When there's no NASCAR, it's amazing who'll get dirty

It's time for the first off weekend of the season.

Yeah, right. How many of these guys do you think won't be anywhere near a race track this weekend?

OK, Jeff Gordon for sure won't be. The guy's got so much to celebrate and a real neat family unit to celebrate it with, it makes you appreciate what Gordon's accomplished so far this year, even more. So scratch him off the list.

Gettin' dirty

Richard Childress celebrated with his grandsons Austin (red) and Ty (orange). A trip to the dirt track also brings several NASCAR personalities.

• Photo Gallery: DIRTcar racing

You know, when you really ponder it you'd like to think that no one would go anywhere near a race track. You'd think they'd go somewhere clean and quiet and peaceful that'll just blow away all those fears and doubts and pressures from the first four events of the season.

But I'll tell you something. From a fan's perspective, if you've got a dirt track anywhere near your local area, you need to go -- if for no other reason but to get a fix of "real racing." Even better than that, if you've got a DIRTcar facility anywhere near you, definitely check it out if you haven't.

I can't make the claim, on any level, that you'll see the exact same thing as this observer witnessed on a Monday night last month, when a closet dirt racing fan staggered out to the local dirt track and a danged NASCAR convention broke out. But no doubt you'll be impressed.

That night at the Alltel DIRTcar Nationals, Ken Schrader, Kenny Wallace and Clint Bowyer had on driver's suits. Schrader, Wallace, Bowyer, Richard Childress and Bobby Labonte were in the house wearing owner's hats. And for good measure, Jeff Burton came by to offer some teammate support while two-time Busch Series champion Randy LaJoie was there preaching short-track safety.

More than anything, it ought to remind you that if Speedweeks 2010 in Daytona Beach, Fla., is going to be on your schedule, there's no question you need to elevate Volusia Speedway Park up to the No. 2 spot on your list. That, of course, assumes that the Daytona 500 is No. 1, which these days is taking a lot of liberty with people's interpretation of good racing -- even though I think this year's Sprint Cup races have shown us a lot. (Continued)