IN SIGHT Winning another MotoGP title must be taxing for Rossi. FOCUS: MICHEL JOURDAIN JR. Sure, the 2003 Champ Car title is Paul Tracy's to lose. And if the Canadian were to lose it, Bruno Junqueira is the first in position to stake a claim. But (barely) mathematically still in the hunt is 27-year-old Michel Jourdain Jr. Jourdain sits third in the standings, 43 points behind Tracy but just 14 behind Junqueira with two races remaining on the CART schedule. The Mexican has five consecutive top-five finishes, including a win at Montreal (his second victory of the year) in August. And had it not been for a questionable pit road penalty, Jourdain's seventh-place finish at Miami could have been another victory. "For this kind of decision to affect our race, a race that we had put ourselves into a position to win, and to affect our championship hopes hurts deeply," said Jourdain after the race. Aside from the Miami disappointment, it's been another breakthrough season for Jourdain. Last season he scored 105 points in his Bobby Rahal ride and placed 10th in points, easily his highest points finish. Jourdain also led the series in laps completed and sat atop the points after four races. In 2003, it's been more of the same. Jourdain has 10 top-fives, including rebounding to finish fourth in Mexico City after early problems sent Jourdain toward the back of the pack. "We lost ground again to Paul, but we gained on Bruno," said Jourdain, who heads to Surfers Paradise this weekend. Jourdain finished 10th in last year's rain-soaked "race" in Australia. "This is the point of the year where it is easy to reflect back on lost points and wonder what might have happened differently." Despite those lost points, Jourdain has a comfortable 25-point lead over fourth-place driver Sebastien Bourdais and a very real chance of finishing second overall -- if not better. "We are still alive for the championship, but all we can do is get ready for Australia and do our best in the last two races." PIT PASS The Winston Cup points battle might leave a little to be desired, but where Kenseth and Co. fall short the Busch and Truck series pick up. Brian Vickers' fifth-place finish at Memphis this weekend catapulted him ahead of David Green in the Busch standings. Green finished 19th and now trails Vickers by 23 points with four races remaining. "We just can't dictate what happens with our race car. My guys gave me a good race car today and got me up there near the front," said Green, who started eighth and was running in the top-10 at Memphis before motor problems plagued his No. 37 Pontiac. "We haven't had any problems all year long, no DNFs. What can you do? My guys gave me a car that I could drive right to the front. Today was a minor setback, but we will just go get them at Atlanta." In the Truck series, points leader Brendan Gaughan finished 11th (just his second finish outside the top-10 in his last 12 races) at Martinsville but sits 45 points ahead of second-place driver Travis Kvapil, who finished 16th this weekend. "I wish we could have had a top-10 (finish) to keep that streak going, but it was a good run," Gaughan told the Las Vegas Sun. "We've got two left and we've still got the lead." Ten years with at least two victories on the Winston Cup tour. Sixty-three Cup wins. Career earnings of $56,228,126 in 361 races at NASCAR's highest level. Jeff Gordon's illustrious Cup career began in 1992 when he was 20 years old, running just one race that year -- and crashing. The location? Atlanta Motor Speedway. But heading into Atlanta this next weekend, Gordon's older, wiser, and fresh off his streak-saving victory last weekend at Martinsville. With two victories (so far) this season, Gordon's win total is his lowest for an entire season since he won just two in 1994. From 1995 through 1998, he ripped off victory totals of seven, 10, 10 and 13, respectively. But, as we've noted, winning more than one race in 10 straight seasons is phenomenal. So is finishing in the top five 173 times, or nearly once every two races. And so is leading 15,597 laps out of 104,547 run, or roughly one lap out of every seven. For those who don't like statistics, we offer our sincere apologies. But Gordon's career stats are so eye-popping, they do warrant a look. Now, we know there are bigger numbers out there. Just look at the King. In 1,184 Winston Cup starts, Richard Petty won 200 times and went 18 straight years with two or more wins (1960-77). The winning percentage, interestingly, is nearly identical for Gordon and Petty, with each roughly winning once in every six times out. "I look back throughout my career at things that would happen and you ride the wave when it carries you," Gordon said. "And you keep your chin up when it's not going your way. I've been very fortunate to win the number of races we've won and the championships we've won." With three wins and nine top-10 finishes at Atlanta, perhaps Gordon will keep riding his wave this weekend. Earlier this year at the track, Gordon started 30th and led 68 laps before Bobby Labonte shoved him aside for the victory. But Gordon says he bears no grudge. "Bobby made a great move here in March," Gordon said. "He had momentum and I slid up in front of him to block him. He gave me a little tap and I got sideways. I tried to squeeze him high, but I knew we'd wreck if I took him any further. "He didn't do anything I wouldn't have done." EXHAUST FUMES For the first time since 1989, NASCAR is heading to the Great White North. Perhaps buoyed by interest in last summer's CASCAR Canada Day Shootout, which featured NASCAR Winston Cup Series drivers Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Ken Schrader, Johnny Benson Jr. and Dave Blaney in head-to-head competition against CASCAR stars, the American series will sanction stock car racing in Canada. The NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series will run at Delaware Speedway in Ontario and St. Eustache Speedway in Quebec in 2004. "This is an historic moment for our sport," said Robbie Weiss, NASCAR's international director. "Joining together with these two outstanding facilities is both a homecoming for NASCAR and a new beginning for stock car racing in North America. For the past twenty-one years, the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series has been the top short track series in the United States and we are thrilled to bring the excitement of NASCAR racing into Canada in 2004." While NASCAR has in the past sanctioned events in Canada, Mexico, Australia and Japan, this is the first time it will have weekly events in Canada for an entire season. "Bringing the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series into Canada is an exciting new development that will strengthen this series, and all of stock car racing, in many ways," said Chris Boals, director of the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series. Founded in 1982, the NASCAR Dodge Weekly Series features 75 racetracks in the United States and more than 8,000 drivers. MAILBAG

Cars do not have to be made to go the same speed? That is wrong -- they DO have to be made to go the same speed, they DO have to be made to draft into the lead on any given lap. Because THIS is what real racing is -- nonstop wheel to wheel combat for the lead. Why should racing NOT be this way? Michael Daly Wakefield, Ma. Wakefield, Ma. -- a bit north of Boston, no? Big Aaron Boone fan, we're sure. Anyway ... Let's look at NASCAR. At Talladega and Daytona, the fields are forced together. This leads to spectacular finishes and often spectacular crashes. But for the other 30 oval races, there is plenty of passing and challenging for the lead without restrictor plates or setups which lend themselves to cars being stuck together in drafts. The same can be applied to open wheel racing. Setups and horsepower among cars can be close enough to provide good competition without the feeling of impending doom looming over the field. When the race runs smoothly and finishes clean, you get most IRL races. When they don't, you get bad wrecks -- in both open wheel oval races and restrictor plate NASCAR events. Got your own questions about what's happening in the pits? Ask away, and we'll answer a question or two in the next Gas&Go. Name: E-mail address: City, state: Your comment: OVERHEARD Jeff Gordon After winning at Martinsville. "This baby just needed to be out front in clean air and it was a rocket ship. It's awesome to be back in Victory Lane." Alex Zanardi After racing this weekend. "I did well and it is good to see what I can achieve at this stage after all this time. ... Today was a wonderful day for me." John Force On daughter Ashley's career. "Don't anybody retire me just yet. She can't get my ol' Mustang until I'm through with it and I won't be through with it for a while."

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