Countdown: Idaho

The Gem State is an apt nickname for the place that contains such natural beauty as the canyons of the Snake River, the Shoshone Falls and Sun Valley ski resort.

The Riders in the Sky, the BoDeans and the Four Seasons all sang about Idaho, while Harry Chapin's DJ found himself back in Boise, Idaho -- because that's how this business goes. The biggest business in Idaho is still potatoes. Idaho produces nearly a third of the potatoes grown in the United States.

While Idaho doesn't have a long history of NASCAR racing, there are a few interesting stories out there.

Best behind the wheel

• Jeff Krogh, Kamiah

Sometimes the race isn't on the track -- and winning isn't always about getting across the line first. For Jeff Krogh and his family, every small step for the past five years has been a victory.

Krogh was a racer with aspirations of getting to NASCAR's premier series. He made a pair of Cup starts in 1996, running 35th at Sonoma and 41st at Phoenix in a car owned by himself and sponsored by the family lumber business.

He moved to the Busch Series in 1997, steadily showing improvement, including a ninth-place finish at Indianapolis Raceway Park. A year later, Krogh made 27 of 31 races and wound up 15th in the points, highlighted by a fifth-place run at Texas.

Inside the Numbers Jeff Krogh's Cup career Year Races W T5 T10 *1996 2 0 0 0 * -- Best finish was 35th at Sonoma Jeff Krogh's Busch Series career Year Races W T5 T10 1997 16 0 0 1 1998 27 0 1 1 1999 14 0 0 0

So expectations were high when the 1999 season rolled around. Unfortunately, crashes sidelined him four times early in the season but he had just put together a string of four consecutive finishes capped by an 18th-place, lead-lap run at Dover when the circuit pulled into Milwaukee.

Then suddenly, Krogh's life would be forever changed by an incident during the final practice. His car slammed into the Turn 1 wall, leaving the 27-year-old with a severe head injury. In a coma and unable to breathe on his own, Krogh's wife and child were hastily flown in from Charlotte.

But slowly, Krogh responded to treatment, first breathing on his own, then emerging from the coma about a month after the accident. Moved from Milwaukee to a rehab facility to Colorado, Krogh began relearning all of the processes that came so easily to him before. By the end of August, Krogh was able to eat solid foods, walk with help and carry on conversations.

According to a story written in 2000, Krogh regained his driver's license and went back to work, although he retained no memories for a two-month period from the moment he arrived in Milwaukee. His family sold the racing operation during his recuperation -- and although he knew he would never again climb into a race car, Krogh still enjoyed talking about racing.

Family friend Paula Smith was quoted as saying, "Every time you speak to him it's a little different. One time he's 100 percent, the next time he's 95 percent.

	ACCELERATION 2006 There's more to the new season than just driver changes. Read more about what to watch for as we rev toward Daytona.  •   Testing archive,  click here •   Complete coverage, click here Preseason ThunderMarty Smith catches up with Jimmie Johnson at Daytona testing New and improvedGordon knows the road back to the top won't be easy Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

"But he's the same old Jeff. Jeff was always light-hearted and kidding around, and he's still got that sense of humor."

Other noteworthy drivers from Idaho

• Mark Krogh, Kamiah: Two top-10s in 46 Busch Series starts over a three-year career

• Scott Lynch, Burley: Nine Craftsman Truck Series starts over the past three seasons, including a pair of 12ths in 2003

We wish ...

Downhill skier Picabo Street had become a NASCAR driver.

Street, a Sun Valley native, is no stranger to high speeds, although gravity rather than horsepower provides most of her velocity. Street, the only American woman to win the World Cup downhill title, earned Olympic gold in the super giant slalom in 1998 and the downhill silver in 1994.

Keeping it on the track

• Magic Valley Speedway, Twin Falls

Idaho's only NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series racetrack, the 1/3-mile paved oval features 12-degree banked turns and seats 3,500 spectators.

Magic Valley opened in 1986 and has been allifiated with NASCAR since 1991.

The speedway hosts two Northwest Series events each season. John Bender won 125-lapper in June and Wilbur Bruce won the 200-lap feature in August.

A word from our sponsor

• Albertsons, Boise

Albertsons, which sponsored a Busch Series team through the 2003 season, is one of the world's largest food and drug retailers, operating approximately 2,500 stores in 37 states across the U.S. employing approximately 240,000 associates.