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 [October 06, 2016]
The Sports Xchange
NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES: BANK OF
AMERICA 500 (334 laps, 501 miles), Charlotte Motor Speedway;
Charlotte, North Carolina.
TV: Saturday, Oct. 8, 7 p.m. ET - NBC (Radio: Performance Racing
Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).
THEN AND NOW: This will be the 116th Sprint Cup race held at
Charlotte Motor Speedway. It will also be the fourth race of the
10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship playoffs, in addition
to being the first race of the second round of the Chase (known this
year as the Round of 12). Four of this season's original 16 Chase
drivers were eliminated after this past Sunday's race at Dover: Tony
Stewart (in his final season of racing in NASCAR), teammates Kyle
Larson and Jamie McMurray, and Chris Buescher. ... Joey Logano is
the defending winner of this race, while Martin Truex Jr., who won
Sunday at Dover (his third win in the last five races), won this
spring's Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte. ... The first three race
winners thus far in the Chase have been Martin Truex Jr.
(Chicagoland), Kevin Harvick (New Hampshire) and Truex (Dover). ...
A total of 13 different drivers have won at least one race thus far
in the first 29 races this season: Brad Keselowski (4 wins), Kyle
Busch (4), Martin Truex Jr. (4), Denny Hamlin (3), Kevin Harvick
(3), Carl Edwards (2), Jimmie Johnson (2), Matt Kenseth (2) and one
win each by Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Tony Stewart, Chris Buescher
and Kyle Larson. ... As the Chase's Round of 12 begins at Charlotte,
all 12 remaining drivers are tied with 3,000 points apiece. Those 12
drivers are Truex, Keselowski, Harvick, Kyle Busch, Kurt Busch, Matt
Kenseth, Logano, Chase Elliott, Hamlin, Edwards, Johnson and Austin
Dillon.
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: DRIVE FOR THE CURE 300, (200 laps, 300
miles), Charlotte Motor Speedway; Charlotte, N.C.
TV: Friday, Oct. 7, 8 p.m. ET - NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing
Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).
THEN AND NOW: Friday will mark the 70th time the Xfinity Series has
raced at Charlotte. Austin Dillon is the defending winner of this
race, while Denny Hamlin won there this past May. ... The race will
mark the final race of the first round of the inaugural Xfinity
Chase for the Championship. Four drivers of the original field of 12
will be eliminated after Friday's race. Drivers with the greatest
risk of being eliminated are ninth through 12th heading into the
race: Ty Dillon, Erik Jones, Ryan Sieg and Brandon Jones. But in
reality, no driver is safe from being eliminated. For example, while
Dillon has 2,054 points, series leader Daniel Suarez is only 33
points ahead. If Suarez or one of the other points leaders has a bad
race, they could easily be eliminated, as well. ... Erik Jones is
hoping to advance so he could potentially win his second consecutive
championship, having done so last season in the Camping World Truck
Series. ... Elliott Sadler won the first race of the Xfinity Chase
two weeks ago at Kentucky Speedway, while Suarez won last weekend at
Dover. ... With his win, Suarez moved past Sadler and into the top
spot of the Xfinity Series point standings. Sadler is second (-2),
followed by Justin Allgaier (-16), Brendan Gaughan (-19), Ryan Reed
(-22), Darrell Wallace Jr. (-23), Blake Koch (-29), Brennan Poole
(-30), Ty Dillon (-33), Erik Jones (-34), Ryan Sieg (-40) and
Brandon Jones (-48). ... Winners of the first 27 Xfinity Series
races this season have been Chase Elliott (Daytona), Kyle Busch
(Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Texas, Kentucky, New Hampshire,
Indianapolis and Richmond), Austin Dillon (Fontana, Bristol), Erik
Jones (Bristol, Dover, Iowa and Chicago), Dale Earnhardt Jr.
(Richmond), Elliott Sadler (Talladega, Darlington and Kentucky),
Denny Hamlin (Charlotte), Kyle Larson (Pocono), Daniel Suarez
(Michigan and Dover), Sam Hornish Jr. (Iowa), Aric Almirola
(Daytona), Joey Logano (Watkins Glen), Justin Marks (Mid-Ohio) and
Michael McDowell (Road America).
NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: The series is off this weekend.
It resumes racing Oct. 22 at Talladega Superspeedway.
THEN AND NOW: Tyler Reddick, who did not qualify for the inaugural
Camping World Truck Series Chase, didn't let that stop him from
winning last Saturday's DC Solar 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
... Reddick joins rookie William Byron (New Hampshire) as the first
two race winners of the Truck Series' first-ever Chase (although
Reddick is not eligible to win the championship). ... Byron has
dominated this season with six wins in 18 races. ... Byron
maintained the series lead in the point standings after Las Vegas.
