Around the track

Friday, June 25, 1999 | 3:02 a.m.

All times PDT

NASCAR WINSTON CUP

Save Mart 350k

Site: Sonoma, Calif.

Schedule: Today, first-round qualifying, 8 a.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying 7:45 a.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN 1:30 p.m.)

Track: Sears Point Raceway (permanent road course, 1.949 miles, 11 turns).

Race distance: 218.288 miles, 112 laps.

Last year: Jeff Gordon started from the pole and charged back from 20th place to beat Bobby Hamilton by about 15 car-lengths.

Last race: Bobby Labonte won the Pocono 500 in Long Pond, Pa., by six car-lengths over three-time Pocono winner Gordon.

Fast facts: At Pocono International Raceway, Labonte posted his fifth top-five finish in six races this year on the flat race tracks. ... Labonte moved into second place in the points standings. He trails leader Dale Jarrett by 89 points. ... Defending series champion Gordon passed Tony Stewart for fifth place in the standings. Gordon leads Stewart by two points.

Next race: Pepsi 400, July 3, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Driver standings: 1. Dale Jarrett, 2,344. 2. Bobby Labonte, 2,255. 3. Jeff Burton, 2,158. 4. Mark Martin, 2,153. 5. Jeff Gordon, 1,995. 6. Tony Stewart, 1,993. 7. Dale Earnhardt, 1,869. 8. Ward Burton, 1,819. 9. Jeremy Mayfield, 1,784. 10. Terry Labonte, 1,758.

BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Lysol 200

Site: Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 7:45 a.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN, 9 a.m.).

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

Race distance: 200.9 miles, 82 laps.

Last year: Ron Fellows, subbing for Winston Cup driver Joe Nemechek, beat 1997 winner Mike McLaughlin by 2.941 seconds in the series' lone road-course race.

Last race: Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed Jeff Green with 70 laps to go to win the Textilease-Medique 300 at South Boston Speedway. It was the defending series champion's second consecutive victory.

Fast facts: Terry Labonte has won four of the last eight Busch races at Watkins Glen. ... Earnhardt has led at least one lap in 11 races this year, including 10 of the past 12. ... Chevrolets have won six of eight races at Watkins Glen. ... Earnhardt leads Matt Kenseth 2,264-2,200 in the points standings.

Next race: Diehard 250, July 4, West Allis, Wis.

Driver standings: 1. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2,264. 2. Matt Kenseth, 2,200. 3. Jeff Green, 2,016. 4. Elton Sawyer, 1,960. 5. Todd Bodine, 1,908. 6. Jason Keller, 1,850. 7. Jeff Purvis, 1,845. 8. Mike McLaughlin, 1,676. 9. Dave Blaney, 1,640. 10. Casey Atwood, 1,640.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Bully Hill Vineyards 150

Site: Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 11:15 a.m.; Saturday, race, 10 a.m. (ESPN, 2 p.m., tape).

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

Race distance: 151.9 miles, 62 laps.

Last year: Joe Ruttman won when leader Ron Hornaday was penalized for jumping the race's final restart. Hornaday was dropped to fourth place.

Last race: Greg Biffle passed Ron Fellows on the 66th of 73 laps to win the Grainger 225 at Portland International Raceway.

Fast facts: There have been no repeat winners in three Craftsman Truck series races at Watkins Glen. ... Fellows, the 1997 winner, has won the pole for each of the past two events at Watkins Glen.

Next race: DieHard 200, July 3, West Allis, Wis.

Driver standings: 1. Jack Sprague, 1,680. 2. Stacy Compton, 1,664. 3. Ron Hornaday, 1,600. 4. Andy Houston, 1,592. 5. Greg Biffle, 1,578. 6. Dennis Setzer, 1,563. 7. Jay Sauter, 1,505. 8. Mike Wallace, 1,480. 9. Kevin Harvick, 1,437. 10. Mike Bliss, 1,424.

CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Medic Drug Grand Prix

Site: Cleveland.

Schedule: Sunday, race (ESPN, 11:30 a.m.)

Track: Burke Lakefront Airport (temporary road course, 2.106 miles, 10 turns).

Race distance: 210.6 miles, 100 laps.

Last year: Alex Zanardi got his third straight victory and fifth of the season.

Last race: Gil de Ferran won the Budweiser-G.I. Joe's 200 in Portland, Ore., his third career victory and first since 1996.

Fast facts: De Ferran's last victory before his triumph last weekend in Portland came in the Cleveland race. Zanardi, now in Formula One, took the Medic Drug Grand Prix each of the last two years.

