The Associated Press

INDIANAPOLIS - When testing speeds at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway crept back above 220 mph last month, no one in the Indy Racing League flinched.

In the aftermath of Tony Renna's fatal accident there last fall, the IRL had hoped to slow its cars by about 10 mph in time for the Indianapolis 500, and it looked as if the goal was in reach.

Helio Castroneves won the 2003 Indy pole at 231.732 mph. Without rule changes, it was expected that the manufacturers would have escalated performance to at least 233 mph by the time practice for the 500 opens Sunday.

The one-lap track record is 237.498, by Arie Luyendyk in 1996.

To control speeds, the IRL sped up its adoption of a 3.0-liter engine - it had used a 3.5 since 2000 - and altered the configuration of the rear wing. Only two drivers reached 220 mph in testing April 27-28.

How far the top speed will rise during the May 15-16 qualifications is uncertain. Last year, Alex Barron paced April testing with a lap of 229.1 mph, which means Castroneves pushed it up 2.6 mph to win the pole. If that progression holds true this year, pole speed should be about 222.7.

"That's a good, safe speed," Castroneves said. "Of course, things can happen at any speed, but anything you can do to lower the speed gives the driver more time to react to things."

FORMULA ONE: Jenson Button posted the fastest time during afternoon practice at Barcelona for the Spanish Grand Prix, 1 minute, 15.935 seconds in his BAR-Honda.

Michael Schumacher, going for his fifth straight win, had the best time during the morning session - finishing in 1:15.658 in his Ferrari.

Schumacher has won the race the last three years and five times overall since the Spanish Grand Prix came here in 1991. The six-time series champion, seeks to equal Nigel Mansell's 1992 start of five consecutive victories in Formula One.

With a perfect 40 points in four races, Schumacher is ahead in the driver's standings. Barrichello is second at 24 followed by Button at 23 and Juan Pablo Montoya of Williams-BMW at 18.

Schumacher had the pole position for this race last year with 1:17.762.

This weekend

NASCAR BUSCH

Charter 250

Site: Madison, Ill.

Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 4:05 p.m.), race (FX, 8 p.m.)

Track: Gateway International Raceway (egg-shaped oval, 1.25 miles, 11 degrees banking in turns 1-2, 9 degrees in turns 3-4).

Race distance: 250 miles, 200 laps.

Last race: Greg Biffle won the Stater Bros. 300 at Fontana, Calif., despite a sporadic cough and car trouble. Biffle's Ford had mysterious engine and oil pressure problems, and his personal cooling system stopped working on a 90-degree afternoon.

Last year: Scott Riggs won the Charter Pipeline 250 when Mike Bliss ran out of fuel on the final lap.

Fast fact: This is the first night race of the year. ... Jason Keller has five top-five finishes in seven career Busch starts at Gateway, including two second-place showings. Keller's only finishes out of the top five came in 1998 and 2002. ... Rookie Kyle Busch has nine top-10 finishes in 16 career Busch starts after placing seventh last week. ... No pole winners have won this race. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. won this race in 1998 and 1999 before Kevin Harvick took it the next two years.

Next race: Funai 250, May 14, Richmond, Va.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

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FORMULA ONE

Spanish Grand Prix

Site: Barcelona.

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

Track: Circuit of Catalunya (road course, 2.937 miles).

Race distance: 193.842 miles, 66 laps.

Last race: Michael Schumacher continued his dominance by winning the San Marino Grand Prix in Imola, Italy, on April 25, giving him victories in each of the first four races this season. Schumacher won in Australia, Malaysia and Bahrain before recording his sixth career win on the Enzo and Dino Ferrari Autodrome.

Last year: Schumacher, driving his new Ferrari F2003-GA, won the Spanish Grand Prix for the third straight year and fifth time overall.

Fast facts: Juan Pablo Montoya had an embarrassing moment during the 2002 event when he pulled away from the pits with the fuel hose still attached to his car. His team's lollipop man, Carl Gaden, got his foot run over when he tried to stop Montoya by jumping in front of the car. ... Fernando Alonso, a native of Oviedo, Spain, finished second in last year's race. ... The track is known to be a true test of a car's aerodynamics, with a good combination of fast and slow corners.

Next race: Monaco Grand Prix, May 23

On the Net: http://www.formula1.com

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NASCAR NEXTEL CUP

Last race: Jeff Gordon won his second straight race by taking the Auto Club 500 in Fontana, Calif., finishing 12.871 seconds ahead of teammate Jimmie Johnson. It was Gordon's 66th career victory and the 13th time he has won back-to-back races.

Next race: Pontiac Performance 400, May 15, Richmond, Va.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

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CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES

Last race: Canadian Paul Tracy passed teammates Bruno Junqueira and Sebastien Bourdais on the second lap and went on to win the season-opening Grand Prix of Long Beach on April 18. It was Tracy's fourth win at Long Beach, including three of the last five.

Next race: Monterrey Grand Prix, May 23, Mexico

On the Net: http://www.cart.com

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NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCKS

Last race: Rick Crawford outlasted defending champion Dennis Setzer in a two-lap sprint to the finish line and won the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway on April 17. Crawford gambled by making his last stop for tires and fuel with 104 laps remaining.

Next race: Ohio 250, May 16, Mansfield

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

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INDY RACING LEAGUE

Last race: Dan Wheldon recorded his first career IRL win and gave Honda its first victory on its home track at the Indy Japan 300 on April 17. Honda was winless in five CART races and one IRL event in Japan entering the weekend.

Next race: Indianapolis 500, May 30.

On the Net: http://www.indyracingleague.com