Labonte could clinch the Winston Cup season title today. Stewart has the most wins this year. But NASCAR 2000 has been somewhat of a downer, after the sport's popularity soared in the 1990s.

        The deaths of drivers Adam Petty and Kenny Irwin were obviously the worst of it. There also was the realization the sport's appeal may have peaked. That had to happen sometime, and 2000 was when it did.

        TV ratings are down. NASCAR is still No.2 to the NFL in weekly season ratings, but network ratings on CBS, ABC, and NBC have dropped 7 percent — to 5.2 — this year.

        That is the first decline since ratings for the sport started rising a decade ago. Over-saturation, too many commercials, lack of promotion by lame-duck TV networks, and dull races all have been blamed.

        In recent weeks, veteran observers say the quality of racing has picked up. Some teams apparently caught a second wind after the long summer grind, perked up by the thought of their (short) offseason vacations.

        Only three months until Daytona.

        TV LAND: Benny Parsons is among those leaving ESPN to head the announcing crew for NBC and TBS in 2001. Parsons, the 1973 Winston Cup champion, has been ESPN's top MASCAR analyst since 1989.

        • TNN announced Eli Gold, who has led its Winston Cup coverage, will be its play-by-play man for the World of Outlaws next year. TNN is among those losing its Winston Cup deal.

        • Last year, Fox, NBC, and TBS won the TV rights to NASCAR for about $400 million per year.

        Who gets all that money, which is estimated at $2.4 billion over the next six years?

        According to the Winston-Salem Journal, N.C., race teams are supposed to get 25 percent of the money, tracks get 65 percent, and NASCAR gets 10 percent.

        LOCAL SCENE: Locally, it was the biggest year for racing in recent memory.

        Exhibit A, of course, was the opening of 66,000-seat Kentucky Speedway.

        The Speedway brought NASCAR Craftsman Truck racing to town, plus the first Indy-style race in the Cincinnati area since before World War I.

        Next year, the NASCAR Busch Series — No. 2 tier behind the major league Winston Cup — visits.

        There were problems, notably the rain/parking/traffic disaster of opening night. But the speedway's quick response to that helped land the Busch race for next year.A Winston Cup race is the goal by 2002 or 2003.

        Local tracks Lawrenceburg Speedway, Florence Speedway and the three drag strips — Edgewater, Tri-State and Thorn Hill — also gained extra attention in the wake of Kentucky Speedway's opening.

        FULTZ FINISHES SECOND: Blue Ash native Jeff Fultz finished second in the final NASCAR Slim Jim All-Pro series standings.

        Fultz needed to win last week's finale at Nashville to challenge points-leader Billy Bigley, but Fultz finished 17th.

        Fultz had two victories and nine Top-10 finishes on the All-Pro circuit this year. The circuit ran at Kentucky Speedway in June and returns next year.

        SAY WHO?: CART team owner Chip Ganassi has announced replacements for former series champs Juan Montoya (Formula One in 2001) and Jimmy Vasser (not retained).

        Driving the red Target cars in 2001 will be two relative unknowns, Brazil's Bruno Junqueira, 23, and France's Nicolas Manassian, 27. The two drivers finished first and third, respectively, in Europe's F3000 class.

        NHRA UPDATE: Two more NHRA season championships were won last week in Ennis, Texas, with Gary Scelzi claiming his third Top Fuel title and Bob Panella Jr. taking his second Pro Stock Truck title.

        The week before, Angelle Seeling won her first Pro Stock Motorcycle championship and John Force won his 10th Funny Car title.

        E-mail: tgroeschen@enquirer.com

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