This week’s races

Friday, Sept. 28, 2001 | 10:26 a.m.

For weekend of Sept. 28, 2001. All Times Pacific.

NASCAR WINSTON CUP

Protection One 400

Site: Kansas City, Kan.

Schedule: today, qualifying (CNN/SI, 1 p.m.); Sunday, race (NBC, 10 a.m.)

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

Race distance: 400.5 miles, 267 laps.

Last race: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won the Cal Ripken Jr. 400 in Dover, Del. Earnhardt's car is No. 8, the same number Ripken has worn throughout his career with the Baltimore Orioles. Earnhardt dominated much of the race usually known as the MBNA.com 400, leading 193 of 400 laps.

Last year: Inaugural event.

Fast Facts: Gordon leads Ricky Rudd by 212 points in the standings. Tony Stewart moved into third last week, passing Dale Jarrett by nine points. ... Kevin Harvick, who moved into Winston Cup full time after Dale Earnhardt was killed at Daytona, leads the rookie standings by 64 points over Kurt Busch. ... Robby Gordon will drive Mike Skinner's car the rest of the season. Skinner needs surgery on his injured left knee.

Next race: UAW-GM Quality 500, Oct. 7, Concord, N.C.

Driver standings: 1. Jeff Gordon, 3,928. 2. Ricky Rudd, 3,716. 3. Tony Stewart, 3,516. 4. Dale Jarrett, 3,507. 5. Sterling Marlin, 3,444. 6. Dale Earnhardt, Jr., 3,429. 7. Kevin Harvick, 3,380. 8. Rusty Wallace, 3,355. 9. Bobby Labonte, 3,327. 10. Johnny Benson, 3,168. Also, 26. Kurt Busch, 2,365.

BUSCH

Mr. Goodcents 300

Site: Kansas City, Kan.

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

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

Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Jeff Green won the MBNA.com 200 at Dover, Del., after polesitter Ryan Newman started a three-car crash. Newman dominated the race until taking four tires on the 176th of 200 laps. Green took two tires and got out of the pits second to Mike McLaughlin, whom he passed on lap 180. After exiting the pits fourth, Newman tried to force his way through on the bottom of the track, but was unable to hold his line and tapped Matt Kenseth into McLaughlin, who hit the wall.

Last year: Inaugural event.

Fast Facts: Kevin Harvick, also driving full time on the Winston Cup circuit, leads the standings 4,052-3,745 over Jason Keller. Defending series champion Green is third. ... Greg Biffle, who won the Craftsman truck series last year, is fourth in the standings and has three victories this season.

Driver standings: 1. Kevin Harvick, 4,052. 2. Jason Keller, 3,745. 3. Jeff Green, 3,734. 4. Greg Biffle, 3,584. 5. Elton Sawyer, 3,399. 6. Tony Raines, 3,305. 7. Chad Little, 3,241. 8. Mike McLaughlin, 3,226. 9. Jimmie Johnson, 3,197. 10. Kenny Wallace, 3,142.

Next race: Little Trees 300, Oct. 6, Concord, N.C.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

NetZero 250

Site: South Boston, Va.

Schedule: today, qualifying, noon; race (ESPN2, 4 p.m.)

Track: South Boston Speedway (oval 0.4 miles, 7 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 100 miles, 250 laps.

Last race: The Silverado 350 in Fort Worth, Texas, was postponed until Oct. 5 due to the terrorist attacks.

Last year: Inaugural event.

Fast Facts: This is the second consecutive race in Virginia for the series. Jack Sprague won at Richmond International Speedway earlier this month. ... The track was a charter member of the Busch series in 1982. ... There are four races remaining after this week.

Next race: Silverado 350, Oct. 5, Fort Worth, Texas.

Driver standings: 1. Jack Sprague, 2,910. 2. Joe Ruttman, 2,883. 3. Scott Riggs, 2,853. 4. Travis Kvapil, 2,771. 5. Ted Musgrave, 2,758. 6. Ricky Hendrick, 2,757. 7. Terry Cook, 2,654. 8. Dennis Setzer, 2,616. 9. Rick Crawford, 2,549. 10. Coy Gibbs, 2,284.

FORMULA ONE

U.S. Grand Prix

Site: Indianapolis.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speedvision, 10:30 a.m.); Sunday, race (ABC, 11 a.m.)

Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (road course, 2.606-miles, 13 turns).

