NASCAR WINSTON CUP
New England 300
Site: Loudon, N.H.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 11:15 a.m.; Sunday, race (TNT, 11 a.m.)
Track: New Hampshire International Speedway (oval, 1.058 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 317.4 miles, 300 laps.
Last race: Rookie Kevin Harvick, who replaced Dale Earnhardt after The Intimidator was killed in the season-opening Daytona 500, won for the second time this season. Jeff Gordon finished 17th in the Tropicana 400, the inaugural Winston Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway, and lost sole possession of the series lead. He was tied by Dale Jarrett, who wound up fourth in the race.
Last year: Tony Stewart won the rain-shortened event. During practice two days before the race, Kenny Irwin was killed when his car slammed into a wall at 150 mph. He died eight weeks to the day, and at almost the same spot, where Adam Petty was killed while practicing for a Busch series event.
Fast Facts: Gordon set the track qualifying mark of 132.089 mph last year. ... Jeff Burton leads all drivers with four victories in New Hampshire. Gordon has won three times. ... Although he has not won in Loudon, Mark Martin has three second-place finishes among seven top-fives in 12 races.
Driver Standings:
1. Jeff Gordon, 2,515; 2. Dale Jarrett, 2,515; 3. Ricky Rudd, 2,497; 4. Rusty Wallace, 2,308; 5. Sterling Marlin, 2,297; 6. Tony Stewart, 2,266.; 7. Kevin Harvick, 2,172; 8. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2,140; 9. Johnny Benson, 2,138; 10. Bobby Labonte, 2,112. Also: 22. Kurt Busch, 1,736.
Next race: Pennsylvania 500, July 29, Long Pond.
BUSCH
Carquest Auto Parts 250
Site: Madison, Ill.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 4 p.m.; Saturday, race (TNT, 5 p.m.)
Track: Gateway International Raceway (egg-shaped oval, 1.25 miles, 11 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 9 degrees in turns 3-4).
Race distance: 250 miles, 200 laps.
Last race: Jimmie Johnson became a first-time series winner by taking the Sam's Club-Hills Bros 300, the inaugural Busch series event at Chicagoland Speedway. Johnson, from Sussex, Wis., won in his 57th career start.
Last year: Kevin Harvick took the lead from Todd Bodine and went on to win for the first time in his Busch career.
Fast Facts: Chevrolets have won all four events at Gateway. ... Harvick is leading the point standings 2,838-2,700 over Greg Biffle.
Driver Standings: 1. Kevin Harvick, 2,838; 2. Greg Biffle, 2,700; 3. Jason Keller, 2,670; 4. Jeff Green, 2,599; 5. Tony Raines, 2,321; 6. Mike McLaughlin, 2,297; 7. Elton Sawyer, 2,271; 8. Jimmie Johnson, 2,230; 9. Chad Little, 2,140; 10. Randy Lajoie, 2,115.
Next race: NAPA Auto Care 250, July 28, Fountain, Colo.
CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS
New England 200
Site: Loudon, N.H.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 10:05 a.m.; Saturday, race (ESPN, 9:30 a.m.)
Track: New Hampshire International Speedway (oval, 1.058 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 211.6 miles, 200 laps.
Last race: Scott Riggs beat Joe Ruttman by 1.368 seconds in the Kroger 225 in Sparta, Ky. -- a 1-2 finish by the Craftsman series points leaders. Riggs now leads Ruttman 2,052-1,993.
Last year: Kurt Busch raced to his second straight victory, beating Mike Wallace in a two-lap scramble.
Fast facts: Four of the top five finishers in the inaugural New Hampshire truck race are gone from the series this year. Busch, Mike Wallace and Andy Houston moved up to Winston Cup, and Greg Biffle is in the Busch series. Only Randy Tolsma remains. ... Dodges, led by Ted Musgrave with four victories and Riggs with three, have won 10 of 13 races this season. Chevrolets have won the other three.
Driver Standings: 1. Scott Riggs, 2,052; 2. Joe Ruttman, 1,993; 3. Jack Sprague, 1,974; 4. Ricky Hendrick, 1,916; 5. Travis Kvapil, 1,900; 6. Ted Musgrave, 1,876; 7. Terry Cook, 1,789; 8. Dennis Setzer, 1,699; 9. Rick Crawford, 1,667; 10. Randy Tolsma, 1,626.
Next race: Powerstroke Diesel 200, Aug. 3, Clermont, Ind.
CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS
Michigan 500
Site: Brooklyn, Mich.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, noon (ESPN2, 1:30 p.m., tape); Sunday, race (ABC, 10:30 a.m.)
Track: Michigan International Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 500 miles, 250 laps.
