Thursday, July 13, 2000 | 7:56 a.m.
NASCAR
BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL
Econo Lodge 200
Site: Nazareth, Pa.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 1 p.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN, 9:30 a.m.)
Track: Nazareth Speedway (tri-oval .946 miles, 1 degree banking in turn 1, 4 degrees in turn 2, 6 degrees in turns 3-4).
Race distance: 189.2 miles, 200 laps.
Last year: Matt Kenseth outlasted the rain for the victory. The race was delayed for more than five hours.
Last race: Jeff Green got his fourth victory of the year, beating Jeff Purvis by .797 seconds in the DieHard 250 in West Allis, Wis. Green, who started from the pole, has won three of the last four races to open a series-record 388-point lead over Todd Bodine in the standings.
Fast facts: Tim Fedewa won the race in 1995 and 1998. ... Fedewa is the only driver to win more than once. ... Green won the pole last week for the fifth time in 18 races this season. ... Green, Mark Martin and Casey Atwood are the only drivers to win more than one pole this season. Martin and Atwood have two each.
Next race: NAPA AutoCare 250, July 22, Fountain, Colo.
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CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS
Nazareth 200
Site: Nazareth, Pa.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying, Noon; Saturday, race (CBS, 10:30 a.m.)
Track: Nazareth Speedway (tri-oval .946 miles, 1 degree banking in turn 1, 4 degrees in turn 2, 6 degrees in turns 3-4).
Race distance: 189.2 miles, 200 laps.
Last year: Greg Biffle recovered from two early pit stops to win. Biffle started from the pole, but dropped to 20th after pitting on the 50th lap. Eventually, he got back in front and passed then-teammate and leader Mike Bliss on the 135th of 200 laps.
Last race: Rookie Kurt Busch raced to his second straight victory, beating Mike Wallace in a two-lap scramble in the thatlook.com 200 in Loudon, N.H.
Fast facts: Jack Sprague is the only two-time winner of the race (1996-97). ... The 1997 race was marred by 53 caution laps. ... Sprague has completed all but one mile in the history of the race.
Next race: Michigan 200, July 22, Brooklyn, Mich.
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CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS
Molson Indy
Site: Toronto
Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 11:30 a.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 10:45 a.m.; Sunday, race, 11 a.m. (ESPN, Noon, tape).
Track: Toronto Street Circuit (temporary road course, 1.755 miles, 11 turns).
Race distance: 166.725 miles, 95 laps.
Last year: Dario Franchitti beat teammate Paul Tracy by 2.624 seconds.
Last race: Robert Moreno won for the first time in 70 CART starts, taking the Marconi Grand Prix in Cleveland. Moreno started from the pole and led 91 of the 100 laps.
Fast facts: Mark Blundell set the race record of 92.779 mph in 1997. ... Franchitti started from the pole in 1997 and 1998, but failed to finish. ... Five former winners of the event will be in the field.
Next race: Michigan 500, July 23, Brooklyn, Mich.
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INDY RACING LEAGUE
Midas 500 Classic
Site: Hampton, Ga.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 4 p.m. (ESPN2, 5 p.m., tape); Saturday, race (ESPN, 5 p.m.)
Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.54 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance: 320.32 miles, 208 laps.
Last year: Scott Sharp picked up his first IRL victory of the season.
Last race: Eddie Cheever Jr. got his fourth career IRL victory and the first ever for an Infiniti engine in 34 races. Cheever took the lead on lap 172, and crossed the finish line with the Radisson 200 under caution in Fountain, Colo. Cheever also took the series points lead from Buddy Lazier, who blew his engine on the first lap.
Fast facts: Seven of the top-10 finishers from this year's Indianapolis 500 are in the field. ... Cheever leads Lazier by eight points in the standings.
Next race: Belterra Resort Indy 300, Aug. 27, Sparta, Ky.
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FORMULA ONE
Austrian Grand Prix
Site: Spielberg, Austria.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speedvision, 4 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speedvision, 5 a.m.)
Track: A1-Ring (road course, 2.687 miles).
Race distance: 190.777 miles, 71 laps.
Last year: Eddie Irvine held off David Coulthard for his second win of the season.
Last race: Coulthard passed Michael Schumacher on lap 40 and went on to win the French Grand Prix in Magny-Cours.
Fast facts: Coulthard trails Schumacher by just 12 points in the standings. ... Ferrari leads McLaren by six points in the constructor's standings. ... This is the fourth race at the A1-Ring.
Next race: German Grand Prix, July 30, Hockenheim.
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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals
Site: Morrison, Colo.
Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 12:15 p.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 8:15 a.m.; Sunday, final eliminations, 8 a.m.
Track: Bandimere Speedway.
Last year: Jeg Coughlin beat brother Troy to set a new elapsed-time track record and win the Pro Stock final. Other winners were Joe Amato (Top Fuel), Tony Pedregon (Funny Car) and David Schultz (Pro Stock Motorcycle).
Last event: Cory McClenathan won his first all-star event, taking the non-points Winston Showdown. Troy Coughlin, Matt Hines and Bob Panella also were winners at Bristol Dragway.
Fast facts: Last season, seven of the eight professional track records were broken. ... Gary Scelzi leads Tony Schumacher 991-896 in the Top Fuel standings. Other leaders are Jerry Toliver (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock), Angelle Seeling (Pro Stock Motorcycle) and Panella (Pro Stock Truck).
Next race: Prolong Lubricants Nationals, July 30, Seattle.
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NASCAR
WINSTON CUP
Last race: Tony Stewart won the New England 300, a race marred by the death of Kenny Irwin during practice two days earlier in Loudon, N.H. The race was shortened by 27 laps due to rain. Irwin was killed when his car slammed into a wall at 150 mph eight weeks to the day and at almost the same spot where Adam Petty had a fatal crash while practicing for a Busch Series event.
Next race: Pennsylvania 500, July 23, Long Pond.
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