This week’s races

Thursday, Sept. 30, 1999 | 8:19 a.m.

WINSTON CUP

NAPA Autocare 500

Site: Martinsville, Va.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying (ESPN2, Noon); Saturday, second-round qualifying, 8:15 a.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN, 10 a.m.)

Track: Martinsville Speedway (oval, .526 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 500 laps, 263 miles.

Last year: Ricky Rudd won, giving him victories in 16 consecutive seasons, a modern-era record. Rudd, a three-time Martinsville winner, beat Jeff Gordon by .533 seconds. Mark Martin finished third.

Last race: Martin won the MBNA Gold 400 in Dover, Del., for the third straight year. The victory ended a 25-race drought, since the second event of the season in Rockingham, N.C.

Fast facts: Only five times in the 47-year history of the race has the winner started on the pole. ... Tony Stewart has 19 consecutive top-15 finishes. ... Darrell Waltrip came from 20th position to win the 1988 race. No race winner has come from deeper in the field.

Next race: UAW-GM Quality 500, Oct. 10, Concord, N.C.

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BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Last race: Dale Earnhardt Jr. crashed into Matt Kenseth, and Casey Atwood made the best of it, winning the wreck-filled MBNA Gold 200 in Dover, Del. Earnhardt picked up 10 valuable points in the battle for the series title with Kenseth. Earnhardt leads by 113 points with five of 32 races remaining.

Next race: All Pro 300, Oct. 9, Concord, N.C.

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CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Last race: Paul Tracy finished 13.733 seconds - nearly a quarter of a lap - ahead of teammate Dario Franchitti to win the Texaco Grand Prix of Houston. Franchitti, who went into the 100-lap race trailing Juan Montoya by 29 points, is now just 13 behind with two races remaining.

Next race: Honda Indy, Oct. 17, Surfers Paradise, Australia.

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INDY RACING LEAGUE

Last race: Sam Schmidt slipped passed Kenny Brack with three laps remaining and went on to win his first Indy Racing League title, the Vegas.com 500, on his hometown track. Greg Ray, who had won three of four previous races, including two straight, retained his lead in the standings by 13 points over Brack.

Next race: Lone Star 500, Oct. 17, Fort Worth, Texas.

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FORMULA ONE

Last race: Johnny Herbert earned his third Formula One victory. He won the European Grand Prix, which began with a crash and ended with many top drivers out of the race. Defending champion Mika Hakkinen finished fifth, taking a 2-point lead over Eddie Irvine in the standings.

Next race: Malaysian Grand Prix, Oct. 17, Kuala Lumpur.

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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Parts America Nationals

Site: Topeka, Kan.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 11 a.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 9 a.m.; Sunday, final eliminations, 8 a.m.

Track: Heartland Park Topeka.

Last year: Cory McClenathan won the Top Fuel division at the rain-delayed event, and Warren Johnson raced to his eighth Pro Stock victory of the season to win his fourth series championship. Ron Capps won the Funny Car division.

Last event: Joe Amato won his fifth Top Fuel title of the year, beating Tony Schumacher at the Keystone Nationals in Mohnton, Pa. Tommy Johnson Jr., Jeg Coughlin Jr. and Matt Hines won in their categories at the 17th of 22 events.

Fast facts: Four events remain after this week. ... Tony Schumacher leads Joe Amato in the Top Fuel standings 1,090-1,054. ... Warren Johnson leads son Kurt 1,417-1,187 in the Pro Stock division. ... John Force leads Tony Pedregon by 280 points in the Funny Car standings.

Next race: Pennzoil Nationals, Oct. 7-10, Memphis, Tenn.

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CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Last race: Greg Biffle won the Orleans 250 in Las Vegas. Biffle's strategy of changing four tires under the green flag on the 118th lap while Jack Sprague and Ron Hornaday changed two was the deciding factor. NASCAR allowed the victory - which set a series record of nine in one season - but said an unapproved intake manifold was found during the post-race inspection. Crew chief Randy Goss was fined $48,860, and 120 championship points were taken from Biffle, leaving him just 10 in front of Sprague. Roush Racing is appealing.

Next race: Kroger 225, Oct. 8, Louisville Ky.