Scott Riggs, the top qualifier for the Kroger 300 gets five from five year-old fan Kyle Willinger of Louisville. (Glenn Hartong photo) | ZOOM |

        SPARTA, Ky. — Kentucky Speedway expects a sellout crowd of 66,000-plus for its second annual NASCAR Busch race today (8 p.m.), with four Winston Cup drivers in the field.

        Busch rookie star Scott Riggs won the pole for the Kroger 300 at 174.831 mph Friday. A NASCAR Hills Brothers All-Pro race scheduled for late Friday night was rained out and rescheduled for 4 p.m. today.

        Blue Ash native Jeff Fultz, a part-time Busch driver, tried but failed to qualify for tonight's 43-car Busch field. Fultz will start third today in the All-Pro race, his regular circuit.

        Full-time Winston Cup drivers Joe Nemechek (qualified 11th) and Stacy Compton (27th) and part-time Cup drivers Todd Bodine (6th) and Hermie Sadler (34th) will be in tonight's Busch race. Nemechek and Compton also qualified Friday for Sunday's Winston Cup race at Michigan, with private jets transporting them the 315 miles between venues.

        Tonight's Kentucky crowd could approach the 70,338 that packed the speedway for its inaugural Busch race in 2001. The speedway originally planned not to sell standing-room tickets, but fans holding ticket stubs from Friday's All-Pro race can exchange them for standing-room tickets for all of today's events.

        “We've sold about 64,000, and I think it's going to sell out,” speedway general manager Mark Cassis said Friday. “We should have 70,000 people on the property when you count all the teams and support personnel. It's going to be big.”

        NASCAR president Mike Helton is scheduled to attend the race. Helton told the Enquirer this week that Kentucky probably would not be awarded a Winston Cup date in 2003, as the track had hoped. But the track still plans to give Helton a grand tour.

        “We'll fly him over the new (I-71) interchange and show him that, but mostly we'll just leave him alone,” speedway chairman Jerry Carroll said. “We're thrilled that he's coming, and we just plan to let the track speak for itself, as usual. We won't say anything about Winston Cup, but that remains our goal.”

        Busch is NASCAR's No. 2 circuit behind Winston Cup.

        Riggs, who won last year's NASCAR Craftsman Truck race at Kentucky, moved up to Busch this season and stands third in the season points race. The 31-year-old native of Bahama, N.C., became a first-time father Tuesday, with wife Jai giving birth to an 8-pound son named Lane.

        “I call him Fast Lane, but my wife doesn't like it,” Riggs said. “I figure if I can get around the track the fastest, I'll be able to get home sooner and carry the trophy home to him.”

        Jay Sauter, who set the previous Kentucky Busch qualifying record of 171.860 last year, will start No. 2 this time. Series points leader Jack Sprague will start No. 3.

        Other notable names include Larry Foyt (son of A.J.) at No. 5; Casey Mears (nephew of Rick) at No. 13; Ricky Hendrick (son of Rick) at No. 14; Coy Gibbs (son of Joe) at No. 28; Steadman Marlin (son of Sterling) at No. 31; and Kerry Earnhardt (son of Dale Sr.) at No. 35.

        Former Winston Cup regulars Ron Hornaday (15th), Kevin Lepage (18th), David Green (26th), Mike Wallace (33rd) and Kenny Wallace (37th) are also in the field.

        Qualifying speeds, which reached nearly 175 mph, were about 3 mph faster than last year's Busch qualifying. Drivers attributed that to a newly repaved asphalt surface.

        “The track is silky smooth,” said Riggs. “There are no trouble spots. I think that's why you're seeing the faster speeds.”

        Tonight's winner will receive a check for nearly $85,000, with the total purse of $1.217 million ranking third on the Busch circuit behind only Daytona and Texas.

        Weather isn't expected to be a factor, with relatively cool temperatures (upper 60s) and only a slight chance of rain at race time.

Sports Stories

DAUGHERTY: Chalk up another Woods win Flesch pleased with himself It's not supposed to be this hard Long Bethpage gets even longer in the rain Tiger a mismatch on rainy Black Course Sorenstam leads Evian Masters U.S. team joins Korea, Japan, Belgium in second round World Cup TV schedule Speedway officials hope for big crowd Polesitting Riggs happy as a father Unser sheds weight, image Da Matta shows rivals ad for Newman's new flick Hewitt, Henman in semis Jarrett continues surge by winning Michigan pole Georgia Tech's Bakker too much for S. Carolina Red Wings got it from Day 1 Broadnax, Team Cincinnati set for Hoop-It-Up tourney Coming up this week

Reds 4, Pirates 3
Reds box, runs
If crowds grow, so do Reds
Pete Rose is a hit at ballpark site visit
Boone shuts 'em up with his bat
Griffey's hamstring improving, so DL out for now
Newest Red throws from left side with upside
No DH
Interleague roundup
Notes from Friday's games
Lousiville 2, Norfolk 1
Ky: Colonels state champs
All-Stars: Kentucky 31, Tennessee 14