Vasser to shake off rust in Champ Car event

This week he agreed to drive a Champ Car in the April 20 Grand Prix of Long Beach, which will be the last race for the open-wheel series.

"I never said I officially retired," the 42-year-old said. "I always knew something like this would pop up."

Vasser won the Long Beach title in 1996, which is the year he won the series championship and moved to Las Vegas.

"I don’t have too much time to prepare," he said. "There’s going to be some rust flying out of the cockpit. I’ll be going into the car right from the couch."

Vasser will drive a one-race-only entry for KV Racing Technology, a team he owns with Kevin Kalkhoven. The longtime Champ Car team has moved to the Indy Racing League with full-time drivers Oriol Servia and Will Power. The team agreed to run three cars at Long Beach to ensure a full field.

Vasser said it made the most sense for him to dust off his helmet to join his teammates.

"I won’t get in the way of running our other cars like someone else might," Vasser said Thursday from St. Petersburg, Fla., where he was helping Servia and Power prepare for Sunday’s IndyCars street race. "And I’ve missed driving the car."

• NHRA — The April 10-13 NHRA SummitRacing.com Nationals kicks off Thursday in Las Vegas with a free autograph session at the Palms.

The 6:30-7:30 p.m. signing will include drag racing stars Tony Schumacher, Tony Pedregon, Jeg Coughlin Jr., Jack Beckman, J.R. Todd, Morgan Lucas, Warren Johnson, Kurt Johnson, Antron Brown, Rod Fuller, Melanie Troxel and Hillary Will. …

Troxel also will sign autographs from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday at Simayof Diamond Cutters in the Venetian’s Grand Canal Shoppes.

• NASCAR — Michael McDowell’s first Sprint Cup race Sunday in Martinsville, Va., will be memorable to him for finishing 26th and getting a tongue lashing after the race from Jeff Burton on national television.

McDowell, 23, had run in the top 20 most of the afternoon and was fighting to stay on the lead lap late in the race when Burton thought McDowell was keeping him from catching leader and eventual winner Denny Hamlin.

"We had something (for Hamlin)," Burton said on TV. "We started coming back on him, and then that kid in the 00 (McDowell) … he’s going to learn some manners, or I’m going to teach them to him. He can choose it however he wants it, but it will be one way or the other."

After the race, McDowell said he understood Burton’s frustration and would seek his advice.

"When (Burton’s car) put a nose in there, I let him go. I never held him up," McDowell said. "But I guess he was a little bit upset. I understand that. I just ran as hard as I could all day long. If that was the wrong thing to do it, then I’m sorry." …

Max Helton, founder of Motor Racing Outreach, died Sunday after a seven-month battle with brain cancer. He was 67.

His organization ministers to the NASCAR community and conducts services at most major races.

Contact reporter Jeff Wolf at jwolf@reviewjournal.com or (702) 383-0247.