Aye and Begorrah it is that time of year again. No I do not mean when people eat corned beef and cabbage while downing pints of frothy green beer, then wail horrid off-key renditions of 'Danny Boy' (although as a former bartender I can attest that this does happen on St. Patrick's Day, to be sure).

No, it's time for the Craftsman Truck Series to head to Atlanta. And since it was run the day after St. Patrick's Day last year, most everyone ought to remember the exciting finish between Ron Hornaday and Bobby Labonte. But for those who were still green around the gills on Friday night (or still partying) and can't recall, the race was great and the last lap was a thriller. Hornaday took the win by a mere .008 seconds, after some bumping and banging with Labonte on the way to the checkered flag.

This year the race falls exactly on St. Patrick's Day, leaving all NASCAR lads and lassies to wonder which driver will be blessed by the luck 'o the Irish. Circumstances aren't the same this time around to be sure, as Hornaday won't be in the No. 6 GM Goodwrench Chevrolet (he'll be in the No. 33 Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet), and sure as St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland Bobby Labonte won't even be entered.

The truck series' '05 champion, Ted Musgrave, will be there, but in his relatively new ride in the No. 9 Team ASE Toyota. Mark Martin will be wearin' his green in the No. 6 Scotts Miracle-Gro Ford, and Dennis Setzer's eyes will be smiling in his Flex Fuel No. 85 Chevrolet.

You have to admit though that a driver named Sean Murphy ought to find favor with the Irish saints on St. Patty's Day, so perhaps he might be found in Victory Lane with his No. 07 Ford. It is sponsored by Green Light Racing, so why not? Saints preserve us, stranger things have happened.

So here's a wink and a tip of a Guinness to you all. May your beer be green (but not your head the next morning), the Atlanta track be a dry one, and the wind be at the backs of all of our favorite drivers.