This week’s races

Friday, Nov. 16, 2001 | 12:56 p.m.

All Times Pacific.

NASCAR WINSTON CUP NAPA 500

Site: Hampton, Ga.

Schedule: Today, qualifying (TNT, noon); Sunday, race (NBC, 9:30 a.m.).

Track: Atlanta Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.54 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 500.5 miles, 325 laps.

Last race: Bill Elliott, whose last victory came in 1994, passed teammate Casey Atwood five laps from the end of the Pennzoil 400 after stalking the rookie for several trips around the 1 1/2-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Last year: Jerry Nadeau got his first Winston Cup victory in the NAPA 500. Nadeau beat Dale Earnhardt by 1.338 seconds in the season-ending event. It was the final race for Darrell Waltrip, who ended his 29-year career with 84 victories -- tied with Bobby Allison for the third-highest in Winston Cup history - and three championships. Bobby Labonte clinched the season title previously.

Fast facts: Jeff Gordon will clinch his fourth series title with a finish of 32nd or better. He also would clinch merely by starting each of the last two races. ... Events at Atlanta have been won from the pole 13 times.

Next race: New Hampshire 300, Nov. 23, Loudon.

Driver standings: 1. Jeff Gordon, 4,829. 2. Ricky Rudd, 4,524. 3. Tony Stewart, 4,465. 4. Sterling Marlin, 4,391. 5. Dale Jarrett, 4,336. 6. Rusty Wallace, 4,245. 7. Dale Earnhardt Jr., 4,213. 8. Bobby Labonte, 4,211. 9. Kevin Harvick, 4,151. 10. Jeff Burton, 4,143. Also, 25. Kurt Busch, 2,981.

BUSCH

Last race: Joe Nemechek took advantage of series champion Kevin Harvick's tough luck, making a late charge to win the season-ending GNC Live Well 300 on Sunday in Homestead, Fla. The victory was the 11th of Nemechek's Busch career, his second this year and his third in six races at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where his younger brother, John, was killed in a truck race in 1997.

On the net: Driver standings: 1. Kevin Harvick, 4,813. 2. Jeff Green, 4,689. 3. Jason Keller, 4,637. 4. Greg Biffle, 4,509. 5. Elton Sawyer, 4,100. 6. Tony Raines, 3,975. 7. Mike McLaughlin, 3,962. 8. Jimmie Johnson, 3,871. 9. Chad Little, 3,846. 10. Kenny Wallace, 3,799.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Last race: Ted Musgrave raced to a season-high seventh victory. Jack Sprague wrecked, but still wrapped up an unprecedented third Craftsman Truck series championship Nov. 3 in the Auto Club 200 in Fontana, Calif. Sprague, who previously won truck titles in 1997 and '99, needed only to start the race to break his tie with Ron Hornaday Jr. for the most series titles. Travis Kvapil, who also clinched Rookie of the Year honors by starting the race, finished seventh.

Final driver standings: 1. Jack Sprague, 3,670. 2. Ted Musgrave, 3,597. 3. Joe Ruttman, 3,570. 4. Travis Kvapil, 3,547. 5. Scott Riggs, 3,526. 6. Ricky Hendrick, 3,412. 7. Terry Cook, 3,327. 8. Rick Crawford, 3,320. 9. Dennis Setzer, 3,306. 10. Coy Gibbs, 2,875. 11. Lance Norick, 2,820. 12. Matt Crafton, 2,778. 13. Billy Bigley, 2,718. 14. Carlos Contreras, 2,586. 15. Bobby Dotter, 2,537. 16. Willy T. Ribbs, 2,319. 17. Jon Wood, 1,917. 18. Randy Tolsma, 1,859. 19. Lance Hooper, 1,720. 20. Jimmy Hensley, 1,708. Also, 31. Brendan Gaughan, 946.

