FOR GORDON, RECORD GOES THROUGH MICHIGAN.

Byline: BILL SCHLOTTER Motor Sports

It's been done six times before.

So if Jeff Gordon manages to win his fourth straight race at Sunday's NASCAR Winston Cup DeVilbiss 400 in Michigan, the real excitement comes next week. Then, Gordon can attempt a record-breaking five straight at the Goody's 500 in Bristol, Tenn., where he won earlier this year.

Don't bet against just such a scenario unfolding.

The Rainbow Warriors team fronted by Gordon is on a roll coming off speedway victories at Pocono and Indianapolis and an impressive road-course win last week at Watkins Glen. And when the Warriors are at their best, they are the best - perhaps in all of racing.

Gordon could be perceived to be the underdog this weekend because the race is at Michigan Speedway - and Gordon has never won there. His chief competitor for this year's Winston Cup title, Mark Martin, has won his last two races at Michigan and this year's California 500 at the nearly identical California Speedway.

While Gordon has won the past three Winston Cup races, Martin, who trails Gordon by 82 points, has nearly matched that consistency with four straight seconds.

Martin, of course, will be hurting this weekend, grieving the deaths of his father, stepmother and a half sister in an airplane crash. Such pain could be a distraction, it could be motivation.

Gordon should be motivated, too.

With the win, he would join Martin, Cale Yarborough, Darrell Waltrip, Dale Earnhardt, Harry Gant and Bill Elliott - the only other modern-era drivers to win four straight - in the record book. And he would break his personal drought at Michigan.

``We've been close at Michigan so many times,'' said Gordon, who has finished in the top five in five of his last six races there. ``But we just haven't been able to pull it off there.''

It won't surprise Martin if Gordon prevails Sunday.

The way he's going, Martin said, ``Jeff Gordon might win them all.''

That's not likely. In addition to Martin, after all, there will be at least 41 other teams in the field week in and week out.

But when his team is at its peak, Gordon should never be considered the underdog to anyone.

Another breakdown: Back in June, Granada Hills' driver M.K. Kanke was running away with the NASCAR Featherlite Southwest Tour, having built a seemingly unassailable 115-point lead over second-place Steve Portenga.

But three races later, a spate of mechanical problems has gobbled up Kanke's lead, and the veteran racer now trails Portenga by 43 points - 1,458-1,415 - with six races remaining.

Kanke's latest disappointment came at Bakersfield's Mesa Marin Raceway, where he had won his previous two visits and held the track record for his class.

Taking a 12-point lead over Portenga into the race, Kanke qualified 10th but lost the suspension on his Victor Valley Roofing Pontiac on the 66th lap and finished 21st.

Meanwhile, Portenga was running with the lead group, headed by winner and 1997 points champion Bryan Germone, and finished fifth, taking the season lead from Kanke.

Kanke will get a chance to retake the lead Aug. 29 when the Tour runs at Colorado National Speedway in Dacono, Colo.

Pleasant memories: Valencia's Sean Woodside returns to the site of his first NASCAR Winston West victory this weekend when the Tour stops at Evergreen Speedway in Monroe, Wash. for Saturday's Coors Lite 200.

Woodside goes to Washington 16 points behind Palmdale's Kevin Harvick in the season points battle.

Harvick took the lead back from Woodside with a victory in Colorado at the tour's last stop.

After Saturday's race, the tour takes a two-month hiatus before it's next race, Oct. 11 at Sears Point Raceway in Sonoma.

Words to drive by: As far as Winston Cup driver Bobby Hamilton is concerned, the objective is clear: a top 10 finish in season points.

Nothing less will do.

``The difference between 10th and 11th in the points is really wide,'' Hamilton said. ``Tenth goes on the stage at the New York banquet while 11th sits behind a pole somewhere. Tenth is big time, 11th is the beginning of everybody else. Tenth is champagne, 11th is flat beer.''

Hamilton didn't offer a metaphor for 13th, his current position in the standings. Presumably, it's something too awful to mention.

Nuts and bolts: Next year's inaugural Winston Showdown in Tennessee will offer the richest purse in NHRA history and will feature interclass racing between top fuel and funny cars. . . Next year's NHRA season begins and ends in Pomona, as usual, with the Chief Auto Parts Winternationals, Feb. 4-7, and the Winston Finals, Nov. 11-14. . . Winston Cup Team Tobasco, Darrell Waltrip's new team, is switching from Chevy Monte Carlos to Pontiac Grand Prixs. . . Ricky Craven is out as driver of the No. 50 Hendrick Motorsports Budweiser car and Wally Dallenbach Jr. is in. . . IRL racer Billy Boat, who broke his left hand and cracked his pelvis at the New England 200 June 28, is still on crutches but will be back behind the wheel of his Conseco A.J. Foyt racer Sunday for the Indy Racing League's Radisson 200 in Colorado. . . Greg Ray, who drove for Boat during his recovery, has picked up sponsors - Best Access Systems and Mitsubishi - and a full-time IRL ride with Thomas Knapp Motorsports for the rest of the 1998 season.

COMING UP

NASCAR WINSTON CUP

Sunday - DeVilbiss 400, Michigan Speedway, Brooklyn, Mich.

NASCAR BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

Saturday - Pepsi 200, Michigan Speedway, Brooklyn, Mich.

NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK

Saturday - Federated Auto Parts 250, Nashville Speedway USA, Nashville, Tenn.

FEDEX CART CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES

Sunday - Texaco-Havoline 200, Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis.

INDY RACING LEAGUE 

Sunday - Radisson 200, Pikes Peak International Raceway, Fountain, Colo.

FORMULA ONE

Sunday - Hungarian Grand Prix, Hungaroring road course, Budapest.

NHRA

This week - off.

LOCAL

Glen Helen Raceway (San Bernardino) - Sunday: Off road RD 5.

Mesa Marin Raceway (Bakersfield) - Saturday: NASCAR Winston Racing Series. Late model stocks, Grand American modifieds, street stocks.

Perris Auto Speedway - Saturday: SCRA sprint cars.

Ventura Raceway - This week: off.

Victorville Speedway - Saturday: Street stocks, hobby stocks, mini stocks, late models. Sunday: practice.

Willow Springs Raceway (Rosamond) - Saturday-Sunday: Gold Coast Karters.

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Box: COMING UP (See Text)