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[August 04, 2016]  The Sports Xchange

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES: CHEEZ-IT 355 (90 laps, 220.5 miles), Watkins Glen International; Watkins Glen, N.Y.

TV: Sunday, Aug. 7, 2:30 p.m. ET -- USA Network (Radio: Motor Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).

THEN AND NOW: This will be the 33rd Sprint Cup race held on the permanent road course in upstate New York. The track hosted its first Cup race in 1957 and again in 1964 and 1965 before becoming a permanent part of the NASCAR schedule in 1986. It will also be the first time NASCAR has raced on WGI's completely repaved racing surface. ... Joey Logano is the defending champion of this race, having swept both the Cup and Xfinity races there last season. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. will once again sit this weekend's race (as well as Bristol in two weeks) due to a continuation of concussion-like symptoms. However, Earnhardt is expected to attend this weekend's race as a spectator and is expected to have a press conference Friday at-track. ... Chris Buescher won Monday's Pennsylvania 400 at Pocono Raceway. The race, which was shortened by 22 laps due to fog and then rain, had originally been postponed from Sunday due to rain. It was Buescher's first career Sprint Cup win. But Buescher is not yet eligible for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. He is still outside the top-30 by six points. If he can crack the top-30 and remain there after the final Chase qualifying race at Richmond next month, Buescher would then become one of the 16 Chase drivers. ... A total of 12 different drivers have won at least one race thus far in the first 21 races this season: Brad Keselowski (4 wins), Kyle Busch (4), Carl Edwards (2), Jimmie Johnson (2), Matt Kenseth (2), and one win each by Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Martin Truex Jr., Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart and Chris Buescher. Only five races remain for drivers to qualify for the Chase. ... Kevin Harvick (709 points) continues to lead the Sprint Cup point standings. Brad Keselowski (687) is second, followed by Kurt Busch (658), Kyle Busch (634), Carl Edwards (626), Joey Logano dropped two places to sixth (612), Jimmie Johnson (577), Martin Truex Jr. (577), Denny Hamlin (576) and Matt Kenseth (569).

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: ZIPPO 200 AT THE GLEN (82 laps, 200.9 miles), Watkins Glen International; Watkins Glen, N.Y.

TV: Saturday, Aug. 6, 2 p.m. ET -- CNBC (Radio: Motor Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).

THEN AND NOW: Saturday will mark the 23rd time the Xfinity Series has raced at Watkins Glen. ... Joey Logano is the defending winner of this race, having swept last year's Cup and Xfinity races there. ... Erik Jones dominated last Saturday's U.S. Cellular 250 at Iowa Speedway, leading 154 of the scheduled 250 laps. Ty Dillon finished second, followed by Elliott Sadler. ... Winners of the first 18 Xfinity Series races this season have been Chase Elliott (Daytona), Kyle Busch (Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Texas, Kentucky, New Hampshire and Indianapolis), Austin Dillon (Fontana), Erik Jones (Bristol, Dover and Iowa), Dale Earnhardt Jr. (Richmond), Elliott Sadler (Talladega), Denny Hamlin (Charlotte), Kyle Larson (Pocono), Daniel Suarez (Michigan), Sam Hornish Jr. (Iowa) and Aric Almirola (Daytona). ... Elliott Sadler (633 points) took over the No. 1 spot in the Xfinity Series point standings. Daniel Suarez (619) dropped to second, followed by Ty Dillon (598), Erik Jones (584), Justin Allgaier (576), Brendan Gaughan (565), Brandon Jones (545), Darrell Wallace Jr. (500) and Ryan Reed (464).

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: The series is off until its next race, Aug. 17, at Bristol Motor Speedway.

THEN AND NOW: William Byron won last Saturday's Pocono Mountains 150 in dominating fashion, leading 44 of the scheduled 60 laps. It was Byron's fifth Truck win in 2016. ... There have been seven winners thus far this season: Johnny Sauter (Daytona), John Hunter Nemechek (Atlanta), Kyle Busch (Martinsville), William Byron (Kansas, Michigan, Iowa, Kentucky and Pocono), Matt Crafton (Dover, Charlotte), Christopher Bell (Gateway) and Kyle Larson (Eldora). ... William Byron remains in the Truck Series points lead (319 points), followed by former champion Matt Crafton (294), Daniel Hemric (282), Timothy Peters (282) and Johnny Sauter (278).

