The week in motorsports

LOCAL EVENTS

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

Trophy, super pro, pro and ET divisions, Sikeston (Mo.) Drag Strip, 5 p.m. Saturday.

Sprint, modified, pure street, cruiser classes, Auto Tire and Parts Racepark, 7 p.m. Saturday.

MARA midget, mini sprint, mini stock classes, SEMO Motor Speedway, Sikeston, 7:30 p.m. Saturday.

WINSTON CUPTROPICANA 400

Site: Joliet, Ill.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 3 p.m.); Sunday, race (NBC, 1:30 p.m.)

Track: Chicagoland Speedway (tri-oval 1.5 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 400.5 miles, 267 laps.

Last race: Michael Waltrip, who won the Daytona 500 last year in the race in which Dale Earnhardt was killed, finished first again at NASCAR's most famous track, beating Rusty Wallace in the Pepsi 400.

Last year: Kevin Harvick posted his second win of the 2001 season by winning the inaugural Winston Cup race at Chicagoland Speedway.

Fast facts: Last year's was the first Winston Cup event in Illinois in 45 years, and just the second ever. Fireball Roberts won at Soldier Field in Chicago on July 21, 1956.

Next race: New England 300, July 21, Loudon, N.H.

BUSCH GRAND NATIONALHILLS BROTHERS COFFEE 300

Site: Joliet, Ill.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 1 p.m.; Saturday, race (NBC, 2:30 p.m.)

Track: Chicagoland Speedway (tri-oval 1.5 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Joe Nemechek won the first-ever Busch Series night race at the Stacker2/GNC Live Well 250 in Daytona, blocking Greg Biffle over a two-lap shootout after a 16-car accident halted the race.

Last year: Jimmie Johnson became a first-time series winner by taking the Sam's Club-Hills Bros 300, the inaugural Busch series event at Chicagoland Speedway. Johnson, from Sussex, Wis., won in his 57th career start.

Fast facts: Biffle took over the points lead with his second place finish last week.

Next race: Carquest Auto Parts 250, July 20, Madison, Ill.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKSKROGER 225

Site: Sparta, Ky.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 6:30 p.m.; Saturday, race (ESPN, 8 p.m.)

Track: Kentucky Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 150 laps, 225 miles.

Last race: Mike Bliss overcame a missing lug nut to win the O'Reilly Auto Parts 250 at Kansas Speedway. Bliss, with one of the fastest trucks on the 1.5-mile speedway all day, took the lead on lap 165 when leader Rick Crawford's Ford developed rear end problems after leading 127 of the 167 laps. Crawford finished two laps down in 12th.

Last year: Scott Riggs beat Joe Ruttman by 1.368 seconds in the Kroger 225 -- a 1-2 finish by the then-Craftsman series points leaders.

Fast facts: The race replaced the event at the Louisville Motor Speedway, which was the smallest track in the series. ... Greg Biffle won the race in 2000.

Next race: New England 200, July 20, Loudon, N.H.

CARTMARCONI GRAND PRIX

Site: Cleveland

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 1:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (CBS, 1:30 p.m.)

Track: Burke Lakefront Airport (temporary road course, 2.106 miles, 10 turns).

Race distance: 242.19 miles, 115 laps.

Last race: Cristiano da Matta led from start to finish in the Toronto Molson-Indy, matching the CART record of four consecutive victories and extending his series points lead.

Last year: Dario Franchitti, running on little more than fumes at the finish, held off Memo Gidley to win the Marconi Grand Prix for his first CART victory in 29 races and 1 1/2 years. Franchitti, who started 14th, took the lead for good on the 91st of 100 laps at Burke Lakefront Airport when Gidley made his final pit stop, and won by 0.305 seconds.

Fast facts: Roberto Moreno's victory in the 2000 race was his first after 16 years of racing and 70 CART starts. ... Danny Sullivan and Emerson Fittipaldi share the record of three victories at Cleveland.

Next race: Molson Indy, July 28, Vancouver, British Columbia.

FORMULA ONE

Last race: Michael Schumacher won the British Grand Prix for his seventh victory of the season and the 60th of his career.

Next race: French Grand Prix, July 21, Magny-Cours.

IRL

Last race: Airton Dare took advantage of a second-chance restart after Tomas Scheckter's late crash -- the only wreck of the day -- and passed Sam Hornish Jr. with less than three laps to go to win the Ameristar Casino 200 at Kansas Speedway.

Next race: Firestone Indy 200, July 20, Gladeville, Tenn.

NHRA

Last event: Kenny Bernstein (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car) and Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) all recorded victories at the Sears Craftsman Nationals in St. Louis on June 30.

Next event: Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals, July 21, Morrison, Colo.

-- From staff, wire reports