NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The time apparently has come for a few limits on the travelling Indy Racing League show known as "Danica-mania."

TERESA M. WALKER
On Thursday, the IRL arrived at the Nashville Superspeedway for Saturday night's Firestone Indy 200, and getting to the rookie driver who's been making history almost everywhere she stops this year is getting tougher.

Danica Patrick, fresh off an appearance at the ESPY Awards on Wednesday night in Los Angeles, attended an autograph signing at the headquarters of Bridgestone Firestone with a police officer in tow. Her schedule limited her to 30 minutes, most of which were spent signing for employees who rushed to get the must-have signature of the day.

Seeing the lengthy lines she has attracted in her previous stops, and with Patrick poised to contend for a second straight pole in qualifying Friday, track officials decided last week to hand out 400 free passes for Friday night's autograph session. They were snapped up quickly.

Not bad for an event sold out for a third straight year.

"When you add Danica to the equation, it has taken this event to an entirely new level," track general manager Cliff Hawks said. "The Indy Racing League is experiencing, I believe, a level of star power that they have not had since the inception of the league. She's probably the most significant addition to the series that they've had in a long time, and we're feeling the positive effects."

And for people not swept up in the Danica excitement, the Firestone Indy 200 has a little something for everyone.

Defending champion Tony Kanaan is looking for a second straight victory, and the defending series champ is trying to chase down teammate Dan Wheldon in the points race. Kanaan isn't ready to cede the season title despite trailing by 76 points. Wheldon is trying to tie the series record with his fifth victory this season.

But Kanaan thinks his team is ready to build off its victory at Kansas two weeks ago.

"Obviously, momentum, it's everything. It's a big part of racing, so I think the guys are pumped, and we're coming to a race track that we had success. I don't think we had the best car here last year to win the race. We got in a situation where we ended up winning," he said.

"If we can carry this momentum ... it will help us a lot."

Buddy Lazier, who won the inaugural race here in 2001, is back in a car for the first time since finishing fifth at the Indianapolis 500. He will be racing for Panther Racing this weekend and at Michigan, with the possibility of more to come after Pennzoil joined on as a primary sponsor Thursday.

Dario Franchitti would like to win at the track he considers his home because it's a short drive from the home he shares with his wife, actress Ashley Judd.

If that weren't enough, there's the fact that this 1.33-mile oval features the only concrete track on the IRL's 17-race schedule.

The concrete sections make for a bumpy ride, and the surface shreds the Firestone tires, leaving rubber marbles that make the track slick late in the race and away from the racing groove.

With Patrick being new to the tracks this season, she has been tapping her Rahal-Letterman teammates for inside tips before practice and qualifying. Buddy Rice won the pole here last year and only a late tie-up with Wheldon knocked him back to a fifth-place finish.

"I don't think it's any secret that Rahal-Letterman has been strong on all the mile-a-half tracks. It's a mile-a-third, but it's still the same. It's a high-banked, big track, and with the Honda power, I think it puts us in a very good position to win anytime we come onto one of these tracks," Rice said.