By Jim Peltz, Times Staff WriterWhat’s new...

By Jim Peltz, Times Staff Writer

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

1Lewis Hamilton could become the first rookie to clinch the Formula One championship Sunday as the McLaren Mercedes driver takes a 12-point lead to the Chinese Grand Prix at Shanghai.

This week in motor racing

GEARING UP

But the series’ governing body said it was investigating whether the English driver, 22, played a role in causing two other drivers to collide at last week’s Japanese Grand Prix -- which Hamilton won -- that might lead to Hamilton’s being penalized.

2International Speedway Corp., owner of California Speedway in Fontana, confirmed Thursday that triple-digit temperatures hurt attendance at the NASCAR Nextel Cup race there Sept. 2. The track has 92,000 seats and NASCAR estimated the crowd at 85,000.

ISC had other negative news. It told Wall Street analysts that advance ticket sales for Sunday’s Cup race at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway also “are turning behind the prior year,” partly because high fuel prices are keeping some fans at home.

ISC also said the flurry of Cup drivers announcing that they’re changing teams next year, led by Dale Earnhardt Jr., is hurting merchandise sales for Motorsports Authentics, which is co-owned by ISC. The company’s stock price tumbled 4% on the news.

3The Mars candy company said it would shift its M&Ms; sponsorship to Cup driver Kyle Busch and his No. 18 Toyota next year when he moves to Joe Gibbs Racing.

M&Ms; currently is the main sponsor for the No. 38 Ford of Riverside’s David Gilliland, who drives for Robert Yates Racing. That team is looking for new sponsorship for Gilliland.

4Cup driver Scott Riggs, who drives for Gillett Evernham Motorsports, was hired to join Haas CNC Racing next year. Riggs would replace either Jeff Green in the No. 66 Chevrolet or Johnny Sauter in the No. 70.

5In local racing, Irwindale Speedway and the Orange Show Speedway in San Bernardino have multi-race programs Saturday night, and sprint cars are featured at Ventura Raceway on Saturday night and then Perris Auto Speedway on Sunday night.

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THE CHASE

Nextel Cup standings through 29 of 36 races:

*--* Driver Points Behind 1 Jimmie Johnson 5,506 -- 2 Jeff Gordon 5,500 -6 3 Clint Bowyer 5,492 -14 4 Tony Stewart 5,389 -117 5 Kevin Harvick 5,380 -126 6 Kyle Busch 5,370 -136 7 Carl Edwards 5,364 -142 8 Martin Truex Jr. 5,348 -158 9 Kurt Busch 5,329 -177 10 Jeff Burton 5,320 -186 11 Matt Kenseth 5,287 -219 12 Denny Hamlin 5,258 -248 *--*

REMAINING RACES

* Sunday: UAW-Ford 500, Talladega, Ala.

* Oct. 13: Bank of America 500, Concord, N.C.

* Oct. 21: Subway 500, Martinsville, Va.

* Oct. 28: Georgia 500, Hampton, Ga.

* Nov. 4: Dickies 500, Fort Worth, Texas.

* Nov. 11: Checker Auto Parts 500, Avondale, Ariz.

* Nov. 18: Ford 400, Homestead, Fla.

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STAT OF THE WEEK

* The NASCAR Nextel Cup team of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates -- which signed IndyCar driver Dario Franchitti, above, for next year -- hasn’t won a Cup race on an oval track since 2002.

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LIFE IN THE FASTLANE

John Force, NHRA drag-racing champion, conceding his rehabilitation from serious injuries in a crash Sept. 23 will take longer than he thought:

‘The truth is I’m beat up pretty bad.’