This week’s races

Friday, July 6, 2001 | 11:46 a.m.

All Times Pacific.

NASCAR WINSTON CUP

Pepsi 400

Site: Daytona Beach, Fla.

Schedule: Qualifying was rained out Thursday night and rescheduled for today; Saturday, race (NBC, 5 p.m.)

Track: Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles, 31 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 400 miles, 160 laps.

Last Race: Tony Stewart overtook polesitter Jeff Gordon, then passed Robby Gordon with 11 laps remaining to win the Dodge/Save Mart 350 at Sears Point Raceway for his first career road-course victory.

Last year: Jeff Burton took the lead on the 121st of 160 laps and held off Dale Jarrett by 0.149 seconds to give Roush Racing its first victory at Daytona.

Fast Facts: This is the first Winston Cup race at Daytona since Feb. 18, when seven-time series champion Dale Earnhardt was killed on the last lap of the season-opening Daytona 500. ... NBC, a partner with Fox and Turner Sports in NASCAR's new Winston Cup TV contract, televises the first of its 13 races. ... Burton's victory last year led a top-five sweep by Fords.

Driver standings: 1. Jeff Gordon, 2,351; 2. Dale Jarrett, 2,225; Ricky Rudd, 2,206; 4. Tony Stewart, 2,117; 5. Sterling Marlin, 2,108; 6. Rusty Wallace, 2,038; 7. Johnny Benson, 1,922; 8. Bobby Labonte, 1,906; 9. Kevin Harvick, 1,894; 10. Steve Park, 1,858; 11. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 1,825; 12. Matt Kenseth, 1,810; 13. Mark Martin, 1,801; 14. Bobby Hamilton, 1,782; 15. Jeff Burton, 1,712; 16. Jimmy Spencer, 1,702; 17. Bill Elliott, 1,674; 18. Elliott Sadler, 1,652; 19. Ward Burton, 1,604; 20. Ken Schrader, 1,581. Also, 23. Kurt Busch, 1,521.

Next race: Tropicana 400, July 15, Joliet, Ill.

BUSCH

GNC Live Well 200

Site: Watkins Glen, N.Y.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 9 a.m.; Sunday, race (TNT, 10 a.m.)

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

Race distance: 200.9 miles, 82 laps.

Last race: Greg Biffle stretched his fuel over the last 104 of 250 laps at The Milwaukee Mile and came away with his third victory of the season at the GNC Live Well 250. Mike Skinner, running second in the waning laps of the race, was less fortunate and ran out of gas with two miles remaining. Biffle's Ford beat the Chevrolet of Matt Kenseth by 13.3 seconds, the largest margin of victory ever in Milwaukee.

Last year: Polesitter Ron Fellows took the lead 10 laps from the end and beat fellow road-racing ace Butch Leitzinger by nearly a second to win the event for the second time in three years.

Fast Facts: Fellows joined Winston Cup star Terry Labonte as a multiple Busch series winner in Watkins Glen. Labonte won in 1991 and from 1994-96. Fellows also won the event in 1998. ... Labonte and Fellows are the only drivers to win the race from the pole. ... Chevrolets have won eight of 10 races in Watkins Glen.

Driver Standings: 1. Kevin Harvick, 2,586; 2. Greg Biffle, 2,474; 3. Jason Keller, 2,377; 4. Jeff Green, 2,374; 5. Tony Raines, 2,109; 6. Mike McLaughlin, 2,097; 7. Jeff Purvis, 2,072; 8. Elton Sawyer, 1,979; 9. Jimmie Johnson, 1,945; 10. Chad Little, 1,913; 11. Randy Lajoie, 1,903; 12. Kenny Wallace, 1,828; 13. Scott Wimmer, 1,813; 14. Rich Bickle, 1,808; 15. David Green, 1,775; 16. Bobby Hamilton Jr., 1,762; 17. Jay Sauter, 1,745; 18. Matt Kenseth, 1,712; 19. Kevin Grubb, 1,712; 20. Jamie McMurray, 1,695.

Next race: Sam's Club/Hills Bros 300, July 14, Joliet, Ill.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

O'Reilly Auto Parts 250

Site: Kansas City, Kan.

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

Track: Kansas Speedway (tri-oval 1.5 miles, 15 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 250.5 miles, 167 laps.

Last race: Ted Musgrave overpowered previously dominant Jack Sprague with 30 laps remaining and become the seventh different winner in seven NASCAR truck series races at The Milwaukee Mile.

Last year: Inaugural race.

Fast facts: Joe Ruttman finished sixth in the GNC Live Well 200 to take the series lead from Scott Riggs, who wound up 26th and now trails by six points. ... Ron Hornaday won 10 inaugural events while on the circuit.

Driver Standings: 1. Joe Ruttman, 1,732.; 2. Scott Riggs, 1,726; 3. Jack Sprague, 1,673; 4. Ted Musgrave, 1,600; 5. Ricky Hendrick, 1,586; 6. Travis Kvapil, 1,585; 7. Terry Cook, 1,548; 8. Rick Crawford, 1,443; 9. Dennis Setzer, 1,374; 10. Matt Crafton, 1,363.

Next race: Kroger 225, July 14, Sparta, Ky.

