HECK OF A RIDE FOR THIS HOYA.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK Motor Sports

While a six-week layoff between races might disturb many NASCAR drivers, the break in the Winston West schedule couldn't have come at a better time for defending champion Brendan Gaughan.

The gap gave the Georgetown graduate a chance to watch his beloved Hoyas play in the NCAA basketball tournament at the Pond in Anaheim last weekend.

But Gaughan's devotion to his college program goes beyond just being a loyal fan. He's a former player.

Gaughan, who was also a kicker and wide receiver on the football team at Georgetown, went from the basketball practice squad as a freshman to the Elite Eight as a junior, to guarding Allen Iverson in practice every day and playing against Michael Jordan during summer workouts.

``Those four years are irreplacable in my life,'' Gaughan said.

The 25-year-old from Las Vegas said he remembers making only one basket in his three-year basketball career, against Adonal Foyle when the current Golden State Warrior was at Colgate.

In describing what it was like guarding Jordan, the 5-foot-9 Gaughan said, ``Very brief.''

And as far as playing with Iverson, Gaughan said he has the distinction of being one of the few players ever to start ahead of the defending NBA scoring champ, at least for a game. In Gaughan's senior season, then-coach John Thompson decided to start Gaughan over Iverson in a game at UNLV.

Thompson would write out his lineup on a chalkboard and show his team the starters in the huddle before the game. When the team saw Gaughan's name on the chalkboard, one of the assistants asked Gaughan if he was nervous.

``I told him, 'I've been here four years waiting for this. I'm not the one who should be nervous,' '' Gaughan said.

Gaughan can't remember exactly how many games he played - 80-some is his best guess. He played with Georgetown in three NCAA Tournaments, won two Big East Conference championships and was in what he calls the greatest game in NCAA history, which is also among ESPN's greatest games. It aired last week on ESPN Classic.

It was the 1996 Big East title game against the University of Connecticut. Ray Allen hit a jumper with five seconds left in the game to beat the Hoyas, who were the regular-season champions.

That Hoyas team advanced the farthest of the three Gaughan played on - to the Elite Eight and one win away from the Final Four. But Gaughan said being a Hoya was far more meaningful than winning or losing any one basketball game.

``It's a special thing to say you're part of the Georgetown family,'' he said.

--Gaughan's future: Gaughan's last race on the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series proved to be his best. In the OSH 250 at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, he led the race for 25 laps before finishing a career-best third in a crash-filled affair March 18.

He matched his career-best effort in the Trucks with a season-best third- place finish in the Winston West race in Bakersfield the following day.

Gaughan and his NAPA Auto Parts team plan on racing in six more Truck Series events this year. The team also wants to run a full season in 2002.

Gaughan's next Truck Series race will be Aug. 18 in Chicago. His next Winston West race is April 28 at California Speedway in Fontana.

--Kanke wins Southwest Series race: If not for a leaky Ford, M.K. Kanke might not have won his first race in more than two years Sunday.

The Frazier Park driver on the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Series was forced to switch to his backup - a Chevy Monte Carlo - and won in dominating fashion at Cajon Speedway.

It was Kanke's first victory since winning at Pike's Peak International Raceway in Fountain, Colo., in 1999.

An elated Kanke gave credit to his team, especially crew chief Dave Hand, for getting him to victory lane.

``El Cajon was awesome,'' said Kanke, a Kennedy High of Granada Hills graduate. ``It amazes me. This team is awesome. And Dave Hand is one heck of a crew chief.''

Kanke and his team arrived in El Cajon with two cars. The primary car, a Ford, started leaking water during practice. As a result, Kanke put the Ford away and took out his team's backup car, a Chevy.

``When we tested, (the Ford) was faster than the Chevrolet,'' Kanke said. If Kanke had been able to race the Ford, he might have led more than the 64 laps he did. The 125-lapper at Cajon Speedway saw one lead change, when Kanke passed Jim Pettit II and took over the lead on lap 61.

Kanke is off to his best start in years. In the season opener in Phoenix, he ran second to NASCAR Winston Cup star Ken Schrader. The El Cajon race was the second race of the 16-race season. The next stop for the Southwest Series is April 7 at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield.

THIS WEEK IN RACING

NASCAR

Winston Cup

Harrah's 500

Site: Fort Worth, Texas 

Schedule: Sunday, race (Fox, 9:30 a.m.)

Track: Texas Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.5 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 501 miles, 334 laps

Last race: Elliott Sadler earned his first career victory at the Food City 500 in Bristol, Tenn., where Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon made contact on the final lap, sending Stewart spinning. Stewart raced around the track on the cooldown lap and hit Gordon's car on pit road. NASCAR fined Stewart $10,000 and placed him on probation until Aug. 29.

Last year: Dale Earnhardt Jr. got his first Winston Cup victory in a car owned by his late father, who finished seventh.

Fast facts: Dale Earnhardt earned his first victory as a car owner when Dale Jr. won last year. ... Jeff Burton won the 1997 event for his first Winston Cup victory, and Roush Racing teammate Mark Martin took the 1998 race.

Next race: Virginia 500, April 8, Martinsville, Va.

On the net: http://www.nascar.com

BUSCHJani-King 300

Site: Fort Worth, Texas

Schedule: Today, race (Fox, 9:30 a.m.)

Track: Texas Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.5 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns)

Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps

Last race: Matt Kenseth, struggling this season in his Winston Cup car, found success in the Busch series by winning the crash-filled Cheez-It 250 in Bristol, Tenn. He led the final 48 laps at Bristol Motor Speedway and easily beat Tim Fedewa to the finish line for his 12th career Busch victory.

Last year: Mark Martin beat Kenseth by .403 seconds.

Fast facts: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the 1998 event for his first BGN victory.... Martin, who retired from the Busch series at the end of last season, has won three of the four Texas races.... No driver has won from the pole.... Defending series champion Jeff Green had a streak of consecutive top-10 finishes snapped last week at 10.

Next race: Pepsi 300, April 14, Nashville, Tenn.

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