Gordon’s Lead At Risk

Jeff Gordon put his Winston Cup points lead in jeopardy with a “horrible” qualifying run, and entered the Jiffy Lube 300 in his worst starting position of the season.

Gordon will begin the race today at New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, N.H., in 29th position.

Ken Schrader starts on the point - his first pole in two years, after posting a one-lap speed of 129.423 mph Friday over the 1.058-mile oval. Bobby Hamilton will be alongside him, with Ricky Craven and Spokane’s Chad Little in the second row.

Also at Loudon, a superspeedway is just about the last place you’d expect to see a stop sign.

But there was one at New Hampshire International Speedway and it changed the outcome of the Pennzoil/Replacement Auto Parts 125 for the NASCAR Busch North Series.

A pit road accident involving Coventry’s Mike Stefanik and Jerry Marquis took Stefanik out of contention. Marquis went on to his first victory at NHIS and overtook Stefanik for the Busch North Series points lead.

Ron Hornaday made the move that counted a split-second into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Link-Belt Construction Equipment 225 when he passed both front row starters to take a lead he never relinquished at the Louisville Motor Speedway.

NASCAR team owner and Charlotte car dealer Rick Hendrick will have to answer federal bribery and conspiracy charges next month.

U.S. District Court Judge Lacy Thornburg in Ashville, N.C., denied a request by Hendrick’s attorneys to delay the trial, saying Hendrick failed to show sufficient reasons for the delay.

Alex Zanardi will start in the pole position for the Medic Drug Grand Prix.

Zanardi had won the provisional pole with a lap of 132.031 mph that easily withstood the assault from the rest of the field 24 hours later, in the final round of qualifying for the race today.