Last race: Michael Andretti, shuffled to last place on the first lap of the Molson Indy, took advantage of 11 cautions and won the Toronto race for the seventh time in its 16-year history. With his 41st career victory, Andretti broke a record he shared with Al Unser Jr. for most wins in one event. Unser won six times in Long Beach, Calif.
Last year: Juan Montoya held off Andretti to win. They swapped the lead at least once on each of the last 17 laps.
Fast facts: Max Papis ran out of fuel a half-lap from the end, and Tony Kanaan passed him for his first CART victory in the 1999 race. ... In 1998, three fans were killed and six injured by a wheel and other debris that hurtled into the crowd after Adrian Fernandez crashed.
Driver Standings: 1. Kenny Brack, 84; 2. Michael Andretti, 73; 3. Helio Castroneves, 70; 4. Dario Franchitti, 65; 5. Gil de Ferran, 58; 6. Cristiano da Matta, 55; 7. Scott Dixon, 54; 8. Jimmy Vasser, 50; 9. Christian Fittipaldi, 49; 10. Paul Tracy, 48. Also: 16. Alex Tagliani, 22; 21. Patrick Carpentier, 15.
Next race: Target Grand Prix, July 29, Cicero, Ill.
INDY RACING LEAGUE
Harrah's Indy 200
Site: Gladeville, Tenn.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.); Saturday, race (ESPN, 5 p.m.)
Track: Nashville Superspeedway (tri-oval 1.33 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 266 miles, 200 laps.
Last race: Eddie Cheever passed Sam Hornish Jr. with slightly more than two laps to go, earning his first IRL victory of the season in the inaugural Ameristar Casino Indy 200 at the new Kansas Speedway.
Last year: Inaugural event.
Fast facts: Hornish, the series points leader, has three straight second-place finishes. ... Scott Sharp and Buddy Lazier are tied for most career victories with six. Cheever and Greg Ray have five apiece.
Driver Standings: 1. Sam Hornish Jr., 309; 2. Buddy Lazier, 249; 3. Eliseo Salazar, 217; 4. Felipe Giaffone, 217; 5. Scott Sharp, 214; 6. Billy Boat, 181; 7. Eddie Cheever, 158; 8. Airton Dare, 157; 9. Buzz Calkins, 156; 10. Jeff Ward, 144. Also: 12. Al Unser Jr., 137; 21. Jaques Lazier, 66.
Next race: Belterra Resort Indy 300, Aug. 12, Sparta, Ky.
NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals
Site: Morrison, Colo.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 11:15 a.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 7:15 a.m. (ESPN2, 3 p.m., tape); Sunday, final eliminations, 8 a.m. (ESPN2, 2 p.m., tape).
Track: Bandimere Speedway.
Last event: John Force raced to his 96th career Funny Car victory, beating Whit Bazemore in the final of the 50th Anniversary Nationals at Pomona Raceway. Doug Herbert, Jeg Coughlin and Angelle Savoie also were winners.
Last year: Joe Amato raced to his first victory of the year, beating Tony Schumacher in the Top Fuel finals. Bazemore, Kurt Johnson and Savoie also were winners.
Fast facts: At the 1999 event, Jeg Coughlin beat brother Troy to set a new elapsed-time track record and win the Pro Stock final. ... Warren Johnson can break a tie with Bob Glidden for the most career Pro Stock victories. Both have 85.
Drive Standings: Top Fuel -- 1. Kenny Bernstein, 1,108; 2. Larry Dixon, 1,046.; 3. Doug Kalitta, 894. Funny Car -- 1. John Force, 1,149; 2. Del Worsham, 814; 3. Bruce Sarver, 799. Pro Stock -- 1. Warren Johnson, 917; 2. Jim Yates, 864; 3. Jeg Coughlin, 819. Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Angelle Savoie, 733; 2. Antron Brown, 679; 3. Matt Hines, 628. Pro Stock Truck -- 1. Bob Panella Jr, 773; 2. Greg Stanfield, 732; 3. Randy Daniels, 716.
Next race: Northwest Nationals, July 29, Kent, Wash.
FORMULA ONE
Last race: Mika Hakkinen romped over series leader Michael Schumacher to get his 19th career victory, first this year and first ever in the British Grand Prix. Schumacher was denied his 51st career victory, which would have tied him with Alain Prost for the most in Formula One history.
Driver Standings: 1. Michael Schumacher, 84; 2. David Coulthard, 47; 3. Rubens Barrichello, 34; 4. Ralf Schumacher, 31; 5. Mika Hakkinen, 19; 6. Juan Montoya, 15; 7. Nick Heidfeld, 10; 8. Kimi Raikkonen, 9; 9. Jarno Trulli, 9; 10. Jacques Villeneuve, 7.
Next race: German Grand Prix, July 29, Hockenheim.
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