Richard Petty stole the show during the world premiere of 'Cars.' Credit: AP

Last Lap: King of Cars

While attending the world premiere of Disney/Pixar's animated feature Cars, I happened upon Richard Petty on the suite level at Lowe's Motor Speedway.

Standing tall and in excellent company, trademark hat and sunglasses shielding the iridescent glow from the red carpet hoopla below, he is the unmitigated focal point of the group, rising above the scrum both in stature and status.

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It is indeed The King's court. All passersby offer well wishes. Most flash a hat or credential or cocktail napkin for that trademark swooping signature. They offer a Sharpie. He carries his own. Rare, if not non-existent, is the man that has penned his signature more than Petty has.

The King is THE sustained global iconic figure in NASCAR for decades. Earnhardt is the only person close.

Even if you've never seen a lap, you still know who Richard Petty is.

Even if you loathe his opinion on women in NASCAR -- "I just don't think it's a sport for women," he told The Associated Press last week -- you can't help but be awed by his presence.

We initially engaged in conversation about the movie, in which he plays the role of a car named, what else, "The King." He's mesmerized by the film's quality, technological wizardry and, above all else, its storyline. He has no doubt it is the latest catalyst in the NASCAR phenomenon.

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Then he breaks into a story about Hollywood star Owen Wilson, who lent his voice to the movie's lead role, a racecar named Lightning McQueen. Apparently, the pair were engaged in conversation when Wilson abruptly cut it short, said he'd be right back and dashed off into oblivion.

Minutes later he returned. With a photographer.

"We got to talking a little bit, and the first thing I know he's run out to get somebody to take a picture with me," Petty chuckled. "That's great! It's a little surprising.

"They live a completely different life and come from a completely different place, and you say, 'They don't know nothing about racing. They don't know who any of us are.'

"We know them because we see them on the screen, but they don't know us. Then when they come up and talk to you just like they know you, because they've seen you or heard tell of you so long, you feel like part of their crowd. That makes you feel good."

Why it's surprising is beyond me. It's only been that way for 50 years.

PETTY STEADFAST Thirty years after Janet Guthrie became the first woman to compete in the Cup Series, Richard Petty hasn't changed his views on women racers.  •   Complete story, click here

"I've been around here forever, and doing that people might not see you every day, but they do see you every week, so you're sort of brainwashed into the [minds] -- even of people who don't know anything about racing," Petty said.

"We've been around long enough that we've been in politics, been in the movies. Just because of longevity you have people that might not know where you fit, but they've seen you or heard tell of you and say, 'I'm supposed to know him. No idea what he does, but I should know him.'

"I'm sort of like a bad penny, I guess. I just show up everywhere."

Other tidbits seen and heard on the red carpet at the Cars premiere:

Dale Earnhardt Jr., along with mother, Brenda Jackson, got his usual response. Credit: AP

• Dale Earnhardt Jr. on the differences between the red carpet scene and that which he's accustomed to at NASCAR events:

"Well, everybody's still screaming 'Junior,' so it ain't that different."

• Comedian/actor Cheech Marin of Cheech and Chong fame, on his thoughts about NASCAR:

"This is the first time I've ever been to NASCAR -- it's a very complicated sport. You go fast and turn left."

All kidding aside, Marin was quite impressed with the event.

"This is a big deal, especially out of Hollywood," he said. "And in conjunction with NASCAR, it's like these two giant audiences converge. It's great."

Hollywood star Owen Wilson was thrilled to meet NASCAR stars. Credit: Austostock

• Diamond Rio lead singer Marty Roe, on hand to sing the national anthem, on the band's role at the premiere:

"They're going to basically do it like the start of all the NASCAR events, and we kind of hold the record for the most national anthems at NASCAR events so we were an obvious choice."

• Owen Wilson, on joining Jimmie Johnson in a two-seater Nextel Cup car for some hot laps:

"He was a great guy. He didn't scare me. I was pretty excited, but when you're going into those walls ... there were a few times I closed my eyes, but not that many."

• At the premiere DLP Cinema technology placed 12 projectors in the LMS grandstands, three apiece for four custom-built outdoor screens that each measured five stories high and 15 stories wide. A single projector produces 35 trillion different colors. The quality is ridiculous.

	Casey Mears is in his fourth Cup season, all with Chip Ganassi. Credit: Autostock
	NO TOYOTA FEELING CONCORD, N.C. -- Casey Mears, whose contract with Chip Ganassi Racing is up after this season, has no plans to pursue a deal with Toyota.  "I'm working really hard with Chip to put something together," he said.  -- David Newton, NASCAR.COM

• In a conversation with NASCAR.COM last weekend Doug Yates confirmed that Casey Mears has what amounts to a standing job offer at Robert Yates Racing, and knows the onus is on RYR to produce a program enticing enough to lure the budding star.

RYR sources confirmed, too, that the two sides recently met at Yates' home, but Chip Ganassi Racing officials remain quite confident they'll win the Casey Mears Sweepstakes, and Mears has voiced the he'd prefer to return to Ganassi if the deal is right.

