Starting Line / This week’s racing
IndyCar Series
Event: Camping World Grand Prix. Site: Watkins Glen. Schedule: Saturday, practice, qualifying; Sunday, practice, race, 1:30 p. m. (ABC, 1-3:30 p. m.). Track: Watkins Glen International (road course, 3.4 miles). Race distance: 204 miles, 60 laps. Last year: Rahal Letterman’s Ryan Hunter-Reay raced to his first IndyCar victory after Scott Dixon made an uncharacteristic mistake, ending his bid for a fourth straight victory at Watkins Glen. Preparing to make a run at leader Darren Manning after a long caution period, Dixon spun out under yellow and was hit from behind. Last week: Dixon won at Richmond to match Sam Hornish Jr.’s series victory record of 19. Dixon held off Ganassi teammate Dario Franchitti for his third victory in the last six races. Fast facts: Tony George was ousted Tuesday as president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and Hulman&Company—at the behest of a board led by his mother, Mari Hulman George. He will remain on the board. Jeffrey Belskus moved from executive vice president and chief financial officer for the companies to president and CEO of the Indianapolis Motor Speedway Corp., and W. Curtis Brighton took over as president and CEO of Hulman&Company. Next race: Honda Indy Toronto, July 12, Toronto.
Sprint Cup
Event: Coke Zero 400. Site: Daytona Beach, Fla. Schedule: Thursday, practice (Speed, 4-5:30 p. m., 6:30-8 p. m.); Friday, qualifying (Speed, 4-7 p. m.); Saturday, race, 8 p. m. (TNT, 6:30-11:15 p. m.). Track: Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles). Race distance: 400 miles, 160 laps. Last year: Kyle Busch bested Carl Edwards in a door-to-door drag race that ended under caution. The victory was the sixth of Busch’s eight 2008 wins. Last week: Joey Logano became the youngest winner in Sprint Cup history, taking the rain-shortened New Hampshire race. At 19 years, 1 month, 4 days, Logano broke the record of 20 years, 4 months, 2 days set by Busch at California in September 2005. Fast facts: Matt Kenseth won the Daytona 500 in February. In April at Talledega in the second restrictorplate race of the season, Brad Keselowski raced to his first Sprint Cup victory. . . . There are nine races left before the start of the Chase. . . . Jeff Gordon has six Sprint Cup victories at Daytona. . . . Michael Waltrip won three times at the track in a five-race stretch, taking the Daytona 500 in 2001 and 2003 and the July race in 2002. . . . Kyle Busch and Scott Speed are also racing in the Grand-Am Rolex Sports Car Series event Saturday. They will co-drive the No. 02 Lexus Riley, a Daytona Prototype fielded by Chip Ganassi and Felix Sabates. Next race: LifeLock.com 400, July 11, Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill.
Nationwide Event: Subway Jalapeno 250. Site: Daytona Beach, Fla. Schedule: practice (ESPN2, 5:30-6:30 p. m.); Friday, qualifying (ESPN2, 1-4 p. m.), race, 8 p. m. (ESPN, 7:30-10:30 p. m.). Track: Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles). Race distance: 250 miles, 100 laps. Last year: Denny Hamlin won the third of his four 2008 series victories, holding off Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Kyle Busch in a green-white-checker finish. Hamlin isn’t entered in the race this year. Last week: Busch raced to his fifth victory of the season, taking the lead from Gibbs teammate Joey Logano with 36 laps left at New Hampshire. Busch has 26 career Nationwide victories and 52 overall wins in NASCAR’s top three series. Fast facts: Tony Stewart won the February race at Daytona, beating Carl Edwards by 0.068 seconds. . . . The series has adopted double-file restarts, putting the leaders at the front of both rows. The rule was introduced at the non-points Sprint Cup All-Star race in May and fully instituted for the top series at Pocono. . . . In April at Talledega, David Ragan won the Nationwide race, and Keselowski raced to his first Sprint Cup victory. . . . Two-time Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip is driving the No. 99 Toyota. Next race: Dollar General 300, July 10, Chicagoland Speedway, Joliet, Ill.
Camping World Trucks
Next race: Built Ford Tough 225, July 18, Kentucky Speedway, Sparta, Ky. Last week: Points leader Ron Hornaday raced to his second straight victory and third of the season, leading 175 of 201 laps at Memphis Motorsports Park. The 51-year-old Hornaday has a series-record 42 victories and three season titles.
NHRA
Next event: Mopar Mile-High NHRA Nationals, July 10-12, Bandimere Speedway, Morrison, Colo. Last week: Larry Dixon raced to his fourth Top Fuel victory of the season and 47th overall, beating Brandon Bernstein in Norwalk, Ohio. Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Andrew Hines (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.
Formula One Next race: German Grand Prix, July 12, Nuerburgring, Hockenheim, Germany. Last race: Sebastian Vettel won the British Grand Prix on June 21 for his second victory of the year, beating Red Bull teammate Mark Webber by 15.1 seconds.
Western New York
Dunn Tire Raceway Park: IHRA Drag Racing/ Alcohol and Nostalgia Funny Cars/TNT Hot Rod, Friday, 7 p. m.; IHRA Drag Racing Double Winnerns Purse, Saturday, 2 p. m. Holland Speedway: Closed For July 4 Holiday. Ransomville Speedway: Super DIRTcar Big Block Modified Series 100, Friday, 7 p. m. Genesee Speedway: Jack Veach Memorial for Pro Stock Super DIRTcar Series, Saturday, 6 p. m. Merrittville Speedway: Lucas Oil Weekly Series, Saturday, 7 p. m. Humberstone Speedway:NHS Weekly Dirt Series, Sunday, 6:45 p. m. Little Valley Speedway: $3,000-to-win ULMS Super Late Models, Friday, 7 p. m. Freedom Daze Demo Derby, Saturday, 7:30 p. m. Wyoming County: Vintage Stock Car/Fireworks, Friday, 7:30 p. m. Stateline Speedway: E-Mod Extra, Saturday, 7 p. m.
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