BUSCH: Pike's Peak Preview

WHAT: lycos.com 250, NASCAR Busch Grand National series WHEN: qualifying Friday and Saturday; championship race 2 p.m. Sunday (ESPN, live) DISTANCE: 250 laps, 250 miles POSTED AWARDS: $912,009 (1st - 62,250; 2nd - 47,375; 3rd - 33,725) FIELD: 43 (maximum including provisionals) SANCTION: NASCAR

RE/MAX CHALLENGE SERIES WHAT: Cornwell Tools 150; RE/MAX Challenge Series, race 5 of 18 WHEN: qualifying Friday; championship race 1:10 p.m. Saturday DISTANCE: 150 laps, 150 miles POSTED AWARDS: $79,100 FIELD: 40 (fastest 36 through time trials; four provisionals) SANCTION: NASCAR CONTACTS: Dean Strom, NASCAR (414-328-0773) or Jeff Wolf, PPIR (719-382-4303)

WESTERN SUPER MODIFIED RACING WHAT: Western Super Modified Racing Association WHEN: qualifying Friday and Saturday; championship race 4:30 p.m. (approximate) DISTANCE: 25 laps, 250 miles FIELD: 18 pre-entered SANCTION: WSMRA CONTACTS: Dan Hayes, WSMRA (425-392-5722) or Jeff Wolf, PPIR (719-382-4303)

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HOT NASCAR BUSCH POINTS RACE COMING TO PPIR FOR LYCOS.COM 250

The NASCAR Busch Grand National Series comes to Pike Peak International Raceway this weekend, and the points race is heating up for the inaugural LYCOS.COM 250.

Last Friday in the Hardee’s 250 at Richmond (Va.) International Raceway, it took a slip by Dale Earnhardt Jr. late in the race, to allow Jeff Burton to cruise to a relatively easy victory.

Earnhardt was tight on Burton's bumper when he slipped up the race track in Turn 4 at lap 244. After that, Burton had an easy time of it and beat Earnhardt to the finish line by a little more than six-tenths of a seconds. Earnhardt, who led three times for a total of 171 laps, said his car simply washed up the track a bit.

"The car pushed up a little bit in the center of the corner," Earnhardt said. "I didn't want to give up a little bit of speed in the center of the corner. I let him go. I was out there losing my rhythm. I know we picked it back up, and sure enough, we were faster. I just couldn't get by him."

Team Lycos driver Matt Kenseth finished third and took a huge chunk out of Mike McLaughlin's lead in the NASCAR Busch Series point standings. Kenseth went from 113 out of first place to just nine after McLaughlin suffered mechanical problems and a spin.

"That's respectable," Kenseth said. "We just never hit it right all night, to tell you the truth. I've got to hand it to the guys. They really gave me great pit stops. The car was prepared really well. It was a good, solid third-place car.”

McLaughlin was credited with a 34th-place finish, seven laps down to Burton.

"Everybody has their misfortune," McLaughlin said. "We've had some pretty good luck. We were due for some bad, I guess. ... We were running better here than we have in a long time. There's a long way to go. We'll see what happens (at Pikes Peak)."