Tri-oval excites drivers for big passing opportunities

      They tested the racetrack ... and tested it ... and tested it.
      Each time, the drivers gushed with praise and predicted an exciting Sunday of NASCAR Busch Grand National Series racing on Las Vegas Motor Speedway's 1.5-mile tri-oval.
      Well, Sunday is finally here and the competitors are eager to fire up their engines for the Las Vegas 300, the first Busch race staged west of the Mississippi River.
      "We're definitely ready to go," said Joe Nemechek, who will start third from the inside of Row 2. "This is really a unique racetrack. They did a great job building this place. It's fun to race on; it's fun to just drive on."
      Jeff Green, who won the pole position during Friday's first round of qualifying, said fans should expect a lot of passing.
      "I think it will be a good race," said Green, who earned the pole after being the only driver to turn in a sub 34-second lap (159.311 mph). "There's all kinds of places to pass. It's not going to be follow-the-leader. I believe the fastest car will win, and hopefully that will be ours at the end."
      As was the case in the first two events at LVMS -- an Indy Racing League race and a NASCAR SuperTruck race -- there likely will be a lot of wide racing, with cars two and three abreast along the straightaways.
      "I think you're going to see a heckuva race," Nemechek said. "The track is really wide, and it's smooth. There's probably three or four grooves that you can run in; there's no one right way to get around the racetrack. It makes a big difference when you're trying to race somebody and pass somebody."
      So what's the key?
      "The whole race there's going to be a lot of passing and jockeying for position," said Elliott Sadler, who will start next to Green, his teammate. "I think you'll have a lot of cars running about the same speed, but it's going to come down to that last pit stop and a lot of luck keeping all four fenders on because there's going to be some real tight racing going on the way the surface is."
      -- EVERYBODY IN -- A full 42-car field will compete in today's Las Vegas 300, which carries a purse of $885,275
      None of the entrants were bumped during qualifying Friday and Saturday, and only seven cars competed in Saturday's second-round session, which was staged only to determine starting positions. Eight other drivers who didn't qualify automatically Friday elected to stand on their times from the first session.
      -- BEAT THE TRAFFIC -- Sparse crowds attended practices Friday and Saturday, and LVMS officials refused to release the number of tickets sold in advance. However, with a large walk-up sale expected, the Nevada Highway Patrol is encouraging fans to arrive early to avoid any possible traffic jams.
      To get to LVMS, general spectators should take Interstate 15 north and exit on Speedway Boulevard (Exit 54). VIP and suite holders should take I-15 and exit Craig Road east, then turn north on Las Vegas Boulevard and proceed to Gate No. 4.
      Parking is free and gates will open at 8 a.m.
      -- PIT STOP -- The Las Vegas 300 will be televised live on The Nashville Network (cable channel 29). ... Today's weather is expected to be partly cloudy and breezy with temperatures in the mid to upper 70s. ... Competitors in Friday's Legends Celebrity exhibition event at the LVMS short track walked through the stands and collected $5,070 in donations for Chris Trickle. Trickle, a Las Vegas racer, was critically wounded after being shot in the head Feb. 9.