Espn’s Back-Seat Drivers Steer Fans To Broad Coverage

ESPN has come up with new promos to try to reach fans for its wide-ranging NASCAR coverage: top drivers in mock races with passengers in the back seat.

The funny spots, filmed at Concord Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., include Dale Earnhardt advising his passenger that the man’s dog should not stick its head out the window. In another spot, Dale Jarrett and his passenger learn French from a tape.

Ricky Craven’s spot includes the Charlotte Hornets’ 5-foot-3 Mugsy Bogues and 7-foot-1 Vlade Divac, who stretches his legs over the seat near the driver’s head.

In other ads in the “NASCAR Ride Along Program,” which began airing last month, fun-loving Kyle Petty tells jokes while his passenger hits rim shots on a set of drums in the back seat.

In another, Jeff Gordon plays “20 Questions” with his passenger, and in another, ESPN’s Benny Parsons, Bob Jenkins and Jerry Punch squeeze together into the back seat as Parsons regrets drinking a giant-sized soda before putting on his fire suit.

“To expand a sport’s fan base, we believe in using humor to bring out the personalities of the athletes,” said Judy Fearing, ESPN senior vice president for consumer marketing.

“We also wanted to show what it’s like to ride inside a NASCAR race car in an engaging and entertaining way,” she said.

Last year, the cable sports network used cartoon character Speed Racer in its promos. NASCAR stars and other people in the stock-car sport talked about the effect the fictitious entry of Speed Racer would have on the series.

Don’t forget

Rusty Wallace went through a period when some fans thought he was winning too much and booed him. That same thing is happening to 25-year-old Jeff Gordon these days.

Wallace, the 1989 Winston Cup champion and owner of 47 victories, including last Sunday’s win at Richmond, Va., has some advice for The Kid.

“There’s three things to remember, and I think he’s doing OK,” Wallace said.

“The first thing is that you don’t ever forget the fans. The second is that your peers, the other drivers … and the other crews, you try to stay friends with all of them, but understanding that it is war out there and you can’t communicate everything. And, third, just don’t ever forget where you came from.

“Remember your roots and remember your friends and don’t ever get hung up on yourself,” he added. “I’m not saying that about him, and I’m saying that happened to me, but those are three key things that I think we all need to remember.”

Slow start

Dale Earnhardt’s chances of winning a record eighth Winston Cup title this season seem dismal after his slowest start of his career.

Earnhardt has three finishes of 11th or worse so far in 1997, leaving him 24th in the standings and 232 points behind leader Gordon.

The 45-year-old Earnhardt, who owns 70 victories, last took a checkered flag at Atlanta Motor Speedway, 31 races and one year ago this weekend.

It would not be an upset if Earnhardt got back to his winning ways today in the Primestar 500 at AMS, where he leads all drivers with eight wins.

“It’s one of those tracks that compliments my style of racing - wide open and door-to-door,” Earnhardt said of the 1.522-mile oval.

Larry McReynolds, his new crew chief, said, “We haven’t gotten off to the start that we wanted, but we’re heading into the fourth race of a 32-race schedule, and there’s a bunch of racing to be done.”

Breakfast of champions

Whether he wins or loses this week in Atlanta, Earnhardt will make some history.

It was announced Thursday that Earnhardt will become the first NASCAR driver to have his picture on boxes of Wheaties in 64 years of featuring champion athletes on the cereal packages.

The boxes will be available for a limited time in grocery stores throughout the South.

Noted motorsports artist Sam Bass designed the car, team uniforms, helmet and art work for the 12-ounce Wheaties package, but Earnhardt’s visage will also appear on other Wheaties products.

Part of the deal also includes sponsorship of the No. 3 Chevrolet car for NASCAR’s The Winston Select on May 17 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. For that race, the car will be painted Wheaties orange and carry the cereal’s logo.

Busch rookies

Ten drivers have officially registered to compete for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year Award in NASCAR’s Busch Grand National Series in 1997.

They include Lyndon Amick of Batesville, S.C.; Stanton Barrett of Hollywood, Calif.; Johnny Chapman of Stoney Point, N.C.; Chris Diamond of Bethlehem, N.C.; Jimmy Foster of Ormond Beach, Fla.; David Hutto of Rock Hill, S.C.; Kenny Irwin Jr. of Indianapolis; Jeff McClure of Charlotte, N.C.; Steve Park of East Northport, N.Y.; and Doug Reid of Hueytown, Ala.

After the first three races of the season, Park, who drives for Earnhardt, leads over Chapman, Reid and Barrett.

The award is determined by a system that awards points based on the best 15 finishes of each driver.

Stat of the week

Geoff Bodine is eighth in the Winston Cup points, the first time he has ranked among the top 10 in 93 races. That dates to the second race of the 1994 season, when he was ninth. Bodine has not ranked as high as eighth since August 1993 at Bristol, Tenn.