ON THE TRACKS | This weekend's events

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP
Pennsylvania 500
Long Pond
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (TNT, 3 p.m.); Sunday, race (TNT, 1:30 p.m.).
Track: Pocono International Raceway (triangular oval, 2.5 miles, 14 degrees banking in turn 1, 8 degrees in turn 2, 6 degrees in turn 3).
Race distance: 500 miles, 200 laps.
Last race: Kurt Busch took advantage of Ryan Newman's late mishap and pulled away from Jeff Gordon to win the Siemens 300 at Loudon, N.H..
Fast facts: Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove the first 61 laps at Loudon before being replaced by Martin Truex Jr. Earnhardt Jr. was burned on his legs, neck and chin after crashing during an ALMS practice the previous week. ... Newman had his first top-10 finish since winning last month at Michigan. ... Jimmie Johnson won the Pocono 500 on June 13.
Next race: Brickyard 400, Aug. 8, Indianapolis
NASCAR BUSCH
Goulds Pumps/ITT Industries 250
Fountain, Colo.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 6 p.m.); Saturday, race (TNT, 3:30 p.m.).
Track: Pikes Peak International Raceway (d-shaped oval, 1 mile, 10 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 250 miles, 250 laps.
Last race: Matt Kenseth, the reigning Nextel Cup champion, won the Siemens 200 at Loudon, N.H., by about six car-lengths over Tim Fedewa. Kenseth has two wins in seven Busch starts this season.
Fast facts: Kyle Busch and Keller had a brief confrontation at last week's race following their accident. ... Ron Hornaday has never finished outside the top 10 in six career starts at the track. ... Jason Leffler finished third at Loudon and jumped from seventh to fourth in the standings.
Next race: Kroger 200, Aug. 7, Indianapolis
NASCAR Craftsman Trucks
Truck Bedliners 200
Brooklyn, Mich.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 3:10 p.m.; Saturday, race (Speed Channel, 1 p.m.).
Track: Michigan Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 200 miles, 100 laps.
Last race: David Starr became just the second truck driver to win by leading only the final lap at the Dodge Ram Tough 200 in Madison, Ill.
Fast facts: Dennis Setzer finished second last week and has a 64-point lead over Bobby Hamilton in the standings. ... Last year's race had just one caution for six laps. ... Dodge claimed the top four spots last year.
Next race: Power Stroke Diesel 200, Aug. 6, Indianapolis
CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES
Grand Prix of Road America
Elkhart, Wis.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 2 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 1:45 p.m.; Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (SPIKE, 4 p.m., tape).
Track: Road America (road course, 4.048 miles).
Race distance: 210.496 miles, 52 laps.
Last race: Paul Tracy vaulted back into championship contention after winning the Molson Vancouver Indy. Tracy, winless since the season-opener on April 18, is third in the standings, 44 points behind leader Sebastien Bourdais.
Fast facts: A.J. Allmendinger posted his first career podium finish with his third-place showing at Vancouver. ... Junqueira recorded his first Champ Car win at Road America in 2001. ... Bourdais finished second last year.
Next race: Aug. 15, Denver
INDY RACING LEAGUE
Michigan Indy 400
Brooklyn
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 11 a.m.; Sunday, race (ABC, 3 p.m.).
Track: Michigan Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 400 miles, 200 laps.
Last race: Dario Franchitti won his first IRL race, taking the inaugural Menards A.J. Foyt Indy 225 at The Milwaukee Mile. Franchitti missed almost all of 2003 after a motorcycle accident.
Fast facts: There has been an average of 27 lead changes in the last two races at Michigan, most of any current track. ... Tomas Scheckter took the pole in each of the last two years of the race, winning the 2002 event. ... Buddy Rice made his series debut at Michigan in 2002 and finished second.
Next race: Belterra Casino Indy 300, Aug. 15, Sparta, Ky.
NHRA
FRAM Autolite Nationals
Sonoma, Calif.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 6 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 1 p.m. (ESPN2, 7 p.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations, 2 p.m. (ESPN2, 8 p.m., tape).
Track: Sears Point Raceway.
Last event: John Force won his 112th career Funny Car event, Greg Anderson won his 11th Pro Stock event of 2004 and Tony Schumacher took Top Fuel at the Carquest Auto Parts Nationals at Pacific Raceways.
Fast facts: Anderson is one win shy of his own single-season record set last season. ... Cruz Pedregon lost the Funny Car final in each of the last two weeks. ... Schumacher's win was his first since May 2 in Bristol.
Next event: Lucas Oil Nationals, Aug. 15, Brainerd, Minn.
Source: Associated Press