This week’s races

Thursday, May 4, 2000 | 8:30 a.m.

NASCAR

WINSTON CUP

Pontiac Excitement 400

Site: Richmond, Va.

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

Track: Richmond International Raceway (oval, .75 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 300 miles, 400 laps.

Last year: Dale Jarrett passed Mark Martin with 32 laps to go and held on for his first victory of the season.

Last race: Jeremy Mayfield won the NAPA Auto Parts 500 in Fontana, Calif., switching ignition boxes when he momentarily lost power near the end.

Fast facts: Mayfield was stripped of 151 points, dropping him from seventh to 14th in the standings, for using illegal fuel during the race April 16 in Talladega, Ala. ... Bobby Labonte leads the point standings by 20 over Martin. ... Lee Petty came from 42nd place in 1953 to win the inaugural race in Richmond.

Next race: Coca-Cola 600, May 28, Concord, N.C.

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BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Hardee's 250

Site: Richmond, Va.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 1:30 p.m., race (ESPN2, 4:30 p.m.)

Track: Richmond International Raceway (oval, .75 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 187.5 miles, 250 laps.

Last year: Mark Martin crossed the finish line 1.111 seconds ahead of Jeff Burton for the victory.

Last race: Matt Kenseth took advantage of Ward Burton's crash with eight laps remaining, then held off Jeff Burton to win the Auto Club 300 in Fontana, Calif.

Fast facts: Martin, the Busch series leader with 44 victories, paces all drivers with three wins in spring races in Richmond. ... Jason Keller set the track qualifying mark of 124.907 mph last year.

Next race: Busch 200, May 13, Loudon, N.H.

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CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Ram Tough 200

Site: Madison, Ill.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 1:30 p.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN, 10:30 a.m.)

Track: Gateway International Raceway (egg-shaped oval, 1.25 miles, 11 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 9 degrees in turns 3-4).

Race distance: 200 miles, 160 laps.

Last year: Greg Biffle beat Jack Sprague and Stacy Compton out of the pits with 30 laps to go and held on for the win.

Last race: Andy Houston passed Dennis Setzer on the final lap to win the Line-X 225 in Portland, Ore. Houston, who overcame a fifth-lap bump with points leader Mike Wallace, dived to the inside of Setzer in the first turn on the 73rd lap and drove away to win by 1.616 seconds.

Fast facts: Rick Crawford's top-five finish in Portland was his first since August 1999. ... This is the third year of the event.

Next race: Memphis 200, May 13, Millington, Tenn.

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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Advance Auto Parts Nationals

Site: Commerce, Ga.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 10:45 a.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 7:45 a.m.; Sunday, final eliminations, 7:30 a.m. (TNN, 1:30 p.m., tape).

Track: Atlanta Dragway.

Last year: Gary Scelzi won the Top Fuel division, John Force won in Funny Car, and Warren Johnson in Pro Stock.

Last event: Larry Dickson won the Top Fuel division at the Moto1.net Nationals in Richmond, Va. Force (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) and Randy Daniels (Pro Stock Truck) won their divisions.

Fast facts: Force and Johnson got their 75th career victories last season in this event. ... Last year, seven of the fastest qualifiers went on to win their event.

Next race: Matco Tools Supernationals, May 21, Englishtown, N.J.

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FORMULA ONE

Spanish Grand Prix

Site: Barcelona.

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

Track: Circuit of Catalunya (road course, 2.937 miles).

Race distance: 187.968 miles, 64 laps.

Last year: Mika Hakkinen won, snapping Michael Schumacher's two-race winning streak. David Coulthard finished second with Schumacher third.

Last race: Coulthard, driving a McLaren, won the British Grand Prix in Silverstone, England, slowing the momentum of Ferrari and Schumacher, who opened the season by winning in Australia, Brazil and Italy.

Fast facts: A small plane carrying Coulthard crashed Tuesday in Lyon, France, killing the pilot and co-pilot. Coulthard and two others were not seriously hurt, and he planned to race this weekend. ... Schumacher leads Coulthard by 20 points in the standings. ... Ferrari leads McLaren 43-26 in the constructor's championship race.

Next race: European Grand Prix, May 21, Nuerburgring, Germany.

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CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Last race: Adrian Fernandez won when rookie Alex Tagliani - on his way to winning for the first time in his CART career - spun out with nine laps remaining in the Rio 200.

Next race: Firestone Firehawk 500, May 13, Motegi, Japan.

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INDY RACING LEAGUE

Last race: Al Unser Jr. won for the first time in five years, taking the Vegas Indy 300. Unser, competing in only his third Indy Racing League event, led the last 20 laps.

Next race: Indianapolis 500, May 28.

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