Local Look: Charlotte/Nazareth

Events: Nextel All-Star Challenge, Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 200,Infineon 200

Local papers covering: Charlotte Observer, The Morning Call (Allentown, Pa.), Winston-Salem Journal, Gaston Gazette

Wallace a part of all-star history

The deal: Mike Mulhern of the Winston-Salem Journal says NASCAR's all-star race has a history of angry drivers and career-altering confrontations.

Rusty Wallace did his part in 1989, his championship season, when he knocked Waltrip out of the way on the last lap to win.

	Rusty Wallace

Waltrip then called it "an ugly, ugly win. I hope he chokes on the $200,000, that's all I can tell him. He knocked the hell out of me."

To which Wallace replied, "We just ran out of room. I got under him and we touched. I backed out of the throttle and he spun. I didn't intentionally hit him."

Why we care: Today, Wallace calls that day "the turning point of my career, and Darrell's, too. I don't think there has ever been, in the history of our sport, a situation where in a split-second the roles are reversed like that, totally reversed.

"Darrell became the hero in that race, and I became the villain.

"DW didn't have the greatest fan appeal back then," Wallace recalled. "He was a driver who the fans either loved or hated, it was just that simple. Well, that day he became the good guy, and that image lasted with him all the way until he hung the helmet up. He always got cheered from that day forward.

For more NASCAR news on Rusty Wallace, click here.

All-star race changed sport forever

The deal: Monte Dutton of the Gaston Gazette says Ryan Newman's 2002 victory in what is now known as the Nextel All-Star Challenge marked the first of many blips on the NASCAR radar screen and signaled his ascent to stardom.

	Ryan Newman

Why we care: Newman went on to edge Jimmie Johnson for Raybestos Rookie of the Year and has since gone on to win 21 poles and nine races.

"I don't think the idea of it really sank in at first," Newman said, recalling what was then known as The Winston. "It's just this amazing, energy-filled night.

"All the teams are pumped up. The fans are excited. It's a fun night of racing. And to go out there and know that you beat the best of the best ... It was just unbelievable.

For more NASCAR news about Ryan Newman, click here.

Hornaday happy to be in Busch Series

The deal: Paul Reinhart of The Morning Call says when Ron Hornaday looks at the opportunities given the likes of 19-year-old Kyle Busch and 23-year-old Martin Truex Jr., he can't help but wonder where he might be today if he had gotten his break 10 years earlier.

Busch and Truex are running 1-2 in the Busch Series standings heading into its final appearance at the Nazareth Speedway this weekend for the Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 200. Not bad, considering Busch is a rookie and Truex is in his first full season on the circuit.

	Ron Hornaday

"These kids are getting some great opportunities and great cars, and it gives them a good stepping stone," Hornaday said of drivers like Busch, who runs for Ricky Hendrick, and Truex, who has DEI has his employer.

Why we care: Hornaday, whose one season in the premier stock-car racing series with Richard Childress Racing didn't work out very well -- one top-10 and 22 races in which he finished 30th or worse -- may have to be content with the Busch Series, where every season finds him knocking heads with another crop of hot, young talent.

And that's fine with him.

"I feel the Busch Series is as competitive, if not more competitive, than the Nextel Cup," Hornaday told the paper. "Everybody in this series wants to make a name for themselves, go out there and try to win races so they can go to the next ride."

For more news from around the nation, click here.

Older drivers keep on truckin'

The deal: Jim Utter of the Charlotte Observer says in the Craftsman Truck Series, the top performers are, more experienced than the "young guns" that are getting so much attention in the Nextel Cup Series

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"Let's just say we are the seasoned veterans," said Rick Crawford, 45, one of the three drivers 39 or older who have won three of the first four races this year.

Why we care: Jack Sprague, 39, won Sunday at Mansfield, Ohio, and the series points leader is Dennis Setzer, 44. The youngest winner is Carl Edwards, 24, in the season opener at Daytona Beach, Fla.

Ted Musgrave, the oldest full-time competitor at 48, won the series' inaugural race at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord last season and returns to defend his title in Friday night's Infineon 200.

For more NASCAR news from around the globe, click here.