Kentucky Speedway says fans can watch NASCAR and IRL testing this month, although not from the grandstands.

        “Fans can watch the testing in Turn 3,” speedway general manager Mark Cassis said. “That is at Entrance No. 2, near the fan center and gift shop area.”

        The following are scheduled to test at the speedway this month:

        • Nov. 6-7: Akins-Sutton Motorsports (Elton Sawyer's Busch team)

        • Nov. 8: Team Menard (Greg Ray, IRL)

        • Nov. 9-10: Panther Racing (Pennzoil IRL team)

        • Nov. 14-16: Herzog Motorsports Inc. (Busch team)

        • Nov. 20-21: Bill Davis Motorsports (Ward Burton's NASCAR team)

        • Nov. 22: Dodge Intrepid (Ray Evernham NASCAR team)

        • Nov. 27-28: Nemco (Joe Nemechek's Busch team)

        • Nov. 29-Dec. 1: Dodge Intrepid (Ray Evernham)

        Testing will continue, weather permitting, throughout the winter and into spring.

        For test times, call the speedway at 859-647-4309. Also, the speedway hopes to post the testing times on its Web site, kentuckyspeedway.com.

        The speedway also offers tours of the track (Monday-Friday) for $5, including a two-lap van ride around the 1.5-mile venue.

        MORE SPEEDWAY: Cassis said the speedway hopes to sell out all three of its major races in 2001: the June 16th NASCAR Busch race, the July 14th NASCAR Truck race, and the August 12th Indy
Racing League race.

        The 67,000-seat venue will not expand unless a Winston Cup date is added to the schedule, Cassis said. The speedway hopes to add a Winston race within the next few years, but one of the current venues probably would have to surrender a race.

        Cassis said meetings continue with Kentucky state officials to expand the current Exit 57 (Sparta-Warsaw) off of I-71, to alleviate traffic problems the track experienced this year. Plans also are under way to begin construction on a new interchange two miles south of that exit, which would have a connecting road to Markland Dam.

        NHRA UPDATE: Angelle Seeling and John Force clinched 2000 NHRA season titles in their respective categories last week in Houston.

        Seeling joined three-time NHRA champion Shirley Muldowney as the only female professional champions in NHRA history, as she won the Pro Stock Motorcycle championship.

        Force also made drag racing history, winning his 10th Funny Car title.

        Also last week, Cory McClenathan scored his first Top Fuel victory of the season and 25th of his career. McClenathan learned three weeks ago team owner Joe Gibbs, who is about to win the NASCAR Winston Cup title with Bobby Labonte, is ending his drag racing operation at the end of 2000.

        Last week's NHRA racing was the 21st event in the annual 23-race series.

        TRADITION: The hallowed “Month of May” will have more of the usual Indianapolis 500 feel in 2001.

        The past two years, the Indy 500 schedule had been reduced from three weeks to two weeks. Now, it will return to a three-weekend format.

        The 2001 Indy schedule:

        • May 6: Opening day

        • May 7-11: Practice

        • May 12: Pole day

        • May 13: Second-day qualifying

        • May 16-19: Practice

        • May 20: Bump Day — final day of qualifying

        • May 24: Carburetion Day

        • May 27: 85th Indianapolis 500 race.

        SMILE: From the “NASCAR Humor” files are these oldies but goodies from comedian Jeff Foxworthy, author of the “You Might Be a Redneck if ...”

        According to Foxworthy, you're a serious NASCAR fan if:

        • You've spent more time on top of a Winnebago than in one.

        • Your wedding vows include the word "NASCAR.'

        • You've voted for Richard Petty in a Presidential election.

        E-mail: tgroeschen@enquirer.com

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