NASCAR COUNTS ON FEMALE FANS 30 MILLION WOMEN CAN'T BE WRONG.

Byline: Tim Haddock Staff Writer

Die-hard NASCAR fan Julianne Seeley won't be at the Nextel Cup Series race at California Speedway in Fontana next Sunday.

Instead she'll be getting her own pink-and-white 1976 Chevrolet Camaro ready for the upcoming NASCAR Super Stock season at Irwindale Speedway.

``It's conflicting with my practice,'' Seeley said. ``But I definitely will be going to the Labor Day race.''

Seeley is part of a growing - and sometimes glittery - female contingent.

Of the 4.1 million people nationwide who watched the Nextel Cup Series Sony HD 500 at California Speedway on television in September, 40 percent were women, according to NASCAR. For last year's February Cup race at California, 36 percent of the 3.1 million TV viewers were women.

Adding sparkle to this emerging fan base are singers Sheryl Crowe, Amy Grant and LeAnn Rimes, along with Whoopi Goldberg, Carmen Elektra and Pamela Anderson. Actress Lindsay Lohan spent a considerable amount of time two years ago with the Cup drivers while filming ``Herbie: Fully Loaded'' at California Speedway.

NASCAR says women are drawn to the sport for the obvious. The drivers are hot - they're good-looking, courageous, well-spoken and funny. Races are very accessible for fans who can walk through the pits before an event and perhaps meet some of their favorite drivers.

``It appeals to everybody,'' said Alicia Kelley of Mission Hills, who spends Saturday nights with her daughters at Irwindale Speedway cheering for her husband Brian and his NASCAR Super Late Model entry.

``It brings us all together in one group watching the race.''

While Alicia Kelley roots for her husband on Saturdays, Sundays are reserved for Jimmie Johnson.

``He's local and I don't like guys who are rough, like Tony Stewart.''

For fans like Seeley, though, involvement goes well beyond the stands.

Seeley, who lives in Camarillo, has been racing stock cars since 1990 at Saugus Speedway, Cajon Speedway, Madera Speedway, The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and, of course, Irwindale.

Her love of NASCAR began during a 1988 race at Saugus. Some NASCAR Winston Cup drivers were running a charity race at the old track in Santa Clarita, and Seeley had the good fortune of being in the pits during the event.

She got to meet some big-name drivers - Rusty Wallace, Davey Allison, Ernie Irvan, Michael Waltrip and Rick Wilson.

``I didn't know who they were, but I was fascinated by it,'' she said.

Two years later, Seeley put together her own stock car team and started racing at Saugus. She became one of the track's more popular drivers, her No. 18 Camaro clearly recognizable every race. Sixteen years later, she is still rubbing fenders at NASCAR short tracks in and around Southern California.

When she isn't racing, she's watching. She rarely misses the NASCAR races at California Speedway.

For her and her family, the Daytona 500 parties rival Super Bowl celebrations.

If there is a driver she follows, it's Jeff Gordon. She has also been a fan of Allison and Wallace. But she gave up Wallace when he switched from racing Chevies to Fords - she's a Chevrolet woman. That's one reason she now follows Gordon, driver of the No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

She is married to NASCAR. Her husband has been racing at local tracks, Saugus and Irwindale mainly, for almost 15 years. The couple and their eldest daughter, who's 8, have traveled together to Daytona International Speedway in Florida, Las Vegas Motor Speedway and Phoenix International Raceway in Arizona to watch NASCAR races.

And the yearly trek to California Speedway in Fontana is another given - at least once a year.

When Amee Blue says she has racing in her blood, she means it literally.

Her racing pedigree is linked to Jim Robinson, a NASCAR driver from North Hollywood who won three straight West Series championships from 1983-85. He died in 1996.

Blue said she followed her cousin's career as early as she can remember. One race at the old Riverside International Raceway, Robinson sneaked Blue into the pits by hiding her in his hauler. She was too young to be in the pits at the time, but once in, she took advantage of the opportunity.

Robinson was racing in a West Series event with NASCAR Winston Cup drivers, a more common practice back then than it is now. She got to meet Kyle Petty in the pits and see Robinson hang with Richard Petty for most of the race.

``That was exciting,'' she said.

Blue, who lives in Norwalk, started racing in the NASCAR Mini Stock division at Irwindale five years ago. She has dabbled in some other classes and taken her cars to The Orange Show in San Bernardino to race. When she isn't racing, she is working with the crews of other teams. She gets asked to be a spotter just about every time she visits Irwindale on a night she isn't racing.

``I didn't know anything but racing growing up,'' Blue said. ``It was just natural.''

She and Seeley have traveled together to watch NASCAR races. They went to Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee once for a race.

Now they work together on Seeley's team. Blue also works with Brandon Loverock's NASCAR Elite Division, Southwest Series, team. When they do get a break from racing, Blue can often be found at the Loverock's home watching NASCAR Nextel Cup Series races on television.

``If we're not home for any reason, we tape 'em and watch it later,'' Blue said.

NASCAR says it has 75 million fans, 30 million of whom are women. No other sport can boast that kind of number.

They travel all across the country to watch races, rarely miss races when they are on television and support local events, from NASCAR Cup races at California Speedway to local short track events at Irwindale.

Some, like Seeley and Blue, are dedicated competitors, taking their love of NASCAR to the next level.

``It's in my blood,'' Blue said. ``And it's never going away.''

Susan Abram, [phone]

timothy.haddock(at)dailynews.com

CAPTION(S):

2 photos

Photo:

(1 -- color) Julianne Seeley of Camarillo loves watching NASCAR's Nextel Cup Series, but given a choice she'd rather race her pink-and-white 1976 Chevrolet Camaro in the NASCAR Super Stock circuit. Seeley has been racing stock cars since 1990.

Gene Blevins/Special to the Daily News

(2 -- color) Pop star Lindsay Lohan poses with Jeff Gordon, left, and Jimmie Johnson during a break in filming of ``Herbie: Fully Loaded.''

Sherryl Creekmore/NASCAR