This week’s races

Friday, Nov. 2, 2001 | 12:39 p.m.

All Times Pacific.

NASCAR WINSTON CUP Pop Secret Microwave 400

Site: Rockingham, N.C.

Schedule: Today, qualifying (CNN/SI, noon); Sunday, race (TNT 10 a.m.)

Track: North Carolina Speedway (tri-oval, 1.017 miles, 22 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 25 degrees in turns 3-4).

Race distance: 399.681 miles, 393 laps.

Last race: Jeff Burton passed Mike Wallace for the lead with 33 laps to go and won the Checker Auto Parts 500 in Avondale, Ariz., for the second consecutive year. Wallace, in only his fourth race with Penske Racing South, took the lead on the 241st of 312-laps in the 500-kilometer race at Phoenix International Raceway. He went in front when crew chief Peter Sospenzo elected to put on only right side tires while the rest of the leaders were changing all four.

Last year: Dale Jarrett, after finishing second six times in his last nine starts at North Carolina Speedway, took the lead late and pulled away from Jeff Gordon for his first Rockingham win. Jarrett had not won since the season-opening Daytona 500.

Fast facts: There are three races remaining after this week. ... The race has been won from the pole five times, most recently by Kyle Petty in 1992. ... Mark Martin and Petty lead with five poles. ... Junior Johnson leads owners with 14 victories at The Rock. ... Jarrett has finished 10th or better in 12 of the last 13 races at Rockingham.

Next race: Pennzoil 400, Nov. 11, Homestead, Fla.

Driver standings: 1. Jeff Gordon, 4,662. 2. Ricky Rudd, 4,282. 3. Tony Stewart, 4,198. 4. Dale Jarrett, 4,136. 5. Sterling Marlin, 4,101. 6. Rusty Wallace, 4,027. 7. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 3,977. 8. Bobby Labonte, 3,926. 9. Kevin Harvick, 3,918. 10. Jeff Burton, 3,874. 11. Mark Martin, 3,703. 12. Johnny Benson, 3,663. 13. Matt Kenseth, 3,494. 14. Jimmy Spencer, 3,424. 15. Bill Elliott, 3,383. 16. Ward Burton, 3,380. 17. Bobby Hamilton, 3,274. 18. Ken Schrader, 3,221. 19. Jerry Nadeau, 3,141. 20. Elliott Sadler, 3,125. Also, 25. Kurt Busch, 2,836.

BUSCH Sam's Club 200

Site: Rockingham, N.C.

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

Track: North Carolina Speedway (tri-oval, 1.017 miles, 22 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 25 degrees in turns 3-4).

Race distance: 200.349 laps, 197 laps.

Last race: Greg Biffle came back from nearly two laps down to earn his fifth victory of the season in the Outback Steakhouse 200 at Phoenix International Raceway. Biffle, the top Busch rookie and last year's NASCAR truck series champion, came up with his second win on the 1-mile oval in two days. He also won the truck race.

Last year: Jeff Green used a last-lap pass for his first victory at North Carolina Speedway. Green chased down the dominating car of Jeff Burton and got by him twice in the waning laps.

Fast facts: There is one race remaining after this week. ... The race has been won from the pole four times, but not since Ernie Irvan in 1991. ... Mark Martin, now retired from the Busch circuit, has won the fall race six times. ... No race has been won from the pole in the last 35 events. The record is 36.

Next race: Miami 300, Nov. 10, Homestead, Fla.

Driver standings: 1. Kevin Harvick, 4,596. 2. Jeff Green, 4,398. 3. Jason Keller, 4,371. 4. Greg Biffle, 4,217. 5. Elton Sawyer, 3,791. 6. Tony Raines, 3,757.7. Mike McLaughlin, 3,670. 8. Jimmie Johnson, 3,665. 9. Chad Little, 3,652.10. Kenny Wallace, 3,531.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS Craftsman 200

Site: Fontana, Calif.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, noon.; Saturday, race (ESPN, 1:30 p.m.)

Track: California Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 200 miles, 100 laps.

Last race: Last year's series champion Greg Biffle, now the top Busch series rookie, started a two-victory weekend by holding off three-time Phoenix International Raceway winner Jack Sprague on three late restarts in the Chevy Silverado 150. But Sprague moved closer to a third truck series title by pushing his points leads to 141 over Scott Riggs.

