Bloggin' is Racin'

This week's national/international racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
NASCAR Banking 500
Site: Concord, N.C., Lowe’s Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Today, practice (2 p.m., Speed), qualifying (6 p.m., ESPN2); Friday, practice (4 p.m., Speed; 5:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, race (6:30 p.m., ABC)
Race distance: 501 miles/334 laps
2008 winner: Jeff Burton
Fast facts: Points leader Jimmie Johnson has a 12-point edge over teammate Mark Martin with six races left. Juan Pablo Montoya is third, 58 points back. Tony Stewart (-84) is fourth, followed by Jeff Gordon (-105), Kurt Busch (-121), Greg Biffle (-188), Carl Edwards (-192), Denny Hamlin (-219), Ryan Newman (-223), Kasey Kahne (-306) and Brian Vickers (-351). ... Johnson has five victories at Lowe’s — four in a row in 2004-05 — in the No. 48 Lowe’s Chevrolet, matching Gordon for the active lead. ... In May at the track, Stewart won the All-Star race and David Reutimann took the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Dollar General 300
Site: Concord, N.C., Lowe’s Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Thursday, practice (5 p.m., ESPN2); Friday, qualifying (2 p.m., ESPN2); race (7 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 300 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Kyle Busch
Fast facts: Kyle Busch has a 155-point lead over Carl Edwards with five races left. Edwards cut 90 points off Busch’s lead last week with a third-place finish. Illness forced to Busch to give way to Denny Hamlin while leading early in the race, then a late wreck relegated the No. 18 Toyota to 31st. Busch has six victories this year, the last in July at Gateway. ... Mike Bliss won the May race at the track.
www.nascar.com

Formula One
Brazilian Grand Prix
Site: Sao Paulo, Brazil, Interlagos, Jose Carlos Pace (road course, 2.677 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (noon, Speed); Saturday, qualifying (noon, Speed); Sunday, race (10:30 a.m., Speed)
Race distance: 190.08 miles/71 laps
2008 winner: Felipe Massa
Fast facts: Felipe Massa is recovering from life-threatening injuries at the Hungarian GP in July, when he was knocked unconscious by a loose car part in qualifying and crashed into a safety barrier. He had surgery on the area around his left eye and later had a had a metal plate inserted. The Brazilian was cleared medically by FIA on Saturday and tested a car Monday at Ferrari’s private track, but isn’t expected to return to racing until next season. ... Toyota’s Timo Glock also will miss the race after cracking a vertebra during qualifying in Japan. Kamui Kobayashi is filling in for Glock.
www.formula1.com

This week's national, international racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Price Chopper 400
Site: Kansas City, Kan., Kansas Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (noon, Speed), qualifying (3:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, practice (11:30 a.m., Speed; 5:30 p.m., taped, ESPN2); Sunday, race (1 p.m., ABC)
Race distance: 400 miles/267 laps
2008 winner: Jimmie Johnson
Fast facts: Jimmie Johnson has 44 career victories, 15 in Chase races after completing a season sweep at Dover, beating Hendrick teammate Mark Martin in the second of the 10 Chase races. Johnson is second in the standings, 10 points behind Martin with seven races left.. ... Juan Pablo Montoya (65 points behind Martin) is third in the standings, followed by Kurt Busch (-75), Tony Stewart (-106), Denny Hamlin (-108), Ryan Newman (-110), Jeff Gordon (-122), Greg Biffle (-138), Brian Vickers (-151), Carl Edwards (-153) and Kasey Kahne (-189). ... Gordon won the first two Cup races at Kansas (2001-02) and has a series-high five top-five finishes. ... Edwards is from Columbia, Mo. ... Clint Bowyer is from Emporia, Kan.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Kansas Lottery 300
Site: Kansas City, Kan., Kansas Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (2 p.m., Speed; 5 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, qualifying (9 a.m., Speed), race (2 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 300 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Denny Hamlin
Fast facts: Kyle Busch has a series-high six victories — the last at Gateway in July — and leads the season standings. He won the 2007 race. ... Carl Edwards is second in the standings, 211 points behind Busch with seven races left.
www.nascar.com

