LABONTE TO VISIT VICTORY SITE.

Byline: TIM HADDOCK Motor Sports

Bobby Labonte has to feel like he has a target on his car when he races at Pocono Raceway, site of this Sunday's NASCAR Winston Cup Pennsylvania 500.

It was one of two races the former Winston Cup champion won in 2001. At last year's Pennsylvania 500, he and Dale Earnhardt Jr. battled to the finish. It was a race Junior has a hard time forgetting.

``I think that since this race last season, we've had a really good set-up to race well there, and I'd like to have a chance to race with Bobby for the win like we did last year,'' said Earnhardt Jr., driver of the No. 8 Dale Earnhardt Inc. Chevy. ``This year, it's my turn to win it. I did all I could to keep him behind me last year, but he just had a faster car than me. That was fun, though.''

Labonte has found a comfort zone at Pocono over the years, but it didn't start out so easy for the driver of the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Pontiac. He has recorded three victories in his last eight races at Pocono. Before that, he didn't finish in the top 10 in his first 11 trips to the 2.5-mile tri-oval.

``I'm not sure what it is about the place, but I am very comfortable there,'' Labonte said. ``I may not always qualify up front, but we have always seemed to have a decent car for the race. I know in 1996, I didn't finish either of the races at Pocono that year and one of them was a wreck on the second lap.

``But since then, I have been running at the finish every other time there. (Crew chief) Jimmy (Makar) seems to know what I like as the race progresses and the track starts to get a little slippery. That's when I think I am at my best - getting up on the wheel and having to really drive the car.''

Labonte is having another rough season, similar to last year. He is 20th in points and has only one win this season, at Martinsville Speedway in Virginia. But Labonte is determined to make a run in the second half and finish at least in the top 10 in points.

``We have to be realistic that we are not a title contender by any means,'' Labonte said. ``We are too far back to think that at this point, but I am not throwing in the towel on the top 10. I think we are something like 360 points or so out of 10th position and while that is an enormous amount, I do think it can be accomplished. We just need a little luck on our side.''

Labonte's Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Tony Stewart, driver of the No. 20 Pontiac, has also had his share of success at Pocono and could use a change in luck as well. Stewart, who is seventh in points, is coming off a 39th-place finish at New Hampshire International Speedway and needs a good showing to stay in the championship hunt.

``I feel better going there this time with the Home Depot Pontiac than I did back in June, for sure,'' said Stewart, who finished seventh in the previous race at Pocono. ``But I'm not overconfident by any means. I do, however, think we can run better than what we did in the spring.''

--Rookie returns to Pocono: Pocono is not an easy track on which to race. Its three turns, almost flat surface and unusual configuration make it a challenge for the most experienced drivers. But that didn't keep NASCAR Winston Cup rookie Jimmie Johnson from finishing third in the June race at Pocono, his first visit to the track.

``We ran well in last month's race at Pocono,'' said Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Hendrick Motorsports Chevy and the top rookie on the Winston Cup Series. ``It is one of the more enjoyable tracks to race on with the mixture of three different turns and the speeds you can reach on the straightaways. This will be only my second race at Pocono, so I still have some learning to do, but the experience I gained from the first race will undoubtedly help me out a lot.''

For a driver, Pocono offers considerable challenges. For a crew chief, the track almost makes for an impossible challenge.

``Pocono is one of the hardest race tracks to set up and prepare a race car for,'' said Chad Knaus, crew chief for Johnson's Chevy team. ``Trying to maximize speed and get the handling down is always a challenge but something we did well in the first race.''

THIS WEEK'S RACES

NASCAR WINSTON CUP

Pennsylvania 500

Site: Long Pond, Pa.

Schedule: Today, qualifying (TNT, noon); Sunday, race (TNT, 9:30 a.m.).

Track: Pocono International Raceway (triangular oval, 2.5 miles, 14 degrees banking in turn 1, 8 degrees in turn 2, 6 degrees in turn 3).

Race distance: 500 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Ward Burton collected his first victory since the season-opening Daytona 500 by winning the New England 300. Burton, who started 31st, took the lead with 10 laps left when Matt Kenseth had a deflating tire and held off Jeff Green by 3.230 seconds for his fifth career win.

