IN SIGHT Yes, but is it bulletproof? Actually, that car was just about bulletproof this year. FOCUS: JEFF GREEN Jeff Green finished 17th in points in 2002, best among the Richard Childress Racing stable of himself, Kevin Harvick and Robby Gordon. A few months into the 2003 season, however, Green was fired. The move came after Green's 40th-place finish at Richmond, which left him 32nd in points after 11 races. But the firing likely had more to do with Green's public criticisms of Harvick than it did his on-track struggles. "Tough to be teammates when it seems like there's only one car at RCR," said Green after Harvick wrecked him at Richmond. "I'm trying to be the best teammate I can be and some other people don't be -- that's what I told (Childress)." Green moved on to the No. 1 car -- formerly occupied by Steve Park, who took over for Green in RCR's No. 30. A few months later, Dale Earnhardt Inc. replaced Green with John Andretti. Green's next move? Andretti's old ride, of course, in Petty Enterprises' No. 43. And Green knew exactly what was at stake as he finished the season with Petty. "I've been auditioning all my life it seems like, especially in the Winston Cup Series." The audition apparently went well enough, as Petty named Green as the driver of the 43 car for next season. "Having those races together this past season should help us a lot as we start 2004," said Green, who finished 34th in points in 2003. "I am excited to be part of Petty Enterprises, to drive the famous number 43, but most of all, to be working with some very talented people." Green finished three spots ahead of teammate and team chief Kyle Petty, who made 33 starts this season to Green's 31. "As Jeff spent more time in the car, and as he and Gary (crew chief Gary Putnum) and the Cheerios guys worked together, it started to become pretty obvious he was the best choice we could make for a driver," said Petty. "He knows how to win races and he knows how to win championships. We feel we can give him the people and equipment he needs to be successful, and we're looking forward to a great relationship." Green, a former Busch Series champion, has yet to win a Cup race but has five career top-five finishes. He also started on the pole for the 2003 Daytona 500. PIT PASS Brack Kenny Brack is continuing his rehabilitation from injuries suffered in a crash at the IRL's season-ending event at Texas in October. Brack, who suffered a fractured right femur, a fractured sternum, a fractured lumbar vertebrae and fractures to both ankles in the wreck and underwent several surgeries, was transferred to Dodd Hall Rehabilitation Center at the Ohio State University Hospital in Columbus on Monday after spending almost six weeks in Indianapolis' Methodist Hospital and the Rehabilitation Hospital of Indiana. "I can tell you that I feel I am getting stronger every day," said Brack, who finished ninth in IndyCar points last year and plans to return to racing. "I was ecstatic the other day when the leg doctor came in and said, 'your bones are healing faster than what we expected and you can start walking on your left leg tomorrow.' "Since then I have walked nearly every day. Every day I am walking a little bit further. I have been walking with crutches. That's a lot harder as it requires more balance and it wears me out really fast at the moment. That's what happens when you spend about six to seven weeks in bed." Brack expects to return home within two weeks. When President Bush refers to NASCAR owner Jack Roush as "the Cat in the Hat," you know a news conference worth your while is afoot. Such was the case Tuesday at the White House, where NASCAR's best put on their finest suits and hobnobbed with the political powers that be. The day featured the President congratulating Winston Cup champion Matt Kenseth, telling Brian France that it's OK to follow in your father's footsteps, and showing that he indeed follows NASCAR -- naming drivers and track presidents in the crowd by name, knowing even where some of them hail from. With a row of gleaming cars parked on the South Lawn, NASCAR enjoyed a splashy beginning to a week that includes its awards banquet in New York. Kenseth, who said he was happily soaking everything up this week, did a Web site chat with fans (on whitehouse.org) who wanted to know why he didn't do a doughnut on the South Lawn. We at Gas and Go thought the suggestion was wonderful, but sadly, Kenseth didn't make himself an instant national icon and tear up the President's yard. Oh well -- he is billed as a conservative champ after all, right? The day still featured memorable remarks from Bush, who referred to the race fans in his administration as a bunch of "Bubbas." Of Kenseth, he said, "He worked his way up the ranks to the Busch