This week’s races

Friday, July 13, 2001 | 10:26 a.m.

All Times Pacific.

NASCAR WINSTON CUP

Tropicana 400

Site: Joliet, Ill.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 1 p.m.; Sunday, race (NBC, 11:30 a.m.)

Track: Chicagoland Speedway (tri-oval 1.5 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 400.5 miles, 267 laps.

Last race: Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove to an emotional victory in the Pepsi 400 at Daytona International Speedway, where his father was killed in February. Pushed back to seventh place after a late caution flag, Earnhardt regained the lead with 4 1/2 laps remaining. A few laps later, teammate and Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip overtook Bobby Labonte for second place.

Last year: Inaugural event.

Fast Facts: This will be the first Winston Cup event in Illinois in 45 years, and just the second ever. Fireball Roberts won at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 21, 1956. ... The speedway is 30 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. ... Jeff Gordon leads Dale Jarrett by 48 points in the standings.

Driver standings: 1. Jeff Gordon, 2,403; 2. Dale Jarrett, 2,355; 3. Ricky Rudd, 2,327; 4. Tony Stewart, 2,202; 5. Rusty Wallace, 2,184. Also: 23. Kurt Busch, 1,594.

Next race: New England 300, July 22, Loudon, N.H.

BUSCH

Sam's Club/Hills Bros 300

Site: Joliet, Ill.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 11 a.m.; Saturday, race (NBC, 12:30 p.m.)

Track: Chicagoland Speedway (tri-oval 1.5 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Canadian road-racing ace Ron Fellows gained the lead with 29 laps to go, withstood a late caution and easily beat Greg Biffle to win the GNC Live Well 200 at Watkins Glen International. It was the third victory in the last four years for Fellows in the Busch series event on the 11-turn, 2.45-mile road course.

Last year: Inaugural event.

Fast Facts: Biffle picked up 10 points last week on series leader Kevin Harvick. ... Jeff Green has two victories in inaugural races at new tracks (Memphis and Las Vegas). ... Elton Sawyer has finished in the top 10 in each of the last four races.

Driver standings: 1. Kevin Harvick, 2,751; 2. Greg Biffle, 2,649; 3. Jason Keller, 2,515; 4. Jeff Green, 2,449; 5. Mike McLaughlin, 2,209.

Next race: Carquest Auto Parts 250, July 21, Madison, Ill.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Kroger 225

Site: Sparta, Ky.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 3:30 p.m.; Saturday, race (ESPN, 5 p.m.)

Track: Kentucky Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 150 laps, 225 miles.

Last race: Ricky Hendrick became the youngest driver to win a truck series race, leading the final 32 laps to take the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway. At 21 years, 3 months, 5 days, Hendrick is more than seven months younger than Las Vegan Kurt Busch was when he won on July 1, 2000, at The Milwaukee Mile.

Last year: Greg Biffle took the lead on lap 108 of 150 and held on through three restarts to win the inaugural event.

Fast facts: The race replaced the event at the Louisville Motor Speedway, which was the smallest track in the series. ... Last year's race had a 1-hour, 17-minute rain delay.

Driver standings: 1. Scott Riggs, 1,872; 2. Joe Ruttman, 1,823; 3. Jack Sprague, 1,777; 4. Ted Musgrave, 1,775; 5. Ricky Hendrick, 1,766.

Next race: New England 200, July 21, Loudon, N.H.

CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Molson Indy

Site: Toronto.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 10:45 a.m. (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m., tape); Sunday, race (ESPN, 10 a.m.)

Track: Toronto street circuit (temporary road course, 1.721 miles, 13 turns).

Race distance: 192.752 miles, 112 laps.

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.

Last year: Michael Andretti earned his sixth win in Toronto and the 40th of his career.

Fast facts: Franchitti started from the pole in 1997 and 1998, but failed to finish. He won the race in 1999. ... Andretti set the race record of 98.258 mph last year. ... Kenny Brack leads Helio Castroneves by 14 points in the standings. Franchitti is third, five points behind Castroneves.

Driver standings: 1. Kenny Brack, 84; 2. Helio Castroneves, 70; 3. Dario Franchitti, 65; 4. Gil de Ferran, 56; 5. Cristiano da Matta, 55. Also: 7. Jimmy Vasser, 50; 11. Paul Tracy, 40; 17. Patrick Carpentier, 15; 25. Alex Tagliani, 6.

Next race: Michigan 500, July 22, Brooklyn, Mich.

FORMULA ONE

British Grand Prix

Site: Silverstone, England.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speedvision, 4 a.m.); Sunday, race, (Speedvision, 5 a.m.)

Track: Silverstone Circuit (road course, 3.196 miles, 14 turns).

Race distance: 191.76 miles, 60 laps.

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. The win also stretched Michael's lead in the series to a massive 31 points over David Coulthard with seven races remaining.

Last year: Coulthard snapped Michael Schumacher's three-race winning streak.

Fast facts: Schumacher broke his right leg in a crash at Silverstone in 1999 and missed seven races. ... The race returns to a summer month after being staged last year in April.

Driver standings: 1. Michael Schumacher, 78; 2. David Coulthard, 47; 3. Ralf Schumacher, 31; 4. Rubens Barrichello, 30; 5. Juan Montoya, 12.

Next race: German Grand Prix, July 29, Hockenheim.

INDY RACING LEAGUE

Last race: Eddie Cheever Jr. passed Sam Hornish Jr. with slightly more than two laps to go, earning his first IRL victory of the season in the inaugural Ameristar Casino Indy 200 at the new Kansas Speedway. It was the third straight second-place finish for Hornish, the IRL points leader.

Driver standings: 1. Sam Hornish Jr., 309.; 2. Buddy Lazier, 249; 3. Eliseo Salazar, 217.; 4. Felipe Giaffone, 217; 5. Scott Sharp, 214; 6. Billy Boat, 181; 7. Eddie Cheever, 158; 8. Airton Dare, 157; 9. Buzz Calkins, 156; 10. Jeff Ward, 144. Also: 12. Al Unser Jr., 137; 21. Jaques Lazier, 66.

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

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Last event: John Force raced to his 96th career Funny Car victory, beating Whit Bazemore in the final of the 50th Anniversary Nationals at Pomona Raceway. Doug Herbert, Jeg Coughlin and Angelle Savoie also were winners.

Driver standings: Top Fuel -- 1. Kenny Bernstein, 1,108; 2. Larry Dixon, 1,046; 3. Doug Kalitta, 894. Funny Car -- 1. John Force, 1,149; 2. Del Worsham, 814; 3. Bruce Sarver, 799. Pro Stock -- 1. Warren Johnson, 917; 2. Jim Yates, 864; 3. Jeg Coughlin, 819. Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Angelle Savoie, 733; 2. Antron Brown, 679; 3. Matt Hines, 628.

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