GEARING UP

By Jim Peltz

May 30, 2008 12 AM PT

Times Staff Writer

1. NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series races at Dover (Del.) International Speedway on Sunday, and it remains to be seen whether Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon have put their recent mini-feud behind them.

Gordon is a four-time winner at Dover, a high-banked, concrete track known as “the Monster Mile” where Martin Truex Jr. is the defending race winner.

As Kasey Kahne was celebrating his win at last Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Lowe’s Motor Speedway near Charlotte, Busch and Gordon -- who finished third and fourth, respectively -- had heated words on pit road about how closely they raced each other.

“I guess [Busch] doesn’t like people to race him,” Gordon said. “But I raced him hard tonight just like I did everybody.

“He’s got an issue because he gave me the finger,” continued Gordon, a four-time champion. “That’s not necessary for a guy, he just didn’t like racing him the way I did.”

When Busch was asked about the exchange, he replied: “That conversation will remain between Jeff and I. Thank you.”

2. Kahne won the race when Tony Stewart, who had a comfortable lead, suffered a flat tire with only three laps left in the 400-lap race.

“It’s so hard to take,” Stewart said on his Sirius Satellite Radio show.

“It’s such a long day and you go 397 laps and go 595 miles and sit there and have a tire go down and lose a race because of that,” the two-time Cup champion said. “That’s something that makes it real difficult to swallow.”

3. Speaking of frustration, Danica Patrick and the rest of the IndyCar Series heads to the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis., for its next race Sunday.

Patrick’s car was knocked out of last weekend’s Indianapolis 500 when she collided with Ryan Briscoe coming out of pit road late in the race.

“I’m looking forward to getting back in the car this weekend, especially after last weekend’s disappointing finish,” said Patrick, who this year became the first woman to win an Indy car race. “I have something to prove this weekend.”

Meanwhile, the IndyCar Series said it added a race July 26 in Edmonton, in Alberta, Canada, expanding this season’s schedule to 17 races.

4. Drag racing’s Powerade Series is in Topeka, Kan., for this weekend’s O’Reilly NHRA Summer Nationals, the halfway point of its regular season that leads into its Countdown to the Championship playoff.

Brandon Bernstein and Mike Ashley are the defending winners in top fuel and funny cars, respectively.

Reigning top-fuel champion Tony Schumacher leads the points again this season and Tim Wilkerson tops the standings in funny cars.

5. In local racing Saturday night, late-model stock cars and super trucks head a multi-race program at Toyota Speedway at Irwindale.

The Los Angeles Concours d’Elegance, featuring vintage and exotic race cars and passenger vehicles, is Sunday at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. Tickets are $30 and proceeds benefit the Assistance League of Southern California.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Joey Logano, a highly touted driver who starts in his first NASCAR Nationwide Series race Saturday after turning 18 last weekend:

‘I’ve been waiting on this birthday forever, I feel like I’m ready.’

THE RACES

NASCAR SPRINT CUP

Best Buy 400

When: Sunday.

Where: Dover, Del.

TV: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, noon); race (Channel 11, 10:30 a.m.).

Race distance: 400 miles, 400 laps.

NASCAR NATIONWIDE

Heluva Good! 200