Series. I kind of like the name of that series. This year, he drove his Number 17 Ford all the way to the Winston Cup title. He's a great driver, and, like me, he married well. We appreciate Katie coming here today." Matt was having too much fun presenting President Bush a championship leather jacket to notice the leader of the free world hitting on his wife. All kidding aside, Tuesday's field trip to the White House was icing on the cake for the beaming series champ. "I've never been through anything quite like this before,'' Kenseth said. "It's fantastic that NASCAR has grown to something so big that I can be here and stand up there on the stage with the president of the United States and see the oval office. It's just really neat." For offseason appearances, it's going to be hard to top this one. EXHAUST FUMES Earnhardt A student-run newspaper's challenge to the constitutionality of a Florida law barring access to autopsy photos has been rejected by the United States Supreme Court. The Alligator, an independent newspaper staffed by University of Florida students, wanted access to the autopsy photos of Dale Earnhardt, who was killed during the 2001 Daytona 500. The paper claimed it wanted to view the photos as part of an exploration as to how Earnhardt died and whether better safety equipment might have saved him. Was it really just a publicity ploy or some renegade effort to obtain copies of the photos? Possibly. But taking representatives of the paper at their word, is launching a non-government sanctioned investigation a plausible reason to gain access to otherwise restricted photos? It boils down to freedom of information -- the public's so-called right to know -- versus a family's privacy rights. There is precedent for the courts to side with privacy rights unless significant reason can be shown to supercede those rights. The intentions might be noble, but acquiescing to the Alligator's request would set a difficult precedent. For any Earnhardt devotee -- or worse, someone looking to make a few bucks -- could conceivably gain access to the photos under the pretense that it's part of an investigation into the real cause of Earnhardt's death, when in reality it's just to satiate some morbid curiosity. Yes, there might be First Amendment rights here. And if there was a logical way to decide which organizations can and cannot gain access to the photos (and for what reason), well, there'd be something to be said for such an arrangement. But trying to determine on a case-by-case basis which inquiries are legitimate and which don't have merit would be problematic. In this case and in similar instances, the public is forced to trust that county and NASCAR officials did indeed divulge all there is to know surrounding Earnhardt's death. It's hard to imagine that anyone really wants to see those photos. But the newspaper had the right to ask. They were denied. Maybe now, we can all move on. MAILBAG

Jack Roush finally bought a championship with five teams. He will need more next year -- Martin is over the hill. Gordon Andrews Danville, Ill. It is the era of the megateam. Forget one-car teams -- at this rate, two-car efforts might become a thing of the past. After all, it really wouldn't be that difficult for a Roger Penske, Joe Gibbs or Ray Evernham to add one more full-time effort to their stable. And those cars surely would be stronger than the BAM and BACE efforts off the truck, assuming those teams are still without major sponsorship. As for Roush buying a championship -- well, it's not that Roush is the Yankees and he outspends every other team. Rather, Roush, Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, Dale Earnhardt Inc., etc., are all the Yankees and each has and uses a huge budget. For better or worse, big spending is necessary in NASCAR these days. Jack Roush simply plays the same game the other owners do -- he just played it better than most in 2003. Got your own questions about what's happening in the pits? Ask away, and we'll answer a question or two in the next Gas&Go. Name: E-mail address: City, state: Your comment: OVERHEARD President George W. Bush On 2003 Winston Cup champion Matt Kenseth during his White House visit: "He worked his way up the ranks to the Busch Series. I kind of like the name of that series." Terry Labonte On his emotional battle for 10th: "I haven't been on a roller coaster in three years but by the time we finished at Homestead (Fla.), I wasn't sure if I had just spent the day at a racetrack or an amusement park." Christian Klien On landing an F1 ride: "Knowing that I am a Jaguar F1 driver has made me the happiest man on earth! I have worked tirelessly over the years to get to this point but I appreciate also that the real hard work for me starts now."