GEARING UP

What’s new in motor sports entering this weekend:

1. Robby Gordon was suspended from the NASCAR Nextel Cup race last weekend in Pocono, Pa., for misdeeds in the Busch road course race in Montreal a day earlier. Had NASCAR really wanted to slap his wrist, it would have let him race at Pocono, but parked him this weekend at Watkins Glen, N.Y., another road course where he stands an actual chance to win.

On probation, the Southern Californian won’t be the only former open wheel driver people will be watching: Juan Pablo Montoya tries to become the first in NASCAR history to win three road course events.

2. Funny car driver Jack Beckman, an instructor at Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in Pomona, won two of the last three national events known as the Western Swing. With two races remaining before the NHRA whittles its championship field to eight, Beckman is solidly in fifth place.

This weekend, the nitro-powered cars are in Brainerd, Minn., where funny car’s Tommy Johnson Jr., and top fuel’s Brandon Bernstein are defending race winners.

3. The Champ Car World Series races Sunday at Road America in Wisconsin. Sebastien Bourdais, trying to win his fourth consecutive championship, has led the championship after 42 of his 68 career races. He leads Robert Doornbos by 10 points and Will Power by 24.

On the undercard Saturday, Brazilian driver Raphael Matos has already clinched the championship in the Mazda Atlantic Series, which brings the curtain down on its season. His prize is $2 million to be used toward a champ car ride in 2008.

4. Dario Franchitti’s bid to win the Indycar championship was turned upside down -- at 200 mph, no less -- last week at Michigan. But Franchitti seems destined to win the Indycar Series title: He not only survived his spectacular crash, but landed on top of second-place rival Scott Dixon, who had won three races in a row, and retained his 24-point lead.

With four races remaining, including two road courses, the Indycar Series competes Saturday at Kentucky Speedway, where Dixon has finished second twice.

5. The NASCAR Grand National Division, West Series, competes Saturday at California Speedway on the 21-turn, 2.8-mile road course. It has raced in Fontana every year since 1997, but this is the first foray onto the left-right layout. Also racing Saturday are cards at Irwindale, Perris and Orange Show speedways.