Auto Racing Glance
Thursday, July 16, 1998 | 8:27 a.m.
By JOHN NICHOLSON
Associated Press Writer
All Times EDT
CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS
Molson-Indy Toronto
Site: Toronto.
Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 2:30 p.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 12:45 p.m. (ESPN2, tape, Sunday, 2 a.m.); Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (ABC, tape, 3 p.m.).
Track: Exhibition Place (road course, 1.721 miles, 11 turns).
Race distance: 163.495 miles, 95 laps.
Last year: England's Mark Blundell took the lead at the start and stayed ahead for all but two laps. Italy's Alex Zanardi finished second, about eight car-lengths behind.
Last week: Zanardi won the Grand Prix of Cleveland for his third straight victory and fifth of the season. The former Formula One driver has 13 victories in his last 34 starts.
Fast facts: Zanardi and Target-Chip Ganassi teammate Jimmy Vasser have combined to win 20 of their last 42 starts. ... Michael Andretti has five victories at Toronto. He is the leading active driver with 37 victories, including the season-opening Grand Prix of Miami. ... Al Unser Jr., the 1988 and 1989 winner, is winless in 44 races, the longest drought of his career. He has 31 career victories.
Next race: U.S. 500, July 26, Brooklyn, Mich.
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INDY RACING LEAGUE
Pep Boys 400K
Site: Dover, Del.
Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, noon (Speedvision); Sunday, race, noon (CBS).
Track: Dover Downs International Speedway (oval, 1.0 miles, 24 degrees banking in corners).
Race distance: 248 miles, 248 laps.
Last year: Inaugural race.
Last race: Tony Stewart won the New England 200 on June 28 at Loudon, N.H., beating Scott Goodyear by 1.788 seconds. Stewart also won the Indy 200 on Jan. 24 at Orlando, Fla.
Fast facts: Dover Downs is the IRL's only concrete track and the highest-banked one-mile oval in the series. ... Stewart, the points leader, has led 410 of the series' 1,008 laps this year. He finished third in the NASCAR Busch series' MBNA Platinum 200 on May 30 at Dover Downs. ... Greg Ray is replacing Billy Boat in the A.J. Foyt Racing entry. Boat broke his left leg and pelvis in a crash at Loudon.
Next race: Visionaire 500, July 25, Concord, N.C.
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NASCAR
BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL
Kenwood Home and Car Audio 300
Site: Fontana, Calif.
Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, approximately 8 p.m., following Craftsman Trucks qualifying; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 1 p.m.; Sunday, race, 4 p.m. (ESPN).
Track: California Speedway (tri-oval, 2.0 miles, 14 degrees banking in corners).
Race distance: 300 miles, 150 laps.
Last year: Todd Bodine won the inaugural race, driving the final 142 miles without a pit stop. Bodine, who started 28th, took the lead on the 141st of 150 laps. Pole-sitter Steve Park finished second.
Last week: Randy LaJoie, the 1996 and 1997 series champion, won the Myrtle Beach 250 for his first victory of the year. He took the lead with six laps left and held off David Green by 0.115 seconds.
Fast facts: Bodine, released from his Winston Cup ride, rejoined Team 34 on Tuesday. He replaces Mike Cope. Team 34 also fields Grand National entries for Green and series leader Mike McLaughlin. ... Casey Atwood, the 17-year-old high school student from Antioch, Tenn., has signed a deal with Brewco Motorsports. Atwood will drive selected events in the No. 27 Chevrolet for the rest of the year and a full schedule in 1999. He finished second at Nashville in March. Brewco also owns Mark Green's entry.
Next race: South Boston 300, July 25, South Boston, Va.
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CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS
No Fear Challenge
Site: Fontana, Calif.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, race, 4 p.m. (ESPN).
Track: California Speedway (tri-oval, 2.0 miles, 14 degrees banking in corners).
Race distance: 200 miles, 100 laps.
Last year: Pole-sitter Mike Bliss ended a 35-race winless streak, edging Mike Wallace by 1.630 seconds in the inaugural race. Bliss took the lead for the final time on the 46th lap.
Last week: Ron Hornaday won the NAPA AutoCare 200 at Nazareth, Pa., for his series-record 21st victory and fourth this year. He led the final 144 laps on the mile oval.
Fast facts: Jack Sprague has a 26-point lead over Hornaday in the season standings. ... Bliss won the Diehard 200 on July 4 at West Allis, Wis.
Next race: Cummins 200, July 30, Clermont, Ind.
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WINSTON CUP
Next race: Pennsylvania 500, July 26, Long Pond, Pa.
Last week: Jeff Burton successfully defended his Jiffy Lube 300 title at Loudon, N.H., easily holding off Mark Martin. Series leader Jeff Gordon finished third to push his margin to 52 points over Martin.
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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION
Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals
Site: Morrison, Colo.
Schedule: Friday, first-round qualifying, 7 p.m. and 11 p.m.; Saturday, second-round qualifying, 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. (ESPN2, 9 p.m.); Sunday, final eliminations, 2 p.m. (ESPN2, 6:30 p.m.).
Track: Bandimere Speedway.
Last year: Cory McClenathan raced to the Top Fuel title, beating Tony Schumacher with a run of 4.864 seconds at 294.59 mph. Jim Yates won the Pro Stock division, and Whit Bazemore took the Funny Car title.
Last event: Gary Scelzi won the Top Fuel division in the Sears Craftsman Nationals on June 28. Frank Pedregon raced to his second straight Funny Car victory, and Kurt Johnson won the Pro Stock competition.
Fast facts: McClenathan, a four-time winner this year, leads the Top Fuel standings with 817 points. Joe Amato is second at 797. John Force has an 815-811 lead over Chuck Etchells in the Funny Car points race.
Next event: Autolite Nationals, July 24-26, Sonoma, Calif.
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FORMULA ONE
Next race: Austrian Grand Prix, July 26, Spielberg, Austria.
Last week: Germany's Michael Schumacher won the British Grand Prix in a strange finish. Leading by more than 20 seconds on the final lap, the Ferrari star surprisingly drove into the pits. He crossed the finish line driving down pit lane. The German star, a two-time series champion, has three straight victories and four in the last seven race.
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