Last year: Las Vegan Kurt Busch beat Andy Houston by 0.775 seconds to win for the fourth time in the season. Busch set a series record with an average speed of 144.260 mph.

Fast facts: This is the last race of the season for the third time. ... Two years ago, Sprague won after passing two trucks for the lead with one lap remaining and wound up with his second series title in three years.

Driver standings: 1. Jack Sprague, 3,595. 2. Scott Riggs, 3,454. 3. Joe Ruttman, 3,450. 4. Ted Musgrave, 3,412. 5. Travis Kvapil, 3,401. 6. Ricky Hendrick, 3,278. 7. Terry Cook, 3,177. 8. Dennis Setzer, 3,146. 9. Rick Crawford, 3,140. 10. Coy Gibbs, 2,754. Also, 29. Brendan Gaughan, 946.

CART Toyota 500

Site: Fontana, Calif.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, (ESPN, 10:30 p.m., tape); Sunday: race (ESPN, 12:30 p.m.)

Track: California Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 500 miles, 250 laps.

Last race: Gil de Ferran clinched his second straight CART championship with a fourth-place finish in the Honda Indy 300 in Surfers Paradise, Australia. Cristiano da Matta took the lead on the 52nd of 65 laps and got his second victory this year.

Last year: Christian Fittipaldi won in a race delayed by rain, and de Ferran finished third to win the closest points chase in CART history. They were among only six drivers running at the end after blown engines and other mechanical problems reduced the field of 23 cars. The race was halted Sunday and completed Monday.

Fast facts: This is the last race of the season. ... De Ferran entered last week's race with a 26-point lead in the standings over second-place Kenny Brack. De Ferran finished one spot ahead of Brack, putting the title out of reach going into the final race. ... The championship was a series-best ninth for car owner Roger Penske and his 11th overall in open-wheel racing.

Driver standings: 1. Gil de Ferran, 191. 2. Kenny Brack, 163. 3. Helio Castroneves, 141. 4. Michael Andretti, 141. 5. Cristiano da Matta, 120. 6. Dario Franchitti, 105. 7. Scott Dixon, 98. 8. Max Papis, 90. 9. Patrick Carpentier, 88. 10. Tony Kanaan, 83. 11. Roberto Moreno, 76. 12. Jimmy Vasser, 76. 13. Paul Tracy, 73. 14. Christian Fittipaldi, 70. 15. Memo Gidley, 65. 16. Alex Tagliani, 65. 17. Bruno Junqueira, 56. 18. Adrian Fernandez, 45. 19. Oriol Servia, 40. 20. Michel Jourdain Jr., 30.

NHRA

Last event: Rookie Darrell Russell won his second Top Fuel race of the season at the NHRA's ACDelco Nationals in Las Vegas. Ron Capps (Funny Car), Mark Pawuk (Pro Stock) and Shawn Gann (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also were winners.

Next event: Automobile Club Finals, Nov. 11, Pomona, Calif.

Driver standings: Top Fuel -- 1. Kenny Bernstein, 1,984. 2. Larry Dixon, 1,930. 3. Doug Kalitta, 1,564. 4. Gary Scelzi, 1,529. 5. Mike Dunn, 1,498. 6. Darrell Russell, 1,452. 7. Doug Herbert, 1,171. 8. Tony Schumacher, 1,120. 9. David Grubnic, 843. 10. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 791. Funny Car -- 1.John Force, 1,953. 2. Whit Bazemore, 1,650. 3. Ron Capps, 1,417. 4. Del Worsham, 1,378. 5. Tony Pedregon, 1,350. 6. Bruce Sarver, 1,251. 7. Frank Pedregon, 1,117. 8. Gary Densham, 1,073. 9. Tommy Johnson Jr., 1,072. 10. Dean Skuza, 1,055. Pro Stock : 1. Warren Johnson, 1,504. 2. Jim Yates, 1,401. 3. Bruce Allen, 1,266. 4. Mike Edwards, 1,265. 5. Mark Osborne, 1,202. 6. Mark Pawuk, 1,190. 7. Jeg Coughlin, 1,182. 8. Kurt Johnson, 1,160. 9. Ron Krisher, 1,150. 10. George Marnell, 982.