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--> --> Race track gives fans ride of a lifetime CONCORD, N.C. (AP) - With just the slightest hesitation, 64-year-old William Allen climbed into a Winston Cup-style car and buckled up. Hooks fastened and helmet securely in place, he looked over at his wife and gave her the thumbs-up sign. Allen, a lifelong racing fan, was about to get the ride of his life. Selected from the stands at Lowe's Motor Speedway, the retiree was headed out onto the 1 1/2-mile track as a passenger in NASCAR driver Robby Gordon's car during a one-on-one "Grudge Match." "Let's do it," Allen said with a smile. In the car next to him, Robin Owensby was patiently being strapped into her seat while her husband and daughter snapped pictures. Owensby goes to the track every Tuesday night for the summer racing series. One of the weekly events has always been the Grudge Match, which pits two NASCAR drivers in convertible stock cars for a nine-lap race. This year, the track added a twist, allowing fans in the stands to fill out an entry form for a chance to ride along. Owensby filled one out every week and got the call after a month. "Every week I sit there saying over and over, `Please pick my name, please pick my name,"' she said. "When I was picked, I was so excited. "It's the opportunity of a lifetime, better than anything you can do at an amusement park whether you're a racing fan or not." So here she was, wearing a blue fire suit and a white racing helmet as driver Ryan Newman climbed in next to her. Neither of the passengers claimed to be nervous or scared, but when the ignition switch was flipped and the engines began to roar, their eyes said otherwise. As Gordon and Newman pulled away, the passengers gave one last wave to their families before bearing down for their adventure. Allen's ride got off to an auspicious start. On the first trip around the track, Gordon was too wide coming out of turn 3. With a slight tap from behind from Newman, Gordon spun out and ran into the line of protective barrels. After a full spin, the car came to a stop on top of two barrels and facing the wrong direction. "Best part of the whole race," Allen said. "That didn't scare me a bit." The race came to a halt as a tow truck rushed over to the car, hooked up the front end and lifted it while workers pushed the barrels out from underneath it. Soon, the race resumed, with Newman and Owensby winning the first three-lap segment. Gordon took the second round, tying it up before the final shootout. When the green flag dropped on the final segment, the cars were side-by-side and almost touching. This time, Newman was on the outside and his sweeping motion out of turn 2 sent his car frighteningly close to the wall. "That was the worst part," Owensby said. "We were a little too close to the wall for my comfort. I squeezed my eyes shut because that was pretty scary." It was short-lived fear - Newman cut his right front tire on the next lap and the car could only limp around the track as Gordon and Allen raced off to victory. Gordon, in full entertainer mode, did doughnuts to celebrate and a full burnout along the front stretch, sending thick puffs of white smoke into the grandstand to the delight of 10,000 fans. "This is supposed to be fun, so I did my best to make it that way," Gordon said. "Fans don't know what it feels like to spin out, they don't know what it's like to rub the car next to you, and that's what I thought this was about." When the car finally came to a stop, a breathless Allen jumped out, barely able to contain his excitement and thankful Gordon had given him the full show. "I'd do it again - tonight if they'd let me," he said. It was a learning experience for both passengers, who got to witness what a driver actually does during a race. Owensby was amazed as she watched Newman use his feet as he alternated between the gas pedal and the brake in the turns. "It looked like a lot of hard work," she said. "And the car seemed really powerful and difficult to control. I never realized that part of it." Allen couldn't believe the heat. Even though it was nighttime, the car was a convertible and the whole event lasted less than 30 minutes, he got an idea how uncomfortable it can be during a long race. "I don't know how they stand that heat," he said. "I could feel it coming up from the floorboards, roasting my feet. I don't know if I'd be able to take that part of it." But, like Owensby, he'd be willing to find out if given the opportunity. "I'm 64 years old and I've never had an experience like that in my life," he said. "Probably never will either. It was fantastic." --- On the net: Track: http://www.lowesmotorspeedway.com NASCAR: http://www.nascar.com Email your... 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