This week’s races

Thursday, June 22, 2000 | 8:34 a.m.

All Times Pacific.

NASCAR

WINSTON CUP

Save Mart/Kragen 350K

Site: Sonoma, Calif.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, (ESPN2, 2 p.m.); Saturday, second-round qualifying, 10:45 a.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN, 1 p.m.)

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

Race distance: 218.288 miles (351 kilometers), 112 laps.

Last year: Jeff Gordon beat Mark Martin by .197 seconds for his second straight victory at the track.

Last race: Jeremy Mayfield won the Pocono 500 in Long Pond, Pa., when he bumped Dale Earnhardt out of the way on the final lap. Mayfield led just nine of 200 laps.

Fast facts: Six of the 11 races in Sonoma have been won by three drivers - Gordon, Ernie Irvan and Rusty Wallace, who each have two victories. ... The last three winners have come from the pole. ... Bobby Labonte leads the standings by 57 points over Dale Earnhardt. ... Matt Kenseth leads Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the rookie standings by 14 points.

Next race: Pepsi 400, July 1, Daytona Beach, Fla.

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BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Lysol 200

Site: Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 8:30 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: Dale Earnhardt Jr. passed Ron Fellows on the final lap for his third straight Busch Series victory.

Last race: Jeff Green won the Myrtle Beach 250 by 1.029-seconds over Kevin Harvick. It was Green's second straight win on the track in South Carolina and his second consecutive Busch victory.

Fast facts: Winston Cup star Terry Labonte is the only multiple winner in Busch road-course events in Watkins Glen. Labonte won in 1991 and from 1994-96. ... Green leads in the standings by 299 points over Todd Bodine.

Next race: Sears DieHard 250, July 2, West Allis, Wis.

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CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Bully Hill Vineyards 150

Site: Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 11 a.m.; Saturday, race (ESPN, 10:30 a.m.)

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

Race distance: 151.9 miles, 62 laps.

Last year: Ron Fellows beat Mike Wallace down the stretch, coming from 5.2 seconds behind in the final laps to win.

Last race: Greg Biffle took the lead on lap 108 of 150 and held on through three restarts to win the inaugural Kroger 225 in Sparta, Ky.

Fast facts: Fellows has won the last three poles in Watkins Glen. In the last six races, Biffle and Jack Sprague each have three wins. Biffle leads Sprague by 29 points in the standings.

Next race: Sears DieHard 200, July 1, West Allis, Wis.

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CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Freightliner/G.I. Joe's 200

Site: Portland, Ore.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 11:30 a.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 10:45 a.m. (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m., tape); Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (ESPN2, 4 p.m., tape)

Track: Portland International Raceway (permanent road course, 1.967 miles, nine turns).

Race distance: 192.766 miles, 98 laps.

Last year: Gil de Ferran won for the third time in his career and first since 1996.

Last race: Helio Castroneves got his first CART victory, beating Max Papis by 4.415 seconds in the Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix in Detroit. Castroneves is the seventh different winner in seven races this season. Polesitter Juan Montoya went out with a broken driveshaft on the 62nd lap.

Fast facts: CART has held a race in Portland since 1984. ... Three drivers earned their first CART wins at the track - Al Unser Jr. (1984), Alex Zanardi (1996) and Mark Blundell (1997). ... Blundell's victory was the closest in race history. He beat de Ferran by .027 seconds.

Next race: Marconi Grand Prix, July 2, Cleveland.

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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Sears Craftsman Nationals

Site: Madison, Ill.

Schedule: Thursday, first-round qualifying, 12:45 p.m.; Friday, second-round qualifying, 4:45 p.m.; Saturday, eliminations, 1 p.m. (2 p.m. Sunday ESPN2, tape)

Track: Gateway International Raceway.

Last year: Gary Scelzi won the Top Fuel division. John Force (Funny Car) and Jim Yates (Pro Stock) also won their divisions.

Last event: Tony Schumacher claimed his second Top Fuel victory of the season, defeating Joe Amato at the Pontiac Excitement Nationals in Kirkersville, Ohio. Tony Pedregon, Mark Pawuk, Angelle Seeling and Randy Daniels also were winners.

Fast facts: Pawuk ended a five-year winless streak with a Pro Stock victory last week. Pawuk's last win was in 1995 in Memphis, Tenn. ... Because of the hot weather, the event is scheduled to run Thursday-Saturday with all qualifying and eliminations at night.

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

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INDY RACING LEAGUE

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 over the season points lead from Buddy Lazier, who blew his engine on the first lap.

Next race: Atlanta 500, July 15, Hampton, Ga.

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FORMULA ONE

Last race: Michael Schumacher won his fourth Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. Schumacher led all but the eight laps, which were led by teammate Rubens Barrichello. Schumacher tightened his grip on the points lead as series runner-up David Coulthard was unable to overcome a penalty near the start of the race and failed to score.

Next race: French Grand Prix, July 2, Magny-Cours.