Saturday night lights

Drivers learning to enjoy Saturday races at Richmond

RICHMOND, Va. (AP) -- Racing under the lights is something NASCAR's Winston Cup drivers seem to look forward to like nothing short of winning.

As they arrive at Richmond International Raceway for the first night points race of the season, the drivers and their teams have to be hoping a track weeping problem that surfaced Thursday will be fixed in a hurry.

The problem delayed Busch Series qualifying for 3 hours, 40 minutes, turning what looked like a short day into one that stretched into the darkness as NASCAR considered whether to have a session at all.

Officials planned to re-inspect the track after the final Busch practice session, looking for evidence of moisture with the possibility of cutting grooves to drain the water and then cementing them over.

The Busch practice didn't end until 10:40 p.m.

"It's fairly common to cut these grooves and give the water a place to go," said NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter. "It's just one of those things."

Potential problems aside, drivers almost universally enjoy night racing for reasons ranging from returning to their short-track roots to cooler temperatures, heightened visibility and hope for a rare Sunday off.

"It's the style track most everyone grew up on," Kevin Harvick said, with plenty of side-by-side racing and beating and banging all night long.

Points leader Matt Kenseth appreciates the blasts from the past.

"Saturday night shootouts in our past hold a lot of great memories and I guess that ends up being a small part of the allure," Kenseth said.

Night racing also helps minimize the heat that can build up in an asphalt infield surrounded by 100,000 aluminum seats. The bright lights accentuate the paint on the cars -- and the fireworks on the track.

"It's good for the fans and good for the drivers because it keeps us cool in the cars," Harvick said. "I think you get a bigger speed sensation at night, with the brakes glowing and the sparks flying everywhere."

This year's schedule essentially gives drivers most of Saturday off as long as qualifying and their final practice finish by Friday night. Their first Saturday obligation is the mandatory meeting for drivers and crew chiefs at 5:30 p.m., two hours before the green flag will drop.

Greg Biffle thinks the waiting makes the racing more exciting, for fans who have all day to get ready and for drivers eager to go racing.

"The atmosphere at a night race just seems to be more energetic all the way around," the Roush Racing driver said. "The fans are extremely pumped up and the drivers seem to take a more aggressive approach."

At all Winston Cup races, the firing of the engines and the sight of 43 cars rolling off pit road draw roars from the crowd, but Busch Series driver Ron Hornaday said he, too, gets fired up to be under the lights.

"My favorite part is on the pace laps when the flash bulbs are going off," he said. "From where I'm at in the car, it's an awesome sight."

Qualifying is set for Friday at 3 p.m.

 

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