| By Mark Spoor, NASCAR.COM
October 5, 2006
04:29 PM EDT (20:29 GMT)
It's a three-word question that plenty of race fans are asking these days -- hundreds in our "Ask Wally and Benny" inbox -- and it has absolutely nothing to do with anything happening on the racetrack. How's Benny doing? Of course, we speak of Benny Parsons, the 1973 Cup champion and NBC/TNT analyst going through treatment for lung cancer. "Like anyone going through cancer treatments, I have good days and bad days," Parsons said. "The bad days come right after chemotherapy and radiation. Those things that zap you and take away all your energy. But after about a week I get to feeling pretty decently." He's been on and off the networks' broadcasts since he was diagnosed late in the summer. He missed last week's races at Kansas and he plans to be at Talladega this weekend. "At Dover, a few weeks ago, I felt really well and I felt I contributed to the race," Parsons said. "I've hated to miss the races that I have, but I just had to be at the right place. I had to be at home trying to get better and that's what I'm doing." There is good news for Parsons. One big hurdle in his treatment is over. "I'm through with all my treatments, chemotherapy is over, radiation is over," Parsons said. "Now it's just a matter of getting scanned and seeing what we accomplished." So the waiting -- and hoping -- has begun. "Next week we have the scan and our hopes and prayers are that the tumor is gone, everything is gone and that now it's just maintenance and we'll go to the next level." Sunday's pre-race show begins at 1 p.m. ET from Talladega on NBC. It's scheduled to be more than 90 minutes long. Among the features planned: • A feature on Dale Earnhardt Jr.
• NBC Football Night in America analyst Sterling Sharpe will take a ride in Wally's World. Meanwhile, if you have a question for Benny or Wally Dallenbach, click the link above. Matt Kenseth, David Stremme and Ryan Newman are the scheduled guests for Friday's Trackside from Talladega (7 p.m. ET, SPEED). If you're going to Talladega, the SPEED stage will be outside the main grandstand. Overnight ratings for Sunday's Banquet 400 at Kansas were down 5.5 percent from a year ago. The race garnered a 3.4 rating and a 7 share, compared to 3.6/7. ESPN Radio has debuted a new racing show. Saturday Raceday airs from 7-9 a.m. ET and features a newsy slant to its first hour and contains more personality driven features during the 8-9 a.m. hour. Pat Patterson serves as host. Patterson hosted and produced television shows RaceDay on TNN and the nationally syndicated On Pit Road. He's also spent more than 20 years of calling the action on pit road for the Performance Racing Network (PRN). Rusty Wallace, Dr. Jerry Punch and Mike Massaro serve as contributors. Speaking of ESPN, here's what the network has planned for its SportsCenter NASCAR coverage this week: • 7,11 p.m. ET Fri., 1, 10 a.m. Sat.: Massaro looks at Talladega's reputation as the most feared track in the Chase
• 10:45 p.m. Saturday /1 a.m. Sunday: Massaro and Rusty Wallace report from the track
• 9 a.m. Sun.: Rusty's "Instant Analysis"
• 11 p.m. Sun, Monday reairs: Massaro's race report and Rusty's analysis
• 3 p.m. Mon.: Massaro's "Victory Lane" segment Now on to this weekend's schedule. Nextel Cup Series: UAW-Ford 500 Track: Talladega Superspeedway • 2.66-mile oval
• 33-degree banking in turns
• Length of frontstretch: 4,300 feet
• Length of backstretch: 4,000 feet Race length: 188 laps/500.08 miles TV schedule (All times ET) • NASCAR Live: 3 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Final practice: 4 p.m. Fri., SPEED
• Trackside: 7 p.m. Fri, SPEED
• Bud Pole Qualifying: Noon Sat., SPEED
• NASCAR Raceday: 11:30 a.m. Sun., SPEED
• Pre-race: 1 p.m. Sun., NBC
• Race: 2:30 p.m. Sun., NBC One year ago, Dale Jarrett used a three-wide pass to challenge Tony Stewart for the lead on the final lap of a three-lap overtime shootout, then passed Stewart on the backstretch in the UAW-Ford 500 for his first victory since 2003 The most recent checkered flag went to Tony Stewart, who had nothing to lose and won ... without any fuel. Jimmie Johnson had everything to lose and did ... on a late speeding penalty. Such was a wild finish at Kansas. Keep an eye on the racing surface. For the first time in 26 years, Talladega Superspeedway has been repaved. Early returns are mixed. Most drivers say the track is easy to get around, but the jury is out on how the cars will react in traffic. Craftsman Truck Series: John Deere 250 Track: Talladega Superspeedway • 2.66-mile oval
• 33-degree banking in turns
• Length of frontstretch: 4,300 feet
• Length of backstretch: 4,000 feet Race length: 94 laps/250 miles TV schedule (All times ET) • Race: 2:30 p.m. Sat., SPEED One year ago, this race didn't exist. The most recent checkered flag went to Mike Skinner, who started from the pole for the sixth time this year, then led 114 of the 146-lap, 219-mile race on the reconfigured Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Keep an eye on Mike Wallace, who will be making just his second start of the year this week. Still, the St. Louis native figures to be a favorite to etch his name onto the Talladega trophy. "I won the inaugural race at Daytona back in 2000 and that was an indescribable feeling. To know I am on record as the first Truck Series winner is special," Wallace said. "I'd like to repeat the same feat at Talladega." | 
