Michael and my whole family eating Wheaties and reading about the statistics of these champions who have been on these boxes," Waltrip said. "It's a big thrill for me to be on the box and to be a part of the legends series."

"I think they took them alphabetically. There's been others on there, but they finally got to the 'Ws.'"

It was fitting that Waltrip's Wheaties box was unveiled at Bristol, for he won 12 races at the tough half-mile.

"This is a place where you have to eat your Wheaties," Waltrip said. "If you don't, you can be laying out here on the ground when the race is over with."

Rainy days and Mondays don't get McMurray down

There's only a 10 percent chance of rain for Saturday's Busch Series race, but one guy who probably wouldn't mind a little rain is Jamie McMurray. Two Busch Series races have been postponed to Monday because of rain, and McMurray won the first, at Rockingham, and finished a close second in the other, at Darlington.

McMurray, driving for Yellow Racing, said had good cars at both events. But there's more to it.

"When you get to run 400 or 500 miles the day before, it makes you so much better," McMurray said. "I learned a lot at Darlington, just about dealing with lapped traffic and stuff like that.

"I don't mind racing on Mondays at all. My girlfriend hates it, because you're a day late getting home. If we could have runs like that, I'd race every Monday."

McMurray's rain dances started at Charlotte last year. After a long rain delay at Darlington a few races before, McMurray hit the wall. Then at Charlotte, he forced himself to concentrate.

"I had the same rain delay, and I kept telling myself, 'Just stay focused and don't let this distract you,'" McMurray said. "We ended up winning the race."

But McMurray wants Saturday's race to run as scheduled. He complained of a sore neck, perhaps from working out, and Bristol is no place to run with anything sore.

"This is a place where I'd rather run my short race on Saturday and then run the big one on Sunday," McMurray said. "You'd be worn out, I know."

Schrader will give Gordon a break

	Ken Schrader

Ken Schrader, who starts inside row two Sunday, insists he will let Jeff Gordon get to the bottom of the track at the start of the race.

"Mr. Gordon, we were teammates too long. I ain't going to be the one that hits you," Schrader told Gordon. "We've got too many people up here to be p---ed off with. Even the percentage of the ones who like you are still enough. I'm not going to be the one to dump you."

McMurray, Green go to backups

Jamie McMurray and Jeff Green were forced to backup cars after tearing up their primary cars in practice. Both cars suffered extensive rear-end damage after backing into the wall.

Green's backup car actually performed better than his No. 1 car. He was 31st in practice at 125.199 mph, but qualified 21st at 125.790 mph in chassis No. 108. That car had been in the team's hauler at almost every race this season as a backup.

"I just wish we had more time with it," Green said. "We could run a lot faster than that, but we were just too tight for qualifying. If you could pick up a tenth, that would have been 15 spots for us. But we'll take that."

McMurray, who was 12th-fastest in practice before crashing minutes before the end of the session, qualified 26th as his team hurried the backup car through tech inspection to make it to the line for qualifying.

"It's hard to just jump in the car and go like that. I couldn't even get my steering wheel straight. It's a little bit tough but I ran so much practice with my Busch car this morning that it wasn't that bad."

McMurray wasn't sure what happened in practice, and he joked that he would blame it that "something broke."

"It's just one of those deals," McMurray said. "That's why I have the yellow stripes on my bumper."

Harmon: Wreck was no big deal

	Mike Harmon said a wreck last year at Bristol that left his car looking like this wasn't a big deal. Credit: Autostock

Mike Harmon returned to the site of that horrific crash last year, when his car hit an opening in the backstretch wall and broke apart. Harmon walked away unscathed, even though the roll cage tore in two and left Harmon exposed in his seat.

"It wasn't that big a deal," Harmon said. "Hey, I had my seat belt on."

Harmon was taking part in a press conference touting the Click It or Ticket campaign by the Tennessee Department of Transportation.