CART

Last race: Cristiano da Matta held off Max Papis by inches to win one of the most competitive events in auto racing history, taking the season-ending Toyota 500 on Nov. 4 at California Speedway. Da Matta, who finished the season with consecutive victories, passed Papis seven laps from the end of the darkness-shortened event for the CART-record 73rd lead change. Gil de Ferran had clinched his second straight CART championship Oct. 28 with a fourth-place finish in the Honda Indy 300 in Surfers Paradise, Australia.

Final driver standings: 1. Gil de Ferran, 199. 2. Kenny Brack, 163. 3. Michael Andretti, 147. 4. Helio Castroneves, 141. 5. Cristiano da Matta, 140. 6. Max Papis, 107. 7. Dario Franchitti, 105. 8. Scott Dixon, 98. 9. Tony Kanaan, 93. 10. Patrick Carpentier, 91. 11. Alex Tagliani, 80. 12. Jimmy Vasser, 77. 13. Roberto Moreno, 76. 14. Paul Tracy, 73. 15. Christian Fittipaldi, 70. 16. Bruno Junqueira, 68. 17. Memo Gidley, 65. 18. Adrian Fernandez, 45. 19. Oriol Servia, 42. 20. Michel Jourdain Jr., 30.

NHRA

Last event: Kenny Bernstein won at the Automobile Club of Southern California NHRA Finals on Sunday at Pomona Raceway and earned the sixth championship of his career. It was Bernstein's second Top Fuel title. He also has four Funny Car titles and is the only driver to win a championship in both nitro categories. Warren Johnson and Angelle Savoie also wrapped up titles. Johnson earned his sixth Pro Stock championship while Savoie took her second straight Pro Stock Motorcycle title. Del Worsham (Funny Car), Bruce Allen (Pro Stock), Savoie and Mike Coughlin (Pro Stock Truck) were winners in their divisions in the season finale.

Final driver standings: Top Fuel -- 1. Kenny Bernstein, 2,102. 2. Larry Dixon, 2,007. 3. Doug Kalitta, 1,598. 4. Mike Dunn, 1,594. 5. Gary Scelzi, 1,581. 6. Darrell Russell, 1,505. 7. Doug Herbert, 1,206. 8. Tony Schumacher, 1,153. 9. David Grubnic, 843. 10. Rhonda Hartman-Smith, 822. Funny Car: 1. John Force, 2,000. 2. Whit Bazemore, 1,748. 3. Del Worsham, 1,490. 4. Ron Capps, 1,451. 5. Tony Pedregon, 1,406. 6. Bruce Sarver, 1,283. 7. Frank Pedregon, 1,149. 8. Gary Densham, 1,147. 9. Dean Skuza, 1,128. 10. Tommy Johnson Jr., 1,127. Pro Stock -- 1. Warren Johnson, 1,538. 2. Jim Yates, 1,459. 3. Bruce Allen, 1,383. 4. Mike Edwards, 1,321. 5. Jeg Coughlin, 1,256. 6. Mark Pawuk, 1,221. 7. Mark Osborne, 1,212. 8. Ron Krisher, 1,182. 9. Kurt Johnson, 1,170. 10. Brad Jeter, 1,062. Pro Stock Motorcycle -- 1. Angelle Savoie, 1,332. 2. Antron Brown, 1,175. 3. Matt Hines, 1,003. 4. Craig Treble, 949. 5. Shawn Gann, 850. 6. GT Tonglet, 841. 7. Reggie Showers, 699. 8. Geno Scali, 694. 9. Steve Johnson, 650. 10. Mike Berry, 493. Pro Stock Truck -- 1. Bob Panella Jr., 1,156. 2. Greg Stanfield, 1,058. 3. Randy Daniels, 1,006. 4. Mike Coughlin, 821. 5. Jeff Gracia, 795. 6. Todd Patterson, 769. 7. Don Smith, 701. 8. Taylor Lastor, 697. 9. Scott Perin, 614. 10. Victor Cagnazzi, 611.

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