Motor Sports
Truex takes Busch race after starting from pole

By The Associated Press

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MADISON, Ill. — Martin Truex Jr. raced to his third NASCAR Busch Series victory in six races, leading 123 of 200 laps in the Charter 250 last night to take the season points lead.

Chevrolet driver Truex started from the pole and finished 6.601 seconds ahead of Ron Hornaday Jr. on the 1.25-mile Gateway International Raceway.

The 23-year-old New Jersey driver moved 16 points ahead of Nextel Cup driver Michael Waltrip in the season standings. Waltrip finished 14th in the Charter 250.

"We had a superior car tonight," said Truex, also the winner in Talladega, Ala., and Bristol, Tenn. "Once we got it freed up, we were flying. It seemed like the longer we went, the more we pulled away."

Jason Keller was third, followed by Bobby Hamilton Jr. and Kyle Busch.

Greg Biffle of Vancouver, Wash., who qualified third, finished seventh.

Kasey Kahne of Enumclaw finished 13th.

Truex became the first driver in eight Busch races at Gateway International to win from the pole. He averaged 101.466 mph in a race slowed by six caution periods that lasted 36 laps.

"It was fun racing with him," Truex said of Hornaday. "We ran into each other a little bit out there."
 
Hornaday was impressed with Truex and his crew.

"If they've got that same car next week, they're going to be awesome," Hornaday said.

Schumacher captures pole

for Spanish Grand Prix

BARCELONA, Spain — Michael Schumacher earned the pole position for today's Spanish Grand Prix, where he will try to win his fifth straight race to start the Formula One season.

The six-time series champion will be looking to equal Nigel Mansell's record start in 1992. Schumacher has won this race the last three years and five times overall.

"It is a track I like, with a lot of high-speed corners," he said.

The Ferrari superstar was timed in 1 minute, 15.022 seconds yesterday on the 2.876-mile Circuit de Catalunya. It was his 59th pole position and fourth this season. Ayrton Senna holds the career record with 65 poles.

Schumacher won the season's first three poles before Jenson Button of BAR-Honda won the pole at the San Marino GP.