This week's motorsports events

LOCAL EVENTS

Late model, modified, hobby, pure street, cruiser classes, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Malden (Mo.) Speedway.

Late model, pro street, pure street classes, 7:30 p.m. Friday, Fredericktown (Mo.) Raceway.

Karts, micro sprints, bandoleros, legends, challenger series classes, 1 p.m. Saturday, SEMO Motor Speedway, Sikeston, Mo.

Sprint, modified, pure stock, cruiser clsases, 7:30 p.m. Saturday, Auto Tire and Parts Racepark, Benton, Mo.

WINSTON CUP

Talladega 500

Site: Talladega, Ala.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying (FX, 7 p.m., tape); Sunday, race (Fox, 1:30 p.m.).

Track: Talladega Superspeedway (tri-oval, 2.66 miles, 33 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 188 laps, 500 miles.

Last race: Bobby Labonte took the lead with seven laps to go and won the Virginia 500 under caution for his 19th career victory. Matt Kenseth finished second after a late-race battle with Dale Jarrett.

Last year: Bobby Hamilton was able to shoot out of a massive pack two laps from the end to win a caution-free Talladega 500. Hamilton chased down Tony Stewart two laps from the end of the 188-lap event.

Fast facts: NASCAR suspended Kevin Harvick from last week's race at Martinsville for two separate on-track altercations this season. His absence slipped him to 29th in the standings. ... A total of 34 of the 65 NASCAR races at Talladega have been won from the first three starting positions. ... Chevrolet has won 10 of the last 12 spring races at Talladega. ... Labonte's win in the 1998 spring race was the first victory for a Pontiac at Talladega since Richard Petty won in 1983. ... Dale Earnhardt Sr. holds the record with 10 victories at Talladega. He won both races at the track in 1990 and 1999. ... Jeff Gordon made up the most ground to win at Talladega when he came from 36th in 2000. ... Bill Elliott leads with eight poles. ... Buddy Baker became the first driver in the world to break the 200 mph barrier on a closed course at Talladega in 1970.

Next race: NAPA Auto Parts 500, April 28, Fontana, Calif.

On the net: http://www.nascar.com

BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Talladega 300

Site: Talladega, Ala.

Schedule: Thursday, qualifying, 5 p.m.; Saturday, race (Fox, 2 p.m.).

Track: Talladega Superspeedway (tri-oval, 2.66 miles, 33 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 312 miles, 117 laps.

Last race: Scott Riggs led only once for the final 47 laps and recorded his first NASCAR Busch series victory in just his seventh start on the circuit at the Pepsi 300, tying the record for the quickest victory by a rookie. Johnny Rumley also won in his seventh start, in 1993.

Last year: Mike McLaughlin won for the first time in three years and 75 races, taking the Subway 300 at Talladega. McLaughlin, whose slump dated to October 1998, took the lead on lap 104 and led to the end of the 113-lap event.

Fast facts: Jimmy Spencer said after last year's race he would not forget a bumping incident with McLaughlin during the final lap. Spencer won a Winston Cup race here in 1994. ... Jack Sprague has finished second in each of the last two races to take over the points lead with 1,045. ... Greg Biffle crashed in last week's qualifying and twice during the race. ... Ashton Lewis was fined and was placed on probation until June 12 by NASCAR for rough driving during the Pepsi 300. ... Joe Nemechek won the 2000 race by three car lengths over Buckshot Jones.

Next race: Auto Club 300, April 27, Fontana, Calif.

On the net: http://www.nascar.com

INDY RACING LEAGUE

Firestone Indy 225

Site: Nazareth, Pa.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 11:30 a.m.; Sunday, race (ABC, 1 p.m.)

Track: Nazareth Speedway (tri-oval, 1 mile, 1 degree banking in turn 1, 4 degrees in turn 2, 6 degrees in turns 3-4).

Race Distance: 225 miles, 225 laps.

Last race: Points leader Sam Hornish Jr. edged Jaques Lazier by .0281 seconds -- the second-closest finish in IRL history -- to win the Yamaha Indy 400 on March 24.

Last year: Inaugural event.

Fast facts: Nazareth Speedway is nicknamed the "world's fastest one mile oval" for its unique track layout and 34-foot change in elevation. ... Hornish has completed all but seven of the 3,250 laps he has driven in his 16-race tenure with Panther Racing. He has won five of those races and finished all of them. ... Sarah Fisher, who asked for and received a release from Walker Racing on April 8, will drive in this race. She is substituting for Robbie Buhl, who had a concussion March 23 in a crash in qualifying for the Yamaha 400. ... The race marks the first time the IRL has held an event in Pennsylvania. ... Rookie Anthony Lazzaro won a Toyota Atlantics event at Nazareth in 1999.

Next race: Indianapolis 500, May 26, Indianapolis.

On the net://www.indyracingleague.com

NASCAR

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Last race: Dennis Setzer, who started 33rd, avoided double-digit cautions to win the Advance Auto Parts 250 at Martinsville. Setzer initially qualified fifth but was relegated to his starting position after an illegal left-front spring was found after qualifying.

Next race: Busch 200, May 5, Madison, Ill.

On the net: http://www.nascar.com

CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Last race: Americans finished 1-2 in a CART event for the first time since 1996 when Michael Andretti edged out Jimmy Vasser to win the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.

Next race: Bridgestone Potenza 500, April 27, Motegi, Japan.

On the net://www.cart.com

FORMULA ONE

Last race: Michael Schumacher continued to roll through the Formula One season by leading the entire race at the San Marino Grand Prix for his third victory of the season. Ferrari teammate Rubens Barrichello finished second.

Next race: Spanish Grand Prix, April 28, Barcelona.

On the net: http://www.formula1.com

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

Last event: John Force became the third driver in auto-racing history to reach 100 victories by winning the Funny Car event at the O'Reilly Nationals, beating Tommy Johnson Jr. with a speed of 310.20 mph. Doug Kalitta (Top Fuel) and Jim Yates (Pro Stock) also won in Houston.

Next race: Mac Tools Nationals, April 28, Bristol, Tenn.

On the net: http://www.nhra.com

-- From staff, wire reports