Why Retire If You're Having Fun? ; At age 73, Hershel McGriff has a 38-year-old wife, works weekdays at the mine and fills his weekends with a full-time ride in NASCAR's Winston West series.(Brief Article)

When Dave Marcis was a rookie in the Winston Cup series, Hershel McGriff already had been racing for more than 20 years. McGriff raced against Lee Petty, against Lee Petty's son Richard and against Lee Petty's grandson Kyle.

``McGriff,'' Dale Earnhardt used to tease him, ``you're older than dirt.''

Older than, and just as tough, it seems, because at the age of 73, Hershel McGriff again has a full-time ride, driving for the two-time defending champion Orleans Racing team in the NASCAR Winston West series.

``I know 73 sounds old,'' says McGriff, who is trim, tanned, has his full head of hair and could pass for his late 50s. ``If I was a 22- or 24-year-old and driving against a guy 73, I'd feel bad if he kicked ass,'' McGriff says. ``But with a helmet on inside the car, nobody knows how old you are, and nobody gives you anything.''

Nor does McGriff expect any senior citizens privileges-in the garage area or on the racetrack. Through the first 12 races of the sea- son, he is 13th in the driver's standings in a series he helped start and in which he was the 1986 season champion.

McGriff's best finish this season was fifth at Tucson Raceway Park, not far from his home and his daytime job. Although he's long past the usual retirement age, McGriff still goes to the mines every day, and we mean that literally. He runs the Park Corp.'s mining equipment division. About the time most people might be thinking about retirement, McGriff's friend Ray Park called and said he'd bought an old copper mine between Tucson and the Mexican border and wanted McGriff to move down from Portland to manage the place.

Park not only got McGriff to move to Tucson, but Park's wife introduced McGriff to his bride, a 38-year-old architect.