Friday, August 31, 2007
NASCAR
NEXTEL CUP
NASCAR Nextel Cup Series 500
Fontana, Calif.
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 6 p.m.); Sunday, race (ESPN, 8 p.m.)
Track: California Speedway (D-shaped oval, 2 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 500 miles, 250 laps.
Last race: Carl Edwards picked up another 10 bonus points to use in his pursuit of the Nextel Cup title with a dominating victory at Bristol Motor Speedway. Edwards passed Kasey Kahne for the lead with 166 laps to go and wasn’t challenged the rest of the way as he drove to his second victory of the season.
Last year: Kasey Kahne earned his series-leading fifth win of 2006 after taking the Sony HD 500 at California Speedway.
Fast facts: Kurt Busch is still holding down the 12th and final position with two races to go. Dale Earnhardt Jr., despite a strong run at Bristol, is 158 points back. ... Kahne will be inducted into the California Speedway Walk of Fame on Saturday. ... In the previous 14 Cup races at California Speedway, the pole-sitter has yet to win. ... Matt Kenseth won the Auto Club 500 here on Feb. 25.
BUSCH SERIES
Camping World 300
Fontana, Calif.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 8 p.m. (Speed Channel, 11 p.m., tape); Saturday, race (ESPN2, 10 p.m.)
Track: California Speedway
Race distance: 300 miles, 150 laps.
Last race: Kasey Kahne passed Ryan Newman with eight laps to go, then held off several charges from Jason Leffler to win at Bristol Motor Speedway. The race was marred by a NASCAR scoring error against Kyle Busch that cost him a chance to run for the win. Busch was penalized with 77 laps to go and had to forfeit his second-place position, a penalty NASCAR later said was incorrect.
Last year: Kahne outdueled Paul Menard in an exciting shootout that ended with Kahne in California Speedway’s Victory Lane and Menard coasting across the finish line out of fuel. The top two swapped the lead several times in the final 10 laps, with Kahne moving on top for the final time on lap 148. It looked like Menard was ready to make another run at the leader on the final lap when he suddenly slowed on the backstretch, out of fuel.
Next race: Emerson Radio 250, Sept. 7, Richmond, Va.
CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS
Dodger Dealers Ram Tough 200
Madison, Ill.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 2 p.m., race (Speed Channel, 5:30 p.m.)
Track: Gateway International Raceway (egg-shaped oval, 1.25 miles, 11 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 9 degrees in turns 3-4).
Race distance: 200 miles, 160 laps.
Last race: Johnny Benson postponed a pit stop and then held off Brendan Gaughan to win the O’Reilly 200 at Bristol Motor Speedway on Aug. 22.
Last year: Todd Bodine collected his fifth victory in the last eight events, leading a group of five Toyotas across the finish line. Bodine was followed by Ted Musgrave, David Reutimann, Jack Sprague and Johnny Benson.
Next race: New Hampshire 200, Sept. 15, Loudon, N.H.
CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES
Bavaria Grand Prix
Assen, Holland
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 8 a.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 8 a.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN Classic, 7 a.m.)
Track: TT Circuit Assen (permanent road course, 2.83 miles, 14 turns).
Race distance: Timed race: 1 hour and 45 minutes.
Last race: Sebastien Bourdais won the inaugural Belgian Grand Prix for his sixth victory this season. Bruno Junqueira of Brazil was second on the 2.5-mile circuit at Zolder.
Last year: This year is inaugural race.
Next race: Lexmark Indy 300, Oct. 21, Surfers Paradise, Australia.
INDY RACING LEAGUE
Detroit Indy Grand Prix
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 11:45 a.m.; Sunday, race (ABC 3:30 p.m.)
Track: The Raceway at Belle Isle (street course, 2.096 miles, 13 turns).
Race distance: 188.64 miles, 90 laps.
Last race: Scott Dixon took advantage of Dario Franchitti’s misfortune Sunday, winning for the fourth time this season and taking the points lead with two races remaining. Franchitti had dominated the 80-lap race, until he collided with teammate Marco Andretti on lap 69.
Last year: Inaugural race.
Next race: Chicagoland Indy 300, Sept. 9, Joliet, Ill.
NHRA
Mac Tools U.S. Nationals
Clermont, Ind.
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 6:15 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 1 p.m. (ESPN2, 12:30 a.m., tape); Sunday, qualifying, 11 a.m. (ESPN2, 2 p.m.; ESPN2 12 Mid., tape); Monday, eliminations, 11 a.m. (ESPN2, Noon).
Track: Indianapolis Raceway Park.
Last event: Doug Herbert ended a nearly three-year winless streak to earn the final spot in the Countdown to the Championship, defeating “Hot Rod” Fuller in the rain-delayed final of the Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals at Maple Grove Raceway on Aug. 22. Funny Car’s Tony Pedregon, Pro Stock’s Dave Connolly and Pro Stock Motorcycle’s Matt Guidera also scored big wins in the final regular-season race.
Last year: Tony Schumacher topped Brandon Bernstein in the Top Fuel final at Indianapolis Raceway Park. He joined other winners, Robert Hight (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock), and Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle). Anderson also won for the fifth time at Indy, including four straight.
Next event: O’Reilly Mid-South Nationals, Sept. 16, Memphis, Tenn.
Associated Press