Las Vegas Sun

March 29, 2024

This weekend in motor sports

All Times PDT NASCAR WINSTON CUP Tropicana 400

Site: Joliet, Ill.

Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 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: Michael Waltrip, who won the Daytona 500 last year in the race in which Dale Earnhardt was killed, finished first again at NASCAR's most famous track, beating Rusty Wallace in the Pepsi 400.

Last year: Kevin Harvick posted his second win of the 2001 season by winning the inaugural Winston Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Fast facts: Last year's was 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.

Next race: New England 300, July 21, Loudon, N.H.

Driver standings: 1. Sterling Marlin, 2,368. 2. Mark Martin, 2,291. 3. Jimmie Johnson, 2,254. 4. Rusty Wallace, 2,224. 5. Jeff Gordon, 2,218. 6. Ricky Rudd, 2,168. 7. Tony Stewart, 2,156. 8. Matt Kenseth, 2,093. 9. Bill Elliott, 2,084. 10. Kurt Busch, 2,073.

On the net: www.nascar.com -- BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL Hills Brothers Coffee 300

Site: Joliet, Ill.

Schedule: Qualifying was this morning; 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: Joe Nemechek won the first-ever Busch Series night race at the Stacker2/GNC Live Well 250 in Daytona, blocking Greg Biffle over a two-lap shootout after a 16-car accident halted the race. Nemechek became the first Busch driver to win from the pole at Daytona International Speedway since 1975.

Last year: Jimmie Johnson became a first-time series winner by taking the Sam's Club-Hills Bros 300, the inaugural Busch series event at Chicagoland Speedway.

Fast facts: Biffle took over the points lead with his second place finish last week. Jack Sprague, who was atop the standings heading into the race, was involved in a wreck with five laps to go. Jason Keller, who finished fourth, moved into second and trails Biffle by 39 points.

Next race: Carquest Auto Parts 250, July 20, Madison, Ill.

Driver standings: 1. Greg Biffle, 2,537. 2. Jason Keller, 2,498. 3. Jack Sprague, 2,492. 4. Scott Riggs, 2,394. 5. Scott Wimmer, 2,258. 6. Kenny Wallace, 2,242. 7. Mike McLaughlin, 2,238. 8. Bobby Hamilton Jr., 2,229. 9. Randy LaJoie, 2,229. 10. Stacy Compton, 2,125.

On the net: www.nascar.com -- 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: Mike Bliss overcame a missing lug nut to win the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway. Bliss, with one of the fastest trucks on the 1.5-mile speedway all day, took the lead on lap 165 when leader Rick Crawford's Ford developed rear end problems after leading 127 laps.

Last year: Scott Riggs beat Joe Ruttman by 1.368 seconds in the Kroger 225 -- a 1-2 finish by the then-Craftsman series points leaders.

Fast facts: The race replaced the event at the Louisville Motor Speedway, which was the smallest track in the series. ... Greg Biffle won the race in 2000.

Next race: New England 200, July 20, Loudon, N.H.

Driver standings: 1. Ted Musgrave, 1,538. 2. Mike Bliss, 1,477. 3. David Starr, 1,465. 4. Rick Crawford, 1,462. 5. Jason Leffler, 1,458. 6. Terry Cook, 1,399. 7. Dennis Setzer, 1,376. 8. Robert Pressley, 1,373. 9. Travis Kvapil, 1,322. 10. Brendan Gaughan, 1,282.

On the net: www.nascar.com -- CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS Marconi Grand Prix

Site: Cleveland

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 10:30 a.m.); Sunday, race (CBS, 10:30 a.m.)

Track: Burke Lakefront Airport (temporary road course, 2.106 miles, 10 turns).

Race distance: 242.19 miles, 115 laps.

Last race: Cristiano da Matta led from start to finish in the Toronto Molson-Indy, matching the CART record of four consecutive victories and extending his series points lead. Da Matta started from the pole and led all 112 laps.

Last year: Dario Franchitti, running on little more than fumes at the finish, held off Memo Gidley to win the Marconi Grand Prix 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.

Fast facts: Roberto Moreno's victory in the 2000 race was his first after 16 years of racing and 70 CART starts. ... Danny Sullivan and Emerson Fittipaldi share the record of three victories at Cleveland. ... Alex Zanardi won the event in 1997 and 1998. ... Kenny Brack had his best showing of the season last week, finishing second.

Next race: Molson Indy, July 28, Vancouver, British Columbia.

Driver standings: 1. Cristiano da Matta, 118. 2. Bruno Junqueira, 70. 3. Dario Franchitti, 64. 4. Michel Jourdain Jr., 58. 5. Christian Fittipaldi, 57. 6. Scott Dixon, 52. 7. Kenny Brack, 48. 8. Alex Tagliani, 42. 9. Patrick Carpentier, 41. 10. Paul Tracy, 36. 11. Michael Andretti, 36. 12. Jimmy Vasser, 34.

On the net: www.cart.com -- FORMULA ONE

Last race: Michael Schumacher won the British Grand Prix for his seventh victory of the season and the 60th of his career.

Next race: French Grand Prix, July 21, Magny-Cours.

Driver standings: 1. Michael Schumacher, 86. 2. Rubens Barrichello, 32. 3. Juan Pablo Montoya, 31. 4. Ralf Schumacher, 30. 5. David Coulthard, 26. 6. Kimi Raikkonen, 11. 7. Jenson Button, 10. 8. Nick Heidfeld, 6. 8. Giancarlo Fisichella, 6. 10. Jarno Trulli, 4.

On the net: www.formula1.com --- INDY RACING LEAGUE

Last race: Airton Dare took advantage of a second-chance restart after Tomas Scheckter's late crash -- the only wreck of the day -- and passed Sam Hornish Jr. with less than three laps to go to win the Ameristar Casino 200 at Kansas Speedway. It was his first IRL victory and A.J. Foyt's first win as an owner in three years.

Next race: Firestone Indy 200, July 20, Gladeville, Tenn.

Driver standings: 1. Helio Castroneves, 315. 2. Gil de Ferran, 307. 3. Sam Hornish Jr., 296. 4. Felipe Giaffone, 269. 5. Airton Dare, 226. 6. Al Unser Jr., 207. 7. Jeff Ward, 199. 8. Alex Barron, 193. 9. Scott Sharp, 184. 10. Buddy Lazier, 159 14. Richie Hearn, 146.

On the net: www.indyracingleague.com -- NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Last event: Kenny Bernstein (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) all recorded victories at the Sears Craftsman Nationals on June 30.

Next event: Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals, July 21, Morrison, Colo.

Driver Standings: Top Fuel -- 1. Larry Dixon, 1,152. 2. Kenny Bernstein, 995. 3. Tony Schumacher, 777. 4. Cory McClenathan, 739. 5. Darrell Russell, 619. Funny Car -- 1. John Force, 877. 2. Gary Densham, 839. 3. Tony Pedregon, 720. 4. Del Worsham, 710. 5. Whit Bazemore, 678. Pro Stock -- 1. Jim Yates, 822. 2. Greg Anderson, 720. 3. Warren Johnson, 712. 4. Jeg Coughlin, 651. 5. Darrell Alderman, 619.

On the net: www.nhra.com

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