ON THE TRACKS This weekend's events

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP
Dodge Charger 500
Site: Darlington, S.C.
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 3:30 p.m.); Saturday, race (FOX, 6:30 p.m.).
Track: Darlington Raceway (egg-shaped oval, 1.366 miles, 25 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 23 degrees in turns 3-4).
Race distance: 501 miles, 367 laps.
Last race: Dale Earnhardt Jr. took advantage of a mistake by Kevin Harvick and then held off Denny Hamlin for several more restarts to win the Crown Royal 400 at Richmond, Va., snapping a 27-race winless streak. Earnhardt's previous win was last July in Chicago -- his only victory of 2005.
NASCAR BUSCH
Diamond Hill Plywood 200
Site: Darlington, S.C.
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 5 p.m.), race (FX, 8 p.m.).
Track: Darlington Raceway (egg-shaped oval, 1.366 miles, 25 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 23 degrees in turns 3-4).
Race distance: 200 miles, 147 laps.
Last race: Points leader Kevin Harvick passed Paul Menard with 48 laps to go and held off a late challenge from teammate Jeff Burton to win the rain-delayed Circuit City 250 at Richmond International Raceway. Harvick won for the third time in the last four Busch races to push his career victory total to 20.
CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES
Grand Prix of Houston
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 5 p.m. (Saturday, Speed Channel, midnight, tape); Saturday, race (Speed Channel, 9 p.m.).
Track: Reliant Park (temporary street course, 1.615 miles, 9 turns).
Race distance: 185.725 miles, 115 laps.
Last race: Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais began the quest for his third straight Champ Car World Series title with an overpowering victory in the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 9. Winning at Long Beach for the second straight year, Bourdais trailed only after a midrace pit stop, leading 70 of 74 laps on the 1.986-mile, 11-turn circuit that threads its way through city streets tucked between downtown and the Pacific Ocean. Likely championship contenders Paul Tracy, Bruno Junqueira and A.J. Allmendinger didn't even make it through the first turn of the first race of the season.
FORMULA ONE
Spanish Grand Prix
Site: Barcelona.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 8 a.m.); Sunday, race, 8 a.m. (CBS, noon, tape).
Track: Circuit of Catalunya (road course, 2.937 miles).
Race distance: 193.842 miles, 66 laps.
Last race: Michael Schumacher won the European Grand Prix for the sixth time, his second straight victory over runner-up Fernando Alonso. Two weeks earlier, Schumacher won the San Marino Grand Prix from the pole.
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