This week’s races

Friday, Aug. 17, 2001 | 10:47 a.m.

All Times Pacific

NASCAR

WINSTON CUP

Pepsi 400

Site: Brooklyn, Mich.

Schedule: Today, qualifying (CNNSI, Noon); Sunday, race (TNT, 11 a.m.)

Track: Michigan International Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 400 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Jeff Gordon set the record for road-course victories by winning at Watkins Glen International. Gordon won for the seventh time on a road course, breaking a tie with Rusty Wallace, Richard Petty and Bobby Allison for the most in NASCAR history. It was the second straight victory for Gordon, who also won seven days earlier in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis.

Last year: Wallace, riding with four fresh tires, took the lead with 15 laps to go and steadily pulled away from Ricky Rudd and Bobby Labonte to win.

Fast Facts: Gordon's victory in the Global Crossing extended his lead in the points race to 194 over Ricky Rudd. ... Labonte had the most recent victory from the pole at Michigan Speedway, in 1995. ... Harry Gant started 24th and took the 1992 race, the worst starting position for any winner. ... Rusty Wallace and Labonte lead active drivers with four wins at Michigan Speedway.

Next race: Sharpie 500, Aug. 25, Bristol, Tenn.

Driver standings: 1. Jeff Gordon, 3,207. 2. Ricky Rudd, 3,013. 3. Dale Jarrett, 2,942. 4. Sterling Marlin, 2,792. 5. Tony Stewart, 2,788. 6. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 2,719. 7. Kevin Harvick 2,703. 8. Bobby Labonte, 2,699. 9. Rusty Wallace, 2,686. 10. Johnny Benson, 2,633. Also, 23. Kurt Busch, 2,061.

BUSCH

NAPAonline.com 250

Site: Brooklyn, Mich.

Schedule: Qualifying was this morning; Saturday, race (TNT, 10 a.m.)

Track: Michigan International Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 250 miles, 125 laps.

Last race: Points leader Kevin Harvick drove to his fourth Busch Series victory of the year, holding off Greg Biffle in the crash-filled Kroger 200. There were eight cautions for 55 laps, and the race was stopped for about seven minutes with 10 of 200 laps remaining.

Last year: Todd Bodine, winless in 69 races dating to 1997, held off Michael Waltrip by 0.192 seconds for the victory.

Fast Facts: Jeff Burton is the only driver to win the race from the pole, in 1998. ... Chevrolets have won six of the nine races at Michigan. ... Harvick leads Biffle 3,368-3,205 in the standings.

Next race: Food City 250, Aug. 24, Bristol, Tenn.

Driver standings: 1. Kevin Harvick, 3,368. 2. Greg Biffle, 3,205. 3. Jason Keller, 3,165. 4. Jeff Green, 3,084. 5. Elton Sawyer, 2,656. 6. Tony Raines, 2,648. 7. Mike McLaughlin, 2,644. 8. Jimmie Johnson, 2,620. 9. Chad Little, 2,549. 10. Kenny Wallace, 2,507.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Sears Craftsman 175

Site: Cicero, Ill.

Schedule: Qualifying was this morning; Saturday, race (ESPN, 2 p.m.)

Track: Chicago Motor Speedway (oval, 1 mile).

Race distance: 175 miles, 175 laps.

Last race: Scott Riggs raced to his fourth victory of the season, leading 131 of 150 laps in the Federated Auto Parts 200. Riggs' Dodge averaged 132.466 mph as just two caution flags - none after the 34th lap -- slowed the pace.

Last year: Joe Ruttman held off Greg Biffle in a two-lap shootout to win. The victory extended Dodge's winning streak to three races.

Fast Facts: Before last year's inaugural event, NASCAR had not raced in Chicago since 1956, when Fireball Roberts won on a half-mile track at Soldier Field. ... There were five lead changes in the first nine laps of last year's race. ... Ted Musgrave is tied with Riggs for the most wins this season.

Next race: Chevy Silverado 200, Aug. 26, Nazareth, Pa.

Driver standings: 1. Joe Ruttman, 2,460. 2. Scott Riggs, 2,228. 3. Jack Sprague, 2,417. 4. Travis Kvapil, 2,385. 5. Ricky Hendrick, 2,330. 6. Ted Musgrave, 2,300. 7. Terry Cook, 2,259. 8. Dennis Setzer, 2,153. 9. Rick Crawford, 2,069. 10. Coy Gibbs, 1,978.

CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Motorola 220

Site: Elkhart Lake, Wis.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 10:45 a.m. (ESPN2, 10:30 p.m., tape); Sunday, race (ESPN, 10 a.m.)

Track: Road America (permanent road course, 4.048 miles, 14 turns).

Race distance: 222.64 miles, 55 laps.

