LOOKING IN ON: MOTOR SPORTS

Thursday, Nov. 9, 2006 | 7:09 a.m.

Alex Haase has a big test Monday, but you won't find him with his nose buried in a book this weekend.

In fact, Haase, a junior at Centennial High, will be preparing for his test by hanging out with NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver and fellow Las Vegas native Kyle Busch this weekend at Phoenix International Raceway.

After Sunday's Nextel Cup race in Arizona, Haase will accompany Busch back to North Carolina and will take part in a private test with Busch in preparation for a 250-lap Super Late Model race at South Boston (Va.) Speedway on Nov. 25. The event, the inaugural "Mason-Dixon Meltdown," will feature some of the top Super Late Model drivers and teams in the country.

Busch, who has taken Haase under his wing, lined up the ride through his contacts at Billy Ballew Motorsports, for whom Busch has driven in six NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series races this season.

"We're going to field a car for Richie Wauters - he's the crew chief for Billy Ballew's NASCAR Craftsman Truck team," Haase said. "Kyle Busch hooked me up with that deal, and it's going to be pretty cool.

"This is the first time this race has gone off, and I guess it's going to be a big deal - a lot of big Super Late Model team names. I don't know what to expect quite yet, but I can't wait to go down there."

Haase, 16, wrapped up his racing season at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Saturday night with a 12th-place finish in the 140-lap Fall Classic Super Late Model open comp race. Haase led 84 laps before being forced to pit to replace a cracked right-front wheel.

Haase posted one Super Late Model victory and nine top-10 finishes in 15 races and also had a pair of top-10 efforts in six races at the half-mile Irwindale Speedway in Southern California.

Haase said he is attempting to put together a full-time ride for next season in either the Super Late Models division at Irwindale or the regional NASCAR West touring series.

"What we would really like to do is run the West Series on the West Coast - they dropped their age (limit) down to 16, and I think that would be the ultimate deal for me right now," he said.

"I have good sponsors, and we're getting with them in the next month or so to figure out what's going on. Craig Keough at Star Nursery has done a lot for me, and we're going to see if we can't put a deal together with him and Kyle and see what we come up with."

More testing

It already has been a busy month for Haase, who was in North Carolina last week to test at Tri-County Motor Speedway in Hudson for the WalTom Racing Driver Development Program.

Haase was one of 11 drivers selected from more than 1,000 applicants to take part in the test. At 16, he also was the youngest.

Haase said he has not heard back from WalTom Racing but said he was confident that he had a good test.

Stephen Leicht, a development driver with Robert Yates Racing, was the first driver to come out of the WalTom program.

Desert duel

Troy Herbst of Las Vegas is teaming up with Larry Roeseler of Hesperia, Calif., in an attempt to win the overall title in the legendary Baja 1000 desert race for a third consecutive year.

Herbst and Roeseler, the 2006 SCORE Desert Series overall points leaders, drew the 21st starting position in Class 1 and will take the green flag Thursday morning in Ensenada, Mexico. The finish line for the 1,050.83-mile course is on the outskirts of La Paz.

Herbst and Roeseler hold a slim five-point lead over fellow Class 1 racer Gary Weyhrich in the overall standings going into the final race of the SCORE season.

The 39th annual Tecate SCORE Baja 1000 desert race has attracted more than 425 entries from 38 states and 11 countries.

Points separating the top 10 drivers in the SCORE Desert Series overall points standings.

Time limit, in hours, race vehicles will have to finish the Baja 1000.

15:06:19

Winning time for Troy Herbst and Larry Roeseler in the 2005 Baja 1000 (which actually was a 708.8-mile race).