This week’s races

Wednesday, Sept. 27, 2000 | 5:33 a.m.

All times Pacific.

NASCAR

WINSTON CUP

NAPA AutoCare 500

Site: Martinsville, Va.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 10:30 a.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 8:15 a.m.; Sunday, race (TNN, 10 a.m.)

Track: Martinsville Speedway, (oval, 0.526 miles, 12 degrees banking in turns).

Last year: Jeff Gordon, racing for the first time after crew chief Ray Evernham resigned to start his own team, took the lead from Dale Earnhardt with 25 laps remaining and hung on to win.

Last race: Tony Stewart won the MBNA.com 400 in Dover, Del., becoming the first driver since Gordon in 1996 to sweep Winston Cup races at Dover Downs International Speedway. Stewart started 27th in the field of 43. In June, when he won the MBNA Platinum 400, he started 16th.

Fast Facts: Bobby Labonte leads in the standings by a season-best 249 points. Ricky Rudd won in 1998, setting a Winston Cup record for consecutive seasons with at least one victory at 16. Richard Petty won a record 15 times at Martinsville. Darrell Waltrip leads active drivers with 11 victories at the track.

Next race: UAW-GM Quality 500, Oct. 8, Concord, N.C.

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CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Texaco-Havoline Grand Prix

Site: Houston.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 1 p.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 11 a.m.; Sunday, race (ABC, 1 p.m.)

Track: Houston street circuit (temporary road course, 1.53 miles, 10 turns).

Race distance: 198.9 miles, 130 laps.

Last year: Winner Paul Tracy finished 13.733 seconds - nearly a quarter of a lap - ahead of teammate Dario Franchitti.

Last race: Series champion Juan Montoya jumped from 11th to eighth in the standings by winning the Motorola 300 in Madison, Ill., for his third victory of the season and 10th of his career. He broke the race record of 125.725 mph by Alex Zanardi in 1998, finishing with a speed of 155.519.

Fast facts: Montoya has not won on a road course this season. ... Gil de Ferran leads Roberto Moreno 137-129 in the standings. ... In less than two years, Montoya has led 1,742 laps, eighth on the career list. Montoya did it in just 37 races. The drivers ahead of him were each in at least 148 races.

Next race: Honda Indy 300, Oct. 15, Surfers Paradise, Australia.

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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Advance Auto Parts Nationals

Site: Topeka, Kan.

Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 11 a.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 8 a.m.; Sunday, final eliminations, 7 a.m.

Track: Heartland Park Topeka.

Last year: John Force won the Funny Car division, defeating Tommy Johnson Jr. Doug Herbert, Mike Edwards and Bob Panella were winners in their respective categories.

Last event: Five-time NHRA champion Joe Amato got his 52nd career Top Fuel victory, taking the Keystone Nationals title in Mohnton, Pa. Bruce Sarver, Kurt Johnson and Matt Hines also were winners.

Fast facts: After this week, there are four events left. ... In the Top Fuel division, Gary Scelzi leads Tony Schumacher 1,430-1,422. ... Force leads the Funny Car division by more than 200 points.

Next race: Autozone Nationals, Oct. 8, Memphis, Tenn.

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NASCAR

BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Last race: Matt Kenseth won the MBNA.com 200 in Dover, Del., his second in Busch competition at the track. It was his third win this season and 10th overall. Kenseth, who started 14th, took the top spot for the final time by passing Dave Blaney on the 161st of 200 laps. Kenseth went on to win by 1.842 seconds over Jason Keller, who won at Dover in June.

Next race: All Pro Bumper to Bumper 300, Oct. 7, Concord, N.C.

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CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Last race: Kurt Busch, who wrecked his primary truck in practice, came from last place to pass Mike Wallace and win the inaugural NASCAR truck series race at Dover Downs International Speedway. He took the lead by passing a spinning Wallace on the 198th lap of the MBNA E-Commerce 200.

Next race: O'Reilly 300, Oct. 13, Fort Worth, Texas.

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FORMULA ONE

Last race: Michael Schumacher overwhelmed the field in the inaugural Formula One race at Indianapolis, winning the U.S. Grand Prix to take the lead in the standings. The crowd of more than 200,000 was the biggest in the history of the Grand Prix circuit. Schumacher beat Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello of Brazil by 12.118 seconds for his second straight victory and seventh of the season.

Next race: Japanese Grand Prix, Oct. 8, Suzuka.

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INDY RACING LEAGUE

Last race: Buddy Lazier won the inaugural Belterra Resort Indy 300 in Sparta, Ky. Lazier took the lead for good 31 laps from the end of the 200-lap event, moving to the top when rookie Sarah Fisher made her final pit stop. Polesitter Scott Goodyear finished second with Fisher third.

Next race: Mall.com 500, Oct. 15, Fort Worth, Texas.