CELEBRITIES TAKING THEIR TURNS.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK Motor Sports

FONTANA - It's been a while since Melissa Joan Hart has been to California Speedway. The actress from ``Sabrina the Teenage Witch'' fame last made a trip to the Fontana track to watch her then-boyfriend, Casey Mears, race in the NASCAR Busch Series.

She returned Wednesday to participate in the Richard Petty Driving Experience with a host of other celebrities. No stranger to auto racing, Hart jumped behind the wheel of a NASCAR Nextel Cup Series stock car and took eight laps around the two-mile, D-shaped oval.

``I love cars. I love racing. I love this track,'' said Hart, who has competed in three Toyota Pro-Celebrity races at the Grand Prix of Long Beach, including one this month.

As for Mears, Hart said they only dated for about a month, but she has paid attention to most of his racing career.

``I met him at the Long Beach Grand Prix in 1999,'' Hart said. ``But I followed his career for a long time. I went to all his races in California until he started in NASCAR. I saw him race here once, but it's the only NASCAR race I've been to.''

Because of other commitments, Hart won't be at Sunday's Auto Club 500. Among other things, she is involved in a play in Santa Monica.

But when asked if she will be rooting for any particular driver in the race, Hart responded, ``Is he racing?'' in reference to Mears.

When she was told yes, she said, ``Then I'll root for him.''

Among the other celebrities at the track were musician Steve Harwell from Smashmouth, and actors Patrick Dempsey, Rob Schneider, Tom Jane, Patricia Arquette and Chris Klein. NASCAR Nextel Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson was also in attendance to give the less-daring a chance to ride in a stock car rather than drive one around the track.

Harwell said he loves NASCAR. He has gone through the Richard Petty Driving Experience before with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and has even driven Legend cars against Bobby Hamilton Jr., at a track in Nashville, Tenn.

``I did this once before with Junior out at Charlotte and I just love it,'' Harwell said. ``I want to get involved in team ownership in a couple of years, maybe in the Truck end of it or the Busch end. I really dig it.''

Harwell has a few drivers he likes to support, but when it comes to auto racing, he prefers the Indy Racing League to NASCAR.

``Jimmie's a friend. Kurt Busch, believe it or not. I like Tony (Stewart). He says how it is,'' Harwell said. ``I'm a huge IRL fan. I'm just a racing fanatic.''

Dempsey, a New England native, has been a NASCAR fan for as long as he can remember. But when asked who he follows, Dempsey had a little trouble answering.

``I grew up watching NASCAR and now my daughter watches,'' said Dempsey, from ``Loverboy'' and ``Can't Buy Me Love.'' ``It's really hard to pick one driver, but I'm from Maine, so I have to root for Ricky Craven.''

As much a student as a fan, Dempsey commented on the Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway race Sunday, when Jeff Gordon won under caution and was greeted by beer cans and garbage from the fans who wanted to see the race end under green and Earnhardt Jr. win.

``Junior should've won it,''said Dempsey, who will be at California Speedway for Sunday's race. ``He dominated all day long. At least they're safe. Everyone can race another week.''

Most of the celebrities in the Richard Petty Driving Experience were getting their first taste of NASCAR at the track. Johnson, in his third year of NASCAR Nextel Cup Series racing, can relate on a small level with some of the actors he met.

He was featured in the NASCAR Imax movie that was released earlier this year. Plus he has done a number of televisions commercials with his teammates, Gordon, Terry Labonte and Brian Vickers. But Johnson didn't spend much time talking about acting.

``I know so little about it that I seem to engage in conversations about racing,'' said Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports. ``I have to say the demeanor of a race car driver is to be pretty internal, pretty quiet. That's been something I can respect about all the movie stars and TV people: How over the top they have to be to make it look right.''

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