The annual media tour is always good for a funny tale

There are no longer dirt floors in the shops, or any exclusives about Junior, but a visit is still worth a reporter's time on the tour. AP

(CHARLOTTE, NC) -- Can't believe it, but it's that time already. The 26th annual NASCAR Sprint media tour starts today (Jan. 21) in Charlotte.

While it's more of a beauty pageant because drivers are now available during test days in Daytona Beach, the media tour is still a must on any journalist's list because of the stories that will come out of it.

"We started the Media Tour in 1983 in order to generate publicity during what was traditionally a quiet period for the sport," said Humpy Wheeler, president and general manager of Lowe's Motor Speedway, which runs the outing that will have 200 journalists and broadcasters hoping for (unlikely) one-on-one interviews and scoops this week. Even if special insight is unavailable, it's the last time until a final press day in Daytona that most of the teams are available to talk about what's on for the coming season.

It's also hard to believe that, in the early days of the tour, there were race shops -- like the one belonging to owner-driver Dave Marcis -- with dirt on the floor. When we came across a team with a built-in gym for the crews, there were snickers. Today, teams have time & motion experts teaching over-the-wall guys how to shave tenths of second off pit stops.

One of the oddest on-the-record moments came during and after a shop tour of a team owned by Andy Petree, currently a commentator on ESPN's NASCAR television coverage. Petree, a former crew chief of the late Dale Earnhardt, was so busy preparing for tire tests that he didn't have time to scrounge up some proper ashtrays, so he put racing pistons on the lunch tables instead. Petree made an announcement that the pistons were not souvenirs, but some in the media didn't take him seriously.

The next morning, Jerry Gappens, then in charge of public relations for Lowe's Motor Speedway, told us in an embarrassed tone that four pistons were missing and Petree would have to buy four sets of eight to replace them unless they were returned, no questions asked. Later that evening, Gappens, who is now head of New Hampshire International Speedway, was pleased -- and perplexed -- to inform us that although only four pistons were reported missing, five had turned up.

One other memorable occasion was an announcement by former Daytona 500- winner Derrike Cope, whose sponsor was a processed meat company. We were dragged into a sales meeting that was like an old time church revival. Cope's cars had various paint schemes for different products during the season. My favorite was the corn dog on a stick.

While the tour goes to the major teams' facilities (shops are too quaint a term, as they have grown into hundreds of thousands of square feet), there is another important stop at NASCAR's R&D center in Concord. NASCAR usually saves a tidbit or two of news for those who make the trip. This will likely result in some new rules or interpretation. Even when there isn't too much news, all NASCAR officials are there so it's possible to get a few moments of their time.

Moving on to the teams, with 199 other reporters to contend with, there will be no Dale Earnhardt, Jr. exclusives. If someone tells you they have one, it's bunk. What we will get is a chance to talk to his teammates and other Hendrick personnel about how his transition to the new team is going. Otherwise, the big issue for some teams will be what color shirt -- white, black or perhaps red -- to wear with the obligatory khakis. Someone will, no doubt, be there to give you all the details.

For me, I'll enjoy the "shops" and seeing where all the hard work is done to provide the fans a weekend's enjoyment or displeasure. In the back of my mind, though, I'll be wondering what happened to Dave Marcis' dirt floor.