GEARING UP

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

1 Today is finally arriving for the Car of Tomorrow.

The newly designed stock car is being phased into NASCAR’s Nextel Cup series over the next three years, starting with Sunday’s race at the 0.533-mile Bristol Motor Speedway in Tennessee. Qualifying is today.

NASCAR hopes the car will be safer and foster closer racing, but no one is sure what to expect.

“We’ve tested these cars, but we’ve never seen 43 cars on the track at one time,” said Dodge driver Ryan Newman of Penske Racing South. “All the drivers and teams are just as anxious to see this race take place as the fans are.”

2 The IndyCar Series opens its season Saturday night at the 1.5-mile Homestead-Miami Speedway, with Penske’s Sam Hornish Jr. defending his series title.

Hornish, who also won last year’s Indianapolis 500, narrowly won the title over 2005 champion Dan Wheldon of Target Chip Ganassi Racing.

3 Wheldon, meanwhile, is the latest open-wheel racer looking at NASCAR.

The Englishman said this week that although Indy cars remain his focus, he hopes to test one of Ganassi’s Busch series stock cars “soon -- the sooner the better,” and perhaps compete in at least one Busch race later this year.

“We’ll just have to wait and see,” he said.

Ganassi also co-owns the Cup car driven by Juan Pablo Montoya, the former Champ Car and Formula One driver who moved to NASCAR this year.

4 Irwindale Speedway launches its ninth season Saturday night with a four-race program that includes super late-model stock cars. Van Knill of Tucson is that series’ defending champion.

5 The USAC/CRA sprint-car series returns to Perris Auto Speedway on Saturday night. Current points leader Tony Jones of Norco and former champion Rip Williams of Yorba Linda are scheduled to compete.

-- JIM PELTZ

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THE RACES

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP

Food City 500

* When: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 12:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (Channel 11, 10:30 a.m.).

* Where: Bristol Motor Speedway (oval, .533 miles, 36-degree banking in turns), Bristol, Tenn.

* Race distance: 266.5 miles, 500 laps.

* 2006 winner: Kurt Busch.

* Next race: Goody’s 500, April 1, Martinsville, Va.

NASCAR BUSCH

Sharpie Mini 300

* When: Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 8 a.m.); race (ABC, noon).

* Where: Bristol Motor Speedway (oval, .533 miles, 36-degree banking in turns), Bristol, Tenn.

* Race distance: 159.9 miles, 300 laps.

* 2006 winner: Kyle Busch

* Next race: Pepsi 300, April 7, Lebanon, Tenn.

INDY RACING LEAGUE

XM Satellite Radio 300

* When: Today, qualifying, 5:45 p.m.; Saturday, race (ESPN2, 5 p.m.).

* Where: Homestead-Miami Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles, 18-degree banking at bottom, 19-degree banking in middle, 20-degree banking at top), Homestead, Fla.

* Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.

* 2006 winner: Dan Wheldon.

* Next race: Grand Prix of St. Petersburg, Fla., April 1.

Associated Press

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DRIVER STANDINGS

*--* NEXTEL CUP No. Driver Points Behind 1. Mark Martin 629 Leader 2. Jeff Gordon 621 -8 3. Jeff Burton 618 -11 4. Jimmie Johnson 601 -28 5. Matt Kenseth 567 -62 6. Tony Stewart 507 -122 7. Kevin Harvick 482 -147 8. Denny Hamlin 480 -149 9. Clint Bowyer 479 -150 10. Carl Edwards 471 -158 11. David Stremme 463 -166 12. J.J. Yeley 462 -167 13. Elliott Sadler 456 -173 14. Kyle Busch 449 -180 15. Juan Montoya 443 -186 BUSCH 1. Carl Edwards 810 Leader 2. Kevin Harvick 666 -144 3. Dave Blaney 641 -169 4. Kyle Busch 587 -223 5. Denny Hamlin 582 -228 TRUCKS 1. Mike Skinner 550 Leader 2. Todd Bodine 481 -69 3. Ron Hornaday 451 -99 4. Jack Sprague 449 -101 5. Ted Musgrave 440 -110

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ON THE WEB

* Marco Andretti, whose grandfather won the 1969 Indy 500 and whose father came close, is trying to make his mark on the IndyCar circuit. He won a race last year as a rookie and is hoping to win the series title. Go to latimes.com/sports.