ON THE TRACKS | This weekend's events

NASCAR NEXTEL CUPUSG Sheetrock 400Joliet, Ill.
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 4:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (TNT, 3 p.m.).Track: Chicagoland Speedway (tri-oval, 1.5 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).Race distance: 400 miles, 267 laps.Last race: Tony Stewart was back to his on-track dominance and off-track hijinks, winning his second straight Pepsi 400 at Daytona by charging to the lead with two laps to go. He then celebrated with his trademark climbing of the fence. Stewart led more than half the event, surged back in front with two laps remaining and held off a late charge from Kyle and Kurt Busch. The Busch brothers finished second and third.Last year: Dale Earnhardt Jr. finally picked up his first victory of 2005 at the USG Sheetrock 400. Earnhardt had an average finish of 19th since placing third at that season's Daytona 500.Fast facts: Dieter Zetsche, chairman of DaimlerChrysler, denied a widespread rumor that Dodge was pulling out of NASCAR, and pledged his commitment to America's top racing series. Dodge has won 32 races since its 2001 return to NASCAR. ... The 2001 race marked the first Nextel Cup event in Illinois since 1956, when Fireball Roberts won at Soldier Field in Chicago. ... A Chevrolet has won four of the five races held at Chicagoland. Chevrolet has won nine of the 17 races this season. Dodge has five wins and Ford three.Next race: New England 300, July 16, Loudon, N.H.
NASCAR BUSCHUSG Durock 300Joliet, Ill.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 12:30 p.m.); Saturday, race (TNT, 4 p.m.).Track: Chicagoland Speedway (tri-oval, 1.5 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.Last race: Dale Earnhardt Jr. returned to Daytona's Victory Lane for the first time in more than two years, winning the Winn-Dixie 250. Earnhardt took the lead early and dominated the rest of the way, holding off Brian Vickers after a late restart. Vickers was followed by series point leader Kevin Harvick, pole-sitter J.J. Yeley and Carl Edwards. Earnhardt led 88 of 103 laps and picked up his 21st Busch Series victory, tying his late father and Harry Gant for seventh on the career list.Last year: Kevin Harvick held off Greg Biffle and Ryan Newman to win the USG Durock 300. It was Harvick's third victory at Chicagoland Speedway, but first in the Busch Series.Fast facts: A Nextel Cup regular has won 19 of the last 21 Busch Series races. ... Harvick leads the series with three victories and 2,812 points. In 18 races, Harvick has 15 top-10 finishes and ten in the top 5.Next race: New England 200, July 15, Loudon, N.H.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCKSBuilt Ford Tough 225Sparta, Ky.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 4:30 p.m., race (Speed Channel, 8 p.m.).Track: Kentucky Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).Race distance: 225 miles, 150 laps.Last race: Terry Cook used pit strategy to his advantage to take the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race Saturday at Kansas Speedway. Cook took the lead with 40 laps to go in the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250, staying out while most of the leaders chose to take fuel and tires. He stretched his lead to as much as 4 seconds over Rick Crawford, who finished second. It was Cook's first win in 94 races since he last won at O'Reilly Raceway Park in Indianapolis in August 2002.Last year: Dennis Setzer won for the third time in four races, holding off Todd Bodine in a two-lap shootout after leader Terry Cook crashed with four laps left to take the Built Ford Tough 225.Fast facts: Todd Bodine, with three wins, leads the points race with 1,909. David Reutimann, with 10 top-10 finishes, trails by 138 points. ... Kentucky Speedway opened in 2000 and hosts four race weekends a year, including the Busch Series and Craftsman Trucks. ... Carl Edwards became the first driver to win races at Kentucky in both series when he won the 2005 Busch Series Meijer 300. He had previously been to Victory Lane in the Truck Series in 2003. Next race: O'Reilly 200, July 15, Memphis, Tenn.
CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIESMolson Grand Prix of Toronto
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 2 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 2 p.m.; Sunday, race (CBS, 12:30 p.m.).Track: Exhibition Place (temporary road course, 1.755 miles, 11 turns).Race distance: 156.195 miles, 86 laps.Last race: A.J. Allmendinger won his second straight race on June 25, avoiding major trouble in the Grand Prix of Cleveland in which points leader Sebastien Bourdais was knocked out after a spectacular first-lap crash. Bourdais collected three points for his 18th-place finish and was able to maintain the points lead over Justin Wilson (166-140), who crashed after a part broke on his race car and finished in 13th place.Last year: Wilson passed Oriol Servia for the lead with 11 laps to go to win the Toronto Molson Indy for his first career victory.Next race: Grand Prix of Edmonton, July 23, Alberta.
Associated Press