Last race: Helio Castroneves and Gil de Ferran produced their second straight 1-2 finish at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in the Miller Lite 200. Castroneves averaged 106.627 mph in his Reynard Honda and defeated de Ferran by 1.568 seconds. Castroneves won last year by 4.425 seconds.

Last year: Las Vegan Paul Tracy fell from seventh to 23rd on the first lap after the throttle sensor stuck on the Honda engine in his Reynard, but he held on for the victory.

Fast Facts: Last week's victory moved Castroneves into second place in the standings, one point behind leader Kenny Brack. ... Castroneves has three wins this season. He also won the Indianapolis 500 and Michigan 500. ... This is the second of consecutive races on road courses.

Next race: Molson Indy, Sept. 2, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Driver standings: 1. Kenny Brack, 104. 2. Helio Castroneves, 103. 3. Gil de Ferran, 89. 4. Dario Franchitti, 81. 5. Michael Andretti, 73. 6. Cristiano da Matta, 70. 7. Scott Dixon, 70. 8. Patrick Carpentier, 65. 9. Paul Tracy, 65. 10. Christian Fittipaldi, 54. Also, 13. Jimmy Vasser, 50. 15. Alex Tagliani, 44.

FORMULA ONE

Hungarian Grand Prix

Site: Budapest.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, (Speedvision, 4 a.m.); Sunday, race, (Speedvision, 4:30 a.m.)

Track: Hungaroring (road course, 2.466 miles).

Race distance: 190.982 miles, 77 laps.

Last race: Ralf Schumacher won a wild German Grand Prix on his home track in a Formula One race marked by a crash that involved his brother and forced a restart. Michael Schumacher, the defending series champion and points leader, was not injured. He quit on the 24th lap of a race in which only 10 cars finished.

Last year: Mika Hakkinen won with a bold passing move at the start. With the win, Hakkinen briefly took the lead from Michael Schumacher in the driver standings.

Fast Facts: Hakkinen also won the race in 1999. ... Schumacher, with 50 wins, needs one victory to tie Alain Prost for the most in Formula One history. ... Schumacher leads David Coulthard 84-47 in the standings.

Next race: Belgian Grand Prix, Sept. 2, Spa-Francorchamps.

Driver standings: 1. Michael Schumacher, 84. 2. David Coulthard, 47. 3. Ralf Schumacher, 41. 4. Rubens Barrichello, 40. 5. Mika Hakkinen, 19. 6. Juan Montoya, 15. 7. Jacques Villeneuve, 11. 8. Nick Heidfeld, 10. 9. Kimi Raikkonen, 9 10. Jarno Trulli, 9.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Colonel's Truck Nationals

Site: Brainerd, Minn.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 11:45 a.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 9:45 a.m. (ESPN2, 5 p.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations, 8 a.m. (ESPN2, 2 p.m., tape).

Track: Brainerd International Raceway.

Last event: Kenny Bernstein raced to his 58th career victory, beating David Grubnic in the Top Fuel final of the FRAM Autolite Nationals. Del Worsham and Tom Martino also won their divisions.

Last year: Tony Schumacher raced to his third Top Fuel victory of the season, and John Force, Kurt Johnson and Antron Brown also won.

Fast Facts: This is the 20th year of the event. ... Force has won the event nine of the last 13 years, including the last two. ... Al Brown, the only driver to compete in all 46 U.S. Nationals, died of cancer Aug. 12. He was 67.

Next race: U.S. Nationals, Sept. 3, Clermont, Ind.

Driver standings: Top Fuel -- 1. Kenny Bernstein, 1,370. 2. Larry Dixon, 1,294. 3. Gary Scelzi, 1,096. 4. Doug Kalitta, 1,079. 5. Mike Dunn, 1,043. Funny Car -- 1. John Force, 1,376. 2. Del Worsham, 1,030. 3. Whit Bazemore, 1,027. 4. Bruce Sarver, 946. 5. Tony Pedregon, 944. Pro Stock -- 1. Warren Johnson, 1,104. 2. Jim Yates, 1,031. 3. Jeg Coughlin, 940. 4. Mark Pawuk, 914. 5. Mike Edwards, 901.

INDY RACING LEAGUE

Last race: Buddy Lazier took his first lead on lap 112 and held off Robbie Buhl to win the Belterra Casino Indy 300 at Kentucky Speedway. Lazier, who won last year's Kentucky event en route to the series championship, became the first IRL driver to win four races in a single season.

Next race: Gateway Indy 250, Aug. 26, Madison, Ill.

Driver standings: 1. Sam Hornish Jr., 374. 2. Buddy Lazier, 349. 3. Scott Sharp, 286. 4. Felipe Giaffone, 265. 5. Eliseo Salazar, 251. 6. Billy Boat, 249. 7. Buzz Calkins, 192. 8. Al Unser Jr., 185. 9. Eddie Cheever, 182. 10. Airton Dare, 180.