GEARING UP

What’s new in motor sports heading into this weekend:

1) NASCAR’s Nextel Cup series arrives in Hampton, Ga., for Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, one of several tracks owned by Speedway Motorsports Inc.

The company’s president, H.A. “Humpy” Wheeler, was asked by Wall Street analysts last week about the weakness in attendance at some NASCAR races.

One factor is growing sales of high-definition televisions that make races more life-like at home, and rising gasoline prices aren’t helping, either, he said.

“All of us need to get out there and mingle with these folks, find out what is really going on in the world, not our world, but their world,” Wheeler said.

2) At last Sunday’s Cup race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, also owned by SMI, no driver who started in the top 10 finished in the top 10 -- the first time that’s happened since July 4, 1965, a span of 1,421 races, the track said.

3) The Formula One season opens Sunday with the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne.

The defending winner is reigning series champion Fernando Alonso, who won in a Renault. But the Spaniard now drives for McLaren-Mercedes, which failed to win a race last year.

This also will be the first Formula One season in nearly two decades without seven-time champion Michael Schumacher, who retired after the 2006 season.

4) NHRA drag racing has the ACDelco Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla., this weekend.

Last week, funny car rookie Ashley Force was asked how she dealt with her effervescent father, 14-time funny car champion John Force.

“Depends on how much coffee he had that day,” she said.

5) Quarterback Peyton Manning, who led the Colts to a 29-17 victory over Chicago in the Super Bowl, will wave the green flag to start the Indianapolis 500 on May 27.

-- JIM PELTZ