NHRA
O’Reilly NHRA Mid-South Nationals
Site: Memphis (Tenn.) Motorsports Park
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (9:30 p.m., ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (6 p.m., ESPN2)
2008 winners: Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Tim Wilkerson (Funny Car), Mike Edwards (Pro Stock) and Craig Treble (Pro Stock Motorcycle)
Fast facts: Tony Schumacher has a 27-point lead over Larry Dixon in the Top Fuel standings, Roberth Hight leads Ashley Force Hood by 13 points in Funny Car, and Mike Edwards has a 65-point advantage over Jeg Coughlin in Pro Stock.
www.nhra.com

Formula One
Japanese Grand Prix
Site: Omaya, Japan, Fuji Speedway (road course, 3.61 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (midnight, Speed); Saturday, qualifying (midnight, Speed); Sunday, race (11 p.m., Saturday, Speed)
Race distance: 191.12 miles/53 laps
2008 winner: Fernando Alonso
Fast facts: Brawn GP’s Jenson Button, the winner of six of the first seven races, leads the points race with 84. Brawn teammate Rubens Barrichello is second with 69 with three races left, followed by Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel (59) and Mark Webber (51). ... Toyota said on Monday that continued participation in the sport is still unclear and dependent on the automaker’s financial performance and F1 cost reductions.
www.formula1.com

This week's national racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Chevy Rock & Roll 400
Site: Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (oval, 0.75 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (11 a.m., Speed), practice (1 p.m., ESPN2), qualifying (4:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, race (6:30 p.m., ABC)
Race distance: 300 miles/400 laps
2008 winner: Jimmie Johnson
Fast facts: Points leader Tony Stewart, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin have clinched spots in the Chase for the championship, leaving 11 drivers to fight for the final eight spots in the 10-race playoffs. Only 217 points separate fifth-place Carl Edwards — racing with a broken right foot — from 15th-place David Reutimann. Matt Kenseth is 12th — 20 points ahead of Brian Vickers, 37 in front of Kyle Busch and 132 ahead of Reutimann. Tenth-place Mark Martin is 69 points ahead of Vickers, while No. 11 Greg Biffle has a 68-point lead over 13th. Kurt Busch is seventh, followed by Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman. ... Kyle Busch swept the Cup and Nationwide races at Richmond in May. He’s tied with Mark Martin for the series victory lead with four.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Virginia 529 College Savings 250
Site: Richmond (Va.) International Raceway (oval, 0.75 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (8 a.m., ESPN2), qualifying (3 p.m., ESPN2), race (6:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 187.5 miles/250 laps
2008 winner: Carl Edwards
Fast facts: Kyle Busch has a series-high six victories this season. He swept the Nationwide and Cup races at Richmond in May. ... Carl Edwards is second in the standings, 221 points behind Busch. Edwards drove in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races last week in Atlanta after breaking his right foot playing Frisbee. ... Kenny Wallace is making his 800th start in NASCAR’s top three series. He has nine victories — three at Richmond — in 444 career Nationwide races.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks
Copart 200
Site: Madison, Ill., Gateway International Raceway (oval, 1.25 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (10 a.m., Speed); race (1:30 p.m., Speed)
Race distance: 200 miles/160 laps
2008 winner: Ron Hornaday Jr.
Fast facts: The 51-year-old Hornaday leads the points race and has a series-high six victories, including a series-record five in a row earlier in the season. He has a series-record 45 wins and a record three season titles. ... Matt Crafton is second in the standings, 225 points back. Mike Skinner is third, 281 points behind Hornaday.
www.nascar.com

Formula One
Italian Grand Prix
Site: Monza, Italy, Autodromo Nazionale di Monza (road course, 3.6 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (7 a.m., Speed); Saturday, qualifying (7 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race (6:30 a.m., Speed)
Race distance: 190.8 miles/53 laps
2008 winner: Fernando Alonso
Fast facts: Brawn’s Jenson Button, a six-time winner this year, leads the season standings with 72 points. Teammate Rubens Barrichello is second with 56, followed by Red Bull drivers Sebastian Vettel (53) and Mark Webber (52). ... Giancarlo Fisichella left Force India last week to join Ferrari for the rest of the season. Luca Badoer ran the last two races in place of the injured Felipe Massa.
www.formula1.com