INDY RACING LEAGUE

Ameristar Casino Indy 200

Site: Kansas City, Kan.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 12:15 p.m.; (ESPN2, 3 p.m., tape); Sunday, race (ABC, 10 a.m.)

Track: Kansas Speedway (tri-oval 1.5 miles, 15 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Buddy Lazier grabbed the lead when his two chief challengers took each other out, and went on to his second straight victory. Locked in a three-way battle for the lead, Lazier just missed hitting Eddie Cheever Jr. and Eliseo Salazar when they collided in front of him with 37 laps to go in the SunTrust Indy Challenge, the inaugural Indy-car event at Richmond International Raceway.

Last year: Inaugural event.

Fast facts: The victory in Richmond was the sixth overall for Lazier, tying him with Scott Sharp for the most in IRL history. ... Greg Ray, the 1999 series champion, was expected to return in Kansas City after missing the Richmond race. The IRL would not clear him to compete after he hurt his back when he crashed a day earlier. ... Sam Hornish Jr. finished second in Richmond, and leads the standings 269-219 over Lazier after seven of 13 races.

Driver Standings: 1. Sam Hornish Jr., 269; 2. Buddy Lazier, 219; 3. Scott Sharp, 201; 4. Eliseo Salazar, 191; 5. Felipe Giaffone, 185; 6. Billy Boat, 159; 7. Jeff Ward, 144; 8. Buzz Calkins, 139; 9. Airton Dare, 129; 10. Al Unser Jr., 127. Also: 22. Davey Hamilton, 54; 31. Jimmy Vasser, 32; 35. Richie Hearn, 22.

Next race: Harrah's Indy 200, July 21, Gladeville, Tenn.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Pep Boys 50th Anniversary Nationals

Site: Pomona, Calif.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2, 4:30 p.m.); Saturday, eliminations, 4 p.m. (ESPN2, 7 p.m.)

Track: Pomona Raceway.

Last year: Inaugural event.

Last event: Tony Pedregon won for the third time this season and 13th in his NHRA career, beating Tommy Johnson in the Funny Car competition at the Sears Craftsman Nationals in Madison, Ill. Doug Kalitta won in Top Fuel, Warren Johnson in Pro Stock, GT Tonglet in Pro Stock Motorcycle and Taylor Lastor in Pro Stock Truck.

Fast facts: Pomona is the oldest venue on the circuit. The track was the site of the NHRA's first organized drag race in 1953. ... The event is to commemorate the NHRA's 50th anniversary. ... The track has hosted the season-opening AutoZone Winternationals since 1961 and the season-ending Southern California NHRA Finals since 1984.

Driver Standings: Top Fuel -- 1. Kenny Bernstein, 1,051; 2. Larry Dixon, 971; 3. Doug Kalitta, 862; 4. Mike Dunn, 848; 5. Darrell Russell, 786. Funny Car -- 1. John Force, 1,033; 2. Del Worsham, 762; 3. Tony Pedregon, 727; 4. Bruce Sarver, 726; 5. Ron Capps, 686. Pro Stock -- 1. Warren Johnson, 884; 2. Jim Yates, 808; 3. Mark Pawuk, 749; 4. Jeg Coughlin, 707; 5. Mark Osborne, 620. Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Angelle Savoie, 615; 2. Antron Brown, 582; 3. Matt Hines, 574. Pro Stock Truck -- . Bob Panella Jr, 773; 2. Greg Stanfield, 732; 3. Randy Daniels, 716.

Next race: Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals, July 22, Denver.

CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Last race: Dario Franchitti, running on little more than fumes at the finish, held off Memo Gidley to win the Marconi Grand Prix of Cleveland for his first CART victory in 29 races and 1 1/2 years. Franchitti, who started 14th, took the lead for good on the 91st of 100 laps at Burke Lakefront Airport when Gidley made his final pit stop, and won by 0.305 seconds.

Driver Standings: 1. Kenny Brack, 84; 2. Helio Castroneves, 70; 3. Dario Franchitti, 65; 4. Gil de Ferran, 56; 5. Cristiano da Matta, 55; 6. Michael Andretti, 53; 7. Jimmy Vasser, 50; 8. Christian Fittipaldi, 48; 9. Scott Dixon, 44; 10. Roberto Moreno, 41. Also: 11. Paul Tracy, 40; 17. Patrick Carpentier, 15; 25. Alex Tagliani, 6.

Next race: Molson Indy, July 15, Toronto.

FORMULA ONE

Last race: Michael Schumacher outran his brother to win the French Grand Prix for the fifth time and move within a victory of tying Alain Prost's Formula One career record. This was the sixth win in 10 races this season for the Ferrari driver, who overcame brother Ralf, the race's polesitter, for his 50th victory.

Driver Standings: 1. Michael Schumacher, 78; 2. David Coulthard, 47; 3. Ralf Schumacher, 31; 4. Rubens Barrichello, 30; 5. Juan Montoya, 12; 6. Nick Heidfeld, 9; 7. Mika Hakkinen, 9; 8. Jarno Trulli, 9; 9. Jacques Villeneuve, 7; 10. Kimi Raikkonen, 7.

Next race: British Grand Prix, July 15, England.