Darlington Big Rig Notes

TRANSOUTH FINANCIAL 400 PRE-RACE NOTES Darlington Raceway -- March 20

NASCAR BIG RIG SHOW & CHARITY AUCTION The second annual show Thursday night on Darlington Raceway's frontstretch supported the Pee Dee Education Foundation, an independent, non-profit group to promote excellence in public education in the eight counties of the Pee Dee region. Team transporters for the NASCAR Winston Cup Series, No. 4 Kodak Film Chevrolet, No. 5 Kellogg's Chevrolet, No. 7 QVC Ford, No. 28 Texaco Havoline Ford, No. 29 Cartoon Network Chevrolet, No. 37 Kmart/RC Cola Ford, No. 43 STP Pontiac and No. 98 RCA Ford participated, along with the TranSouth Financial 400 and July 5 Pepsi 400 pace cars, Century and Challenger vehicle recovery equipment and the Great American Pit Stop Competition. Among the most popular items in a charity auction of racing memorabilia and activities were radio controlled car races against NASCAR Winston Cup drivers Ernie Irvan and Mike Skinner. One guest bid $150 to run a 10-lap race against Skinner. The car Skinner used for that event and a 10-lap match race against Irvan was auctioned for $305. Eric Wold, a 33-year-old Dale Earnhardt fan from Wading River, N.Y., paid $130 to race Irvan. The car Irvan used was auctioned for $275.

ERNIE IRVAN (No. 28 Texaco Havoline Ford) -- (After a rude-looking, barrel-rolling, slam-bang victory over Skinner, and a similar triumph over Wold.) Naw, (laughing) this don't get any fender-banging tendencies out of my system! We still have that! I've never done any of this R/C stuff! This is a special deal. Earlier we were signing autographs over at the children's hospital (McLeod Regional Medical Center) and now we're doing this for an auction. It all goes to a good cause.

MIKE SKINNER (No. 31 Lowe's Chevrolet) -- Oh no, no (asked if he hadn't gotten all his wall-banging out of his system in testing.) We're just getting ready to do some! We're having a ball! I've never touched one of those R/C controllers before -- that was the first time. We'll have to get brushed-up on it a little bit so the next time we're a little bit sharper. We like to do things with the race fans. These race fans are what makes this business. Without the race fans Ernie and I wouldn't have a job. Our sponsors wouldn't be able to put the kind of money into this sport that it takes to go run Winston Cup. We enjoy doing things with the race fans -- this stuff's a lot of fun!

ERIC WOLD (ran an R/C race with Ernie Irvan) -- I'm an Earnhardt fan -- I had to do this! I've done the R/C thing some but not in a while...the kids are better at it than I am! I paid $130 and it was worth it! It's going to a good cause. I've been going to Winston Cup races for 14 years and this is my second time at Darlington. I've been to Daytona, Rockingham, Wilkesboro, Pocono, Dover, New Hampshire -- I might make it to California (The California Speedway June 22), we've got free plane tickets!