This week's national/international racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Nationwide
NAPA Auto Parts 200
Site: Montreal, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (road course, 2.709 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 8 p.m., taped); Sunday, race (1:30 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 200.466 miles/74 laps
2008 winner: Ron Fellows
Fast facts: Kyle Busch leads the season standings with 3,900 points, followed by Carl Edwards (3,652) and Brad Keselowski (3,597). ... Jacques Villeneuve is driving the No. 32 Toyota on the track named in honor of his late father. ... Mike Wallace will drive J-D Motorsports’ No. 01 Chevrolet for the rest of the season, replacing Danny O’Quinn Jr. ... Marcos Ambrose won the Nationwide road-course race at Watkins Glen on Aug. 8 for his second NASCAR victory.
www.nascar.com

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Cars
Montreal 200
Site: Montreal, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (road course, 2.709 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, race (1 p.m., Speed)
Race duration: 200 miles or 2 hours
2008 winners:  Brian Frisselle, Mark Wilkins (DP, overall), Andrew Davis, Robin Liddell (GT)
Fast facts: NASCAR Sprint Cup stars Carl Edwards and Marcos Ambrose will co-drive the No. 77 Ford Dallara DP car fielded by Doran Racing. NASCAR Nationwide rookie Brendan Gaughan, who is making his first trip to Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, will co-drive the No. 66 Porsche GT3 with Andy Lally. ... With three races remaining, Memo Rojas and Scott Pruett lead the Daytona Prototype drivers standings by four points (248 to 244) over Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty, who drive the No. 99 Pontiac Riley DP car fielded by Dallas-based GAINSCO/Bob Stallings Racing.
www.grand-am.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks
EnjoyIllinois.com 225
Site: Joliet, Ill., Chicagoland Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (4 p.m., Speed, taped), race, (8 p.m., Speed)
Race distance: 225 miles/150 laps
2008 winner: Inaugural event
Fast facts: Kyle Busch is trying to complete a career sweep at Chicagoland Speedway. He won the Sprint Cup and Nationwide races last year. ... The 51-year-old Ron Hornaday Jr., a six-time winner this year for Kevin Harvick Inc., leads the season standings with 2,458 points. Matt Crafton is second with 2,247, followed by Mike Skinner (2,153).
www.nascar.com

IndyCar Series
Peak Indy 300
Site: Joliet, Ill., Chicagoland Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (5 p.m., Versus); Saturday, race (8 p.m., Versus)
Race distance: 300 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Helio Castroneves
Fast facts: Ryan Briscoe leads the season standings with 497 points, four more than Dario Franchitti with three races left. Scott Dixon is third, 20 points behind Briscoe. ... Franchitti, who won the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma on Sunday, held off Dixon on the final lap at Chicagoland in 2007 to win the series title.
www.indycar.com

Formula One
Belgian Grand Prix
Site: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium (road course, 4.35 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (7 a.m., Speed); Saturday, qualifying (7 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race (6:30 a.m., Speed)
Race distance: 191.415 miles/44 laps
2008 winner: Felipe Massa
Fast facts: Brawn GP’s Jenson Button, a six-time winner this year, leads the season standings with 72 points. Rubens Barrichello is second with 54, followed by Mark Webber (51.5) and Sebastian Vettel (47). ... Massa was seriously injured in Hungarian Grand Prix qualifying July 26 when he was hit in the helmet by debris and crashed into a tire barrier at 120 mph. He returned home to Brazil after surgery to repair multiple skull fractures and hopes to return to racing at the Brazilian Grand Prix in October.
www.formula1.com

American Le Mans Series
Grand Prix of Mosport
Site: Bowmanville, Ontario, Mosport International Raceway (road course, 2.49 miles)
TV schedule: Sunday, race (2 p.m., Speed)
Race duration: 2 hours, 45 minutes
2008 winners: Marco Werner, Lucas Luhr (P1, overall); Scott Sharp, David Brabham (P2); Johnny O’Connell, Jan Magnussen (GT1); Jaime Melo, Mika Salo (GT2)
www.americanlemans.com

