DRIVERS BATTLE IN FRIENDLY 'FEUD'.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK Motor Sports

A select group of NASCAR drivers and teams have been preparing for weeks to participate on ``Family Feud,'' some even buying DVD versions of the game to play on the road before races.

Before the Pop Secret 500 at California Speedway, they finally got their chance to play for real.

Eight NASCAR drivers and their race teams taped episodes of the ``Feud'' at the Tribune Studios in Los Angeles before the California Speedway races. Kevin Harvick and Jeremy Mayfield's teams were the first to face off for real. The shows, hosted by Richard Karn (aka Al from ``Home Improvement'') will air Nov. 8-12 on KCAL Ch. 9. Check local listings for additional broadcasts.

``I grew up watching the 'Family Feud','' said Harvick, the Richard Childress Racing driver from Bakersfield. ``I think we all did. I think it's pretty cool seeing all the different people participating.''

Some of the teams are taking this pretty seriously. Mayfield and Harvick each bought DVD versions of game and have been playing against each other before races. They got together for a practice round before the Michigan International Speedway races and Mayfield won two out of three games.

``It helps us get away from the normal, everyday stuff,'' said Mayfield, the driver of the No. 19 Dodge for Evernham Motorsports. ``It's a fun break.''

Each game was worth $20,000 for charity. Mayfield's and Harvick's teams were playing for the Victory Junction Gang Camp, established by the Petty family for disabled children. Ward Burton was playing for the Ward Burton Wildlife Foundation. Casey Mears was playing for Target House; Bill Lester for the Urban Youth Racing School; and Sterling Marlin for the Boys and Girls Club of Nashville.

NASCAR Busch Series driver Kenny Wallace and Nextel Cup Series driver Elliott Sadler were playing for the Autism Society of America. But Wallace and his team didn't spend that much time practicing before playing for real.

``I literally grew up watching it, so I pretty much knew all the rules,'' said Wallace, driver of the No. 23 Chevrolet for Bill Davis Racing. ``It's like watching 'Gilligan's Island' every day after school when you get off the bus at 3:45.''

But it still was a childhood dream-come-true for Wallace to be on the show.

``The first thing I thought when they asked us to do it was, right away I thought about growing up in St. Louis when I was a kid watching it with Richard Dawson,'' Wallace said. ``He made the show legendary.''

During a practice game, Mayfield showed some of his true colors. The question was: What do people keep by their bed, just in case?

He offered handgun, and thank goodness it wasn't the most popular answer, but still it came in at No. 3, giving Mayfield's team the victory.

``It's a lot different up there than it is out here,'' Harvick said after playing the practice round with Mayfield's team. ``It's a lot easier when you're sitting out here and there's no pressure on you. Up there, you're under the gun and you have to think of something.''

Tune in for the airing in November to see how the drivers and their teams responded to the game-show pressure.

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