This week's top auto races
Associated Press
All Times EDT
NASCAR
NATIONWIDE
NAPA Auto Parts 200
Site: Montreal.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, qualifying (ESPN2, 9-11 p.m.); Sunday, race, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN2, 2-6 p.m.).
Track: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (road course, 2.709 miles).
Race distance: 200.466 miles, 74 laps.
Last year: Canadian road-racer Ron Fellows splashed his way to victory in the first NASCAR points race run on grooved rain tires. The event was cut from 74 to 48 laps because of heavy rain, flooding and poor visibility.
Last week: David Ragan raced to his second Nationwide victory of the year, holding off Roush Fenway teammate Carl Edwards at Bristol in a two-lap sprint to the finish.
Fast facts: Kyle Busch leads the season standings with 3,900 points, followed by 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. ... Edwards and Marcos Ambrose will co-drive Doran Enterprises' No. 77 Ford DP on Friday in the Grand-Am race. Ambrose won the Nationwide road-course race at Watkins Glen on Aug. 8 for his first NASCAR victory.
Next race: Degree V12 300, Sept. 5, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga.
On the Net: http://www.nascar.com
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CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS
EnjoyIllinois.com 225
Site: Joliet, Ill.
Schedule: Thursday, practice; Friday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 5-6:30 p.m.), race, 9 p.m. (Speed, 8:30-11:30 p.m.)
Track: Chicagoland Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).
Race distance: 225 miles, 150 laps.
Last year: Inaugural event.
Last week: Kyle Busch won at Bristol for the second straight year, easily holding off Matt Crafton. Busch has three series victories this year. Ron Hornaday Jr. finished third, ending his series-record winning streak at five.
Fast facts: 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 Hornaday, a six-time winner this year for Kevin Harvick Inc., leads the season standings with 2,458 points. Crafton is second with 2,247, followed by Mike Skinner (2,153).
Next race: Lucas Oil 200, Sept. 5, Iowa Speedway, Newton, Iowa.
On the Net: http://www.nascar.com
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SPRINT CUP
Last week: Kyle Busch completed a season sweep at Bristol Motor Speedway, holding off Mark Martin in a frantic four-lap sprint. Busch has four victories this season.
Next race: Pep Boys Auto 500, Sept. 6, Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hampton, Ga.
On the Net: http://www.nascar.com
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INDYCAR
Peak Indy 300
Site: Joliet, Ill.
Schedule: Friday, practice, qualifying (Versus, 6-7 p.m.); Saturday, race, 9 p.m. (Versus, 9-midnight).
Track: Chicagoland Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).
Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.
Last year: Helio Castroneves won the season finale for his second victory of the year, while Scott Dixon finished second to win his second series championship.
Last week: Dario Franchitti won the Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, leading from start to finish. The Scot has four victories this season.
Fast facts: Ryan Briscoe leads the season standings with 497 points, four more than Franchitti with three races left. Dixon is third, 20 points behind Briscoe. ... Franchitti held off Dixon on the final lap at Chicagoland in 2007 to win the series title.
Next race: Indy Japan 500, Sept. 19, Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Japan.
On the Net: http://www.indycar.com
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FORMULA ONE
Belgian Grand Prix
Site: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
Schedule: Friday, practice (9-9:30 a.m.); Saturday, practice, qualifying (8-9:30 a.m.); Sunday, race, 8 a.m. (7:30-10 a.m.).
Track: Spa-Francorchamps (road course, 4.35 miles).
Race distance: 191.415 miles, 44 laps.
Last year: Ferrari's Felipe Massa was declared the winner after McLaren's Lewis Hamilton was penalized for cutting a corner late in the race. Hamilton finished 14.4 seconds ahead of Massa, but was penalized 25 seconds.
Last week: Brawn GP's Rubens Barrichello raced to his first victory in five years, holding off Hamilton in the European Grand Prix in Valencia, Spain. Barrichello has 10 career victories in Formula One.
Fast facts: Brawn GP's Jenson Button, a six-time winner this year, leads the season standings with 72 points. 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.
Next race: Italian Grand Prix, Sept. 13, Autodromo Nazionale di Monza, Monza, Italy.
On the Net: http://www.formula1.com
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NHRA FULL THROTTLE
Last week: Bob Tasca raced to his second Funny Car victory of the season, beating Mike Neff at Maple Grove Raceway in Mohnton, Pa. Larry Dixon (Top Fuel), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.
Next race: Mac Tools U.S. Nationals, Sept. 2-7, O'Reilly Raceway Park, Clermont, Ind.
On the Net: http://www.nhra.com
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OTHER RACES
ARCA RE/MAX SERIES: Ansell Cut Protection 150, Saturday (Speed, 6:30-8:30 p.m.), Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill. On the Net: http://www.arcaracing.com
AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES: Grand Prix of Mosport, Sunday (Speed, 3-6 p.m.), Mosport International Raceway, Bowmanville, Ontario. On the Net: http://www.americanlemans.com
GRAND-AM ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES: Montreal 200, Saturday (Speed, 2-4:30 p.m.), Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal. On the Net: http://www.grand-am.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: Friday-Saturday, Castrol Raceway, Edmonton, Alberta. Late Model: Friday, Fayetteville Motor Speedway, Fayetteville, N.C.; Saturday, Screven Motor Speedway, Sylvania, Ga. Super Dirtcar: Thursday, Lebanon Valley Speedway, West Lebanon, N.Y. On the Net: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com
FIRESTONE INDY LIGHTS: Chicagoland 100, Saturday (Versus, Monday, 4-5 p.m.), Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill. On the Net: http://www.indycar.com