This week's national/international racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Sharpie 500
Site: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (oval, 0.533 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (11 a.m. and 1 p.m.,Speed), qualifying (4:30 p.m., ESPN2); Saturday, race (6:30 p.m., ESPN)
Race distance: 500 miles/266.5 laps
2008 winner: Carl Edwards
Fast facts: Series leader Tony Stewart has locked up a spot in the 12-driver Chase, while second-place Jeff Gordon and third-place Jimmie Johnson can secure spots Saturday. With three races left to qualify, Greg Biffle is 10th with 2,821 points, followed by Matt Kenseth (2,811), Mark Martin (2,791), Brian Vickers (2,779), Clint Bowyer (2,733) and Kyle Busch (2,721). ... Carl Edwards is winless this year. ... Kyle Busch won the March race at Bristol, leading 378 of 503 laps and holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin. ... Darrell Waltrip holds the track record with 12 Cup victories, winning seven straight races from 1980-84. Gordon and Kurt Busch each have five Bristol wins to top the active drivers.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Food City 250
Site: Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway (oval, 0.533 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (9:30 a.m., Speed), qualifying (3 p.m., Speed), race (7 p.m., ESPN2)
Race distance: 250 miles/133.25 laps
2008 winner: Brad Keselowski
Fast facts: Kevin Harvick won the March race at Bristol, his series-record fifth victory at the track and first in a Kevin Harvick Inc. car. ... Kyle Busch leads the series with six victories and 3,816 points, 339 more than second-place Carl Edwards. Brad Keselowski is third, 389 points behind Busch.
www.nascar.com

IndyCar Series
Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma
Site: Sonoma, Calif., Infineon Raceway (road course, 2.303 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (5 p.m., Versus); Sunday, race (4 p.m., Versus)
Race distance: 172.725 miles/75 laps
2008 winner: Helio Castroneves
Fast facts: Points leader Scott Dixon, the 2003 and 2008 series champion, is three points ahead of Ryan Briscoe and has a 20-point advantage over third-place Dario Franchitti with four races left. In 2007, Franchitti took the title from Dixon on the final lap of the season. ... Dixon won in 2007 at Infineon. ... Franck Montagny will make his IndyCar debut in a fifth Andretti Green entry. The Frenchman teamed with Sebastien Bourdais and Stephane Sarrazin to finish second in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
www.indycar.com

Formula One
Grand Prix of Europe
Site: Valencia, Spain, Streets of Valencia (road course, 3.367 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice (7 a.m., Speed); Saturday, qualifying (7 a.m., Speed); Sunday, race (6:30 a.m., Speed)
Race distance: 191.93 miles/57 laps
2008 winner: Felipe Massa
Fast facts: Brawn GP’s Jenson Button, a six-time winner this year, leads the season standings with 70 points. Red Bull’s Mark Webber (51.5) is second, followed by teammate Sebastian Vettel (47) and Brawn’s Rubens Barrichello (44). Lewis Hamilton is eighth with 19 points. ... Italian Luca Badoer is driving in place of injured Ferrari driver Felipe Massa following seven-time champion Michael Schumacher’s decision to call off a comeback. ... Frenchman Romain Grosjean has taken Nelson Piquet Jr.’s spot alongside Fernando Alonso at Renault. The 23-year-old Grosjean won the 2007 Formula 3 Euro Series and 2008 GP2 Asia Series. This year, he has raced in the GP2 Series with Barwa Addax.
www.formula1.com

NHRA
Toyo Tires NHRA Nationals
Site: Mohnton, Pa., Maple Grove Raceway
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (midnight Sunday, ESPN2); Sunday, final eliminations (9 p.m., ESPN2)
2008 winners: Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock), Matt Smith (Pro Stock Motorcycle)
Fast facts: Funny Car points leader Tony Pedregon has a 28-point lead over Ron Capps with two races left before the six-race playoffs — the Countdown to 1. ... In Top Fuel, Antron Brown has a 217-point lead over Tony Schumacher. Larry Dixon is third, 225 points behind Brown.
www.nhra.com

