Holiday tradition reaches finish

DARLINGTON, S.C. -- The sun beat down on the thousands sitting on the aluminum bleachers Saturday at Darlington Raceway.

The temperature hovered in the mid-90s and the humidity was smothering as the final practice for today's Southern 500 droned on.

Ah, Darlington Raceway on Labor Day weekend.

South Carolina summer heat aside, it is etched in the psyche of stock car fans that the end of August means NASCAR's oldest 500-mile race is at the stock car sport's oldest venue.

After today, that tradition will be no more.

NASCAR, looking to extend its reach to larger markets with tracks newer, bigger and more glittery than Darlington's "Lady in Black," has awarded the Labor Day weekend date in 2004 to 7-year-old California Speedway. It's a second race for the track 60 miles east of Los Angeles.

Darlington has been fighting a losing battle to fill its 58,910 seats for the Southern 500 and its spring race, while the California track has consistently sold out its approximately 110,000 seats since being given a spring race in 1997.

Darlington will retain its Southern 500, but the race will be run in the cool of November, probably under the lights that are due to be installed during the next year.

"It's supposed to be hot and the track's slick and everything. I'm one of the ones that hate to see it leave," said Terry Labonte, a two-time Winston Cup champion whose first of 21 victories came in the 1980 Southern 500.

Elsewhere

BUSCH: Teenage teammates Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch finished 1-2 in the Busch Series Winn-Dixie 200 at Darlington Raceway.

The 19-year-old Vickers pulled away after a late caution. Busch, 18, passed Michael Waltrip for second.

CART: Bruno Junqueira earned the pole for the CART Grand Prix of Denver.

Junqueira, who won Friday's provisional pole, didn't need to make an attempt Saturday since none of the qualifiers bettered his track record set Friday.

--From wire reports