Monroe honored to take turn in Trickle's car

      Much is said and written about all the intricate parts that go into building and maintaining a successful race car.
      Look closely, though, and notice one obvious part that's missing: the passenger seat.
      Even though crew teams are critical to any driver's success, when the car hits the track, auto racing essentially becomes a solo sport.
      Tonight could be the exception, though, because when Sean Monroe straps himself into his race car, he will not be alone. A powerful force will be sitting by his side, guiding him through every left turn at Las Vegas Motor Speedway during the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour's Nevada 200.
      That force will be Chris Trickle, Monroe's friend and a Las Vegas racer who is in a coma at University Medical Center after being shot in the head Feb. 9 while driving his car in the southwest part of town.
      Before the shooting, Trickle was scheduled to compete in tonight's race. Instead, at the request of the Trickle family, Monroe will be driving Trickle's No. 70 Star Nursery Chevrolet when the green flag drops at 8.
      "I feel like he's with me, and I figure if we can do this deal together then things will turn (out) all right," said Monroe, who is in his fourth year driving stock cars. "No matter what happens, I think everybody will come out here and give it an honest effort. I know Chris is giving it all he's got sitting in that hospital, so I'm going to give it all I've got here."
      Monroe, an effervescent surfer-turned-racer from Malibu, Calif., said he met Trickle about 3 1/2 years ago at the old Las Vegas Speedway Park. He said the two quickly became friends as they climbed the ranks from the sportsman division to the Southwest Tour.
      Then five weeks ago, Monroe got an early morning phone call and was told that his friend had been critically wounded in a bizarre shooting.
      "Racing to Chris was everything," said the 28-year-old Monroe. "And to me, racing's something I do on Saturdays. I mean, now it's sort of a full-time thing for me, but I enjoy surfing, I enjoy skiing, I enjoy young, blonde women. Those are the things I enjoy. ...
      "As far as mortality, the fact that I haven't been killed yet in the things I've done in my life I think is amazing. And the fact Chris Trickle, who has done absolutely nothing wrong in his life, is now laying in a hospital bed in a coma, it all doesn't make sense."
      Monroe traveled to Las Vegas immediately after the tragedy, and days later he was asked by Trickle's family to drive Chris's car in tonight's race.
      After getting the OK from his sponsors -- Monroe was scheduled to race in Homestead, Fla., this weekend -- Monroe told Trickle's family he would be honored to sub for his friend.
      "If it was for anyone else I don't think I would do it, but Chris was a real good friend of mine," Monroe said. "There's nothing I can do to change the situation that's happened, but if I can bring his family some sort of happiness or at least some sort of piece of mind for a couple of hours, then I would do anything I could to do that. If that means driving (his) race car, then that's what I'll do."
      And what if No. 70 happens to take the checkered flag?
      "If I were to win this race it would obviously be emotional for his family and for myself," Monroe said. "Obviously winning's the goal, but I think my objective here is to let everybody know that Chris Trickle's still here, and Chris Trickle will be back. Right now, today, I'm the one who's here (in place of) Chris. But I know sometime Chris is going to be here, and I know the boys will be in trouble. I know I'll be in trouble."
      -- SUCCESSFUL BENEFIT -- A benefit for Trickle at Texas Station on Thursday night attracted an estimated 1,000 people. The event, which included a concert, an auction and an autograph session, was staged to raise funds to help defray Trickle's medical costs.
      The total amount of money collected wasn't available.
      -- HITTING THE WALL -- Joe Bean of San Diego suffered a compound fracture of his left leg Friday after a single-car crash in Turn 4 during practice sessions for Sunday's Las Vegas 300, a NASCAR Busch Grand National Series race.
      Bean, who was hoping to make his Busch series debut, was taken to UMC where he had surgery and was listed in good condition.
      Moments before Bean's accident, Tim Bender of Colden, N.Y., crashed his car between Turns 3 and 4. He wasn't injured, and the team will use a backup car for the race.
      In the afternoon, Randy LaJoie and Steve Park were the only two drivers who didn't complete their qualifying laps because of separate crashes. LaJoie wrecked in Turn 2, while Park hit the wall in Turn 4.
      Neither driver was hurt and both will try to requalify today.