In the driver's seat

Bobby Stitchick is barely old enough to drive, but that didn't stop him from climbing into the cockpit of a Sprint Cup stock car before the Daytona 500. No, he wasn't preparing to drive the No. 19 car in the Great American Race, but instead he was celebrating a prize package he won from Best Buy.

Bobby is a 16-year-old junior at Waynesburg (Pa.) Central High School and a huge Elliot Sadler fan, so he wagered $1,000 on an online auction at Best Buy's Web site. Each week, a winner receives race memorabilia, watches that weekend's race on a big screen television with a party for seven friends and has a replica of Sadler's car delivered to his front door. The $1,000 donation Bobby raised by lifeguarding last summer will be sent to the "Teens for Tots" charity, which is associated with "Toys for Tots."

Bobby recently spoke with Sadler over the phone and asked the driver what the most important safety devices are in racing. Sadler responded with some of the most recent safety advancements this decade - the HANS device and soft walls. Coincidentally, Bobby is writing a racing safety report for his senior project and will include Sadler's comments in the final edition. The conversation left quite an impression on the young man.

"He's my favorite sports hero," Bobby said. "I was like any kid getting to talk to my superstar."