ON THE TRACKS This weekend's events

NASCAR
WINSTON CUP
EA Sports 500
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 4 p.m.); Sunday, race (NBC, 2 p.m.).
Track: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (tri-oval, 2.66 miles, 33 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 500 miles, 188 laps.
Last race: Ryan Newman overcame a flat tire that cost him two laps, then gambled on fuel and completed a sweep of the races at Dover with a win at the MBNA America 400.
Last year: Dale Earnhardt Jr. swept both races at Talladega by winning the EA Sports 500. Earnhardt joined Buddy Baker in the Talladega record books as the only drivers in history to win three straight races there.
Fast facts: NASCAR put into effect last weekend the no-passing rule for all three series. With the yellow flag out, drivers must slow immediately and line up single file behind the leader. ... Matt Kenseth has a season-high 436-point lead over Kevin Harvick in the championship standings. ... Earnhardt Jr. is expected to race despite having a bruised right foot and slight concussion following a crash at Dover and not being cleared by NASCAR. Including the Busch Series event in April, Earnhardt has won his last starts at Talladega.
CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS
Las Vegas 350
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 3 p.m., race (Speed Channel, 10 p.m.).
Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (tri-oval 1.5 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 219 miles, 146 laps.
Last race: Ted Musgrave won for the third straight time at California Speedway despite starting at the back of the field after an engine change.
Last year: Polesitter David Starr broke a 65-race winless streak, outdueling Mike Bliss in the Las Vegas 350 for his first career victory.
Fast facts: Brendan Gaughan finished second last week and has a 74-point lead over Travis Kvapil in the championship standings with seven races remaining. ... Musgrave's winning speed of 145.926 mph last week is the second fastest in series history. ... Sprague won consecutive races in 1999 and 2000.
Next race: John Boy & amp; Billy 250, Oct. 4, South Boston, Va.
CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS
Grand Prix Americas
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 3 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 1:15 p.m. (Speed Channel, 8 p.m., tape); Sunday, race, 1 p.m. (CBS, 4:30 p.m., tape).
Track: Bayfront Park (street course, 1.15 miles, 16 turns), Miami.
Race distance: 155.25 miles, 135 laps.
Last race: For the second straight year, Bruno Junqueira started from the pole and won the Grand Prix of Denver, on Aug. 31. Junqueira lost the lead for 30 laps and also brushed the wall with 16 laps to go, but he overtook Oriol Servia in the pits midway through the race and led the final 44 laps for the victory.
Last year: Cristiano da Matta won the inaugural Grand Prix of the Americas and the season championship. Da Matta won his seventh race of the 2002 season and led the most laps while his closest rival in the standings, Bruno Junqueira, finished fifth.
Fast facts: Adrian Fernandez has two wins and eight podium finishes on street courses. ... Sebastien Bourdais can win the rookie championship if he collects seven more points than Darren Manning. He is trying to become the first Newman/Haas driver to grab top rookie honors since Nigel Mansell in 1993. ... Junqueira has recorded nine podiums and 12 top-five finishes in 15 starts this season. ... Last year's race was the first on the Miami streets in seven years. It had an average speed of 68.723 mph.
Next race: Telmex Gigante Gran Premio Mexico, Oct. 12, Mexico City.
FORMULA ONE
United States Grand Prix
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, Noon); Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 1:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, 1:30 p.m.).
Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course, 2.606-miles, 13 turns).
Race distance: 190.238 miles, 73 laps.
Last race: Michael Schumacher won the Italian Grand Prix, keeping a slim lead on standings rival Juan Pablo Montoya from start to finish. Schumacher leads the driver standings, three points ahead of Montoya and seven in front of Kimi Raikkonen, with two races remaining.
Last year: Team Ferrari had another arranged finish at the United States Grand Prix as leader Michael Schumacher slowed on the last lap to allow teammate Rubens Barrichello to pass for the win. Schumacher won the Austrian Grand Prix earlier that year after then-leader Barrichello slowed down on the final straightaway under team orders.
Fast facts: Montoya has eight straight top-three finishes. ... Ferrari is four points behind leader BMW-Williams in the constructors' standings. ... Sarah Fisher became the first woman in 10 years to drive a F1 car during a demonstration run at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway last year. ... Indianapolis is the oldest track to play host to an F1 race. ... The season concludes with the Japanese Grand Prix on Oct. 12.
Next race: Japanese Grand Prix, Oct. 12, Suzuka
NHRA
NHRA Nationals
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 1:15 p.m. (Sunday, ESPN2, 1:30 a.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations, Noon (ESPN2, 8 p.m., tape).
Track: Route 66 Raceway, Joliet, Ill.
Last event: Whit Bazemore took over the points lead in the Funny Car standings after his victory at the rain-delayed O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park. Tony Schumacher rebounded from a crash earlier in the weekend to claim his third Top Fuel victory of the season while Greg Anderson won Pro Stock.
Last year: Tony Pedregon won his third-straight event at the Craftsman 75th Anniversary Nationals at Route 66 Raceway. Jeg Coughlin took Pro Stock and Doug Kalitta won in Top Fuel.
Fast facts: Bazemore moved seven points ahead of season-long leader Pedregon, who lost in the second round at Memphis. ... Schumacher, Bazemore, Kurt Johnson and Angelle Savoie all won at Joliet on June 1. Route 66 Raceway began hosting two events in a season in 2001. ... Reggie Showers, a double amputee, has won both of his Pro Bike starts. ... Tim Wilkerson earned his first career victory at Joliet in 1999, beating Force in the Funny Car finals. It was Force's only finals loss that season.
Next event: Lucas Oil Nationals, Oct. 5, Reading, Pa.