This week in racing

Thursday, Oct. 16, 1997 | 10:06 a.m.

WINSTON CUP

Idle

Next race: Oct. 26, AC Delco 400, North Carolina Motor Speedway, Rockingham, N.C.

Last week: After most of the field was involved in a high-speed wreck triggered when Jeff Gordon's Chevrolet cut a tire, Terry Labonte emerged to win the Sears Diehard 500 at Talladega, Ala. It was the defending Winston Cup champion's first victory of the season.

Fast fact: Despite the wreck, Gordon lost only 15 points of his lead over Mark Martin in the driver standings. He leads Martin by 110 points with four races remaining.

BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Kenwood Home & Car Audio 300

Site: California Speedway, 2-mile paved oval, Fontana, Calif.

Date:Sunday, Oct. 19.

TV: ESPN, 3 p.m. EDT.

Qualifying: Friday-Saturday.

Defending champion: None (first race).

Last week: Idle.

Fast fact: Randy LaJoie can clinch his second straight Busch Grand National series title by leaving Sunday's race with a 181-point lead over second-place Todd Bodine. He leads by 246 coming into Fontana.

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CART

Season Completed

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IRL

Season Completed

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FORMULA ONE

Idle

Next race: Oct. 26, European Grand Prix, Jerez, Spain.

Last week: Michael Schumacher reduced Jacques Villeneuve's lead in the Formula One driver standings to 79-78 by winning the Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka.

Fast fact: Michael Schumacher's victory in the Japanese Grand Prix was the 27th of his career and came in his seventh season. Only Alain Prost (51), Ayrton Senna (41) and Nigel Mansell (31) have won more.

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CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

The No Fear Challenge

Site: California Speedway, 2-mile paved oval, Fontana, Calif.

Date: Saturday, Oct. 18.

TV: ESPN2, 4 p.m. EDT.

Qualifying: Friday.

Defending champion: None (first race).

Last week: Randy Tolsma passed Mike Wallace's ailing Chevrolet with four laps remaining and held off Stacy Compton and Mike Bliss on the final lap to win the Dodge Truck 300 at Bakersfield, Cali.

Fast fact: Randy Tolsma came from 13th on the starting grid in his 13th race to win the Dodge Truck 300. These were the first laps he had led as a Craftsman Truck Series racer.

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NHRA

Revell Nationals

Site: Texas Motorplex, Ennis, Texas.

Date: Sunday, Oct. 19 (final eliminations).

TV: TNN, 5:30 p.m. EDT.

Qualifying: Friday-Saturday.

Defending champions: Cory McClenathan, top fuel; Dale Pulde, funny car; Jim Yates, pro stock.

Last week: Idle.

Fast Fact: Three-time NHRA top fuel champion Shirley Muldowney, 57, returns to NHRA competition this weekend for the first time since 1991. She won 18 events in her career and is the only woman to win an NHRA title.

End Adv for Thursday Oct. 16