As earnings season gears up, motor sports company International Speedway Corp. is expected to report better second-quarter results. The host of the NASCAR circuit has long-term broadcasting contracts that Standard & Poor's analyst Eric Kolb notes should "help provide a degree of stability" in the face of an economic slowdown that threatens attendance and spending at concession stands.

MORE DINING IN HURTS RESTAURANTS

Casual-dining chain Ruby Tuesday is expected to see lower fiscal fourth-quarter earnings as tapped out consumers spend less time and money dining out. Morgan Keegan analyst Robert Derrington, who rates Ruby Tuesday "market perform," notes that same-store sales, sales at restaurants open at least one year, have improved industrywide, but it's not clear whether the federal tax rebates will provide a further boost.

UNIQUE FINDS LET SELLERS SPICE IT UP

Whole Foods, Kraft Foods, Costco Wholesale and other food sellers sent scouts to New York last week for the annual Fancy Food Show, where 2,400 exhibitors showed 180,000 specialty items. New and notable finds included: tea sticks from Petit Tea, long foil packets with holes; teaspoon-size packets of cardamom, ginger, cinnamon and other spices from The Seasoned Palate; and green tea mints (above) and energy bars from Sencha Naturals. Food marketers from Chile brought the tamaya, a papaya that resembles a lemon; from South Africa came peppadew, a fruit which looks like a mini red or yellow pepper; and from China, the golf-ball-size Yang-Mei berry. Trend watchers predict the rise of "superspices," so spice blends like Middle Eastern Za'atar, made with oregano, thyme and sesame seeds, may be coming to more stores near you.