Christopher Bell is second (-18), followed by two-time series
champion Matt Crafton (-19), Ben Kennedy (-25), Timothy Peters
(-27), Johnny Sauter (-28), Daniel Hemric (-43) and John Hunter
Nemechek (-43). ... There have been 10 winners thus far this season:
Johnny Sauter (Daytona), John Hunter Nemechek (Atlanta, Canada),
Kyle Busch (Martinsville, Chicagoland), William Byron (Kansas,
Michigan, Iowa, Kentucky, Pocono and New Hampshire), Matt Crafton
(Dover, Charlotte), Christopher Bell (Gateway), Kyle Larson
(Eldora), Ben Kennedy (Bristol), Brett Moffitt (Michigan) and Tyler
Reddick (Las Vegas).
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VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES: 2016 season has concluded.
THEN AND NOW: Simon Pagenaud received his $1 million championship
winner's prize, as well as the Astor Cup championship trophy and the
ceremonial champion's ring in a ceremony Tuesday night in
Indianapolis. Other award winners or honorees included: Championship
driver (Astor Challenge Cup): Simon Pagenaud; Jostens Championship
Driver Award (ring): Simon Pagenaud; Championship team (Astor
Challenge Cup): Team Penske; Championship team sponsors: Menards,
PPG Automotive Refinish, Hewlett Packard Enterprise; Championship
team manager: Jon Bouslog; Chief Mechanic of the Year Award: Billy
Vincent; Sunoco Diamond Performance Award: Simon Pagenaud; Sunoco
Rookie of the Year Award: Alexander Rossi; TAG Heuer "Don't Crack
Under Pressure" Award: Conor Daly; Firestone "Drive to the Finish"
Award: Charlie Kimball; Verizon P1 Award: Simon Pagenaud;
Second-place championship driver: Will Power; Second-place
championship team: Team Penske; Third-place championship driver:
Helio Castroneves; Third-place championship team: Team Penske;
Manufacturers Championship: Chevrolet; IndyCar Nation Fan Favorite
Driver: Bryan Clauson. ... Two drivers are locked up for next season
and beyond: Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi has signed a
three-year contract extension with Andretti Autosport, while
Wednesday morning, Josef Newgarden made it official that he has
signed with Team Penske, replacing Juan Pablo Montoya. Montoya is
weighing several offers to remain in IndyCar with another team, or
to stay with Team Penske and drive a sports car full-time on the
IMSA circuit.
NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION, MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES: The
series is off this weekend. It resumes next weekend in Ennis, Texas.
THEN AND NOW: The NHRA's six-race Countdown to the Championship is
now at the midpoint after this past weekend's Dodge Nationals at
Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa. The weekend was marred by
extensive rain that washed out three of the four qualifying rounds.
... Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Tommy Johnson Jr. (Funny Car), Vincent
Nobile (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle) were the
winners at Maple Grove. ... Here are the updated standings after the
first two Countdown races -- TOP FUEL: 1. Antron Brown; 2. Doug
Kalitta (-77); 3. Brittany Force (-118); 4. Shawn Langdon (-119); 5.
Tony Schumacher (-141); 6. Steve Torrence (-163); 7. Leah Pritchett
(-189); 8. J.R. Todd (-194); 9. Richie Crampton (-218); 10. Clay
Millican (-241). FUNNY CAR: 1. Ron Capps; 2. Tommy Johnson Jr.
(-24); 3. Jack Beckman (-93); 4. Matt Hagan (-110); 5. Del Worsham
(-122); 6. John Force (-138); 7. Tim Wilkerson (-172); 8. Robert
Hight (-175); 9. Courtney Force (-186); 10. Alexis DeJoria (-269).
PRO STOCK: 1. Jason Line; 2. Greg Anderson (-45); 3. Vincent Nobile
(-83); 4. Bo Butner (-87); 5. Shane Gray (-147); 6. Chris McGaha
(-200); 7. Allen Johnson (-29); 8. Drew Skillman (-232); 9. Jeg
Coughlin (-274); 10. Erica Enders (-285). PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1.
Andrew Hines; 2. Eddie Krawiec (-38); 3. Angelle Sampey (-52); 4.
Chip Ellis (--67); 5. Jerry Savoie (-70); 6. LE Tonglet IV (-126);
7. Cory Reed (-145); 8. Hector Arana (-182); 9. Matt Smith (-191);
10. Hector Arana Jr. (-192).
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