Auto Racing Glance

Thursday, June 25, 1998 | 8:21 a.m.

All Times EDT

NASCAR

WINSTON CUP

Savemart-Kragen 350

Site: Sonoma, Calif.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 5 p.m. (ESPN2); Saturday, second-round qualifying, 1 p.m.; Sunday, race, 4 p.m. (ESPN).

Track: Sears Point Raceway (road course, 1.95 miles, nine turns).

Race distance: 216.45 miles, 112 laps.

Last year: Pole-sitter Mark Martin led 69 of 74 laps en route to his first victory at Sears Points. Martin, a four-time winner this year, has five road-course victories. Jeff Gordon finished second.

Last week: Jeremy Mayfield raced to his first Winston Cup victory, holding off Gordon by 0.341 seconds in the Pocono 500. Mayfield leads Gordon by 36 points in the series standings.

Fast facts: Rusty Wallace has six victories on road courses, two at Sears Point, two at Watkins Glen, N.Y., and two at Riverside, Calif. Salinas native Ernie Irvan also has two victories at Sears Point. ... The course has been reconfigured for NASCAR events, with an 890-foot straightaway connecting turns 4 and 7 of the regular 2.52-mile, 12-turn layout. ... Truck series star Ron Hornaday is attempting to qualify the Tyler Jet Motorsports entry. He won the Loadhandler 200 on Sunday for his record 20th truck victory.

Next race: Pepsi 400, July 4, Daytona Beach, Fla.

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BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Lysol 200

Site: Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 2 p.m.; Sunday, race, 12:30 p.m. (ESPN).

Track: Watkins Glen International Raceway (road course, 2.45 miles, 11 turns).

Race distance: 200.9 miles, 82 laps.

Last year: Mike McLaughlin became the only Busch regular to win in the race's seven-year history, edging Todd Bodine by 0.431 seconds.

Last race: Matt Kenseth won the Lycos.Com 250 on June 14 at Fountain, Colo., beating Phil Parsons by 2.945 seconds. Kenseth, also the winner in February at Rockingham, N.C., started from the pole.

Fast facts: The race is the only road-course event on the Grand National schedule. ... Winston Cup regular Ricky Craven, sidelined by post-concussion syndrome since early May, will attempt to qualify the New Holland Chevrolet. ... Winston Cup star Terry Labonte won the inaugural race in 1991 and added three straight victories from 1994-96.

Next race: Diehard 250, July 5, West Allis, Wis.

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CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Next race: Diehard 200, July 4, West Allis, Wis.

Last week: Ron Hornaday raced to his series-record 20th victory, successfully defending his title in the Loadhandler 200 at Bristol, Tenn. Hornaday, a three-time winner this year, held off Jack Sprague by 0.854 seconds in a two-lap duel following the 10th caution period.

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INDY RACING LEAGUE

Pennzoil 200

Site: Loudon, N.H.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 2 p.m.; Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (CBS).

Track: New Hampshire International Speedway (oval, 1.058 miles, 12 degrees banking in corners).

Race distance: 211.6 miles, 200 laps.

Last year: Robbie Buhl raced to his first series victory, holding off Monaco's Vincenzo Sospiri by 0.064 seconds. Buhl took the lead with two laps left when Eddie Cheever dropped out because of gearbox problems.

Last race: Billy Boat won the True Value 500K at Fort Worth, Texas, on June 6, beating Greg Ray by 0.928 seconds.

Fast facts: Tony Stewart, the defending series champion, finished second in the NASCAR Busch series' Gumout Long Life Formula 200 at Loudon on May 9. He won the IRL's season-opening Indy 200 on Jan. 24 at Orlando, Fla. ... Scott Sharp won the 1996 race.

Next race: Pep Boys 400K, July 19, Dover, Del.

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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Sears Craftsman Nationals

Site: Madison, Ill.

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 elimination's, 11 a.m.

Track: Gateway International Raceway.

Last year: Joe Amato won the Top Fuel title, beating Gary Scelzi with a run of 4.739 seconds at 306.43 mph. Ron Capps took the Funny Car competition, and Warren Johnson won the Pro Stock division.

Last event: Frank Pedregon raced to his first Funny Car victory, beating Dean Skuza in the final of the Pontiac Excitement Nationals on June 14 at Kirkersville, Ohio. Pedregon's brothers, Cruz and Tony, also have Funny Car victories. Kenny Bernstein took the Top Fuel division.

Fast facts: Cory McClenathan, a four-time winner this year, leads the Top Fuel standings with 785 points. Amato is second at 766. John Force has a 799-719 lead over Chuck Etchells in the Funny Car points race.

Next event: Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals, July 16-19, Denver.

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CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Next race: Medic Drug Grand Prix of Cleveland, July 12, Cleveland.

Last week: Alex Zanardi won the Budweiser-G.I. Joe's 200 at Portland, Ore., the Italian star's third victory in a month and fourth this year. He has won 12 of 33 races dating to his first victory at Portland in 1996.

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FORMULA ONE

Next race: French Grand Prix, June 28, Magny-Cours.

Last race: Germany's Michael Schumacher successfully defended his Canadian GP title June 7, easily beating Italy's Giancarlo Fisichella. The Ferrari driver, a two-time series champion, has 30 career victories.

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