update on the USS George Washington visit: Three drivers with NASCAR ties, two Indy Racing League stars, a world record-setting motorcycle drag racer and a NASCAR crew chief will spend 24 hours on the nuclear-powered aircrasft carrier USS George Washington this week. They’re part of a Langley Speedway-arranged trip to the warship as it undergoes flight training 100 miles off the North Carolina coast. Eddie Cheever, the 1998 Indy 500 winner, will make the trip, along with 2001 Indy Racing League champion Sam Hornish. Busch Series driver Andy Houston (he was a Winston Cup Rookie of the Year candidate last year), Craftsman Truck Series driver Rick Crawford and former Winston Cup Rookie of the Year (and former Busch and Craftsman driver) Jimmy Hensley are going. Tony Libarati, crew chief for Houston’s Busch team, also will go. Larry (Spiderman) McBride is the faste man on two wheels. He ride a nitro-powered Top Fuel bike in Pro Star, AMA and NHRA races. His world-record pass of 5.99 seconds at 243.00 mph came near Houston in the fall of 1999. It was the first sub 6-second pass in two wheel racing history. The group will leave Wednesday morning from Norfolk Naval Base for the half-hour flight out to the carrier. The group will spend 24 hours onboard, watching flight operations, meeting the crew, and touring the ship. They’ll be launched off the deck around noon on Thursday for the short flight back to Norfolk. This is the second time Langley Speedway has arranged an aircrasft carrier ride. In December of 1996, it took Terry Labonte, Jimmy Hensley, Steve Grissom, Randy LaJoie, Johnny Benson, Mike Wallace, Bobby Allison and NHRA racer Jim Yates for a three-day ride on the USS Enterprise.(Daily Press)(1-29-2002)
