Kurt Busch visited Victory Lane last year at his home track in Las Vegas.

He was there to congratulate his little brother, Kyle, who became the first Busch brother to win at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

He wants his own party this year.

Kurt Busch shattered his brother's track record yesterday with a pole-winning role at Las Vegas, the track he and Kyle Busch consider to be among the most important on the series.

"I just love Vegas," said Kurt Busch. "It's the people that make it special to me. It's just fun seeing everybody."

Busch turned a lap of 188.719 mph to claim the top starting spot for tomorrow's Shelby American Cup Series race. Jeff Gordon was second at 188.646. Ryan Newman qualified third and was followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch.

Kyle Busch held the previous track record of 185.995 mph. In all, 18 drivers bettered that speed.

Patrick returning to IndyCar: Danica Patrick says she is sad her three-week stretch of NASCAR is coming to an end.

Patrick will drive in the Nationwide Series Sam's Town 300 today at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. She then will return to full-time IndyCar racing for the next four months. Her next NASCAR race is not scheduled until New Hampshire at the end of June.

SOCCER

U.S. women edge Norway: Abby Wambach scored two goals, the second from close range in the last minute of injury time for her 103rd international goal, as the United States beat Norway, 2-1, yesterday in the Algarve Cup at Olhao, Portugal.

The U.S. can reach Wednesday's final with only a draw on Monday against Sweden, which routed Iceland, 5-1, in the other group B game yesterday. In Group A, two-time world champion Germany trounced Finland, 7-0, while two-time Algarve Cup champion China beat Denmark, 2-0.

TENNIS

Venus in Mexican final: Top-seeded and defending champion Venus Williams beat Romanian Edina Gallovits, 6-4, 2-6, 6-2, yesterday to advance to the final of the Mexican Open at Acapulco.

Williams will face eighth-seeded Polona Hercog of Slovenia, who beat Spain's Carla Suarez Navarro, 6-3, 7-5, to reach her first WTA final. Williams is coming off a victory Sunday in Dubai, her 42nd WTA victory — the most by any active player.

In the men's draw, fourth-seeded Juan Carlos Ferrero reached the final when Juan Monaco retired with a rib injury after losing the first set 7-5. Ferrero, seeking his third straight tour title, will face No. 3 David Ferrer, who beat No. 2 Fernando Gonzalez, 6-7 (7), 6-0, 6-4.

No. 2 seed Karlovic advances: Second-seeded Ivo Karlovic beat seventh-seeded James Blake, 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-1, yesterday to reach the semifinals of the Delray Beach International in Florida.

Karlovic will play defending champion Mardy Fish, who ousted fourth-seeded Jeremy Chardy, 6-4, 6-3. Ernests Gulbis and Jarkko Nieminen also advanced. Gulbis beat Leonardo Mayer, 7-6 (2) 6-4, while Nieminen upset third-seeded Benjamin Becker, 7-5, 3-6, 7-6 (5).

Djokovic in Dubai final: Defending champion Novak Djokovic edged unseeded Marcos Baghdatis, 6-7 (2), 6-3, 6-4, yesterday to reach the final of the Dubai Championships at United Arab Emirates.

The second-seeded Djokovic will play seventh-seeded Mikhail Youzhny, who defeated Jurgen Melzer, 7-5, 7-6 (4), to reach the Dubai final for the second time in four years.