GEARING UP

What’s new in motor sports heading into this weekend:

1 NASCAR Nextel Cup and Busch series drivers will display Virginia Tech’s school logo on their cars for the next three weeks in a tribute to the shooting victims at the university in Blacksburg, Va.

The logo will be displayed on the area just to the right of the driver’s side window net, starting with this weekend’s races at Phoenix International Raceway.

2 Sponsorship spending in motor sports will rise 11% this year to $3.2 billion, with “the lion’s share” going to NASCAR, according to the IEG Sponsorship Report, which tracks such spending.

The gain “is impressive given the maturity of the motor sports category,” the report said.

3 The Championship Off-Road Racing series opens its season Saturday and Sunday at the Antelope Valley Fairgrounds in Lancaster. Robby Gordon of Orange, a NASCAR Nextel Cup driver and veteran off-road racer, is scheduled to compete.

4 Mike Kirby of Torrance will be trying to win his third consecutive modified-class race Saturday night at Perris Auto Speedway in Riverside County. Late-model stock cars head a five-race program Saturday night at Irwindale Speedway.

5 Vintage top-fuel and funny car dragsters are scheduled to race Saturday at the California Speedway in Fontana. The cars are similar to those that competed in the 1960s and ‘70s but have modern performance and safety equipment.

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NEXTEL CUP LEADERS

*--* DRIVER STANDINGS 1. Jeff Gordon 1,136 2. Jeff Burton 1,128 3. Matt Kenseth 1,011 4. Jimmie Johnson 955 5. Denny Hamlin 914 6. Clint Bowyer 866 7. Kyle Busch 856 8. Carl Edwards 837 9. Tony Stewart 814 10. Jamie McMurray 805 11. Mark Martin 794 12. David Stremme 779 13. Juan Montoya 767 14. Kevin Harvick 763 15. Kurt Busch 759 MILE LEADERS 1. Jeff Gordon 527.79 2. Tony Stewart 472.61 3. Jimmie Johnson 462.84 4. Kurt Busch 327.39 5. Matt Kenseth 323.97 LAPS RUN ON LEAD 1. Jeff Burton 2,375 2. Matt Kenseth 2,324 3. Jeff Gordon 2,296 4. Jimmie Johnson 2,223 5. Carl Edwards 2,194 AVERAGE RUNNING POSITION 1. Jeff Burton 8.770 2. Jeff Gordon 8.805 3. Jimmie Johnson 9.851 4. Matt Kenseth 10.946 5. Tony Stewart 11.073

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THE RACES

NASCAR NEXTEL CUP

Subway Fresh Fit 500

* When: Saturday (Ch. 11, 5 p.m.).

* Where: Phoenix International Raceway (tri-oval, 1 mile, 11-degree banking in Turns 1-2, 9-degree banking in Turns 3-4), Avondale, Ariz.

* Race distance: 312 miles, 312 laps.

* 2006 winner: Kevin Harvick.

NASCAR BUSCH

Bashas’ Supermarkets 200

* When: Today, qualifying (Speed Channel, 2:30 p.m.), race ESPN2, 6:30 p.m.).

* Where: Phoenix International Raceway.

* Race distance: 200 miles, 200 laps.

* 2006 winner: Kevin Harvick.

CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES

Grand Prix of Houston

* When: Today, qualifying, 12:10 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 11:30 a.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN, noon).

* Where: Reliant Park (temporary street course, 1.615 miles, 9 turns), Houston.

* Race distance: 185.725 miles, 115 laps.

* 2006 winner: Sebastien Bourdais.

INDY RACING LEAGUE

Indy Japan 300

* When: Today, race, 9 p.m. (Saturday, ESPN, noon, tape).

* Where: Twin Ring Motegi (oval, 1.5 miles, 10-degree banking in turns), Suzuka, Japan

* Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.

* 2006 winner: Helio Castroneves.

STATE OF THE WEEK

* Dale Earnhardt Jr. has not won in 33 races since his victory at Richmond last May. Earnhardt does have two victories in Phoenix, in 2003 and 2004.

ON THE WEB

* Why is everyone down on NASCAR? Attendance and TV ratings might be off, but it’s still a major sport.

Go to latimes.com/sports.

LIFE IN THE FAST LANE

Milka Duno, who has only 16 days between her first laps in an Indy car and her first open-wheel race, on the switch from sports car racing to open wheel competition: ‘The normal race car driver, in the road course racing, has a screw loose. To drive on an oval, we have two screws loose.’

-- JIM PELTZ