RACE NEWS

NASCAR. It was Kevin Harvick’s weekend at Phoenix when the #29 Chevy driver swept the Busch and Nextel races. The Nextel race launched at 8 p.m. East Coast time Saturday night, and that made as much sense from this fan’s perspective as holding the Super Bowl at 6 on a Sunday. I don’t mind night racing, but it’s not going to keep me awake on a late Saturday night. If it’s too hot in Phoenix to run in the early evening, find another venue. High point of the race was champion Tony Stewart who placed an amazing second after starting from the very back of the field due to being unable to start on his qualifying rubber. Kenseth, Edwards, Bowyer, Kahne, Johnson, Labonte, Burton and Jeff Gordon rounded out the top 10. Mark Martin led 111 laps and came in 11. The entire bottom of the order with the exception of Kahne and Johnson were in dire need, points wise or reputation wise, for their finishes. Overall it was a good race with no controversy except for the time. One mid-race crash knocked out several racers and some contenders, but all the cars, save Michael Waltrip’s, returned and were running at the end.

Formula One. The circus came to San Marino, Italy, this time and it was Michael Schumacher holding off champion Fernando Alonso’s charge — a repeat of last year’s race in reverse. This is the first win for Ferrari this season and it came on its home turf, and the church bells in Modena are probably still pealing. Renault tried to jump Alonso over Schu via pitstop, but the strategy failed and — after a concentrated effort and nearly losing the Renault twice — Alonso backed down and settled for the place position. Montoya came third in his McLaren, and then it was Massa, Raikkonen (a good race between those two), Weber, Button, Fischella, Ralf Schumacher and Barrichello. Jensen Buttons looked as if he had third locked when, late in the race, the gas coupling locked onto the filler, the signman waved him out early, tried to recover, and by the time Buttons was able to stop, had torn the filler hose apart. No fire ensued. A first lap accident had Yugi Ide in a Super Aguri rearending Christjian Albers MF1, knocking him flying and snap-rolling into the sand trap on the first corner.