This week's racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Toyota/SaveMart 350
Site: Sonoma, Calif., Infineon Raceway (road course, 1.99 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed, 5:30 p.m.), Sunday, race (TNT, 3:30 p.m.)
Race distance: 218.9 miles/110 laps
2008 winner: Kyle Busch
Fast facts: Tony Stewart leads the season standings with 2,189 points, followed by Jeff Gordon (2,142), Jimmie Johnson (2,047), Kurt Busch (1,961) and Ryan Newman (1,934). ... Gordon has a Cup-record nine road-course wins, five at Sonoma and four at Watkins Glen. ... Juan Pablo Montoya won the 2007 race for his lone Cup victory. Before joining NASCAR, the Colombian star won seven Formula One races, the 1999 Champ Car title and 11 open-wheel races, including the 2000 Indianapolis 500. ... Canadian Patrick Carpentier will drive the No. 55 NAPA Toyota in place of owner-driver Michael Waltrip. Fellow road-racers Boris Said, Ron Fellows and Max Papis will attempt to qualify.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
NorthernTool.com 250
Site: West Allis, Wis., The Milwaukee Mile (oval, 1.0 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 5:30 p.m., taped), race (ESPN2, 7:30 p.m.)
Race distance: 250 miles 250 laps
2008 winner: Carl Edwards
Fast facts: Kyle Busch, a four-time winner this season, tops the standings with 2,211 points, followed by Edwards (2,074) and Brad Keselowski (2,003). ... Busch and Edwards also are racing in the Sprint Cup event in California. Johnny Sauter, the 2005 race winner, will be in Busch’s car while he’s absent. Colin Brain, the trucks winner last week in Michigan, will prepare Edwards’ car.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks
Copart 200
Site: West Allis, Wis., The Milwaukee Mile (oval, 1.0 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, race, (Speed, 7:30 p.m.)
Race distance: 200 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Johnny Benson
Fast facts: Days after losing his trucks ride when Red Horse Racing failed to find sponsorship, Johnny Benson was injured in a fiery crash Saturday in a Supermodified event at his home track in Michigan. The 45-year-old Benson broke three ribs, his right wrist, left-side scapula and collarbone and sustained minor burns in the wreck at Berlin Speedway. He was released from a hospital Tuesday. ... Matt Crafton leads the season standings with 1,362 points, followed by Ron Hornaday Jr. (1,323) and Mike Skinner (1,318). Crafton has a series-leading eight top-10 finishes in nine starts this year.
www.nascar.com

IndyCar Series
Iowa Corn Indy 250
Site: Newton, Iowa, Iowa Speedway (oval, 0.875 miles)
TV schedule: Sunday, race, (ABC, noon)
Race distance: 218.75 miles, 250 laps
2008 winner: Dan Wheldon
Fast facts: Ryan Briscoe leads the standings with 199 points, followed by Scott Dixon (196), Dario Franchitti (188), Helio Castroneves (186) and Danica Patrick (167). ... Briscoe won the season-opening race at St. Petersburg and is the only driver to complete every lap this year. ... Franchitti won the inaugural Iowa race in 2007. ... Former NASCAR star Rusty Wallace designed the track.
www.indycar.com

Formula One
British Grand Prix
Site: Silverstone (England) circuit (road course, 3.19 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed, 7 a.m.; Sunday, race (KDFW/Ch. 4, 2 p.m., taped)
Race distance: 191.6 miles/60 laps
2008 winner: Lewis Hamilton
Fast facts: Jenson Button, who won the Turkish Grand Prix on June 7, is the first British driver to win four straight races since Nigel Mansell in 1992. He leads the season standings with 61 points, followed by teammate Rubens Barrichello (35) and Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel (29), the Chinese GP winner. ... Lewis Hamilton, 13th in Turkey, is 10th in the points race.
www.formula1.com

Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series
EMCO Gears Classic
Site: Lexington, Ohio, Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (2.258-mile, 13-turn road coarse)
TV schedule: Saturday, race (Speed, 4 p.m.)
Race duration: 250 miles or 2 hours, 45 minutes
2008 winners: Alex Gurney, Jon Fogarty (DP, overall); Leh Keen, Eric Lux (GT)

This week's racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central (U.S.)