• Nextel Cup Series star Elliott Sadler was very complimentary of NASCAR on FOX analyst Jeff Hammond for his role in calming both him and a horrified crowd Friday following Sadler's botched stage dive on Trackside Live.

Sadler said seeing the familiar face amid the frenzy was comforting, and that Hammond literally picked him up and carried him to a nearby motor home owned by Sadler's buddy, country music star Blake Shelton.

• Sign seen near Lowe's Motor Speedway while creeping along through Coca-Cola 600 race-day traffic, held high and proud by visibly intoxicated West Virginia Mountaineers supporters: In red lettering, on white poster board emblazoned with several Earnhardt Jr. No. 8 decals -- "Honk like hell if hate Kurt Busch!"

Horns blare from every direction.

I honestly feel bad for Kurt Busch. To say he has a target on his back is an understatement. Some of the criticism is warranted, but by no stretch is it all fair.

On to your questions and concerns:

NASCAR certainly doesn't like the way Kasey Kahne celebrated his win at Lowe's. Credit: Autostock

GoJB1969: A couple of years ago, NASCAR issued a rule against standing on the roof of your car after a win (remember that silly fence they used to put up there?) -- yet NASCAR.COM shows a picture of Kasey (Kahne) standing on his roof last night. No penalty. How come?

Great question, Brian Adams. Kahne wasn't penalized because he stood on the outer edge of the roof and didn't deform its overall shape. His car also still met post-race height requirements.

That said, don't be surprised if Nextel Cup director John Darby chooses to have a word with Kahne about said decision.

bowlinkid300: Marty, when I was watching the Indy 500 on Sunday I noticed that ABC had the split screen during commercials. Why doesn't FOX and NASCAR have the same thing so that we would not be subject to missing half of the race due to commercials?

Dozens of folks submitted this question Sunday evening, Spoor. I've answered it before, but given the number of frustrated fans that constantly complain about the number of commercials run, and more importantly the action missed therein -- it's a legitimate question, so let's address it again.

Ultimately the answer is money. (Shocking!) The Indy Racing League rights fees cost ABC/ESPN a fraction of what NASCAR gets from FOX and NBC. Therefore the network needs only secure that same fraction in advertising to justify the deal financially.

The premiere of 'Cars' was a big to-do. Credit: AP

My colleague, David Poole from the Charlotte Observer, makes a great observation: The ads in other IRL races that run in the side-by-side format are almost always for Firestone tires or Target or any number of other companies that already sponsor series teams or the series itself. Therefore, they're virtually giveaways.

Plus, the Indianapolis 500 -- killer finish, there, by the way -- is the only IRL race that does any sort of rating.

FOX and NBC can't charge the required large sum they charge NASCAR advertisers for 30-second commercials and only offer half the screen. Sponsors would likely agree to that were they charged a lesser rate, but the networks wouldn't have a prayer of getting return-on-investment with that lesser rate.

NASCAR vice president for broadcast and new media Dick Glover says splitting the screen wouldn't benefit viewers or sponsors.

"All of NASCAR's television partners do a great job covering the race," Glover said in an e-mail Monday. "In the unfortunate circumstance where something significant happens during commercial break, they immediately drop out of the break and back to action.

"They also always have multiple replays available. While no one is happy if any race action is missed, we do not think splitting the screen in a way that reduces the size of the action and eliminates the audio serves the best interests of the viewers, sponsors or partners."

Craig Holl: Marty, How do they decide to stripe the lane lines on each track? Specifically, at Talladega they have three sets of white lane lines painted on the track, but two form two normal-width lanes at the bottom, and one forms a normal-width lane at the top. In between there is a huge gap. Why don't they put another set of stripes in? Why the huge gap?

Interesting question, Craig. I have no idea. But Talladega spokeswoman Kristi King does:

"While we know that four-wide racing is the norm at Talladega, we don't want to encourage it," King said. "When we finish our current paving project and begin the striping process, equal width of the lanes, whether it be three or four, is something we will consider."

So when we return in October, you might just see four designated lanes.

Ken Hopson: I was just wondering how many things are included in the "actions detrimental to stock car racing," and is stage-diving going to be added to the list?

Far too many to count.

And I'd betcha Hammond's diving days are over, too.

8isGr8389: Hey Marty, Scott Riggs' car did not leave the pit box with equipment, it was the pit crew! What gives?

Actually, Riggs' car did leave the pit stall with equipment. Gas personnel pushed the stalled machine while still carrying their respective cans, and the jackman carried the jack outside the box, as well.

Maynard21: Hi, Sport! Have always wondered what NASCAR did with all the used and spent tires. Does it recycle all those tires or what?

NASCAR race director David Hoots tells me used tires are returned to Goodyear and promptly have a hole bored in them to ensure no future usage. They are then disposed of properly (which presumably means recycled.)

If they've not been used, they are returned to Goodyear and re-issued the next time that tire code is used.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.