This week's racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press

INDY RACING LEAGUE
Indianapolis 500
Site: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (rectangular oval, 2.5 miles, 9 degrees banking in turns).
TV schedule: Sunday, race (WFAA/Ch. 8, noon)
Race distance: 500 miles/200 laps
2007 winner: Dario Franchitti
Fast facts: The race has taken place every year since 1911, except for when the United States was in World War I (1917-18) and World War II (1942-45). ... The closest finish in Indy 500 history came in 1992, when Al Unser Jr. edged Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds. ... Each winner receives an 18-inch sterling silver replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy. The original stands 5-foot-4 3/4, weighs 150 pounds and has a bas-relief bust of each winner. It is valued at $1 million. ... Scott Dixon, who qualified two weekends ago, won the pole at 226.366 mph. He will be joined in the front row by Dan Wheldon and Ryan Briscoe. Danica Patrick will start in Row 2. ... The final field includes former Indy winners Wheldon, Helio Castroneves, Buddy Rice and Buddy Lazier, as well as 11 rookies, led by 19-year-old Graham Rahal, one of the drivers making the transition from the defunct Champ Car World Series to the recently unified IRL IndyCar Series.
www.indycar.com

NASCAR SPRINT CUP
Coca-Cola 600
Site: Concord, N.C., Lowe's Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.5 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns)
TV schedule: Thursday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 6 p.m.); Sunday, race (KDFW/Ch. 4, 4 p.m.)
Race distance: 600 miles/400 laps
2007 winner: Casey Mears
Fast facts: Jeff Gordon won the most recent points race at Lowe's, taking the Bank of America 500 on Oct. 13. His first-ever Cup win came in the 1994 event. ... The No. 40 Dodge will be back for this week's race, with Sterling Marlin likely behind the wheel instead of Dario Franchitti. Franchitti was injured in April in a wreck at Talladega, and has missed three Cup starts. ... Jimmie Johnson has won five times at Lowe's — including three consecutive 600s, from 2003-2005. His statistics at the speedway over the last three years far outpace the rest of the field. His Driver Rating is a series-high 120.2, which is 26 points more than second-place Kyle Busch (94.3).
www.nascar.com

NASCAR NATIONWIDE
Carquest Autoparts 300
Site: Concord, N.C., Lowe's Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.5 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 2:30 p.m.), race (ESPN2, 6 p.m.)
Race distance: 300 miles/200 laps
2007 winner: Kasey Kahne
Fast facts: Cup drivers took the top eight spots in last year's race. ... Clint Bowyer (1,740) has a 112-point lead over Kyle Busch in the driver standings. Busch, with six top-5 finishes, leads the circuit in prize money with $551,530. ... Mike Bliss' fifth-place ranking, with 1,545 points, leads five series-only regulars in the standings. ... JR Motorsports will enter three cars in the race: Team owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. will drive the No. 83 Chevrolet, series regular Brad Keselowski will be in the No. 88 and Jimmie Johnson will drive the No. 5. ... Braun Racing will also field three Toyotas with Kyle Busch in the No. 32; Jason Leffler in the No. 38 and 2003 series champion Brian Vickers in the No. 10.
Next race: Heluva Good! 200, May 31, Dover, Del.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS
Ohio 250
Site: Mansfield, Ohio, Mansfield Motorsports Speedway (oval, 0.50 miles, compound banking 12-14-16 degrees)
TV schedule: Saturday, race (Speed Channel, 11:30 a.m.)
Race distance: 125 miles/250 laps
2007 winner: Dennis Setzer
Fast facts: Jack Sprague has finished second in each of the last three years after winning the inaugural Mansfield event in 2004. ... The top six drivers in the standings are separated by just 66 points. Rick Crawford was fifth at Lowe's and moved within five points of leader Ron Hornaday Jr., who placed 23rd. ... Hornaday is the only driver to lead at least one lap in all six races this season. ... Matt Crafton's victory at Lowe's gave Chevrolet a one-point lead over Toyota in the manufacturers' standings.
Next race: AAA Insurance 200, May 30, Dover, Del.
nascar.com

FORMULA ONE
Monaco Grand Prix
Site: Monte Carlo, Monte Carlo street circuit (2.068 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 7 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, 6:30 a.m.)
Race distance: 161.304 miles/78 laps
2007 winner: Fernando Alonso
Fast facts: Felipe Massa has won two of the last three races and has taken 28 of a possible 30 points since failing to finish the first two races of the season. ... Kimi Raikkonen leads the standings with 35 points, seven ahead of Lewis Hamilton and Massa. ... Ferrari has four victories in five races this season and six of seven dating to the end of 2007. Last year, Ferrari scored wins at three of the first four events before McLaren started a three-race win streak at Monaco. ... Heikki Kovalainen returned at Istanbul after being knocked unconscious and hospitalized for a day with a concussion after his car slammed into a wall at high speed at the Spanish GP two weeks earlier. He finished 12th after starting from second on the grid.
www.formula1.com