LOOKING IN ON: MOTOR SPORTS

Thursday, Nov. 2, 2006 | 7:19 a.m.

Business may be soft these days for Ken Black's primary interest, Vegas General Construction, but it couldn't be better at his other venture, KB Racing.

Black, who built Vegas General Construction into a multimillion-dollar business, is enjoying equal success with his National Hot Rod Association Pro Stock racing team.

In just five years, Black's drivers - Greg Anderson and Jason Line - have combined to win more than 50 races and four consecutive NHRA Pro Stock world championships.

"Times are pretty tough here in Vegas," Black quipped after Line clinched the season championship Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "Our businesses are down about 50 percent right now in home building. We're not homebuilders, but we work for them, and things are a little bit slow right now, so I'm going to have to put these guys on real tight budgets."

That's not likely with the runaway success Black has experienced since severing ties with fellow Las Vegas businessman and racer George Marnell following the 2001 season and taking Anderson with him.

"I considered ourselves weekend warriors," Black said of his partnership with Marnell, who also served as the team's driver. "The people who worked for us really didn't do a whole lot on the cars during the week, and we leased the motors. I knew from George that there were some problems there.

"When we went on our own and set up our own team, we started doing (the motors) ourselves and decided we could do just as good a job and now we're doing everything in-house - the heads, blocks, all the machine work is done in-house."

Black cited the team's chemistry for its success the past five years.

"It's really a family affair here and that's the way I've always approached drag racing - even the good old Stardust (Raceway) days," he said. "I raced out there in 1964 when the Stardust first opened. I won a trophy and a jacket and I've been a fool ever since.

"There's a great work relationship ... and I consider every person at the shop and on the road team part of my family. I love those guys and would do anything for them. We have our little disputes here and there but everybody gets over it and there are no real egos on our team - other than mine, maybe."

Labonte's last ride

Two-time NASCAR Cup champion Terry Labonte said he has no regrets about ending his driving career Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. Labonte's only regret might be his decision to have competed on a limited basis the past two seasons.

"I wouldn't advise a limited schedule to anybody after I did it," he said. "It's a little bit tougher than I thought it was going to be. I think it wouldn't be so bad if your team ran every week and you just drove it occasionally ... but you're always trying to play catch-up ."

Labonte, who has 22 career Cup victories and won championships in 1984 and 1996, made 14 starts last season and 16 this year going into Sunday's Dickies 500. His best finish this season was a third-place effort at Infineon Raceway in June.

One good deed ...

Before the start of the ACDelco Las Vegas NHRA Nationals, Funny Car driver Jack Beckman spent one day last week visiting with patients at the O'Callaghan Federal Hospital adjacent to Nellis Air Force Base. Beckman, a cancer survivor, has been visiting hospitals since before he beat lymphoma in 2004.

"I appreciate the position they are in," he said of the patients he visits. "I've been down and I know people made an effort for me and it made a difference, so you try to make an effort when you can.

"The worst part about being sick is usually you are stuck in a hospital. I want to see if maybe we can brighten their day up a little bit. It's not that big of a deal to go out of your way and spend a few hours to drive out to a hospital to make people feel better."

Beckman, 40, was rewarded for his kindness with his first NHRA Funny Car victory Sunday at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

NHRA Pro Stock victories compiled this season by KB Racing drivers Greg Anderson and Jason Line

NHRA Pro Stock victories compiled by Anderson and Line since KB Racing was formed in 2002

"The first Cup race I ever saw in person was at Phoenix in 1994 and Terry Labonte won it in the No. 5 Kellogg's Chevy. It's amazing that I'm actually driving that car now. It's an honor."

Kyle Busch, reminiscing about Labonte, who will compete in his 848th and final Cup race this Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. Busch, a Las Vegas native, replaced Labonte in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy last season.