NOTEBOOK Motorsports

Changes in all-star race: Two more drivers will join the field for the All-Star Challenge, formerly known as The Winston. The invitational race, May 22 at Lowe's Motor Speedway, is primarily for recent winners from NASCAR's top series, but also includes the winner of the All-Star Challenge Open, a preliminary event for teams that didn't qualify for the big race. Beginning this year, the five-year cutoff for past all-star race winners has been dropped, making 1998 winner Mark Martin and 1994 champion Geoffrey Bodine eligible. Another change involves the race format. While the 90-lap, 135-mile distance is again divided into 40-, 30- and 20-lap segments on the 1 1/2-mile oval, no longer will each segment result in some drivers being eliminated. This will ensure a full field of cars racing for the winner's purse of about $1 million. Twenty-three drivers and car owners have qualified for the All-Star Challenge.
Changes: Nextel Cup director John Darby says teams will have to cut one-half inch off of the cars' spoilers before the race at Chicago on July 11. Many teams have reserved tests anticipating the change. "We're all going to be looking for balance," Jamie McMurray says. "But I think the shorter spoiler is going to make it a lot harder for us to pass."
Fast paced: Racing teams from the American Le Mans Series led a record-shattering day in the GTS and GT classes, and two former ALMS driving champions were in the fastest overall car during testing for the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Former ALMS champions Allan McNish and Frank Biela co-drove the Sport UK Team Veloqx Audi R8 that was fastest of 52 teams during eight hours of testing last Sunday at the 8.46-mile Circuit de La Sarthe. The Audi that won the 12 Hours of Sebring last month with McNish, Biela and Pierre Kaffer will run in the Prototype class at Le Mans. McNish set his fast time in the closing moments of testing. Corvette Racing, the GTS class champion of the ALMS the past three seasons, led GTS class with a track record. Petersen Motorsport/White Lightning Racing, seeking its second consecutive class win in Le Mans, set the track record in GT. The 72nd edition of the world's most famous sports car endurance race will be held June 12-13.
Indy effort: Robby Gordon got a preview of how much work he will have to do in May when he tested for two days last week at Michigan International Speedway. On the first day he ran the Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet that he will drive May 30 in the Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe's Motor Speedway. Gordon then ran about 15 laps the next day in the new Chevrolet Dallara he will drive in the Indianapolis 500 the same day as the NASCAR event. That was his first time in the new Indy car and working with the team he has put together for the Indy effort. Gordon, who was to take part in the Indy Racing League's open test at Indy on Thursday and Friday, said he averaged about 213 mph in his laps. With factory support from Chevrolet, Gordon believes he has the best chance of winning the Indianapolis 500 as an owner-driver. Gordon, who will try to do The Double for the fourth time on Memorial Day weekend, drove at Indy last year for Andretti Green Racing, finishing 22nd with a broken gearbox.
-- Associated Press
Copyright 2004 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.