The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - Ryan Newman and Rusty Wallace each have lists of reasons why they would love to win Sunday's Brickyard 400, and both start with giving team owner Roger Penske another trip to Indy's Victory Lane.

Newman was born and raised in South Bend, Ind., and is a graduate of Purdue University, about 60 miles away from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

He also is very aware that the stock car race at the historic Indy track is considered second only to the Daytona 500 in prestige, even though the Daytona race is 45 years old and Sunday will be only the 10th running of the Brickyard. It would certainly be the biggest win of his budding career.

"Those are both good reasons, but Indianapolis is up there in importance because of the third reason: Roger Penske," Newman said. "My car owner has multiple Indianapolis 500 winners, but hasn't gotten a Brickyard win, yet."

Wallace, who has driven in all nine Cup races here, says Indy probably owes him a win after three runner-up finishes - including last year to Bill Elliott.

"I've said it before and I'll say it again that we've been so close to winning the thing that we could almost taste it," Wallace said.

A victory would end an 82-race winless streak for the longtime driving star and would be the 50th stock car win for Penske, whose team owns more than 100 open-wheel victories, including a record 13 at Indy.

"The accomplishments of Roger's open-wheel teams at Indy are legendary," said Wallace, who enters this weekend's activity 11th in the points. "We're looking to put the Penske stock cars in the limelight this weekend.

Penske drivers have won the last three Indy 500s. Helio Castroneves won for Team Penske in 2000 and 2001, while fellow Brazilian Gil de Ferran beat his teammate to the finish line this year.

PETTY ADDS DRIVER FOR GLEN: Add another ringer to the Winston Cup field at Watkins Glen International. Canadian Scott Maxwell, one of the world's top sports car racers, will drive the No. 43 Dodge of Petty Enterprises on Aug. 10. He'll replace Christian Fittipaldi, who will drive the No. 44 Dodge in the Sirius at The Glen.

Maxwell won this year's 24-hour race at Daytona in the Daytona Prototype class in February.

EXTINGUISHERS CLOSE: In the wake of fiery crashes over the last two months, NASCAR said Wednesday that all vehicles in its three top series will soon have a fire-extinguishing cylinder in the fuel cell area.

The new requirement will go into effect for the Winston Cup, Busch and Craftsman Truck series beginning Aug. 13. But NASCAR was recommending teams adopt the change immediately.

This weekend

WINSTON CUP

Brickyard 400

Site: Indianapolis

Schedule: Saturday, qual. (TNT, 11 a.m.); Sunday, race (NBC, 2:30 p.m.).

Track: Indianapolis Motor Speedway (rectangular oval, 2.5 miles, 9 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 400 miles, 160 laps.

Last year: Bill Elliott passed Rusty Wallace with 11 laps remaining and cruised the rest of the way to win the Brickyard 400.

Fast fact: Points leader Matt Kenseth finished 13th at Pocono and leads Dale Earnhardt Jr. by 232 points and Jeff Gordon by 308 after 20 of 36 races.

Next race: Sirius at The Glen, Aug. 10, Watkins Glen, N.Y.

BUSCH SERIES

Kroger 200

Site: Indianapolis

Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 4:35 p.m. (Speed Channel, 5:30 p.m., tape), race (TNT, 8 p.m.).

Track: Indianapolis Raceway Park (oval, 0.686 miles, 7.5 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 137.2 miles, 200 laps.

Fast fact: There have been 17 different winners in the race's 21-year history. Next race: Cabela's 250, Aug. 16, Brooklyn, Mich.

CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Power Stroke Diesel 200

Site: Indianapolis

Schedule: Today, qualifying, 5:30 p.m., race (Speed Channel, 9 p.m.).

Track: Indianapolis Raceway Park (oval, 0.686 miles, 7.5 degrees banking in turns).

Race distance: 137.2 miles, 200 laps.

Fast fact: Brendan Gaughan has won two straight races and four of the last seven to move atop the championship standings.

Next race: Federated Auto Parts 200, Aug. 8, Gladeville, Tenn.

FORMULA ONE

German Grand Prix

Site: Hockenheim

Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 8 a.m.); Saturday, qualifying (Speed Channel, 8 a.m.); Sunday, race (Speed Channel, 7:30 p.m.).

Track: Hockenheimring (road course, 2.842 miles).

Fast fact: Michael Schumacher finished fourth in England and holds a seven-point lead over Kimi Raikkonen in the championship standings.

Next race: Hungarian Grand Prix, Aug. 24, Budapest.