This week’s races

Thursday, July 22, 1999 | 9:16 a.m.

WINSTON CUP

Pennsylvania 500

Site: Long Pond, Pa.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, Noon; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 8:30 a.m.; Sunday, race (TBS, Cox Channel 7, 10:05 a.m.)

Track: Pocono International Raceway (triangle oval, 2.5 miles, 14 degrees banking in turn 1, 8 degrees in turn 2, 6 degrees in turn 3).

Race distance: 500 miles, 200 laps.

Last year: Jeff Gordon set a track record, leading 164 of 200 laps in a 1.153-second victory over Mark Martin.

Last race: Jeff Burton pulled ahead when Tony Stewart ran out of gas on the 298th of 300 laps, winning his third consecutive Jiffy Lube 300 in Loudon, N.H.

Fast facts: Dale Earnhardt came from 16th place to take the Pennsylvania 500 in 1987, the deepest starting spot for any winner of the race. ... Only three pole winners have won the race in its 25 years.

Next race: Brickyard 400, Aug. 7, Indianapolis.

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BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Pikes Peak 250

Site: Fountain, Colo.

Schedule: Thursday, first-round qualifying, 3 p.m.; Friday, second-round qualifying, 1 p.m.; Saturday, race (ESPN, Cox Channel 19, Noon)

Track: Pikes Peak International Raceway (oval, 1 mile, 10 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 250 miles, 250 laps.

Last year: Polesitter Matt Kenseth beat Phil Parsons by 2.945 seconds.

Last race: Jeff Green picked up his second victory of the season after race leader Jason Keller cut a tire with three laps remaining in the Myrtle Beach 250 in Myrtle Beach, S.C.

Fast facts: Kenseth has led the most miles (637.17) this season, but trails Dale Earnhardt Jr. for the series points lead, 2,702-2,640. ... The average margin of victory this season is 1.854 seconds.

Next race: Gateway 250, July 31, Madison, Ill.

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CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

goracing.com 200

Site: Brooklyn, Mich.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 9:45 a.m.; Saturday, race (ESPN, Channel 19, 10 a.m.)

Track: Michigan Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 200 miles, 100 laps.

Last year: Inaugural race.

Last race: Greg Biffle recovered from two early pit stops to win the NAPA AutoCare 200 in Nazareth, Pa. Biffle started from the pole, but dropped to 20th after pitting on the 50th lap. Eventually, he got back in front and passed teammate and leader Mike Bliss on the 135th of 200 laps.

Fast facts: This is the first series stop in Michigan. ... Michigan Speedway is one of only two 2-mile superspeedways on the circuit. California Speedway is the other. ... Stacy Compton is third in the standings despite not having won a race this season. He trails leader Jack Sprague by 177 points.

Next race: Pennzoil-VIP Discount 200, Aug. 1, Loudon, N.H.

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CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

U.S. 500

Site: Brooklyn, Mich.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying 8:30 a.m. (ESPN2, Cox Channel 31, 3 p.m.); Sunday, race (ABC, Cox Channel 13, 10:30 a.m.)

Track: Michigan Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 500 miles, 250 laps.

Last year: Three fans were killed and six injured by a tire and other debris that hurtled into the crowd after Adrian Fernandez's one-car crash. Greg Moore won the race, holding off Jimmy Vasser and Alex Zanardi.

Last race: Dario Franchitti, who has started from the pole the last two years and failed to finish, won the Molson Indy in Toronto. Team Kool Green teammate Paul Tracy trailed the Scotsman across the finish line by 2.624 seconds.

Fast facts: Al Unser Jr. set the race record of 189.727 mph in 1990. ... Despite not finishing either of the last two races, Juan Montoya leads the standings. He has a seven-point lead over Franchitti. ... Franchitti is the eighth different winner in 11 CART races this season. Montoya (four victories) is the only driver to win more than once.

Next race: Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix, Aug. 8, Detroit.

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FORMULA ONE

Austrian Grand Prix

Site: Spielberg, Austria.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speedvision, 4 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speedvision, 4:30 a.m.)

Track: A1-Ring (road course, 2.687 miles).

Race distance: 190.777 miles, 71 laps.

Last year: Finland's Mika Hakkinen got his fifth victory of the season.

Last race: David Coulthard of McLaren won the British Grand Prix, one of three Britons among the top six. Two-time series champion Michael Schumacher broke his right leg and could be out for the rest of the season.

Fast facts: Mika Salo will be driving Schumacher's Ferrari. ... Damon Hill has said he will retire at the end of the season. ... Hakkinen leads the standings by eight points over Schumacher and Eddie Irvine.

Next race: German Grand Prix, Aug. 1, Hockenheim.

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Non-racing weekends

INDY RACING LEAGUE

Last race: Scott Sharp picked up his first IRL victory of the year in the Kobalt Mechanics Tools 500 in Atlanta. Sharp jumped from fifth to second in the season standings with 159 points, 21 fewer than Scott Goodyear.

Next race: Mid-Atlantic 200, Aug. 1, Dover, Del.

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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Last race: Jeg Coughlin beat brother Troy and set a new elapsed-time track record and won the Pro Stock final at the Mile-High Nationals in Denver. In other events, Joe Amato earned his third Top Fuel victory of the year and Tony Pedregon got his third Funny Car win of the year.

Next race: Prolong Northwest Nationals, July 30-Aug.-1, Seattle.

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