Other art on display includes two large color blowups of works from the Burnout Project, spectacular scrawlings of burned rubber on the pavement in front of blandly glass-skinned Silicon Valley office buildings. "That's the Oracle headquarters," Overfelt told us as we toured the show.

There is also a single tire mark on heavy white paper hanging in signifi- cant isolation on one wall. Dog Bites, immediately struck by how cool the piece would look over our couch, inquired as to the price. "Well, there's been some controversy about that," said Overfelt. "It's, uh, $1,200."

On hand for the festivities were two statuesque and significantly saline-enhanced blond models in stars-and-stripes thong bikinis. When we complimented Overfelt on the authentic car show atmosphere the models helped create he admitted they were a last-minute addition. "I ordered them off the Web," he said.