ON THE TRACKS This weekend's events

NASCARNEXTEL CUPUAW-DaimlerChrysler 400Las Vegas
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 6:40 p.m.); Sunday, race (FOX, 4 p.m.)Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway (tri-oval, 1.5 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns)Race distance: 400 miles, 267 lapsLast race: Matt Kenseth won at California Speedway after the faster cars of Greg Biffle and Tony Stewart went to the garage with engine failures late in the Auto Club 500. Stewart, who had been running at the finish in 30 consecutive races, saw his race come to an end in a puff of smoke on lap 214. Biffle led 168 of the first 218 laps and built margins up to 13 seconds before he lost a cylinder in his engine on lap 225.Last year: Jimmie Johnson lead a race-high 107 laps and held off hometown boys Kyle and Kurt Busch to win the UAW-DaimlerChrysler 400. But Johnson, Kyle Busch and car owner Rick Hendrick were docked points by NASCAR for failing post-race inspections.Fast facts: Johnson has a win and a second-place finish since crew chief Chad Knaus was suspended four races for using an unapproved part on the No. 48 Chevrolet in qualifying at Daytona. ... Biffle, last year's Cup runner-up, has finishes of 31st and 42nd in the first two races. ... Kasey Kahne is fourth in the standings through the first two races. He did not make an appearance in the top 10 in all of 2005. ... Kenseth has won two of the last three Las Vegas events.
BUSCH SERIESSam's Town 300Las Vegas
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 4:30 p.m.), race (FX, 6:30 p.m.)Track: Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayRace distance: 200 miles, 300 lapsLast race: Denny Hamlin pitted early, then stayed out of trouble Sunday to hold on and win the second Busch race in Mexico. It was the first career Busch win in 39 starts for the 25-year-old Hamlin, who started second and pitted during the first caution, then outdueled pole-sitter and road course ace Boris Said by 1.53 seconds in the Telcel-Motorola 200.Last year: Mark Martin moved into the lead when Carl Edwards had a flat tire, extending Martin's Busch-record win total to 47 with his victory in the Sam's Town 300.Fast facts: Edwards became the first rookie to win a pole at Las Vegas last year. He led 125 laps in the race, but finished seventh after a flat tire dropped him from the lead. ... Kevin Harvick has a win and two second-place finishes in his last three Busch races at Las Vegas. He also has six straight top-10 placings dating to last season. ... This is the 10th year of the event. The inaugural race in 1997 was the first for the series west of the Mississippi River.
Next race: Nicorette 300, March 18, Hampton, Ga.
FORMULA ONEBahrain Grand PrixSakhir
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 6 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, 6 a.m.)Track: Bahrain International Circuit (road course, 3.37 miles, 12 turns)Race distance: 192.09 miles, 57 lapsLast year: Fernando Alonso won his second straight race with his victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix. Michael Schumacher dropped out after just 12 laps in his new Ferrari.Fast facts: Last year, Ferrari went scoreless when neither of its cars failed to finish among the top eight. Schumacher had his first DNF since 2001 because of mechanical failure. ... Schumacher's contract with Ferrari is up at the end of this season. ... Defending champion Fernando Alonso will leave Renault after this season to join the McLaren-Mercedes team. ... The 2004 event marked the first time since 1958 that the series held a race in the Middle East.Next race: Malaysian Grand Prix, March 19, Kuala Lumpur.
Associated Press
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