ON TRACK This weekend's events



NASCAR WINSTON CUP
Pepsi 400
Schedule: Thursday, qualifying (TNT, 8 p.m.); Saturday, race (NBC, 7:30 p.m.)
Track: Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles, 31 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 400 miles, 160 laps.
Last race: Robby Gordon earned his second Winston Cup victory, at the Dodge/Save Mart 350 in Sonoma, Calif., on June 22. Runner-up Jeff Gordon criticized Robby Gordon for passing teammate Kevin Harvick under a yellow flag. NASCAR said it was a legal move.
Last year: Michael Waltrip finished first again at NASCAR's most famous track, beating Rusty Wallace in the Pepsi 400. He won the Daytona 500 the previous season, the same race in which Dale Earnhardt was killed.
Next race: Tropicana 400, July 13, Joliet, Ill.
BUSCH SERIES
Winn-Dixie 250
Schedule: Thursday, qualifying, 12:45 p.m. (Speed Channel, 3 p.m., tape); Friday, race (Speed Channel, 8 p.m.)
Track: Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles, 31 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 250 miles, 100 laps.
Last race: Jason Keller won the GNC Live Well 250 in West Allis, Wis., under a yellow flag for his first Busch series victory this season. Keller battled teammate Scott Riggs for about six laps before taking the lead for good on lap 231.
Last year: Joe Nemechek won the first-ever Busch Series night race at the inaugural Stacker2/GNC Live Well 250 in Daytona, blocking Greg Biffle over a two-lap shoot-out after a 16-car accident halted the race. Nemechek became the first Busch driver to win from the pole at Daytona International Speedway since 1975.
Next race: Tropicana Twister 300, July 12, Joliet, Ill.
CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS
Cleveland Grand Prix
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 8 p.m.); Saturday, race, 8:30 p.m. (Sunday, CBS, 3:30 p.m., tape)
Track: Burke Lakefront Airport (temporary road course, 2.106 miles, 10 turns).
Race distance: 242.19 miles, 115 laps.
Last race: Adrian Fernandez ended a three-year victory drought, pulling away from Paul Tracy to win the G.I. Joe's 200 at Portland International Raceway on June 22. Fernandez became the first owner-driver to win a CART race in 11 years, and it was his first win since Australia in 2000.
Last year: Patrick Carpentier recorded his first win of the season and denied Cristiano da Matta his fifth straight win in Cleveland. Da Matta left the race on lap 21 with a boost problem while Michael Andretti finished second.
Next race: Molson Indy, July 13, Toronto.
FORMULA ONE
French Grand Prix
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 8 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, 7:30 a.m.).
Track: Magny-Cours (road course, 2.641 miles).
Race distance: 72 laps, 190.152 miles.
Last race: Ralf Schumacher took advantage of the misfortunes of his brother Michael and polesitter Kimi Raikkonen to end a 24-race winless streak. Schumacher led a Williams-BMW 1-2 finish at the European Grand Prix, claiming his first victory of the year and fifth of his career.
Last year: Michael Schumacher won the French Grand Prix to clinch his fifth career Formula One championship, equaling the record previously set by Juan Manuel Fangio. It was Schumacher's eighth victory in 11 races.
Next race: British Grand Prix, July 20, Silverstone, England.
INDY RACING LEAGUE
Kansas Indy 300
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, Noon; Sunday, race (ABC, 1 p.m.)
Track: Kansas Speedway (tri-oval, 1.5 miles, 15 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.
Last race: Scott Dixon turned his first start at Richmond International Raceway into the most dominant performance in IRL history, leading all 206 laps before rain ended the SunTrust Indy Challenge 44 laps short of the scheduled 250.
Last year: Airton Dare took advantage of a second-chance restart after Tomas Scheckter's late crash -- the only wreck of the day -- and passed Sam Hornish Jr. with less than three laps to go to win the Ameristar Casino 200 at Kansas Speedway. It was his first IRL victory and A.J. Foyt's first win as an owner in three years.
Next race: Firestone Indy 200, July 19, Gladeville, Tenn.
-- Associated Press

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