ON THE TRACKS | This weekend's events

NASCAR NEXTEL CUPBanquet 400Kansas City, Kan.
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 4:10 p.m.; Sunday, race (NBC, 2 p.m.)Track: Kansas Speedway (tri-oval 1.5 miles, 15 degrees banking in turns)Race distance: 400.5 miles, 267 lapsLast year: Ryan Newman's gas gamble paid off as he won the Banquet 400. Newman drove the final 117 laps on one tank of fuel and held off a challenge from Bill Elliott to record his eighth victory of 2003.Fast facts: Kurt Busch leads Earnhardt Jr. by 12 points in the standings. They are the only two drivers to record top-10 finishes in each of the first three races of the chase.
BUSCH SERIESMr. Goodcents 300Kansas City, Kan.
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 2:30 p.m.); Saturday, race (TNT, 2 p.m.)Track: Kansas SpeedwayRace distance: 300 miles, 200 lapsLast race: Points leader Martin Truex Jr. took the lead with 12 laps to go and drove to an easy victory in the Stacker 200 at Dover International Speedway. It was Truex's fifth win of the year, tying him with rookie Kyle Busch and Greg Biffle for the most on the circuit.Last year: David Green led just one lap down the stretch, but it was good enough to win the Mr. Goodcents 300. The race finished under caution when Bobby Hamilton Jr. crashed on the last lap.Next race: Little Trees 300, Oct. 15, Concord, N.C.
FORMULA ONEJapanese Grand PrixSuzuka
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 1 a.m.); Saturday, race (Speed Channel, 1 a.m.)Track: Suzuka Circuit (road course, 3.636 miles, 21 turns)Race distance: 192.708 miles, 53 lapsLast race: Rubens Barrichello won his second straight race at the inaugural Chinese Grand Prix. Series champion Michael Schumacher finished 12th, his worst showing in a race since 1999.Last year: Michael Schumacher won a record sixth Formula One title by finishing eighth at the Japanese Grand Prix. Schumacher got strong support from Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello, who won the season-ending race ahead of Kimi Raikkonen.Next race: Brazilian Grand Prix, Oct. 24, Sao Paulo
NHRALucas Oil NHRA NationalsReading, Pa.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 1:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 11 a.m.; Sunday, eliminations, 11 a.m.Track: Maple Grove RacewayLast event: Doug Herbert (Top Fuel), Del Worsham (Funny Car) and Dave Connolly (Pro Stock) all defeated that category's points leader in the final round of the NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill.Last year: Tony Schumacher set a national elapsed-time record en route to his Top Fuel victory at the Lucas Oil Nationals. Schumacher set the record at 4.441 seconds during his qualifying victory. Tim Wilkerson, Warren Johnson and Michael Phillips also won.Next event: ACDelco Nationals, Oct. 31, Las Vegas
Associated Press
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