IndyCar Series
Bombardier Learjet 550k
Site: Fort Worth, Texas Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (Versus, 6 p.m.); Saturday, race, (Versus, 8 p.m.)
Race distance: 342 miles/228 laps
2008 winner: Scott Dixon
Fast facts: The race is the 20th IndyCar event at Texas Motor Speedway, the most at any track. ... Indy 500 champion Helio Castroneves won at Texas in 2004 and 2006. ... Scott Dixon leads the season standings with 161 points, four ahead of Ryan Briscoe and Dario Franchitti. ... Danica Patrick, 22 points behind Dixon in fourth place, has four straight top-five finishes. She was third at Indianapolis.
www.indycar.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks
WinStar World Casino 400
Site: Fort Worth, Texas Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, race (Speed, 7:30 p.m.)
Race distance: 250.5 miles/167 laps
2008 winner: Ron Hornaday Jr.
Fast facts: Ron Hornaday Jr. leads the season standings with 1,056 points, followed by Mike Skinner (1,029), Matt Crafton (1,027), Kyle Busch (1,000) and Brian Scott (949). ... Todd Bodine won a race a year at Texas from 2004-07. ... Brian Ickler is subbing for Busch in Billy Ballew Motorsports’ No. 51 Toyota. Ickler was fifth at Kansas Speedway in his series debut. Aric Almirola will drive the No. 15 for Ballew.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Pocono 500
Site: Long Pond, Pa., Pocono Raceway (triangular oval, 2.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed, 2:30 p.m.); Sunday, race, (TNT, 11:30 a.m.)
Race distance: 500 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Kasey Kahne
Fast facts: Tony Stewart leads the season standings with 1,853 points, followed by Jeff Gordon (1,807), Jimmie Johnson (1,789), Kurt Busch (1,762), Ryan Newman (1,680) and Kyle Busch (1,634). Stewart, in his first season at Stewart-Haas Racing, is the first owner-driver to top the standings since Alan Kulwicki won the 1992 title. Stewart-Haas also fields Newman’s Chevrolet. ... Gordon leads active drivers with four Pocono victories. ... The series will return to Pocono on Aug. 2 for the Pennsylvania 500. ... Richard Petty won the inaugural Pocono race in 1974.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Federated Auto Parts 300
Site: Gladeville, Tenn., Nashville Superspeedway (oval, 1.333 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 2 p.m.); race, (ESPN2, 6 p.m.)
Race distance: 300 miles/225 laps
2008 winner: Brad Keselowski
Fast facts: Kyle Busch, a three-time winner this year, leads the season standings with 1,836 points, followed by four-time winner Carl Edwards (1,796), Jason Leffler (1,683), Joey Logano (1,670) and Brad Keselowski (1,663). ... Edwards has three victories and seven top-five finishes in eight Nashville starts. ... Logano won the April race at Nashville for his second career Nationwide win. Busch was second. ... Trevor Bayne, an 18-year-old former developmental driver for Dale Earnhardt Inc., will drive Michael Waltrip Racing’s No. 99 Toyota. The Knoxville driver is set to run seven races for MWR.
www.nascar.com

NHRA
United Association Route 66 NHRA Nationals
Site: Joliet, Ill., Route 66 Raceway
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 9:30 p.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 3 p.m.)
2008 winners: Tony Pedregon (Funny Car), Tony Schumacher (Top Fuel), Kurt Johnson (Pro Stock), Chris Rivas (Pro Stock Motorcycle
Fast facts: Tony Schumacher, seeking his sixth straight Top Fuel championship and seventh overall, has a 43-point lead over Antron Brown. ... Ron Capps has a 119-point advantage over Del Worsham in the Funny Car standings.
www.nhra.com

Formula One
Turkish Grand Prix
Site: Istanbul Speed Park (road course, 14 turns, 3.317 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 6 a.m.); Sunday, race (Fox, 2 p.m., taped)
Race distance: 192.25 miles/58 laps
2008 winner: Felipe Massa
Fast facts: All 10 Formula One teams met the deadline Friday to enter cars for the 2010 season, ending a threatened pullout by Ferrari and others in a dispute over a planned budget cap. Ferrari, Renault, Red Bull, Toyota and Toro Rosso had threatened to withdraw next season if FIA goes ahead with plans to introduce a voluntary $60 million cap. ... Jenson Button leads the season standings with 51 points. Rubens Barrichello is second with 35, followed by Renault teammates Sebastian Vettel (23) and Mark Webber (20). Vettel won the Chinese GP. ... The Istanbul course runs counterclockwise.
www.formula1.com

This week's racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times (Central US)