Race distance: 190.238 miles, 73 laps.

Last race: Rookie Juan Pablo Montoya won the Italian Grand Prix in Monza. The Colombian driver won for the first time in Formula One. The former CART won in a Williams BMW -- 5.1 seconds ahead of Ferrari's Rubens Barrichello.

Last year: Michael Schumacher overwhelmed the field in the inaugural Formula One race at Indianapolis, winning before a crowd of more than 200,000, the biggest in the history of the Grand Prix circuit. Schumacher beat teammate Barrichello by 12.118 seconds.

Fast Facts: This F1 circuit returned to the United States last season after a nine-year absence ... There is one race remaining after this week. ... Indianapolis is the oldest track to play host to an F1 race. ... F1 drivers will race clockwise around the track. Before last year's event, that had never happened in the 91-year history of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Next race: Japanese Grand Prix, Oct. 14, Suzuka.

Driver standings: 1. x-Michael Schumacher, 107. 2. David Coulthard, 57. 3. Rubens Barrichello, 54. 4. Ralf Schumacher, 48. 5. Juan Pablo Montoya, 25. 6. Mika Hakkinen, 24. 7. Jacques Villeneuve, 12. 8. Nick Heidfeld, 11. 9. Kimi Raikkonen, 9. 10. Jarno Trulli, 9. (x-clinched championship)

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

NHRA Nationals

Site: Joliet, Ill.

Schedule: today, qualifying, noon.; Saturday, qualifying, 9 a.m.(ESPN2, 7 p.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations, 8 a.m. (ESPN2, 5:30 p.m., tape).

Track: Route 66 Raceway.

Last event: Gary Densham (Funny Car) and Las Vegan George Marnell (Pro Stock), two of drag racing's most noted journeymen, earned their first career victories in the AutoZone Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park. Kenny Bernstein and Mike Coughlin also won.

Last year: John Force won, earning his record-setting 86th Funny Car victory, breaking a tie with Bob Glidden. Gary Scelzi, Ron Krisher, Antron Brown and Bob Panella took their divisions.

Fast Facts: This is the fourth year of the event. Last year, it was held in June. ... Tim Wilkerson earned his first career victory, beating Force in the 1999 Funny Car finals. It was Force's only finals loss that season.

Next event: Keystone Nationals, Oct. 7, Mohnton, Pa.

Driver standings: Top Fuel -- 1. Larry Dixon, 1,625. 2. Kenny Bernstein, 1,598. 3. Mike Dunn, 1,271. 4. Doug Kalitta, 1,263. 5. Gary Scelzi, 1,261. Funny Car -- 1. John Force, 1,584. 2. Whit Bazemore, 1,299. 3. Del Worsham, 1,205. 4. Ron Capps, 1,204. 5. Tony Pedregon, 1,128. Pro Stock -- 1. Warren Johnson, 1,272. 2. Jim Yates, 1,196. 3. Bruce Allen, 1,070. 4. Mike Edwards, 1,065. 5. Jeg Coughlin, 1,055.

CART

Last race: Gil de Ferran and Kenny Brack made daring passes on the last two laps of the Rockingham 500 in England, with De Ferran winning by 0.634 seconds over Brack.

Next race: Texaco-Havoline Grand Prix, Oct. 7, Houston.

Driver standings: 1. Kenny Brack, 147. 2. Gil de Ferran, 141. 3. Michael Andretti, 125. 4. Helio Castroneves, 123. 5. Cristiano da Matta, 92. 6. Dario Franchitti, 89. 7. Scott Dixon, 86. 8. Patrick Carpentier, 83. 9. Tony Kanaan, 77. 10. Paul Tracy, 76. Also, 14. Jimmy Vasser, 56. 15. Alex Tagliani, 51.

On the net: www.cart.com INDY RACING LEAGUE

Last race: The Chevy 500 in Fort Worth, Texas, was postponed until Oct. 6 due to the terrorist attacks.

Next race: Chevy 500, Oct. 6, Fort Worth, Texas.

Driver standings: 1. x-Sam Hornish Jr., 451. 2. Buddy Lazier, 385. 3. Scott Sharp, 315. 4. Felipe Giaffone, 295. 5. Billy Boat, 295. 6. Eliseo Salazar, 276. 7. Al Unser Jr., 259. 8. Eddie Cheever, 249. 9. Jeff Ward, 232. 10. Buzz Calkins, 222. x-Champion

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