Clinton, Obama battle in Indiana, North Carolina primaries

Asked by reporters what her message was by being at the Speedway, she said: "That we need to get on the track in America."

"If you want to go forward, you put it in D. If you want to go backward, you put it in R," Clinton said.

Fisher, who said she voted for Clinton that morning, piped up, adding: "And just so you know, we don't have reverse in this car."

Obama started the day at a family restaurant in the Indianapolis suburbs, where he worked the breakfast crowd, and managed to squeeze in a quick game of basketball -as is he often does on primary days -before flying to North Carolina.

"I feel good," Obama said when asked about the day's voting after a stop at Four Seasons Family Restaurant in the Greenwood, Ind. "I think we've campaigned hard. I think it's going to be close. I'm seeing a lot of enthusiasm."

Obama leads Clinton in delegates won in primaries and caucuses. Despite his defeat two weeks ago, has steadily whittled away at the former first lady's advantage in superdelegates in the past two weeks and trailed 255-269.5.

Clinton saved her candidacy with her win in Pennsylvania, and campaigned aggressively in Indiana in hopes of denying Obama a victory next door to his home state of Illinois. The state is home to large numbers of blue collar workers who have been attracted to the former first lady, and she sought to use her call for a federal gas tax holiday to draw them and other economically pinched voters closer.

Inevitably, the issue quickly took on larger dimensions.

Obama said it symbolizes a candidacy consisting of "phony ideas, calculated to win elections instead of actually solving problems."

Clinton retorted, "Instead of attacking the problem, he's attacking my solutions," and ran an ad in the campaign's final hours that said she "gets it."