http://sports.yahoo.com/nascar/news?slug=ap-autoracingbriefs&prov=ap&type=lgns Ashley Force has been named the winner of the first annual ``Hottest Athlete'' poll on AOL Sports. The Web site's users voted on the best-looking men and women in sports over several weeks and National Hot Rod Association star Force beat out football hunk Tom Brady, as well as fellow motorsports competitor Danica Patrick for the honor. Force, the daughter of longtime NHRA star John Force, spent two seasons in the entry-level Super Comp class and three more in the Top Alcohol Dragster class before becoming the 10th woman in NHRA history to earn a license to compete in the Funny Car division. ``While competing in Top Alcohol, she won five NHRA national events including the biggest event in the sport, the 2004 U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis. Force and her father made racing history in April when they became the first father and daughter to race against each other. Ashley won the race and advanced to the semifinals, where she tied for the highest ever Funny Car event finish for a female. SPANISH SPEAKING: NASCAR.COM says it will launch NASCAR.COM en Espanol, a tailored Spanish-language Web site featuring the same format as the current English site. Also available on NASCAR.COM en Espanol will be NASCAR 24/7, a daily broadband video update of news, highlights and storylines from the day in NASCAR. The video will be hosted in Spanish by Carolina Escobar, current anchor for CNN en Espanol and a correspondent on NASCAR.COM. ``The launch of NASCAR.COM en Espanol signifies the importance and relevance of diversity, not only in racing but in all online sports media,'' said Lenny Daniels, Turner Sports senior vice president of production and new media. ``We are excited to launch the new site to provide pertinent and entertaining NASCAR coverage and an interactive platform to Spanish-speaking race fans throughout the world.'' Since 1999, interest in NASCAR among Spanish-speaking audiences has increased more than any other major sport, Daniels said. Approximately 8.9 percent of NASCAR fans are Hispanic, a 10 percent increase over 2001, when Hispanics comprised 8.1 percent of the NASCAR fan base, according to Scarborough USA+. NASCAR also ranks No. 1 in Hispanic fans' loyalty toward sponsors. No other sport enjoys such a high level of support for sponsors among Hispanic fans. GO RCR, GO: Nikki Kelly, a mother of four from San Antonio who only recently became a NASCAR fan, suddenly finds herself a huge fan of Richard Childress Racing. She is the winner of the Dickies Race for the Riches promotion, which means she'll attend the Dickies 500 on Nov. 4 at Texas Motor Speedway and have the chance to win a $500,000 prize. After meeting Childress and his drivers -- Kevin Harvick, Jeff Burton and Clint Bowyer -- at the track, Kelly will pick one of the Nextel Cup stars as her entry in the race. If that driver wins the race, she wins the money. ``I just can't wait to see a race live and meet the folks from Richard Childress Racing,'' Kelly said. ``It's all so exciting. Winning the $500,000 would be amazing. ``The kids tell me we are getting a boat, but I think that money would be better invested in their college funds.'' Her children range in age from 9 to 14 and Kelly will get a nice little vacation from them on race weekend, making the trip to Fort Worth with her sister, Lori. Participants entered the Dickies promotion online, beginning May 1, and the winner was chosen randomly on Sept. 5. It's the third year of the giveaway.
NHRA, not NASCAR... and quit hatin'... a good lookin' woman is a good lookin' woman. Her sister Brittany isn't bad looking in some pics either.
