SPARTA, Ky. — Dr. Jerry Punch has seen them all, and the ESPN/ABC broadcaster said Kentucky Speedway might be the top motorsports facility in the country.

Cars and crews line up for the national anthem before the Kroger 225 NASCAR Craftsman Truck race. (Jeff Swinger photo) | ZOOM |

        Punch was ESPN's lead announcer for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series' Kroger 225 race at Kentucky on Saturday night. This weekend was Punch's first visit to the track, which is located about 35 miles southwest of Cincinnati.

        “If it's not the finest facility overall, it's got to be in the top two,” Punch said before Saturday's race. “I don't see how in the world NASCAR can't bring a Winston Cup race here someday.”

        Punch has worked at ESPN since 1984 and covers about 70 races a year. He has been to every major speedway in America, from Daytona to Indianapolis to the smaller venues. He was at Kansas City's new track last week and said Kentucky's might be better.

        “I like how the track sits in a bowl, and you can see the whole track from every seat,” Punch said. “The sightlines are great. The drivers love the big garage area, and they can just pull their haulers in here so easily. We talked to the campers on the hillsides, and they love the view.

        “There's nothing they haven't thought of here. I'd heard from the Busch, ARCA and truck drivers about how awesome this place was, and they were right.”

        Speedway chairman Jerry Carroll likes to hear that, of course.

        “If a guy like Jerry Punch says those things about us, you know we've done something right,” Carroll said.

        Indications are Kentucky will not get a Cup date in 2002, but hope remains for 2003.

        “They've got to come here in the next few years,” Punch said. “That's my opinion.”

        Punch, 47, is a familiar face to sports fans, from his Indy 500 pit reports to his sideline TV work on college football games. The “Doctor” title is from his days as an emergency room physician, a practice he gave up when broadcasting became a full-time occupation.

        BUNNING VISITS: U.S. Sen. Jim Bunning (R-Ky.) served as grand marshal for Saturday's race. The baseball Hall of Fame pitcher is from Southgate, Ky.

        “I was here while they were building this place, and it's turned out better than we ever expected,” Bunning said. “Everybody from Kentucky is very proud of this speedway.”

Get the lowdown on other events at Kentucky Speedway in our special section

Sports Stories

Riggs wins Kroger 225 truck race Kroger 225 results Punch impressed by Speedway Auto Racing Insider Best and worst of week in sports Luzhanka beats Met champ in semis Wolf, Puentes return to Men's Met finals High School Insider Summer Basketball League semis today Celebrity Classic crowded at top Celebrity Classic golf results The perils of broadcasting live Five Questions with: Jimmy Kimmel Tristate Golf Notebook Cincinnati Public Links results Junior Better Ball Championship results Youth Golf Association Championship

Reds 6, Indians 5
Rijo allows 2 runs in Triple-A start
Same old Sabo
Ten Reasons Why Reds Fans Loved Sabo
Casey to have MRI on injured ankle
Fan's eye view of the Reds
Graves' defense saves Reds
What's wrong with Rocker?
Reds-Tigers Scouting Report
Reds box, runs
QB job Kitna's to lose
LeBeau planning to make early mark
Bengals training camp information