Here's a breakdown of this weekend's action in the world of motorsports. (All times ET)

Winston Cup

FAST FACTS
Event	Pop Secret 400
Site	Rockingham, N.C.
Schedule	Friday, qualifying (TNT, 3 p.m.); Sunday, race (TNT, 12:30 p.m.).
Track	North Carolina Speedway (tri-oval, 1.017 miles, 22 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 25 degrees in turns 3-4).
Distance	399.6 miles, 393 laps.

Last race: Kurt Busch won his second straight race by taking the rain-shortened NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway. Busch was leading the race at lap 242 when the fifth caution flag of the day came because of rain. The race was called six laps later when the track was deemed too wet to drive on.

	Drivers to Watch
	Check out a short list of drivers to keep an eye on this weekend at Rockingham.

Last year: Joe Nemechek was never challenged in the final 100 laps in the Pop Secret Microwave Popcorn 400, and beat Kenny Wallace by 6.285 seconds. Nemechek led 196 of the 393 laps to win for car owner Andy Petree in their final season together.

Fast facts: There are two races remaining after this week. ... Tony Stewart owns a 146-point lead over Mark Martin in the standings. Jimmie Johnson, who trailed Stewart by 82 points entering last week's race, spun out twice and finished 22nd at Atlanta to fall 150 points behind. ... Matt Kenseth won the Subway 400 at Rockingham on Feb. 24. ... The race has been won from the pole five times, most recently by Kyle Petty in 1992. ... Junior Johnson leads owners with 14 victories at The Rock. ... Dale Jarrett has finished 10th or better in 13 of the last 15 races at Rockingham.

Next race: Checker Auto Parts 500K, Nov. 10, Avondale, Ariz.

CART

FAST FACTS
Event	CART 500
Site	Fontana, Calif.
Schedule	Friday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 10:30 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 2:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, 3:30 p.m.).
Track	California Speedway (D-shaped oval, 2 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).
Distance	500 miles, 250 laps

Last race: Rookie Mario Dominguez won the rain-shortened Honda Indy 300 in Australia, a race that was marred by a spectacular 10-car wreck on the opening lap that landed Adrian Fernandez and Tora Takagi in the hospital. The race was restarted 1½ hours later with the intention of running 50 laps, but rain stopped the race at lap 40.

	Drivers to Watch
	Check out a short list of drivers to keep an eye on this weekend at Fontana.

Last year: Cristiano da Matta held off Max Papis by inches to win one of the most competitive events in auto racing history, taking the season-ending Toyota 500 at California Speedway. Da Matta, who finished the CART season with consecutive victories, passed Papis seven laps from the end of the darkness-shortened event for the CART-record 73rd lead change.

Fast Facts: There is one race left after this week. ... Max Papis is expected to replace Fernandez, who is recovering from injuries suffered in last week's accident. Papis also filled in after Fernandez wrecked in Vancouver on July 28. ... Toyota swept CART's two major awards by capturing the manufacturers title thanks to Kenny Brack's fourth-place finish in Australia. Toyota took the first when Cristiano da Matta won the series championship in Miami on Oct. 6. ... Only six of 23 cars finished the 2000 race after blown engines and other mechanical problems reduced the field. ... Team Kool's duo of Dario Franchitti and Paul Tracy have combined for four victories and 11 podium finishes this season.

Next race: Mexican Grand Prix, Nov. 17, Mexico City.

Busch

FAST FACTS
Event	Sam's Club 200
Site	Rockingham, N.C.
Schedule	Friday, qualifying, 1:30 p.m.; Saturday, race (TNT, 1 p.m.).
Track	North Carolina Speedway (tri-oval, 1.017 miles, 22 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 25 degrees in turns 3-4).
Race distance	200 miles, 197 laps

Last race: Jamie McMurray's gas tank outlasted everyone else's and recorded his first career Busch victory at the Aaron's 312 in Atlanta. McMurray took his first lead on the final lap after Joe Nemechek ran out of fuel.

Last year: Kevin Harvick capped his return to North Carolina Speedway by winning the Busch series championship, overshadowing Kenny Wallace's victory in the Sam's Club 200. Harvick, who made his first Winston Cup start at The Rock in February as the replacement driver for the late Dale Earnhardt, finished fifth to lock up his first title.

Fast facts: There are two races remaining after this week. ... Keller recorded his first of four wins this season at Rockingham on Feb. 23 and enters this race 119 points behind Greg Biffle in the championship race. ... There have been six different first-time winners this season. ... Herzog-Jackson Motorsports announced that Todd Bodine will be driving the No. 92 car for the remainder of the 2002 season in place of Tim Fedewa. Bodine left the team temporarily for Haas Carter Motorsports in the Winston Cup Series. ... Bobby Hamilton Jr. made his Busch debut in Rockingham in 1998.

Next race: Arizona 200, Nov. 9, Avondale

Craftsman Trucks

FAST FACTS
Event	American Racing Wheels 200
Site	Fontana, Calif.
Schedule	Friday, qualifying, 2:45 p.m.; Saturday, race (ESPN, 5 p.m., tape).
Track	California Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 14 degrees banking in turns).
Race distance	200 miles, 100 laps

Last race: David Starr broke a 65-race winless streak, outdueling points leader Mike Bliss in the Las Vegas 350 on Oct. 13, giving him and team owner Wayne Spears their first career victories. Starr, who started his Chevrolet from the pole, took the lead on the 142nd of 146 laps when Ted Musgrave's Dodge cut a right front tire and headed for pit road.

Last year: Musgrave raced to a season-high seventh victory. Jack Sprague wrecked, but still wrapped up an unprecedented third Craftsman Truck series championship in the Auto Club 200. Sprague, who previously won truck titles in 1997 and '99, needed only to start the race to break his tie with Ron Hornaday Jr. for the most series titles. Travis Kvapil clinched Rookie of the Year honors by starting the race.

Fast facts: There are two races remaining after this week. This race was the final event in each of the last three seasons. ... Bliss enters the weekend with an 85-point lead over Rick Crawford in the championship race. Bliss won the inaugural race in 1997. ... Sprague won the 1999 event after passing two trucks for the lead with one lap remaining and wound up with his second series title in three years. ... Kurt Busch beat Andy Houston by 0.775 seconds to win the 2000 race. ... Pole-sitters have won this race twice. ... Andy Houston won consecutive races in 1998 and 1999.

Next race: Chevy Silverado 150, Nov. 8, Avondale, Ariz.

NHRA
Last event: Larry Dixon (Top Fuel) and Jeg Coughlin Jr. (Pro Stock) both won the championship in their respective categories during the ACDelco Nationals in Las Vegas. It was Dixon's first championship and Coughlin's second. John Force recorded his 105th win to extend the Funny Car championship to the final event.

Next event: Automobile Club Finals, Nov. 10, Pomona, Calif.

F1
Last race: Michael Schumacher won his third straight Japanese Grand Prix and 11th race this season. The five-time world champion led a 1-2 finish for Ferrari, with Rubens Barrichello in second. Schumacher was assured the title three months ago with six races remaining. His previous best season was nine wins, which he did three times.

IRL
Last race: Sam Hornish edged Helio Castroneves to win the Chevy 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on Sept. 15 to clinch his second straight IRL title. Hornish nipped Castroneves by .0096 seconds, the second closest finish in series history, in becoming the first driver to win two IRL championships. The two closest finishes in the circuit's seven-year history have come in the last two races, with five of the 15 races this season decided by less than one-tenth of a second and eight races with finishing margins of less than one second.