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Auto Racing Glance

[October 20, 2016] The Sports Xchange

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES: HELLMANN'S 500, (188 laps, 500.8 miles), Talladega Superspeedway; Talladega, Alabama.

TV: Sunday, Oct. 23, 2 p.m. ET -- NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).

THEN AND NOW: This will be the 95th Sprint Cup race held at the largest superspeedway on the NASCAR circuit (2.66 miles around). It will also be the sixth race of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship playoffs, and the final race of the second race of the second round of the Chase (known this year as the "Round of 12"). Four drivers will be eliminated from continuing on in the Chase after Sunday's race, as the Chase moves on to the "Round of 8" for the seventh through ninth races of the playoffs. ... The four drivers that are currently below the cutoff line for advancing are Austin Dillon (-37 behind series leader Jimmie Johnson), Denny Hamlin (-43), Brad Keselowski (-44) and Chase Elliott (-62). Hamlin, Keselowski and Elliott are all essentially in must-win situations. Otherwise, they will likely be eliminated from advancing in the Chase. Elliott has already essentially been eliminated, but if he wins Sunday, he would advance to the Round of 8. ... Joey Logano is the defending winner of this race, while Brad Keselowski won this year's spring race at Talladega. ... The first five race winners thus far in the Chase have been Martin Truex Jr. (Chicagoland), Kevin Harvick (New Hampshire and Kansas), Martin Truex Jr. (Dover) and Jimmie Johnson (Charlotte). ... 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), Kevin Harvick (4), Denny Hamlin (3), Jimmie Johnson (3), Carl Edwards (2), Matt Kenseth (2) and one win each by Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Tony Stewart, Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson. ... Johnson remains atop the points standings. Matt Kenseth is second (-8), followed by Kyle Busch (-10), Carl Edwards (-13), Kurt Busch (-20), Martin Truex Jr. (-24), Kevin Harvick (-34), Joey Logano (-37), Austin Dillon (-37), Denny Hamlin (-43), Brad Keselowski (-44) and Chase Elliott (-62).

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: The series is off this weekend (as well as next weekend). The schedule resumes on Saturday, Nov. 5, at Texas Motor Speedway.

THEN AND NOW: Kyle Busch won last Saturday's race at Kansas Speedway. Elliott Sadler finished second, followed by Daniel Suarez, Joey Logano and Kyle Larson. ... The next race on the schedule, at Texas on Nov. 5, will be the second race of the second round -- known as the "Round of 8" -- of the inaugural Xfinity Chase for the Championship. ... Winners in the Chase thus far have been Elliott Sadler (Kentucky), Daniel Suarez (Dover), Joey Logano (Charlotte) and Kyle Busch (Kansas). ... Winners of the first 30 Xfinity Series races this season have been Chase Elliott (Daytona), Kyle Busch (Atlanta, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Texas, Kentucky, New Hampshire, Indianapolis, Richmond and Kansas), 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 and Charlotte), Justin Marks (Mid-Ohio) and Michael McDowell (Road America). ... Elliott Sadler and Daniel Suarez are tied for the lead in the Xfinity point standings, followed by Blake Koch (-7), Justin Allgaier (-12), Erik Jones (-12), Ryan Reed (-14), Brendan Gaughan (-29) and Darrell Wallace Jr. (-30).

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: FRED'S 250 POWERED BY COCA-COLA (94 laps, 250.04 miles), Talladega Superspeedway; Talladega, Alabama.

TV: Saturday, Oct. 22, 1 p.m. ET -- FOX (Radio: Motor Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).

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THEN AND NOW: After two weekends off, the series resumes racing Saturday at Talladega. ... Tyler Reddick, who did not qualify for the inaugural Camping World Truck Series Chase, won the most recent Truck Series race, the DC Solar 350 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on Oct. 1. ... Reddick joined 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). ... This will be the final race of the Round of 8 in the inaugural Chase for the Championship. Two drivers will be eliminated after Saturday's race, leaving just six drivers to advance to the Round of 6, which will begin Saturday, Oct. 29, at Martinsville Speedway. ... William Byron has dominated this season with six wins in 18 races. ... Byron remains atop the point standings. 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)

VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES: 2016 season has concluded.

THEN AND NOW: Canadian driver James Hinchcliffe continued to advance on ABC's "Dancing With The Stars" this past Monday. Hinchcliffe is aiming to become the second IndyCar driver to win the championship, following Helio Castroneves' victory in 2007.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION, MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES: The series is off this weekend. It resumes Oct. 27-30 at Las Vegas, Nevada.

THEN AND NOW: Following this past weekend's race at Texas Motorplex, the NHRA's six-race Countdown to the Championship now has two races remaining. Four races are completed (Charlotte, St. Louis, Maple Grove and Texas), and races remaining are Las Vegas and the season finale in Pomona, California. ... Winners at Texas were Antron Brown (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car), Drew Skillman (Pro Stock) and Eddie Krawiec (Pro Stock Motorcycle). ... Brown is closing in on his second consecutive Top Fuel crown and his third in the last five seasons. Five drivers were eliminated from further advancement in the Countdown at Texas: Richie Crampton and Clay Millican (Top Fuel), Alexis DeJoria (Funny Car), and Jeg Coughlin and two-time defending champion Erica Enders (Pro Stock). There have been no riders eliminated yet in Pro Stock Motorcycle. At next week's race at Las Vegas, it's likely we'll see a number of additional drivers in all four professional classes eliminated from advancing in the Countdown. ... Here are the updated standings after the first four Countdown races (only drivers that remain mathematically eligible) -- TOP FUEL: 1. Antron Brown; 2. Doug Kalitta (-150); 3. Shawn Langdon (-172); 4. Brittany Force (-191); 5. Steve Torrence (-197); 6. Tony Schumacher (-209); 7. J.R. Todd (-244); and 8. Leah Pritchett (-254). FUNNY CAR: 1. Ron Capps; 2. Tommy Johnson Jr. (-64); 3. Matt Hagan (-88); 4. Jack Beckman (-131); 5. Del Worsham (-145); 6. Robert Hight (-187); 7. John Force (-198); 8. Courtney Force (-227) and 9. Tim Wilkerson (-237. PRO STOCK: 1. Jason Line; 2. Greg Anderson (-26); 3. Vincent Nobile (-14); 4. Shane Gray (-134); 5. Bo Butner (-140); 6. Drew Skillman (-185); 7. Chris McGaha (-232); 8. Allen Johnson (-241). PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Eddie Krawiec; 2. Andrew Hines (-17); 3. Jerry Savoie (-49); 4. Angelle Sampey (-60); 5. Chip Ellis (-97); 6. LE Tonglet IV (-137); 7. Cory Reed (-196); 8. Hector Arana (-214); 9. Matt Smith (-223); 10. Hector Arana Jr. (-242).

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