Fast facts: Dale Jarrett recorded his first victory in almost 11 months at the Pocono 500 on June 9. Jarrett took the lead from Jeff Burton on lap 179 and held on for his first win since last July in New Hampshire, a span of 30 races. ... Johnny Benson is expected to return this weekend after missing the last two weeks with broken ribs suffered in the Daytona 400 on July 6. ... Geoffrey Bodine will be driving in place of brother Todd this weekend. Todd Bodine is committed to driving in the Busch race at Pikes Peak. ... Labonte finished second in 1997 and 1999, and third in 1998. ... Rusty Wallace set the track record for fastest winning speed at 144.892 mph in 1996. ... Jeff Gordon was the last driver to win consecutive Pennsylvania 500s in 1996 and 1997. Gordon has a winless streak of 27 races, the most in his career, dating to a victory in Kansas last September.

Next race: Brickyard 400, Aug. 4, Indianapolis

On the net: www.nascar.com

BUSCH GRAND NATIONAL

NetZero 250

Site: Fountain, Colo.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 2 p.m.; Saturday, race (NBC, 12:30 p.m.).

Track: Pikes Peak International Raceway (d-shaped oval, 1 mile, 10 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 250 miles, 250 laps.

Last race: Greg Biffle got his third Busch victory of the season, holding off Ron Hornaday Jr. in the Charter Pipeline 250 at Gateway International Raceway. Biffle, the series leader who will jump to Winston Cup next year with his Roush Racing team, edged Hornaday by 1.945 seconds.

Next race: Kroger 200, Aug. 3, Clermont, Ind.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Michigan 200

Site: Brooklyn, Mich.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, noon; Saturday, race (ESPN, 10 a.m.).

Track: Michigan Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 200 miles, 100 laps.

Last race: Terry Cook benefited when more bad luck struck Jason Leffler, then held off Dennis Setzer in a two-lap shootout Saturday to win the New England 200 at New Hampshire Speedway. Leffler, starting from the pole for the seventh time this season, was poised for his first Craftsman victory when he crashed into the lapped truck of Tom Carey Jr. with 38 laps to go.

Next race: Power Stroke Diesel 200, Aug. 2, Clermont, Ind.

CHAMPIONSHIP AUTO RACING TEAMS

Molson Indy

Site: Vancouver, British Columbia

Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 2 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 1:30 p.m.); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, 1:30 p.m.).

Track: Concord Pacific Place Street Circuit (temporary road course, 1.781 miles, 12 turns).

Race distance: 100 laps, 178.1 miles

Last race: Patrick Carpentier recorded his first win of the year and denied Cristiano da Matta his fifth straight Grand Prix of Cleveland victory by taking the 115-lap event on July 14. Da Matta left the race on lap 21 with a boost problem while Michael Andretti finished second.

Next race: Mid-Ohio Grand Prix, Aug. 11, Lexington, Ohio.

On the net: www.cart.com

FORMULA ONE

German Grand Prix 

Site: Hockenheim

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 4 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, 4:30 a.m.).

Track: Hockenheimring (road course, 2.842 miles).

Race distance: 67 laps, 190.414 miles.

Last race: Michael Schumacher won the Grand Prix of France to clinch his fifth career Formula One championship, equaling the record previously set by Juan Manuel Fangio. Schumacher has won eight of his last 11 races.

Next race: Hungarian Grand Prix, Aug. 18, Budapest.

On the net: www.formula1.com

INDY RACING LEAGUE 

Michigan Indy 400

Site: Brooklyn, Mich.

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 8 a.m.; Sunday, race (ABC, noon).

Track: Michigan Speedway (d-shaped oval, 2 miles, 18 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 400 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Alex Barron outran Gil de Ferran in the final two laps after a restart, winning the Firestone Indy 200 at Nashville by 0.42 seconds for his first IRL victory in only his 11th start. Barron led only the final 11 laps to become the fourth first-time winner in the last five IRL races.

Next race: Belterra Casino Indy 300, Aug. 11, Sparta, Ky.

On the net: www.indyracingleague.com

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION 

Lucas Oil Northwest Nationals

Site: Kent, Wash.

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 3:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN, 5 p.m., tape); Sunday, eliminations (ESPN, 2 p.m., tape).

Track: Seattle International Raceway.

Last event: Darrell Russell raced to his second Top Fuel victory of the season, beating Cory McClenathan in the final of the Mopar Parts Mile-High Nationals in Morrison, Colo. Del Worsham, Mike Edwards and Colorado racer Matt Hines also won their divisions in the competition.

Next event: FRAM Autolite Nationals, Aug. 4, Sonoma, Calif.

On the net: www.nhra.com.

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THIS WEEK'S RACES (see text)