WORTH NOTING ON TV
* FRIDAY
Alive TV (PBS, 3:30-4 p.m.): ``Bui Doi: Life Like Dust,''a harsh look at the life of a former Vietnamese-American gang member, adds gritty perspective to a relatively recent aspect of the old and contentious issue of immigration - the influx of Southeast Asians -
and reveals a sad and usually overlooked legacy of the Vietnam War.
Ricky Phan, serving an 11-year sentence in a California prison, tells his story, from Saigon, South Vietnam, during the war to his ``Americanization'' through joining a gang in the United States. Filmmakers Ahrin Mishan and Nick Rothenburg spent two years living with gangs, getting the intimate footage that makes up a grim story of how gangs are formed and the economic and social realities that drive some kids to join them. * SATURDAY
Brickyard 400 (ABC, 1-4:30 p.m., EDT): Stock cars at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway? It may surprise some fans, but the site of the Indianapolis 500, which is used to super-powered Indy cars, will soon be hosting a NASCAR stock car race for the first time.
Record crowds are expected when the starting flag flies at the Brickyard. The race is covered live from the historic speedway. The 400-mile event anticipates a purse somewhere near $3 million, with the winner pocketing around $500,000. Not bad for an afternoon spin.
Soap Box Derby: An All American Classic (PBS, 3-4:30p.m., EDT): Some youngsters have spent a year preparing for this day. Their engineless cars may depend on gravity instead of gasoline, but their owners and drivers have all the dedication of professional racers. This live show covers the final heats to determine the 1994 world champion after hundreds of local races from more than 30 states and some foreign countries.
The race is at Derby Downs Hill in Akron, Ohio, where the competing cars will be far sleeker and more sophisticated than their ``soapbox'' predecessors. But the spirit is the same as it has been since the first derby was held in Dayton, Ohio in 1933.
Please check local listings for these programs.
