Posted at 1:58 a.m. PST Thursday, February 27, 1997

HANOI, Vietnam (AP)The Ho Chi Minh Trail, the fabled supply line that helped bring victory to the North in the Vietnam War, may be transformed into a speedway running the length of the country.

A Vietnamese tourism agency is trying to organize an international car rally that follows the Ho Chi Minh Trail from Hanoi to southern Vietnam, the state-controlled Youth newspaper reported today. The newspaper did not name the agency.

At least 20 drivers may take part in the race if it is approved by authorities and backed by sponsors, the report said.

The race would follow the famous supply line's route, through northern Vietnam, into neighboring Laos, and back into southern Vietnam, Youth reported.

The cost of the event, which is tentatively scheduled for the summer, is estimated at about $1 million, the newspaper said.