SEPTEMBER 18, 2005 --

LPR now knows that the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing -- NASCAR, has an office in Manhattan -- and on Park Avenue, at that.

The information came from Laz Benitez, formerly with NYC2012 (which lost its bid for the 2012 Olympics) and now East Regional Media Manager for NASCAR.

A media advisory informed LPR that the top ten NASCAR drivers would be at the ESPN Zone at Times Square September 15 for a question and answer session with
fans, before beginning the competition for the NASCAR Nextel Cup at the New Hampshire International Speedway.

To this point these drivers have been in 26 races; the cup goes to the top driver after ten more races, beginning with the one in New Hampshire race.

The ten drivers, in the order of the unofficial standings as of September 16:

Tony Stewart, Greg Biffle, Rusty Wallace, Jimmie Johnson, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Jeremy Mayfield, Carl Edwards, Matt Kenseth and Ryan Newman.

LPR, not knowing much about NASCAR racing, asked Mark Martin if racing is
popular in New Hampshire and whether he had raced there before. Greg Biffle, seated at the table with Martin, joked, "twice." Martin then told LPR that this is his tenth year in New Hampshire.

Certainly for LPR, the NASCAR stop in New York City was advisory indeed. From this point, LPR will have some familiarity with the NASCAR driver names heard on, say, the Don Imus program.

From New Hampshire, NASCAR goes to Dover, Delaware, September 25 for the second in the ten race playoffs to determine the NASCAR champion.

And this is what they are chasing - The NASCAR Nextel Cup.