''Gentlemen, start your engines.''

Spears' official title Saturday will be grand marshal, a position that has been generally reserved in the past for more serious (read: old) figures: Pepsi executives, Republican politicians like Ronald Reagan, George Bush (the elder and younger) and Florida Gov. Jeb Bush.

Though there are some big names on the list of grand marshals for NASCAR's biggest summer race, it's a safe bet that none of them has had two records go platinum.

It's also a safe bet that most of them do not own any of her CDs. But their kids or grandkids probably know some of her songs by heart.

And that will go a long way as NASCAR tries to expand its already growing audience by targeting a younger and broader fan base, motorsports marketing analyst Tom Cotter said.

''This is an attempt to build a cradle-to-the-grave marketing campaign. Whatever it takes to get young people to the racetrack,'' Cotter said.

But it's also a stab at diversity, at least along demographic lines.

''It's the most visible attempt I've seen of NASCAR breaking away from its traditional country roots,'' Cotter said.

Spears' role as grand marshal is about more than just fan-base expansion. In a sport that lives and dies by sponsorship, her role is also about cross promotion.

Pepsi, the race's official sponsor, gets to choose the grand marshal. Britney already works for Pepsi, selling the soft drink. So, for that matter, does Jeff Gordon, the racer and Pepsi pitchman who always takes a conspicuous swig of his sponsor's drink after winning a race.

''She was the obvious choice,'' Pepsi spokesman Dave DeCecco said of Spears. ''Pepsi's a broadly targeted product.''

Nemechek back: Joe Nemechek, injured in a crash at Dover Downs in mid-May while testing his Busch Series car, will return to the driver's seat in the Pepsi 400.

Nemechek suffered a broken shoulder blade and broken bone in his arm in the crash. He said being out of his race car has been torture.

''If the enemy was trying to get secrets out of a race car driver, they wouldn't need bamboo shoots under the fingernails or anything like that,'' Nemechek said. ''All they would have to do is let somebody else drive his race car for a week or two, much less six weeks. That was pure torture, more than I thought I could stand sometimes.

''I've never been through anything like this. Yeah, my body hurt. It hurt a lot at times. But watching that Oakwood Homes car going around the racetrack without me driving it hurts a whole lot, too.''

Purvis out for now: After searching for sponsorship for its No. 20 Busch Series team since late January, Joe Gibbs Racing announced it will scale back from a two-car team to a one-car team.

It also announced that Mike McLaughlin will move over from the No. 20 car to the No. 18 car, which MBNA has been associated with over the past several seasons. Clarksville's Jeff Purvis will leave that car.

''This was obviously a decision that we hoped we would never have to make,'' Joe Gibbs Racing President JD Gibbs said. ''Our goal is to field two championship-caliber Busch Grand National teams and we will have one of those teams on standby waiting for sponsorship.''

Changing drivers: Kenny Wallace has parted company with Eel River Racing and Barry Dodson. Mike Bliss, who drove for the team last season, will sub in the No. 27 until a permanent replacement is found.

Wallace will keep driving the No. 48 Gould's Pumps Chevrolet in the Busch Series.

Kodiak leaving: Stacy Compton and his Melling Racing team are searching for a primary sponsor for the 2002 Winston Cup season. Kodiak told team owner Mark Melling it would no longer sponsor a Winston Cup car after this season.