Earlier this week, I received an announcement from Ed Lewi’s office that said a bunch of NASCAR stars are coming to the Spa city.

I do have a lot of friends that live and die by the sport though. Some travel all over the country for the big races.

Once in a blue moon, they’ll even convince me to watch a race on television at the local watering hole.

I usually agree to this with the full knowledge that either a Giants, Knicks or Yankees game is going to be on at the same time. That way, after 10 minutes of getting dizzy from watching cars go in circles, I can cheer as A-Rod smacks another homer to propel the Bronx Bombers past the BoSox to capture the American League East.

I’m getting a little ahead of myself. Let’s talk about September when it comes around and get back to the press release.

I began scanning it for all the details. The names are a who’s who on the NASCAR circuit. Kyle Petty. Richard Petty. Tony Stewart. Matt Kenseth. Steve Park. Harry Grant. Jeff Green. Niki Taylor.

Wait a minute. Had I just read that right? Niki Taylor. It can’t be supermodel Niki Taylor. It must be some new female driver or a dude with a feminine name. Sorry Nikki Sixx.

Not to be Petty, but why would a gorgeous vixen like Niki Taylor be hanging out with a bunch of NASCAR dudes and why am I all of the sudden really interested in this event.

I kept reading on and found out the reason why Niki Taylor is involved - charity.

You see, the Chick-fil-A Kyle Petty Charity ride is now in its 13th year of raising money for children’s charities.

The NASCAR drivers, along with Niki Taylor and former NFL star running back Herschel Walker, will be presenting a check to children and administrators from the Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne.

The Double H Ranch camp caters to critically and chronically ill children. All programs are free of charge and capture the magic of the Adirondacks.

The Ranch also provides the venue for weekends sponsored by a number of family based support programs. These weekends serve families coping with HIV/AIDS, breast cancer, the loss of a child, Von Willebrand’s Disease, families where a parent has cancer and many more.

The NASCAR drivers trade in their cars for motorcycles to drive down the eastern seaboard. The event kicks off in Bay Harbor, Maine, on Saturday before stopping in Saratoga Springs on Sunday night.

To date, the ride has logged more than 45,000 miles and has included more than 5,000 riders to generate more than $9 million for charity.

An evening dinner will be held Sunday at the Saratoga Automobile Museum in the Saratoga Spa State Park from 6-9 p.m. The public can purchase tickets for $250 per person. Call Lorri Bellcourt at 724-1015, ext. 146. Tickets are going quickly, so act now.

This is the perfect setting for all you NASCAR fans to meet some of your favorite drivers. Make sure you give them your full attention. Crowd them with all the things you want signed. Ask them for pictures. You’ll feel good about it because it’s all for a good cause.

Just leave me and Niki alone. We’ll be busy getting to know each other.

Sports editor Eric DeGrechie can be reached at 581-2480 extension 214 and This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it