The week ahead in motorsports 9/26/02

AREA EVENTS

Sprint, MARA midget, U.S. Outlaw Mini Sprint divisions, Auto Tire and Parts Racepark, Benton, 7 p.m. Friday.

Late model, modified, hobby stock, pure stock and cruiser divisions, Malden Speedway, 7 p.m. Friday.

Super pro, pro and ET divisions, Sikeston Drag Strip, 5 p.m. Saturday.

U.S. Outlaw Mini Sprint, modified, pure stock and cruiser divisions, Auto Tire and Parts Racepark, 7 p.m. Saturday.

Sprint, modified, hobby stock divisions, St. Francois County Raceway, Farmington, 7 p.m. Saturday.WINSTON CUP

Protection One 400

Site: Kansas City, Kan.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 3 p.m.); Sunday, race (NBC, 11:30 a.m.).

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

Race distance: 400.5 miles, 267 laps.

Last race: Jimmie Johnson became the first rookie in Winston Cup history to sweep two races at the same track when he won the MBNA All American Heroes 400 at Dover. Johnson, who won the MBNA Platinum 400 in Dover on June 2, also became the second driver to win three races in his first year.

Last year: Jeff Gordon recorded his series-leading sixth victory of the season, pulling away from Ryan Newman to win the crash-filled Protection One 400. Gordon had to survive a wild 267-lap event on the new 1 1/2-mile tri-oval. There were 13 caution flags and an 11-minute red flag stoppage before he earned his 58th career win.

Next race: EA Sports 500, Oct. 6, Talladega, Ala.

BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Mr. Goodcents 300

Site: Kansas City, Kan.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 1:30 p.m.; Saturday, race (TNT, 1 p.m.).

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

Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Scott Wimmer picked up his first career Busch victory by winning the MBNA All-American Heroes 200 at Dover. Wimmer won the race under caution after Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Mark Green were involved in an accident with two laps remaining.

Last year: Jeff Green elected not to pit during a late caution and the gamble paid off with a win in the inaugural Mr. Goodcents 300 at Kansas Speedway. It was his second straight Busch series win and fourth of the season. Green's Ford began smoking in the third turn of the final lap, but he was able to nurse it across the finish line.

Next race: Lowe's 300, Oct. 12, Concord, N.C.FORMULA ONE

U.S. Grand Prix

Site: Indianapolis

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 1 p.m.); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, noon).

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

Race distance: 190.150 miles, 73 laps.

Last race: Rubens Barrichello and Michael Schumacher delighted the Italian Ferrari fans with a one-two sweep in the Grand Prix of Italy at Monza on Sept. 15. It was Barrichello's third win of the season and Ferrari's 13th in 15 races.

Last year: Mika Hakkinen, who drives for McLaren, took advantage of two pit stops by Ferrari's Michael Schumacher to win the U.S. Grand Prix by 11 seconds. Hakkinen earned his second win of the season.

Next race: Japanese Grand Prix, Oct. 13, Suzuka.

NHRA

NHRA Nationals

Site: Joliet, Ill.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 3:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 11 a.m.); Sunday, eliminations (ESPN2, 7 p.m., tape).

Track: Route 66 Raceway.

Last event: Larry Dixon recorded his first victory since mid-June by defeating Tony Schumacher to win the Top Fuel division of the NHRA O'Reilly Mid-South Nationals at Memphis Motorsports Park. Tony Pedregon produced his second straight victory in the Funny Car category while Jeg Coughlin remained in Pro Stock contention by besting first-time finalist Gene Wilson.

Last year: Kenny Bernstein moved back into the Top Fuel points lead with a final-round victory at the NHRA Nationals. Bernstein beat Darrell Russell down the quarter-mile track with a 4.569-second run at 322.04 mph. Whit Bazemore (Funny Car), Warren Johnson (Pro Stock) and Taylor Lastor (Pro Stock Truck) also won.

Next event: O'Reilly Fall Nationals, Oct. 13, Ennis, Texas.CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Last race: Mike Bliss extended his points lead, driving a strategic race to win the Hardee's 250 at Big Daddy's South Boston Speedway. Bliss pitted on the 92nd lap and dropped to 13th place. But, in a race slowed by a series-record 88 laps of caution, Bliss slowly worked his way back to the front of the pack. He caught and passed Coy Gibbs on lap 199 and held a six-second lead when the 10th and final caution flag waved.

Next race: The Orleans 350, Oct. 13, Las Vegas.

CART

Last race: Dario Franchitti seized the lead with 38 laps remaining and narrowly beat points leader Cristiano da Matta to the finish line to win the Rockingham 500 in England on Sept. 14. Franchitti won for the first time on an oval, the third time this year and the 10th time in his career while staying in contention for the CART title with four races left.

Next race: Grand Prix of the Americas, Oct. 6, Miami.IRL

Last race: Sam Hornish edged Helio Castroneves to win the Chevy 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 15 to clinch his second straight IRL title. Hornish nipped Castroneves by .0096 seconds, the second closest finish in series history, in becoming the first driver to win two IRL championships. The two closest finishes in the circuit's seven-year history have occurred in the last two races, with five of the 15 races this season decided by less than one-tenth of a second.

-- From staff, wire reports