NEAL SIMS
News staff writer
TALLADEGA -- There's nothing like a race just down the street, and four Alabama drivers get something close to that when NASCAR sets down this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway.
For Steve Grissom of Gadsden, who last ran here as a Cup driver in NASCAR's top series two years ago, a shot in the Busch series race seems like a reunion.
"The track is like an old friend," Grissom said. "I've turned in a bunch of laps testing, racing, testing some more and racing even more. In Alabama, we take our racing seriously. It makes a lot of difference to know I have thousands of people in my corner this weekend."
Grissom will have to share the home fans. There are no Alabama drivers in the Nextel Cup main event, but three will chase a spot in the field for Saturday's Aaron's 312 during qualifying for the Busch race this afternoon.
Tina Gordon of Cedar Bluff, a full-timer in NASCAR's truck series, is using the break in that schedule to run at Talladega.
Mike Harmon of Birmingport brings his regular No.24 entry to the Busch race.
Jimmy Kitchens of Hueytown, trying to beef up a part-time schedule, also has landed a ride.
"Everyone remembers the `Alabama Gang' with the Allisons and Neil Bonnett," Grissom said. "They made Alabama a hotbed for racing superstars. They never had more support than when they raced at Talladega. Those days have passed, and the fans have looked for other Alabama drivers to support. I feel honored to be one of them racing this weekend."
Grissom ranks highest in the Busch standings among the Alabama entries. He is 29th, sharing a ride in the No.36 Chevrolets fielded by DCT Motorsports. The team, owned by two Cleveland businessmen, got its name from their catch phrase, "Dreams Come True."
Grissom, a former Busch champion, is the principal driver. Travis Geisler, a 23-year-old graduate of Vanderbilt, drove the car in the last race at Nashville.
Gordon will be running for her fourth straight year at Talladega. She finished 10th in this race last season. The previous two years, Gordon ran 10th and 12th in ARCA events.
For this run, Johnny Davis Racing is fielding her car with backing from Gordon's longtime sponsor, Sticks'n' Stuff.
"Our main goal is to get as much experience as we can in the Busch series," Gordon said. "Every opportunity I get, I need to do it."
Kitchens has a ride in the No.39 car with one-time Daytona 500 winner Derrike Cope as a teammate. Jay Robinson Racing put Kitchens in its second car with backing from Pelham businessman Woody Quinn and C&W Drilling.
Kitchens will be pulling double duty, helping with training sessions as part of the "Safety Wins" driving program sponsored by the National Safety Council.
Harmon also has double duty, but on the tracks. He plans to run the Southern All-Star Race on his old home track at Birmingham International Raceway on Saturday night.
