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INDY RACING LEAGUE

Indianapolis 500

Schedule: Sunday, race (ABC, 10 a.m.).

Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (rectangular oval, 2.5 miles, 9 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 500 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Dan Wheldon won at Kansas Speedway, his first victory since taking the checkered flag at the track a year ago. It was the 14th career victory for Wheldon, a former series champion, giving him some momentum heading into this month's Indianapolis 500. Wheldon won Indy in 2005.

Last year: Dario Franchitti gambled on the rain and won the Indy 500, another bittersweet day for the Andretti family at America's richest race. The Scotsman inherited the lead by staying on the track when the leaders pitted for fuel. He then drove slowly to the checkered flag in a downpour when the race was stopped 10 laps later after 415 of the scheduled 500 miles. Franchitti won the race under a caution light brought out when teammate Marco Andretti crashed three laps from the abbreviated end. Scott Dixon was second, followed by Helio Castroneves and Sam Hornish Jr.

Fast facts: The race has taken place every year since 1911, except for when the United States was in World War I (1917-18) and World War II (1942-45). ... The closest finish in Indy 500 history came in 1992, when Al Unser Jr. edged Scott Goodyear by 0.043 seconds. ... Each winner receives an 18-inch sterling silver replica of the Borg-Warner Trophy. The original stands 5-foot-43/4, weighs 150 pounds and has a bas-relief bust of each winner. It is valued at $1 million. ... Scott Dixon, who qualified two weekends ago, won the pole at 226.366 mph. He will be joined in the front row by Dan Wheldon and Ryan Briscoe. Danica Patrick will start in Row 2. ... The final field includes former Indy winners Wheldon, Helio Castroneves, Buddy Rice and Buddy Lazier, as well as 11 rookies, led by 19-year-old Graham Rahal, one of the drivers making the transition from the defunct Champ Car World Series to the recently unified IRL IndyCar Series.

Next race: A.J. Foyt 225, June 1, West Allis, Wis.

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NASCAR SPRINT CUP

Coca-Cola 600

Site: Concord, N.C.

Schedule: Sunday, race (FOX, 5 p.m.).

Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway (quad-oval, 1.5 miles, 24 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 600 miles, 400 laps.

Last race: Kasey Kahne won a popularity contest, then parlayed it into a $1 million payday. After failing to qualify for the All-Star race, Kahne grabbed a spot in the field when the fans voted him into the event at Lowe's Motor Speedway and gambled on his final pit stop to steal the prize. And in holding off Greg Biffle in the final segment, Kahne became just the third driver in All-Star race history to advance from the preliminary race into the show and then win the main event.

Last year: Casey Mears stretched his fuel to the finish line to win the Coca-Cola 600 for his first Cup victory. Mears ran strong all race and took the lead when others ducked onto pit road. Mears and his team gambled and pushed their Chevrolet to the finish, running out of gas moments after he took the checkered flag.

Fast facts: Dale Jarrett finished 21st in the All-Star race to wrap up his storied career. The 1999 champion won 32 times, including three Daytona 500s. ... Jeff Gordon won the most recent points race at Lowe's, taking the Bank of America 500 on Oct. 13. His first-ever Cup win came in the 1994 event. ... The No. 40 Dodge will be back for this week's race, with Sterling Marlin likely behind the wheel instead of Dario Franchitti. Franchitti was injured earlier this month in a wreck at Talladega, and has missed three Cup starts. ... Jimmie Johnson has won five times at Lowe's -- including three consecutive 600s, from 2003-2005. His statistics at the speedway over the last three years far outpace the rest of the field. His Driver Rating is a series-high 120.2, which is 26 points more than second-place Kyle Busch (94.3).

Next race: Dover (Del.) 400, June 1.