ON THE TRACKS \ This weekend's events

NASCARNEXTEL CUPGoody's 500Martinsville, Va.
Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 3:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (FOX, 1:30 p.m.).Track: Martinsville Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns).Race distance: 263 miles, 500 laps.Last race: Kyle Busch held off teammate Jeff Gordon on a restart, then beat Jeff Burton in a drag race to the finish line to win the first Car of Tomorrow race at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch took the lead with 16 laps to go on a smooth pass around Denny Hamlin in thick traffic and stayed there through a pair of cautions. Busch had driven away from the competition when the 15th and final caution set up overtime.Last year: Tony Stewart banged on Jimmie Johnson's bumper for four laps, then finally beat him out of the second turn on his way to a surprisingly anticlimactic victory at Martinsville Speedway. The victory was Stewart's first in 20 races.Fast facts: Sunday's win was the 600th for manufacturer Chevrolet, which introduced the Impala SS this weekend to coincide with NASCAR's debut of the Car of Tomorrow. The COT spent seven years in development as NASCAR tried to build a uniform car that would cut costs, improve safety and even the competition. It will be used in 16 races this season, including this week's, as NASCAR phases it in through the 2009 season. ... Gordon is atop the standings for the first time since winning the 2005 Daytona 500. He has seven career wins at Martinsville, most among active drivers and third behind Richard Petty (15) and Darrell Waltrip (11). ... Stewart has a win and three top-five finishes in the past three years at Martinsville. ... Brian Vickers suffered second-degree burns to his feet when an exhaust pipe broke midway through the Bristol race. Team Red Bull officials said he would be prepared to race this weekend.
CRAFTSMAN TRUCKSKroger 250Martinsville, Va.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 11:10 a.m., race (FOX, 3 p.m.)Track: Martinsville Speedway.Race distance: 131.5 miles, 250 laps.Last race: Mike Skinner bumped past Clint Bowyer to take the lead on a restart seven laps from the finish and raced away to his second straight victory on March 16. Todd Bodine, last spring's winner at Atlanta, followed Skinner past Bowyer to grab second place on lap 124 of the 130-lap event, but the leader was just too strong, pulling away to a five-length victory.Last year: David Starr held the lead through eight restarts over the final 121 laps to win the Kroger 250.Next race: O'Reilly Auto Parts 250, April 28, Kansas City, Kan.
INDY RACING LEAGUEGrand Prix of St. Petersburg (Fla.)
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 12:45 p.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN, 2:30 p.m.)Track: Streets of St. Petersburg (1.8 miles, 14 turns)Race distance: 180 miles, 100 laps.Last race: Dan Wheldon fought off an early challenge from Sam Hornish Jr. and easily overcame a bad pit stop to drive away with his third straight win at Homestead-Miami Speedway. It's the first time in the 12-year history of the IndyCar Series that a driver has won three straight races at the same track.Last year: Helio Castroneves turned his luck around by winning the Grand Prix of St. Petersburg when Scott Dixon's fuel strategy came up just short. Castroneves had not finished the three previous road races in the series.Next race: Indy Japan 300, April 21, Suzuka.
NHRAO'Reilly Spring NationalsBaytown, Texas
Schedule: Today, qualifying, 4 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 12:15 p.m. (ESPN2, 7 p.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations, noon (ESPN2, 4 p.m., tape)Track: Houston Raceway.Last event: Teammates Tony Schumacher and Ron Capps won the top two divisions in the ACDelco NHRA Gatornationals on March 18, giving team owner Don Schumacher a sweep at historic Gainesville Raceway. Also, Greg Anderson won the Pro Stock division, and Karen Stoffer topped the Pro Stock Motorcycle competition.Last year: Brandon Bernstein raced to his ninth career Top Fuel victory, beating points leader Melanie Troxel with a quarter-mile run of 4.534 at 329.83 mph in the O'Reilly Spring Nationals. Capps extended his points lead by taking the Funny Car division, Mike Edwards won in Pro Stock for the first time in four years and Angelle Sampey remained perfect on the season with her second win in two Pro Stock Motorcycle races.Next event: SummitRacing.com Nationals, April 15, Las Vegas.
Associated Press
Copyright 2007 Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.