IndyCar Series
Indianapolis 500
Site: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (oval, 2.5 miles)
TV schedule: Friday, practice, Firestone Freedom 100 Indy Lights race, pit stop competition (Versus, 10 a.m.); Sunday, race, (WFAA/Ch. 8, noon)
Race distance: 500 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Scott Dixon
Fast facts: Helio Castroneves, the 2000 and 2001 winner, took the pole with a four-lap average of 224.864 mph. Acquitted of tax evasion charges in April, the Brazilian is driving the No. 3 car for 14-time Indy winner Roger Penske. Penske teammate Ryan Briscoe qualified second at 224.083, and 2007 winner Dario Franchitti (224.010) locked up the third front-row position for owner Chip Ganassi. ... Dan Wheldon, the 2005 winner for Andretti Green, qualified 18th for Panther Racing — second last year with Vitor Meira. Wheldon spent the last three years with Ganassi. ... Danica Patrick has three top-10 finishes in four Indy starts. She qualified 10th for Andretti Green. ... Sarah Fisher will start 21st. ... Conquest Racing owner Eric Bachelart made a post-qualifying driver change, replacing Bruno Junqueira with Alex Tagliani in the No. 36. ... Canadian Paul Tracy is making his first Indy start since finishing second in 2002.
www.indycar.com

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Coca-Cola 600
Site: Concord, N.C., Lowe’s Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Today, practice (Speed, 2 p.m.), qualifying (Speed, 6 p.m.); Saturday, practice (Speed, 1:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (KDFW/Ch. 4, 4 p.m.)
Race distance: 600 miles/400 laps
2008 winner: Kasey Kahne
Fast facts: Jeff Gordon leads the season standings with 1,601 points, followed by Tony Stewart (1,572), Kurt Busch (1,546) and three-time defending champion Jimmie Johnson (1,465). ... NASCAR’s longest race is in its 50th season. Joe Lee Johnson won the first event in 1960, also the first race at the 1.5-mile track. ... Darrell Waltrip won the race a record five times. ... On May 9 in the last points race, 50-year-old Mark Martin won for the second time in the last four events, outlasting Hendrick teammate Johnson at Darlington. ... Johnson won five times in a six-race stretch at Lowe’s, taking the 2003 Coca-Cola 600 and sweeping the spring and fall races in 2004 and 2005 in his Lowe’s-sponsored Chevy. ... Gordon won the 1994 race for the first of his 82 Cup victories. He also won in 1997 and 1998, and has two Charlotte fall victories.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide Series
CARQUEST Auto Parts 300
Site: Concord, N.C., Lowe’s Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.5 miles)
TV schedule: Thursday, practice (Speed, noon); Saturday, qualifying (Speed, 2:30 p.m.); race (ESPN2, 6:30 p.m.)
Race distance: 300 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Kyle Busch
Fast facts: Kyle Busch, a three-time winner this year, leads the series standings with 1,539 points, followed by Carl Edwards (1,502), Jason Leffler (1,386), Joey Logano (1,340) and Brad Keselowski (1,331). ... Jeff Burton is making his 300 Nationwide Series start. He has 27 victories — three at Lowe’s.
www.nascar.com

Formula One
Monaco Grand Prix
Site: Monte Carlo, Monaco, street circuit (19-turns, 2.075 miles)
TV schedule: Saturday, practice (Speed, 2 a.m.), qualifying (Speed, 7 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed, 6:30 a.m.)
Race distance: 161.9 miles/78 laps
2008 winner: Lewis Hamilton
Fast facts: A French court dismissed Ferrari’s bid to stop Formula One’s budget cap plans. Ferrari was seeking a court injunction against governing body FIA’s plans to introduce a voluntary $60 million budget cap starting next season. Teams that accept the cap will be allowed to make more technical changes to their cars than those who don’t. Ferrari, Renault, Toyota, Red Bull and Toro Rosso have threatened to pull out of next year’s championship if the cap is implemented. ... Ferrari has won only five of the last 31 races at Monaco and has been shut out since Michael Schumacher’s 2001 victory. ... Jenson Button leads the season standings with 41 points, followed by Rubens Barrichello (27) and Chinese GP winner Sebastian Vettel (23).
www.formula1.com

This week's racing schedule

All time Central (U.S.)

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Southern 500
Site: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile egg-shaped oval)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed, 4 p.m.); Saturday, race (Fox, 6 p.m.)
Race distance: 500 miles/367 laps
2008 winner: Greg Biffle

NASCAR Nationwide
Diamond Hill Plywood 200
Site: Darlington (S.C.) Raceway (1.366-mile egg-shaped oval)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed, 2 p.m.); race (ESPN2, 6 p.m.)
Race distance: 200.8 miles/147 laps
2008 winner: Tony Stewart

Formula One
Spanish Grand Prix
Site: Barcelona, Circuit de Catalunya (16-turn, 2.89-mile road course)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed, 7 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed, 6:30 a.m.)
Race distance: 190.93 miles/66 laps
2008 winner: Kimi Raikkonen

