This week’s racing

Friday, June 15, 2001 | 9:58 a.m.

All Times Pacific. Check local listings for taped broadcasts.

NASCAR WINSTON CUP

Pocono 500

Site: Long Pond, Pa.

Schedule: Today, qualifying (Fox Sports Net, noon); Sunday, race (Fox, 10 a.m.)

Track: Pocono International Raceway (triangular oval, 2.5 miles, 14 degrees banking in turn 1, 8 degrees in turn 2, 6 degrees in turn 3).

Race distance: 500 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Jeff Gordon survived two restarts and a tense battle with Ricky Rudd over the final two laps to give Hendrick Motorsports its 100th victory. Gordon led 143 of 200 laps in the Kmart 400 in Brooklyn, Mich., to win his second race in a row.

Last year: Jeremy Mayfield won when he bumped Dale Earnhardt out of the way on the final lap. Mayfield led just nine of 200 laps.

Fast facts: Terry Labonte came from 27th to win the 1995 event. ... Rick Hendrick leads all car owners with eight victories at Pocono. ... Mayfield earned his first Winston Cup victory in the 1998 race. ... Bill Elliott and Rusty Wallace lead active drivers with four wins at Pocono.

Next race: Dodge/Save Mart 350, June 24, Sonoma, Calif.

Driver standings: 1. Jeff Gordon, 1,996. 2. Dale Jarrett, 1,970. 3. Sterling Marlin, 1,869. 4. Ricky Rudd, 1,866. 5. Tony Stewart, 1,791. 6. Rusty Wallace, 1,768. 7. Johnny Benson, 1,755. 8. Steve Park, 1,748. 9. Kevin Harvick, 1,655. 10. Bobby Labonte, 1,613. Also, 25. Kurt Busch, 1,303.

BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Outback Steakhouse 300

Site: Sparta, Ky.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 4 p.m.; Saturday, race (FX, 5 p.m.)

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

Race distance: 200 laps, 300 miles.

Last race: Jimmy Spencer waited out two rain delays and managed to stay out of a rash of accidents in the final 40 laps to win the MBNA Platinum 200 in Dover, Del. Spencer put his car in front on the 179th lap when he got by Mike Skinner, who spun out leader Bobby Hamilton Jr. on the high-banked third turn.

Last year: Inaugural race.

Fast facts: The Craftsman Truck series is the only NASCAR circuit to have previously raced at Kentucky Speedway. ... Greg Biffle, third in the Busch series standings, set the track race speed record last year in the trucks series. ... Kevin Harvick leads Jeff Green 2,231-2,156 in the standings.

Next race: GNC Live Well 250, July 1, West Allis, Wis.

Driver standings: 1. Kevin Harvick, 2,231. 2. Jeff Green, 2,156. 3. Greg Biffle, 2,124. 4. Jason Keller, 2,101. 5. Mike McLaughlin, 1,900. 6. Jeff Purvis, 1,845. 7. Tony Raines, 1,810. 8. Jimmie Johnson, 1,787. 9. Elton Sawyer, 1,664. 10. Randy Lajoie, 1,660

CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Tenneco Automotive Grand Prix

Site: Detroit.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 10:45 a.m. (ESPN2, 2:30 p.m., tape); Sunday, race (ABC, 11a.m.)

Track: The Raceway On Belle Isle (temporary road course, 2.346 miles, 14 turns).

Race distance: 168.912 miles, 72 laps.

Last race: Polesitter Kenny Brack won his second straight race, taking the Miller Lite 225 after surviving a scare on the first turn when he and Indianapolis 500 winner Helio Castroneves made contact. Brack beat five-time winner Michael Andretti by 1.037 seconds. Andretti was runner-up for the fourth time in the event.

Last year: Helio Castroneves got his first CART victory, beating Max Papis by 4.415 seconds. Polesitter Juan Montoya went out with a broken driveshaft on the 62nd lap.

Fast facts: Andretti has finished fifth or better in seven of 11 career starts at Detroit. ... Honda powered engines have won the last three races at the track. ... CART announced that starting with the Miller Lite 200, the HANS device will be mandatory for all testing and races.

Next race: Freightliner-G.I. Joe's 200, June 24, Portland, Ore.

Driver standings: 1. Kenny Brack, 70. 2. Helio Castroneves, 47. 3. Cristiano da Matta, 40. 4. Paul Tracy, 40. 5. Jimmy Vasser, 40. 6. Scott Dixon, 38. 7. Gil de Ferran, 36. 8. Michael Andretti, 36. 9. Tony Kanaan, 34. 10. Bruno Junqueira, 23. Also, 24. Alex Tagliani, 1.

INDY RACING LEAGUE

Radisson Indy 200

Site: Fountain, Colo.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, noon (ESPN2, 3:30 p.m., tape); Sunday, race (ABC, 1 p.m.)

