| |
| WINSTON CUP |
|
Event |
Cracker Barrel 500 |
|
When |
Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (ABC) |
|
Where |
Atlanta Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.54 miles, 24 degrees
banking in turns).
Hampton, Ga.
|
|
Distance |
500.5 miles (325 laps) |
|
Defending champ |
Jeff Gordon |
|
Qualifying |
First round, Friday, 3:30 p.m. (ESPN2, 5 p.m. taped); second round, Saturday, 11:30 a.m. (ESPN2, 6 p.m. taped) |
|
Fast Facts |
Gordon beat Bobby Labonte by 2.5 seconds last season for his second straight win at Atlanta Motor Speedway. ... Last week, Jeff Burton won the rain-shortened CarsDirect.com 400 in Las Vegas. NASCAR stopped the race after 148 of a scheduled 267 laps. ... Dale Earnhardt is the track leader with eight victories. ... Bobby Labonte, Dale Jarrett and Mark Martin are the only drivers to record top-10 finishes in all three races this season. ... In 25 spring races at Atlanta, there have been 16 different winners. ... Labonte leads the point standings by four over Jarrett. It's the first time Jarrett hasn't led since May ... Ford got its 500th Winston Cup win last week in Las Vegas.
|
| BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL |
|
Event |
Aaron's 312 |
|
When |
Saturday, 1 p.m. ET (ABC)
|
|
Where |
Atlanta Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.54 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns).
Hampton, Ga.
|
|
Distance |
312.62 miles (203 laps) |
|
Defending champ |
Dave Blaney |
|
Qualifying |
Thursday, 2:45 p.m. ET; Friday, second-round, 10:15 a.m.
|
|
Fast Facts |
Blaney was awarded the win over Mike Skinner, who used an unapproved engine part and was bumped to 43rd place. ... Jeff Burton got his 11th Busch Series victory in the Las Vegas 300 last week after leader Mark Martin got caught behind Jack Sprague's spinning car. ... Former Craftsman Truck Series champ Ron Hornaday moved into the lead for the rookie of the year standings with an eighth-place finish Sunday. ... Chevrolet's have won five of the eight events at Atlanta. ... Jeff Gordon won the inaugural Atlanta BGN race in 1992. ... Blaney set a qualifying record of 186.775 mph last year.
|
| FORMULA ONE |
|
Event |
Australian Grand Prix |
|
When |
Sunday, 10 a.m. ET (Fox Sports Net, taped)
|
|
Where |
Albert Park Circuit (3.28 miles).
Melbourne, Australia
|
|
Distance |
190.24 miles (58 laps) |
|
Defending champ |
Eddie Irvine |
|
Qualifying |
Saturday
|
|
Fast Facts |
Irvine won for the first time on the Formula One circuit in last year's season-opener, upsetting former teammate Michael Schumacher. ... Albert Park was rebuilt for the start of the 1996 season. ... Mika Hakkinen was the first pole-sitter to win in Melbourne. Damon Hill won from the pole in previous Grand Prix host city Adelaide in 1995. ... Hakkinen aims to become only the second driver to win three straight Formula One championships. Only Juan Manuel Fangio has done it, winning four straight in the 1950s.
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