Jeff Gordon won Saturday's NASCAR Brickyard 400 at the
Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS), and earned a $1M bonus
from series sponsor Winston for getting to the winner's
circle after finishing in the top five in May's Winston Cup
race in Charlotte, according to Curt Cavin of the
INDIANAPOLIS STAR-NEWS. Gordon's "monstrous paycheck" for
the day came to $1.6M, the largest single-day check in
motorsports history (STAR-NEWS, 8/2). Including Saturday's
payday, Gordon's career earnings are at $20.3M, and he
trails only Dale Earnhardt on NASCAR's all-time money list
(FLORIDA TIMES-UNION, 8/2). In Chicago, Dave Van Dyck wrote
that NASCAR officials should "lay in bed at night, counting
their lucky stars" for Gordon, who "is to NASCAR what
Michael Jordan is to the NBA." Van Dyck: "[Gordon's] heavy
foot and level head have helped zoom the sport into an
unequaled state of popularity" (CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, 8/2).
NOTES: The race was a sellout, drawing a crowd of
"about" 320,000 (AP, 8/2)....In Indy, Robin Miller reviewed
ABC's broadcast of the race under the header, "ABC's
Coverage Proves Timely, Insightful." Miller wrote that
announcer Benny Parsons and pit reporters Bill Weber and Dr.
Jerry Punch "have raised the level" of the net's coverage,
and added that ABC's cameras "didn't miss much" (STAR-NEWS,
8/2)....NASCAR President Bill France gave the opening
command in the race in recognition of NASCAR's 50th
anniversary season. It marked the first time someone not in
the Hullman family gave the command at IMS (ENQUIRER, 8/2).
SHE'S A BARBIE GIRL: The new NASCAR Barbie doll, which
made its debut this weekend and hits stores in September,
"represents a corporate reach for one of the few markets
previously untouched by NASCAR." Several drivers, including
Kyle Petty and Dick Trickle, are lined up to assist in the
Barbie sales push. Trickle, on the new doll, which will
retail for about $40: "I like it. There's no rule ... that
it has to be a man driving our cars. Maybe one day, some
little girl who gets one of these will be out here racing."
Petty: "I really hoped she'd have the same earrings I do.
Obviously, I'm disappointed" (RICHMOND TIMES-DISPATCH, 8/1).