Track: Pikes Peak International Raceway (d-shaped oval, 1 mile, 10 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 200 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Scott Sharp won his second straight Casino Magic 500 in Fort Worth, Texas, crossing the finish line under caution after a crash ended an exciting three-car duel for the lead. Sharp was in a battle with Greg Ray and Eddie Cheever for the lead when the other two competitors were taken out by a crash on the 196th of 200 laps.

Last year: Cheever got his fourth career IRL victory and the first ever for an Infiniti engine. Cheever took the lead on lap 172 and crossed the finish line under caution.

Fast facts: The winner at Pikes Peak has gone on to take the championship every year in the series but last year. Cheever finished third in points last season. ... Ray won both events at the track in 1999.

Next race: Richmond Indy 200, June 30, Richmond, Va.

Driver standings: 1. Sam Hornish Jr., 187. 2. Eliseo Salazar, 157. 3. Scott Sharp, 147. 4. Felipe Giaffone, 140. 5. Buddy Lazier, 117. 6. Billy Boat, 115. 7. Buzz Calkins, 104. 8. Greg Ray, 103. 9. Jeff Ward, 102. 10. Robby McGehee, 86. 11. Sarah Fisher, 85. Also, 14. Al Unser Jr., 73. 19. Davey Hamilton, 54.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Pontiac Excitement Nationals

Site: Kirkersville, Ohio.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 12:45 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 8:45 a.m. (ESPN2, 7 p.m., tape); Sunday, final eliminations, 8 a.m. (ESPN2, 5 p.m., tape).

Track: National Trail Raceway.

Last event: Kenny Bernstein got his third straight NHRA Top Fuel victory, winning at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Joliet, Ill. Del Worsham, Mike Edwards, Antron Brown and Scott Perin also won. It was Bernstein's fourth victory of the season and the 57th of his career.

Last year: Tony Schumacher claimed his second Top Fuel victory of the season, defeating Joe Amato in the finals. Tony Pedregon, Mark Pawuk, Angelle Savoie and Randy Daniels also were winners.

Fast facts: This is the 37th year of the event. ... Chuck Harris won his only Pro Stock title at the event in 1996.

Next event: Sears Craftsman Nationals, June 24, Madison, Ill.

Driver standings: Top Fuel -- 1. Kenny Bernstein, 877. 2. Larry Dixon, 797. 3. Mike Dunn, 762. 4. Doug Kalitta, 695. 5. Gary Scelzi, 633. Funny Car -- 1. John Force, 843. 2. Ron Capps, 645. 3. Bruce Sarver, 617. 4. Del Worsham, 596. 5. Whit Bazemore, 591. Pro Stock -- 1. Jim Yates, 663. 2. Mark Pawuk, 661. 3. Warren Johnson, 651. 4. Jeg Coughlin, 583. 5. Mike Edwards, 522.Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Matt Hines, 484. 2. Antron Brown, 447. 3. Angelle Savoie, 421. 4. Craig Treble, 354. 5. Reggie Showers, 305. Pro Stock Truck -- 1. Greg Stanfield, 625. 2. Bob Panella Jr., 600. 3. Randy Daniels, 590. 4. Jeff Gracia, 504. 5. Scott Perin, 397.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Last race: Jack Sprague broke a 22-race drought and ended Dodge's winning streak by taking the O'Reilly 400 in Fort Worth, Texas. Sprague, a two-time series champion, drove his Chevrolet to a 4.66-second win over the Dodge of Brendan Gaughan. Dodge had won the first eight races this season, matching the circuit record held by Chevrolet.

Next race: Memphis 200, June 23, Millington, Tenn.

Driver standings: 1. Scott Riggs, 1,460. 2. Joe Ruttman, 1,417. 3. Jack Sprague, 1,389. 4. Ricky Hendrick, 1,306. 5. Terry Cook, 1,300. 6. Travis Kvapil, 1,293. 7. Ted Musgrave, 1,270. 8. Rick Crawford, 1,240. 9. Randy Tolsma, 1,158. 10. Matt Crafton, 1,091.

FORMULA ONE

Last race: Ralf Schumacher outdrove older brother Michael, pulling away to an easy victory in the Canadian Grand Prix in Montreal. The German siblings started on the front row, and polesitter Michael led from the start on the 2.747-mile Circuit Gilles Villeneuve. Ralf took the lead on lap 51 of the 69-lap race and held on for the victory.

Next race: European Grand Prix, June 24, Nurburgring, Germany.

Driver standings: 1. Michael Schumacher, 58. 2. David Coulthard, 40. 3. Rubens Barrichello, 24. 4. Ralf Schumacher, 22. 5. Nick Heidfeld, 8. 6. Mika Hakkinen, 8 7. Jacques Villeneuve, 7. 8. Kimi Raikkonen, 7. 9. Jarno Trulli, 7. 10. Juan Montoya, 6.

archive