Democrat Tim Kaine and Republican Jerry Kilgore planned to be at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday for the Chevy American Revolution 400. The race drew 107,000 fans, according to the Richmond Times-Dispatch. Kaine, the lieutenant governor, was scheduled to read a proclamation to open the race and attend a pre-race block party near the Henrico County track. Kilgore, a lifelong NASCAR fan, served as grand marshal last month at the Food City 500 in Bristol, Tenn., where he gave drivers the familiar "start your engines" command.

NASCAR races have become target-rich environments for politicians trying to appeal to the sport's generally conservative fan base. Gov. Mark Warner had his campaign logo splashed on a NASCAR racing truck in the 2001 campaign. Driver Mike Wallace's No. 4 car sported Kilgore's blue and orange campaign logo during this year's Bristol race.

On Saturday, Kaine also planned to have his staff and volunteers assisting with an effort to rally support to bring the NASCAR Hall of Fame to the Richmond area. Staffers and volunteers planned to collect signatures on postcards provided by the Virginia Racing Hall of Fame. The postcards will be submitted to NASCAR as part of the campaign to lure the hall of fame to Virginia.

Candidate takes PAC attack in stride

Republican attorney general candidate Steve Baril celebrated the fact that he was criticized last week in a new radio ad supporting the campaign of his GOP rival, Bob McDonnell.

"I am flattered that I have made it to the level of a political attack ad," said Baril, a Richmond lawyer who will take on McDonnell in the GOP's June 14 primary.

Baril was referring to an ad aired by the Virginia Conservative Action PAC, which has endorsed McDonnell, a veteran legislator from Virginia Beach. In the ad, an announcer raises questions about Baril's lack of experience as a prosecutor, saying: "Do we really want a commercial litigator who's never served as a prosecutor or elected official to serve as Virginia's top cop?"

McDonnell has served as an assistant prosecutor and is chairman of the House Courts of Justice Committee in the General Assembly. Baril is an attorney with the Richmond firm of Williams Mullen.

At a Wednesday fundraising breakfast for the Virginia Public Access Project, Baril said the radio ad tells him the primary race is close. McDonnell's campaign disputed that assertion and stood behind the ad.

"In a campaign focusing on public safety issues, it's ironic that Steve Baril is now upset because the Virginia Conservative Action PAC is detailing the vast difference" between the candidates, said McDonnell campaign manager Janet Polarek.

VCAP is a conservative political action organization that has been active in helping anti-tax legislative candidates. In a press release, VCAP Chairman Jerry Parker called McDonnell "one of the most principled conservatives to stand for statewide office in many years."

The winner of the GOP primary will face Democrat Creigh Deeds of Bath County, who has no opposition for his party's nomination.