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VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES: The series is off until its next race, Aug. 21, the ABC Supply 500 at Pocono Raceway.

THEN AND NOW: Points leader Simon Pagenaud won his fourth race of the season last Sunday in the Honda Indy 200 at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course in Lexington, Ohio. Will Power finished second, followed by Carlos Munoz with the other podium finish. ... Even though Pagenaud won at Mid-Ohio, Power remains the hottest driver in the series. Power has won three of the last five races, and finished runner-up in the other two events. ... There are four more races remaining on the 16-race schedule (Pocono, Texas, Watkins Glen and Sonoma). ... This season's race winners thus far are: Juan Pablo Montoya (St. Petersburg), Scott Dixon (Phoenix), Simon Pagenaud (Long Beach, Birmingham, Grand Prix of Indianapolis and Mid-Ohio), Alexander Rossi (Indianapolis 500), Sebastien Bourdais (Belle Isle 1), Will Power (Belle Isle 2, Road America, Toronto) and Josef Newgarden (Iowa). ... Simon Pagenaud (484 points) continues to lead the point standings, followed by Will Power (426), Helio Castroneves (373), Josef Newgarden (364) and defending series champ Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan, tied for fifth with 357 points each.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION, MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES: PROTECTTHEHARVEST.COM NORTHWEST NATIONALS, Pacific Raceways; Kent, Wash.

TV: Sunday, Aug. 7, 4-7 p.m. ET, FOX TV (live).

THEN AND NOW: The NHRA wraps up its annual "Western Swing" (Denver, Sonoma and Seattle) this weekend. Three races remain until the start of the Countdown to the Championship (the other two races are Brainerd, Minn., and the biggest race of the year, the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis on Labor Day Weekend). ... 16-time Funny Car champion John Force won his second straight race of the season last Sunday at Sonoma. Force is seeking to repeat as the only driver to ever win all three races of the Western Swing this Sunday. He did so previously in 1994. No other driver in any major professional class has swept the Western Swing. ... Other winners this past weekend at Sonoma were J.R. Todd (Top Fuel), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet won his first Pro Stock Motorcycle race since 2011. ... Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria suffered a fractured left pelvis when her car hit the wall in Sunday's first-round elimination match with John Force. DeJoria's status is uncertain for this weekend's race. A spokesman for the team said DeJoria does not require immediate surgery, but is in great pain from the injury. DeJoria is on the bubble to qualify for the Countdown to the Championship, currently 10th (the final spot eligible for the six-race playoff). If she misses one or more races, her chances of making the Countdown will greatly decrease. ... In the NHRA point standings, Antron Brown remains No. 1 in Top Fuel (1,204 points), followed by Doug Kalitta (1,167), Steve Torrence (1,072), Brittany Force (1,008) and Tony Schumacher (971). Brown, Kalitta, Torrence and Force have clinched berths in the Countdown. ... In Funny Car, Ron Capps (1,214 points) remains No. 1, followed by Courtney Force (1,084), Jack Beckman (1,031 points), Del Worsham (960) and John Force (937), who climbed from eighth to fifth in the standings after Sunday's win at Sonoma. Capps, Courtney Force, Beckman and Worsham have all clinched berths in the Countdown. ... In Pro Stock, Greg Anderson (1,587 points) took over the No. 1 spot from teammate Jason Line (1,583), followed by another teammate, Bo Butner (1,065) in third, then Allen Johnson (939) and Vincent Nobile (811). Anderson, Line and Butner have all clinched berths in the Countdown. ... Defending two-time series champ Erica Enders (618 points) continues to struggle, ranked in 11th place. However, Enders could make a late surge in the next three races and still qualify for the Countdown. While Enders is 969 points behind Anderson, she is only nine points out of 10th place. ... In Pro Stock Motorcycle, Eddie Krawiec remains No. 1 in the standings (824 points), followed by teammate and 2015 series champ Andrew Hines (735), Angelle Sampey (595), Jerry Savoie (556) and LE Tonglet (484). Krawiec and Hines have clinched positions in the Countdown.

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