GEARING UP
What’s new in motor sports heading into this weekend:
1 While the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series arrives at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma on Sunday, the sport’s Craftsman Truck and Busch series race on Friday and Saturday, respectively, at the Milwaukee Mile in West Allis, Wis.
Paul Menard is the defending winner of the Busch race, and Johnny Benson tries to repeat as winner of the truck event.
2 Two-time Cup champion Terry Labonte is coming out of retirement for one week to drive a Toyota Camry at the Sonoma race for owner/driver Michael Waltrip.
Labonte said he’s enjoying retirement but joked that his wife, Kim, keeps asking “if I’m bored yet and ready to go back to racing. I think she’s ready for me to get out of the house for a weekend or two.”
3 Open-wheel racing also travels to the Midwest, with the Champ Car World Series holding the Grand Prix of Cleveland and the IndyCar Series holding its inaugural race at the new Iowa Speedway in Newton, Iowa. Both races are Sunday.
The Powerade Drag Racing Series is in Englishtown, N.J., this weekend for the NHRA SuperNationals.
4 IndyCar driver Danica Patrick, who had a career-best third-place finish two weeks ago in Texas for Andretti Green Racing, has never turned a lap at Iowa Speedway and her first practice is scheduled today.
“The test on Friday is going to be very important for all of us to find out right away what we need to be fast around there,” she said.
5 In local racing Saturday night, sprint cars headline the programs at Irwindale Speedway and Perris Auto Speedway, and motorcycle racing is featured at Ventura Raceway.
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STAT OF THE WEEK
* In the first seven races this season, IndyCar Series driver Marco Andretti has finished better than 15th only once -- a fourth at St. Petersburg, Fla., on April 1.
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THE RACES
NASCAR NEXTEL CUP
Toyota/Save Mart 350
* When: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 4 p.m.); Sunday, race (TNT, 12:30 p.m.).
* Where: Infineon Raceway (permanent road course, 1.99 miles, 10 turns), Sonoma, Calif.
* Race distance: 218.90 miles, 110 laps.
* 2006 winner: Jeff Gordon.
* Next race: Lenox Industrial Tools 300, July 1, Loudon, N.H.
NASCAR BUSCH
AT&T; 250
* When: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 2:30 p.m.), race (ESPN2, 5 p.m.).
* Where: Milwaukee Mile (oval, 1 mile, 9 degrees banking in turns), West Allis, Wis.
* Race distance: 250 miles, 250 laps.
* 2006 winner: Paul Menard.
* Next race: Camping World 200, June 30, Loudon, N.H.
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS
Toyota Tundra Milwaukee 200
* When: Today, qualifying, 3:30 p.m., race (Speed Channel, 5:30 p.m.).
* Where: Milwaukee Mile (oval, 1 mile, 9 degrees banking in turns), West Allis, Wis.
* Race distance: 200 miles, 200 laps.
* 2006 winner: Johnny Benson.
* Next race: O’Reilly 200, June 30, Memphis, Tenn.
CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES
Grand Prix of Cleveland
* When: Today, qualifying, 1 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 11 a.m.; Sunday, race (Ch. 2, 10 a.m.).
* Where: Burke Lakefront Airport (temporary road course, 2.106 miles, 10 turns), Cleveland.
* Race distance: 204.282 miles, 97 laps.
* 2006 winner: A.J. Allmendinger.
* Next race: Mont-Tremblant07, July 1, Canada
INDY RACING LEAGUE
Iowa Corn 250
* When: Saturday, qualifying, 3:15 p.m.; Sunday, race (Ch. 7, 10 a.m.).
* Where: Iowa Speedway (oval, 0.875 miles, 12-14 degrees banking in turns), Newton.
* Race distance: 218.75 miles, 250 laps.
* 2006 winner: Inaugural event.
* Next race: SunTrust Indy Challenge, June 30, Richmond, Va.
NHRA
SuperNationals
* When: Today, qualifying, 12:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 9 a.m. (ESPN2, 8 p.m., taped); Sunday, eliminations, 8 a.m. (ESPN2, 7 p.m., taped).
* Where: Old Bridge Township Raceway Park, Englishtown, N.J.
* 2006 winners: Rod Fuller (top fuel); Ron Capps (funny car); Jason Line (pro stock field); Matt Smith (pro stock motorcycle).
* Next event: Summit Racing Equipment Nationals, July 1, Norwalk, Ohio.
Associated Press
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ON THE WEB
Have a question about motor racing? E-mail motor racing reporter Jim Peltz at james.peltz@latimes.com, and each week we’ll post the best questions and his answers on latimes.com.
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LIFE IN THE FAST LANE
Dale Earnhardt Jr., on Sunday’s NASCAR Nextel Cup race at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma:
‘This weekend is important to me because I’m sick of hearing people say, “Oh, he can’t drive on a road course.”.’