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Auto Racing Glance

[August 10, 2017] The Sports Xchange

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: PURE MICHIGAN 400 (200 laps, 400 miles on 2-mile oval), Michigan International Speedway; Brooklyn, Mich.

TV: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET -- NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing Network/SiriusXM NASCAR radio).

THIS WEEK: This will be the 97th NASCAR Cup race at MIS. Since its repaving in 2012, MIS has become the fastest track on the circuit. ... Kyle Larson has won the last two races at MIS. His win last August was the first of his Cup career. He then returned this past June to win again. ... Cale Yarborough won the first Cup race at MIS in 1969. ... Martin Truex Jr. won last Sunday's race at Watkins Glen, his series-leading fourth victory of the season. ... Earlier this week, Kasey Kahne and Kurt Busch learned they will not be returning to their respective rides after this season, leaving them as free agents. ... Hendrick Motorsports named 19-year-old William Byron to replace Kahne in the No. 5 NASCAR Cup car in 2018. ... Former Cup team owner Harry Scott Jr. passed away last Wednesday at the age of 51. ... Truex Jr. (881 points) continues to lead the NASCAR Cup standings after Watkins Glen. Kyle Busch moved into second (765), followed by Larson (759), Kevin Harvick (746), Denny Hamlin (687), Brad Keselowski (681), Chase Elliott (648), Jamie McMurray (643), Matt Kenseth (637) and Clint Bowyer (609).

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: MID-OHIO CHALLENGE (75 laps, 169.35 miles around a 2.258-mile road course), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course; Lexington, Ohio.

TV: Saturday, August 12, 3:30 p.m. ET -- NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing Network /SiriusXM Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: This will be the fifth Xfinity Series race at Mid-Ohio. ... Justin Marks won this race last year. ... A.J. Allmendinger won the first Xfinity race there in 2013, while Chris Buescher won in 2014 and Regan Smith in 2015. ... Kyle Busch won last weekend's Xfinity race at Watkins Glen. ... Elliott Sadler (732 points) remains No. 1 in the Xfinity driver rankings. Byron remains second (680), followed by Justin Allgaier (608), Brennan Poole (541), Daniel Hemric (520), Cole Custer (503), Matt Tifft (460), Ryan Reed (446), Dakoda Armstrong (404) and Blake Koch (394).

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: LTI PRINTING 200 (100 laps, 200 miles around a 2-mile oval), Michigan International Speedway; Brooklyn, Mich.

TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET -- Fox Sports 1 (Radio: Motor Racing Network /SiriusXM Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The series was off last weekend. Christopher Bell won the most recent Truck Series race, held two weeks ago at Pocono Raceway. It was Bell's fourth win, eighth top-5 and 11th top-10 finish in 12 Truck Series starts this season. ... With his win at Pocono, Bell took over the points lead (528 points) in the Truck Series, overtaking previous points leader Johnny Sauter (510). Third through 10th are Chase Briscoe (470), Matt Crafton (464), John Hunter Nemechek (396), Ben Rhodes (387), Ryan Truex (386), Grant Enfinger (382), Noah Gragson (345) and Austin Cindric (324).

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VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES: The series is off this weekend. The next race is the ABC Supply 500, Aug. 20, at Pocono Raceway.

THIS WEEK: Josef Newgarden won the most recent race nearly two weeks ago at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It was Newgarden's second win in a row (he also won two weeks earlier at Toronto) and his third overall win in his first season with Team Penske, which has now won seven of the first 13 IndyCar races, with four races remaining on the schedule. ... Rumors began at Mid-Ohio that Helio Castroneves may not be back in an IndyCar for Team Penske next season, even if he were to win this season's championship. However, even if Castroneves does not race for Penske in IndyCar next season, he'll likely remain with the team and shift over to sports car racing for the team with Juan Pablo Montoya. ... Winners of the first 13 races have been Sebastien Bourdais (St. Petersburg), James Hinchcliffe (Long Beach), Newgarden (Alabama, Toronto, Mid-Ohio) Simon Pagenaud (Phoenix), Will Power (IndyCar Grand Prix), Takuma Sato (Indy 500), Graham Rahal (both Belle Isle races), Power (Texas), Scott Dixon (Road America) and Castroneves (Iowa). ... Dixon (423 points) remains No. 1 in the IndyCar standings, followed by Castroneves (420 points), Pagenaud (404), Newgarden (400), Power (359), Rahal (359), Sato (351), Alexander Rossi (330), Tony Kanaan (306) and Hinchcliffe (297). ... With his win at Mid-Ohio, Newgarden jumped into the lead in the IndyCar points standings. He has 453 points, seven points ahead of No. 2-ranked Castroneves (446 points). Third through 10th are Dixon (445 points, Pagenaud (436), Power (401), Rahal (395), Sato (381), Rossi (358), Kanaan (320) and Hinchcliffe (316).

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION, MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES: The series is off this weekend. The next race is the Lucas Oil Nationals, Aug. 17-20, at Brainerd International Raceway in Brainerd, Minn.

THIS WEEK: Last weekend's NHRA Northwest Nationals in suburban Seattle completed the three-week "West Coast Swing" for the NHRA. ... Northwest Nationals winners were Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Robert Hight (Funny Car), Drew Skillman (Pro Stock). ... Points leaders: Top Fuel -- Antron Brown (1,418), Steve Torrence (1,405), Leah Pritchett (1,329), Tony Schumacher (1,064) and Brittany Force (992); Funny Car -- Ron Capps (1,330), Matt Hagan (1,172), Robert Hight (1,164), Jack Beckman (1,104) and Tommy Johnson Jr. (1,081); Pro Stock -- Bo Butner (1,423), Greg Anderson (1,183), Tanner Gray (1,174), Jason Line (1,045) and Drew Skillman (1,035); Pro Stock Motorcycle -- L.E. Tonglet (780), Eddie Krawiec (636), Hector Arana Jr. (567), Jerry Savoie (535) and Matt Smith (499).

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