Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Stewart competing in doubleheader

Friday, Nov. 23, 2001 | 11:15 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand's motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at bh@ lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

After running 300 laps in this morning's New Hampshire 300 NASCAR Winston Cup race, Tony Stewart was scheduled to hop a plane to Las Vegas to compete in Saturday night's USAC Triple Crown Finale at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Stewart, who twice has driven in the Indianapolis 500 and the Coca-Cola 600 in Charlotte, N.C., on the same day, said this weekend's doubleheader would be a snap.

"It'll be easy as far as I'm concerned," Stewart said. "By the time we finish the Cup race and get out to Vegas, it'll be late in the evening but I'll have the whole flight to kick back and relax. Plus, I've got the whole evening in Vegas and I'll be able to sleep pretty late into the morning. It shouldn't make it too hard."

Stewart said driving a Midget car would be enjoyable after muscling his 3,400-pound Home Depot Pontiac around the 1.058-mile New Hampshire oval in the Winston Cup season finale.

"The USAC Midget race is like 30 or 40 laps and I can run those in my sleep," Stewart said. "I'm just looking forward to seeing all of my friends out there; driving the car is just an added bonus. But I'm going out there with a great team and I've got just as good a shot to win as I do anywhere else."

Stewart, the 1997 Indy Racing League champion and 1999 Winston Cup Rookie of the Year, became the first driver in history to win USAC's "Triple Crown" when he claimed the USAC National Midget, Sprint car and Silver Crown championships in 1995.

The USAC Triple Crown Finale will feature USAC National and Western Sprint cars and Worldcom Western Midgets on the 3/8-mile paved oval in the series' season finale. Spectator gates open at 4 p.m. Saturday and qualifying begins at 4:15.

Stewart is expected to take part in a drivers autograph session on the track at approximately 7:30 p.m.

* TOBACCO BAN: FIA, the sanctioning body of Formula One, plans to ban all tobacco sponsorship and advertising in its sport by the beginning of the 2007 season. FIA estimated that tobacco's sponsorship of motor sports in Europe exceeds $350 million and has a big presence in F1 with the Ferrari, McLaren-Mercedes and Jordan teams.

"It is their business how they fund their cars and research," said Francesco Longanesi, head of FIA's external relations department. "We are now encouraging them to find other ways. We're encouraging them to do it now or they might run into trouble on Jan. 1, 2007."

* GORDON ON LETTERMAN: Jeff Gordon, the 2001 NASCAR Winston Cup champion, made an appearance on "The Late Show with David Letterman" Thursday night. Gordon will be in New York for the annual Winston Cup awards banquet tonight.

* LESTER GETS RIDE: NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series owner Bobby Hamilton has named Bill Lester, who is black, to drive his No 8. Dodge Dealers Ram 1500 next season.

Dodge is the team's primary sponsor as part of its Dodge Diversity Program for minority drivers and technicians.

"This is simply a dream come true," Lester said. "I've wanted to be a full-time professional driver for a long time and I've worked hard for a lot of years for just this kind of opportunity."

The 40-year-old Californian made five starts this year in Hamilton's No. 4 Dodge, finishing a season-best 18th last month at Phoenix International Raceway.

* IRON MEN: Las Vegans Rob MacCachren and Danny Anderson are among four drivers who will split a $12,000 bonus from Toyota for completing every mile in the five-race SCORE Off-Road Desert Series this season.

* HAMMONDS SETTLEMENT: The Minnesota Timberwolves reached a retirement agreement this week with injured forward Tom Hammonds, who now is driving full-time in the NHRA Pro Stock category.

Hammonds, a 13-year NBA veteran, played in only seven games last season because of deteriorated cartilage in both ankles. He was signed through this season, but the buyout saved the Timberwolves from paying his full salary -- which would have been $1.8 million. Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.

* GRAY IN 'BLUE': NHRA veteran Johnny Gray will replace Frank Pedregon as the driver of the Team CSK blue Funny Car for Del and Chuck Worsham. Gray finished 13th in the Funny Car standings this year while driving his own Gray Racing entry.

* NHRA SPONSOR: NHRA president Tom Compton said during the postseason banquet that he would announce the series' new title sponsor on Dec. 3. Several published reports have indicated that Coca-Cola's Powerade brand will sponsor the series.