ON THE TRACKS \ This weekend's events

NASCARNEXTEL CUPAaron's 499Talladega, Ala.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 11:15 a.m.); Sunday, race (FOX, 2 p.m.)Track: Talladega Superspeedway (tri-oval, 2.66 miles, 33 degrees banking in turns).Race distance: 500 miles, 188 laps.Last race: Jeff Gordon, the four-time NASCAR champion, tied the late Dale Earnhardt for sixth place on the career victory list with 76, winning for the first time since last July. Gordon's win in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 ended a 26-race victory drought.Last year: Jimmie Johnson erased a career full of Talladega Superspeedway troubles, barreling past teammate Brian Vickers with one lap to go and then holding off a charge from Tony Stewart to win the rain-postponed Aaron's 499. The race contained 56 lead changes among 22 drivers -- tying it for 10th all-time in lead changes and third for the highest number of leaders.Fast facts: With Gordon's historic victory, he holds a 74-point lead over Jeff Burton in the Nextel Cup points. ... Gordon made his Cup debut at Talladega Superspeedway in 1993. ... This race falls on what would have been Dale Earnhardt's 56th birthday. ... The last winner to come from the pole position was Bobby Labonte in 1998. ... Chevrolet has won seven of the eight races this season. Matt Kenseth won the Auto Club 500 in a Ford on Feb. 26. ... Jimmie Johnson, the defending Aaron's 499 champion, has won three races this season. He's the only multiple winner on the circuit.
BUSCH SERIESAaron's 312Talladega, Ala.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 5:05 p.m. (Speed Channel, 8 p.m., tape), Saturday, race (ABC, 3 p.m.)Track: Talladega Superspeedway.Race distance: 311.2 miles, 117 laps.Last race: Clint Bowyer won a stirring duel with Matt Kenseth, taking the lead with 14 laps to go and holding on in the Busch Series race at Phoenix International Raceway. Bowyer led five times for 120 laps, while Kenseth led just once for 17 laps. As usual, Nextel Cup drivers dominated the race, with Timothy Peters in 13th the top finishing Busch regular.Last year: Martin Truex Jr. returned to his roots to win his third straight Busch race at Talladega Superspeedway. Making his first Busch start of the season, Truex drove a car owned by Dale Earnhardt Inc. Truex celebrated what would have been The Intimidator's 55th birthday by giving the company the victory.Next race: Circuit City 250, May 4, Richmond, Va.
CRAFTSMAN TRUCKSO'Reilly Auto Parts 250Kansas City, Kan.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 2:30 p.m.; Saturday, race (Speed Channel, 5:30 p.m.)Track: Kansas Speedway (D-shaped oval, 1.5 miles, 15 degrees banking in turns).Race distance: 250.5 miles, 167 laps.Last race: Mike Skinner started on the pole and stayed out front nearly all day at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway on March 31, leading all but seven of 253 laps to win his third consecutive race. Coming off victories at California and Atlanta, Skinner set a series record by leading 246 laps and won for the 22nd time in his career. He became the second driver in the series to win twice on the small, tight oval.Last year: Terry Cook used pit strategy to his advantage to take the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250. Cook took the lead with 40 laps to go in the race, 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.Next race: Quaker Steak and Lube 200, May 18, Concord, N.C.
INDY RACING LEAGUEKansas Lottery 300Kansas City
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 4:15 p.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN2, 4:30 p.m.)Track: Kansas Speedway (tri-oval, 1.5 miles, 15 degrees banking in turns).Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.Last race: Tony Kanaan took the lead with four laps remaining and won the Indy Japan 300. Kanaan started from the second row and crossed the finish line at the 1.5-mile Motegi oval 0.4828 seconds ahead of England's Dan Wheldon, giving Andretti Green Racing its first victory of the IRL season.Last year: Sam Hornish Jr. celebrated his 27th birthday with his second straight IRL victory -- and the season points lead. Hornish blew past Dan Wheldon after a restart with 17 laps to go, then won a back-and-forth battle down the stretch for his third victory of the season.Next race: Indianapolis 500, May 27.
NHRASummit Racing EquipmentSouthern NationalsCommerce, Ga.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 4:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN2, 7 p.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations, 11 a.m. (ESPN2, 7 p.m., tape).Track: Atlanta Dragway.Last event: Robert Hight edged Funny Car leader Ron Capps in the SummitRacing.com Nationals at Las Vegas, giving John Force Racing a victory less than a month after driver Eric Medlen was killed in a testing accident. Brandon Bernstein raced to his 13th Top Fuel win and Greg Anderson claimed a track-record fifth Las Vegas trophy in Pro Stock.Last year: Doug Kalitta raced to his second straight Top Fuel victory and moved into second place in the championship standings, beating series leader Melanie Troxel in the final of the Summit Racing Equipment Southern Nationals. Tony Pedregon, Dave Connolly and Antron Brown also won.Next event: O'Reilly Midwest Nationals, May 6, Madison, Ill.
Associated Press
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