Auto Racing Glance — June 11, 1998

Thursday, June 11, 1998 | 8:27 a.m.

By JOHN NICHOLSON

Associated Press Writer

All Times EDT

NASCAR

WINSTON CUP

Miller Lite 400

Site: Brooklyn, Mich.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 3:30 p.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 11:15 a.m.; Sunday, race, 1 p.m. (CBS).

Track: Michigan Speedway (oval, 2.0 miles, 18 degrees banking in corners).

Race distance: 400 miles, 200 laps.

Last year: Ernie Irvan, racing on the track where he sustained near-fatal injuries in 1994, beat seven-time Michigan winner Bill Elliott by 2.964 seconds. Mark Martin won the August race.

Last week: Terry Labonte won the Pontiac Excitement 400 at Richmond, Va., bumping past Dale Jarrett on the 398th lap. The wild pass, moments before the seventh caution period, followed an unprecedented decision to red-flag the race in an attempt to set up a green-flag finish. With 28 laps left, Rusty Wallace spun out Jeff Gordon while racing for the lead.

Fast facts: Gordon's 37th-place finish last week dropped the two-time Winston Cup champion to third in the points race, 46 behind Jeremy Mayfield and 25 behind Wallace. ... Richard Childress, owner of Dale Earnhardt's No. 3 car and Mike Skinner's No. 31 car, has swapped crew chiefs between the teams. Kevin Hamlin moves to Earnhardt's team and Larry McReynolds to Skinner's crew. Earnhardt won the season-opening Daytona 500.

Next race: Pocono 500, June 21, Long Pond, Pa.

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BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Lycos.Com 250

Site: Fountain, Colo.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 6 p.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 2 p.m.; Sunday, race, 4 p.m. (ESPN).

Track: Pikes Peak International Raceway (oval, 1.0 miles, 10 degrees banking in corners).

Race distance: 250 miles, 250 laps.

Last year: Inaugural race.

Last week: Winston Cup regular Jeff Burton won the Hardee's 250 at Richmond, Va., passing Dale Earnhardt Jr. with 37 laps left and holding him off by 0.635 seconds.

Fast facts: Mike McLaughlin tops the points race with 1,906, followed by Matt Kenseth (1,897) and Earnhardt (1,861). ... The Busch and Winston Cup circuits are in different cities until July 31-Aug. 1 in Indianapolis.

Next race: Lysol 200, June 28, Watkins Glen, N.Y.

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CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Next race: Loadhandler 200, June 20, Bristol, Tenn.

Last week: Tony Raines won the accident-filled Pronto Auto Parts 400 at Fort Worth, Texas, holding off Andy Houston by 0.241 seconds. Raines also won the Yellow Freight 200 on May 23 at Odessa, Mo.

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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Pontiac Excitement Nationals

Site: Hebron, Ohio.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.; Sunday, final eliminations, 11 a.m.

Track: National Trail Raceway.

Last year: Tom Hoover, racing nine weeks after heart bypass surgery, beat Whit Bazemore in the Funny Car final. Gary Scelzi won the Top Fuel title, and Tom Martino topped the Pro Stock division.

Last event: Kenny Bernstein won the Top Fuel title in the FRAM Route 66 Nationals on May 31 at Joliet, Ill., beating Scelzi in the final. Bazemore took the Funny Car division, and Mike Thomas won the Pro Stock competition.

Fast facts: Cory McClenathan, a four-time winner this year, leads the Top Fuel standings with 733 points. Joe Amato is second at 688. John Force has a 705-644 lead over Chuck Etchells in the Funny Car points race.

Next event: Sears Craftsman National, June 25-28, Madison, Ill.

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CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Next race: Budweiser-G.I. Joe's 200, June 21, Portland, Ore.

Last week: Italy's Alex Zanardi raced to his third victory of the year, beating Brazil's Adrian Fernandez by 6.624 seconds in the Detroit Grand Prix. Zanardi leads Canada's Greg Moore 113-96 in the series standings.

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FORMULA ONE

Next race: British Grand Prix, July 12, Silverstone, England.

Last week: Germany's Michael Schumacher won the Canadian GP for the second straight year, overcoming a penalty for veering wildly out of the pit lane to easily beat Italy's Giancarlo Fisichella. The Ferrari driver, a two-time series champion, has 30 career victories.

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INDY RACING LEAGUE

Next race: Pennzoil 200, June 28, Loudon, N.H.

Last week: Billy Boat won the True Value 500K at Fort Worth, Texas, holding off Greg Ray by 0.928 seconds.