IndyCar Series
Indianapolis 500 qualifying
Site: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (2.5-mile oval)
TV schedule: Saturday, Pole Day qualifying (Versus, 11 a.m.); Sunday, qualifying (Versus, 11 a.m.)
2008 pole winner: Scott Dixon

This week's racing schedule

Courtesy of The Associated Press
All times Central

NASCAR Sprint Cup
Aaron’s 499
Site: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile tri-oval, 33 degrees in turns)
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying, (Speed, 10 a.m.); Sunday, race (Fox, noon)
Race distance: 500 miles/188 laps
2008 winner: Kyle Busch
Fast facts: Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Casey Mears were penalized for intentionally bumping cars after the race at Phoenix International Raceway. NASCAR put both drivers on probation for the next six races, starting with Talladega, but neither was fined or lost any points. ... Jeff Gordon leads all drivers with 12 restrictor-plate wins, one ahead of Dale Earnhardt. ... Talladega is in its 40th year.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Nationwide
Aaron’s 312
Site: Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway (2.66-mile tri-oval, 33 degrees in turns)
TV schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed, 10:30 a.m.), Saturday, race (ABC, 1:30 p.m.)
Race distance: 311.2 miles/117 laps
2008 winner: Tony Stewart
Fast facts: Kyle Busch took the series points lead from Carl Edwards last weekend, and leads the series with 1,075 points. Edwards is third, 47 points back. ... Jason Leffler has five top-10 finishes in his last eight races, including a second last week in Phoenix. ... Joe Nemechek, who has two wins at Talladega, will make his first series start there since 2005.
www.nascar.com

NASCAR Camping World Trucks
O’Reilly Auto Parts 250
Site: Kansas City, Kan., Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval, 15-degrees banking in turns)
TV schedule: Saturday, race (Speed, 4:30 p.m.)
Race distance: 250.5 miles/167 laps
2008 winner: Ron Hornaday Jr.
Fast facts: Kyle Busch will be in Talladega, leaving the points open, and likely to be taken over by Todd Bodine, Ron Hornaday Jr. or Mike Skinner. ... Brian Ickler will take over for Busch in the No. 51 truck. ... Kansans Jennifer Jo Cobb and Chase Austin will race. Cobb has raced at Kansas twice previously, while Austin is making his debut.
www.nascar.com

IndyCar Series
Road Runner Turbo Indy 300
Site: Kansas City, Kan., Kansas Speedway (1.5-mile tri-oval, 15-degrees banking in turns).
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Versus, 5 p.m.); Sunday, race (Versus, 3 p.m.)
Race distance: 300 miles/200 laps
2008 winner: Dan Wheldon
Fast facts: Helio Castroneves, recently acquitted of tax evasion charges, will be running his first oval race since winning at Chicago last September. He’ll race at Indy next month and compete in as many races as he can in hopes of winning his first IRL season championship. ... Indianapolis Motor Speedway announced 40 entries for the May 24 Indianapolis 500, with a total of 77 cars eligible to compete for the 33 starting spots. Twenty-two cars have no drivers listed yet. Defending champion Scott Dixon and former winners Castroneves, Dan Wheldon and Dario Franchitti are listed, as are Danica Patrick and Sarah Fisher, who runs her own team. Venezuelan Milka Duno, who drove the past two years, is not on the list.
www.indycar.com

Formula One
Bahrain Grand Prix
Site: Sakhir, Bahrain, Bahrain International Circuit (road course, 3.37 miles, 15 turns).
TV schedule: Saturday, qualifying (SPEED, 6 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed, 6:30 a.m.)
Race distance: 191.53 miles/57 laps
2008 winner: Felipe Massa
Fast facts: Ferrari is off to its worst start to a Formula One season in 28 years. Star Felipe Massa was running as high as third in the Chinese Grand Prix before an electrical failure, while teammate Kimi Raikkonen finished 10th. It was the first time since 1981 that Ferrari had gone three races into a season without a single point. ... Massa has won the past two Bahrain titles. ... After a 1-2 finish in Shanghai (Sebastian Vettel first and Mark Webber second), Red Bull is second in the constructors’ standings after three races, trailing Brawn GP by 16.5 points.
www.formula1.com