Next race: Texaco-Havoline 200, July 11, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

Driver standings: 1. Juan Montoya, 90. 2. Dario Franchitti, 85. 3. Gil de Ferran, 71. 4. Greg Moore, 69. 5. Adrian Fernandez, 65. 6. Michael Andretti, 64. 7. Christian Fittipaldi, 61. 8. Paul Tracy, 46. 9. Max Papis, 41. 10. Jimmy Vasser, 34. Also, 21. Richie Hearn, 5.

INDY RACING LEAGUE

Radisson 200

Site: Fountain, Colo.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speedvision, noon); Sunday, race (Fox Sports Net, 11 a.m.)

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

Race distance: 200 miles, 200 laps.

Last year: Kenny Brack beat Robbie Buhl by 7.542 seconds despite running out of fuel on the final turn.

Last race: Scott Goodyear took the lead in the IRL standings after his second victory in four races. Goodyear won the Longhorn 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, driving for the team co-owned by NFL quarterback Jim Harbaugh.

Fast facts: Both previous Pikes Peak winners (Tony Stewart and Brack) went on to take the series championship. ... Robby Unser and cousin Johnny are the only drivers in the field who have made the "Climb to the Clouds" at Zebulon Pike's mountain. ... Goodyear has led 213 laps this year. His closest competitor is Scott Sharp, who has led 131.

Next race: Kobalt Tools 500, July 17, Hampton, Ga.

Driver standings: 1. Scott Goodyear, 146. 2. Jeff Ward, 127. 3. Mark Dismore, 97. 4. Billy Boat, 96. 5. Eddie Cheever, 89. 6. Scott Sharp, 85. 7. Kenny Brack, 83. 8. Greg Ray, 76. 9. Buddy Lazier 74. 10. Robbie Buhl, 73. Also, 11. Davey Hamilton, 72. 16. Sam Schmidt, 61.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Sears Craftsman Nationals

Site: Madison, Ill.

Schedule: Today, second-round qualifying, 12:45 p.m.; Saturday, final eliminations, 1 p.m.

Track: Gateway International Raceway.

Last year: Gary Scelzi beat Kenny Bernstein in the Top Fuel division. Frank Pedregon got his second straight Funny Car victory, and Kurt Johnson took the Pro Stock division.

Last race: Phil Burkart got his first career victory, in the Pontiac Excitement Nationals at National Trail Raceway. Burkart beat Tim Wilkerson in the Funny Car division. Doug Herbert, Warren Johnson, Antron Brown and John Coughlin were winners in their respective divisions.

Fast facts: Mike Dunn leads Doug Herbert in the Top Fuel standings, 751-690. ... John Force leads Pedregon, 1,052-789 in the Funny Car division. ... Warren Johnson leads son Kurt Johnson by 185 points in Pro Stock.

Next race: Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals, July 15-18, Denver.

Driver standings: Top Fuel -- 1. Mike Dunn, 751. 2. Doug Herbert, 690. 3. Kenny Bernstein, 643. 4. Larry Dixon, 596. 5. Tony Schumacher, 577. Funny Car -- 1. John Force, 1,052. 2. Tony Pedregon, 789. 3. Whit Bazemore, 611. 4. Cruz Pedregon, 542. 5. Tim Wilkerson, 525. Pro Stock -- 1. Warren Johnson, 878. 2. Kurt Johnson, 693. 3. Richie Stevens, 569. 4. Jim Yates, 532. 5. Jeg Coughlin Jr., 528.

FORMULA ONE

French Grand Prix

Site: Magny-Cours.

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

Track: Nevers-Magny-Cours (road course, 2.641 miles).

Race distance: 72 laps, 190.152 miles.

Last year: Michael Schumacher beat Ferrari teammate Eddie Irvine by nearly 20 seconds.

Last race: Mika Hakkinen won the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal, his second consecutive victory and third of the season.

Fast facts: Hakkinen has won three of the six races this season. He leads Schumacher, who has two wins, 34-20 in the points standings. ... Irvine is the only other driver to win this season. He took the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.

Next race: British Grand Prix, July 11, Silverstone, England.

Driver standings: 1. Mika Hakkinen, 34. 2. Michael Schumacher, 30. 3. Eddie Irvine, 25. 4. Heinz-Harald Frentzen, 13. 5. Giancarlo Fisichella, 13. 6. David Coulthard, 12. 7. Ralf Schumacher, 12. 8. Rubens Barrichello, 6. 9. Damon Hill, 3. 10. Johnny Herbert, 2.