ON THE TRACKS This weekend's events

INDY RACING LEAGUEIndianapolis 500
Schedule: Sunday, race (ABC, noon)Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (rectangular oval, 2.5 miles, 9 degrees banking in turns)Race distance: 500 miles, 200 lapsLast race: Dan Wheldon recorded his first career IRL win and gave Honda its first victory on its home track at the Indy Japan 300 on April 17. Honda was winless in five CART races and one IRL event in Japan entering the weekend.Last year: Gil de Ferran held off Helio Castroneves on a six-lap sprint to the end to win the Indianapolis 500, spoiling his Brazilian teammate's bid for an unprecedented third straight victory. De Ferran, who was severely injured in a crash two months earlier, passed Castroneves for the lead on lap 170 and had to fend off his Penske Racing teammate through three restarts.Fast facts: Buddy Rice won the pole position with a speed of 222.024 mph. Rice will be joined in the front row by Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti. ... The race has taken place every year since 1911, except for when the United States was in World War I (1917-18) and World War II (1942-45). ... A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Rick Mears are the only drivers to win this race four times. ... The winner receives a smaller replica of the sterling silver Borg-Warner Trophy. It weighs 92 pounds, stands 4 feet, 4 inches tall and is insured for $1 million. ... The field average of 217.821 is considerably slower than last year's 227.125, after the IRL mandated new lower-horsepower engines and an altered aerodynamic package to slow the cars this year in the interest of safety.
NASCARNEXTEL CUPCoca-Cola 600Concord, N.C.
Schedule: Sunday, race (FOX, 5 p.m.)Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.5 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns)Race distance: 600 miles, 400 lapsLast race: Matt Kenseth passed Ryan Newman with four laps left to win the Nextel All-Star Challenge, taking home the $1 million prize. Kenseth beat Newman by about five car-lengths, with the Chevrolets of Tony Stewart, Michael Waltrip and Dale Earnhardt Jr. rounding out the top five.Last year: Jimmie Johnson was declared the winner of the Coca-Cola 600 after the race was stopped through 276 laps because of rain. Johnson completed the two-race sweep of the showcase events at Lowe's Motor Speedway after winning The Winston the previous week.Fast facts: Jeff Gordon's first victory in the series was the 1994 Coca-Cola 600 while Matt Kenseth picked up his in the 2000 event. ... Perhaps the most unique race on the Nextel Cup schedule. Not only is there an extra 100 miles, but the race starts in sunshine and ends at night. ... Lowe's Motor Speedway was the first super-speedway to hold night racing in 1992. ... Joe Lee Johnson won the inaugural event in 1960. ... The closest finish in Coca-Cola 600 history came in 1988, when Darrell Waltrip edged Rusty Wallace by .24 seconds.
BUSCHCarquest Auto Parts 300Concord, N.C.
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 1:30 p.m.); Saturday, race (FX, 1 p.m.)Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.5 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns)Race distance: 300 miles, 200 lapsLast race: Martin Truex Jr. led for just one lap in the final stock-car race at Nazareth Speedway, yet still managed his series-best fourth win of the season. Truex battled lapped traffic and cut underneath Bobby Hamilton Jr. down the backstretch on the final lap for a thrilling finish in the Goulds Pumps ITT Industries 200.Last year: Matt Kenseth took the lead on the last restart and cruised to victory in the Carquest Auto Parts 300. Kyle Busch, who was making his Busch debut, finished second. The race finished under caution after Greg Biffle spun out in turn four with four laps to go.Fast facts: Jeff Green, Mark Martin and Tim Richmond are the only drivers to win this race in consecutive years. ... Chad Blount will return to Busch Series action this weekend, driving a Dodge for Hirschfeld Motorsports. ... Kyle Busch won his fourth pole of the season last week, the most by a rookie in the Busch Series. Busch is second in the standings, 31 points behind Martin Truex Jr. ... The best finish by a rookie in the Carquest 300 is third by Scott Riggs (2002).
FORMULA ONEEuropean Grand PrixNuerburgring, Germany
Schedule: Today, practice (Speed Channel, 8 a.m.); Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 8 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, 7:30 a.m.)Track: Nuerburgring (permanent road course, 3.196 miles)Race distance: 191.918 miles, 60 lapsLast race: Michael Schumacher's season-opening five-race winning streak ended when he crashed during the Monaco Grand Prix, which was won by Jarno Trulli. Trulli, the only driver other than Schumacher to win this season, was on the pole for the first time. This was his first victory in 119 Grand Prix races.Last year: Ralf Schumacher took advantage of brother Michael's struggles and polesitter Kimi Raikkonen's engine failure to end a 24-race winless streak at the European Grand Prix. Juan Pablo Montoya finished second to give Williams-BMW the 1-2 finish.Fast facts: Rubens Barrichello finished .20 seconds ahead of Michael Schumacher to win the 2002 race. ... Nuerburgring has held the European Grand Prix since 1984. The city previously had its license to hold Formula One events revoked after Niki Lauda was badly burned during an accident in 1976. ... The original Nuerburgring, the Nordschleife, ran for 14 miles and was, in fact, two circuits: the Nordschleife and the Sudschleife. In total they had an amazing 172 corners.
NHRAO'Reilly Summer NationalsTopeka, Kan.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 5:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 1 p.m. (ESPN2, 8 p.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations, noon (ESPN2, 4 p.m., tape)Track: Heartland Park Topeka.Last event: Doug Kalitta made the quickest Top Fuel pass in NHRA history and John Force earned his 111th career Funny Car victory at the Route 66 Nationals. Kalitta covered the Route 66 Raceway quarter-mile in 4.420 seconds at 328.22 mph, well ahead of the Brandon Bernstein, who made his pass in 5.283 at 182.08. Jason Line earned the first Pro Stock victory of his career and Shawn Gann won his first Pro Stock Bike race of the season and third of his career.Last year: Tony Pedregon earned his third straight Funny Car win at Heartland Park Topeka during the O'Reilly Summer Nationals. Larry Dixon edged Doug Kalitta in the Top Fuel final and Greg Anderson defeated Kurt Johnson in a close Pro Stock battle.Fast facts: Gary Scelzi broke an NHRA record with his seventh Top Fuel victory of the season at the 2000 event. ... Heartland Park, considered to be one of the faster tracks on the circuit, has held at least one NHRA national event every year since 1989.
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