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A fellow by the name of H.A. Wheeler — people in stock car racing know him better as “Humpy” — likes to tell this story about his first race as president of Charlotte Motor Speedway, after Janet Guthrie, The First Lady of Speed — before You Know Who — entered the World 600, as the Coca-Cola 600 then was called.

When the green flag drops at today’s big NASCAR race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, most eyes will be focused, at least until the Budweiser takes effect, on the front of the field. That’s where the fast cars, the hot rods, as Rusty Wallace was fond of saying, will start.

It was just past 1:30 p.m. Friday when I was nearly broadsided by the GoNoah Racing.com Ark in the Neon Garage at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and spotted a face that was sort of familiar. It was, in fact, the face I was looking for.

Earl Weaver would have liked this.

And just like that, NASCAR Cup-style racing is about to turn Sweet 16 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, and so it can be said that, yes, John Fogerty was right: Big wheels do keep on turnin’.

Thanks to these new Generation-6 stock cars, there is an extra day of NASCAR practice at Las Vegas Motor Speedway today, to get them dialed in here. I would arrive early not to beat traffic, but because hearing an auto racing engine at full song reverberate off cavernous and mostly empty grandstands is one of sport’s simple pleasures.