ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Tuesday, January 9, 1996 TAG: 9601100123
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: CHARLOTTE, N.C.
SOURCE: Associated Press
HARRY GANT, who retired from the Winston Cup circuit in 1994, is coming back to race in NASCAR's hot new field.
Harry Gant, who turns 56 on Wednesday, is coming out of retirement to drive in NASCAR's popular SuperTruck series.
``It's definitely not going to be long-term,'' Gant said Monday from his office in Taylorsville, N.C. ``We'll just do it for a year or two and see how the sponsors feel and see how I feel and take it from there. Of course, if I start winning, that'll make it tough, I suppose, but I don't plan on staying in it forever.''
Gant, who won 18 races in his Winston Cup career before retiring at the end of the 1994 season, said he plans to run about 10 events on the 24-race SuperTruck schedule, starting with the season opener March 17 in Homestead, Fla.
Gant said one of the main attractions with running a limited SuperTruck schedule is the compact nature of the series, which opened last year to sold-out crowds and rave reviews at its 20 stops.
Most of the events Gant plans to race in are east of the Mississippi River, meaning travel would be negligible and each race would represent only a one- or two-day trip. That's a stark contrast with the relative grind of Winston Cup racing, where most events require drivers to spend four days at the venue.
``To tell the truth,'' Gant said, ``I kind of miss the competition a little bit. But I just sort of got my fill of all of that travel and time away from my family with Winston Cup. That's where this will be better.''
Gant will drive a No.33 Chevrolet co-owned by Bob Best and Bud Hutchens. The team has secured several associate sponsors but is still negotiating with a potential primary backer.
Gant said he did not watch any live broadcasts of Winston Cup races last year, but he did watch televised SuperTruck events at Milwaukee and North Wilkesboro.
``It looked like a lot of fun,'' he said. ``I kind of got pumped up to do it after seeing those guys get after it.''
Stories about Gant's superior physical condition were common on the Winston Cup circuit, and he appears to have lost none of his edge, according to those close to him.
``If there's anyone I've ever been acquainted with who's found that fountain of youth, Harry's got it,'' Best said, noting that Gant continues to erect fences regularly and performs various construction jobs.
NASCAR spokesman Andy Hall said the sanctioning body sees no stumbling blocks to Gant returning to competition.
``Age is only a number,'' Hall said. ``It's the physical shape you're in. When Harry was still racing in Winston Cup, he was in better shape than drivers who were 20 years younger. So we're certainly not concerned about it at all from that standpoint.''
Gant becomes the latest high-profile Winston Cup veteran to experiment with SuperTruck racing, joining the likes of Geoff Bodine, Ernie Irvan, Terry Labonte and Ken Schrader.
``I haven't even sat in one of them yet,'' Gant said, ``but I just know it's going to be fun.''
LENGTH: Medium: 65 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: (headshot) Gant. color.by CNB