LDN - Sports

Auto Racing Glance

[September 22, 2016] The Sports Xchange

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES: BAD BOY OFF ROAD 300 (301 LAPS, 318.5 miles), New Hampshire Motor Speedway; Loudon, N.H.

TV: Sunday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m. ET -- NBCSN (Radio: Performance Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).

THEN AND NOW: This will be the 44th Sprint Cup race held at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. It will also be the second race of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship playoffs. Matt Kenseth has won the last two races at NHMS: last year's Chase race and this July's race there. ... Martin Truex Jr. kicked off the Chase with a win in the opening race at Chicagoland Speedway this past Sunday. It was Truex's third win of the season thus far. ... A total of 13 different drivers have won at least one race thus far in the first 27 races this season: Brad Keselowski (4 wins), Kyle Busch (4), Martin Truex Jr. (3), Denny Hamlin (3), Carl Edwards (2), Jimmie Johnson (2), Matt Kenseth (2), Kevin Harvick (2) and one win each by Kurt Busch, Joey Logano, Tony Stewart, Chris Buescher and Kyle Larson. ... With his win at Chicagoland, Truex took over the lead in the Sprint Cup point standings. He holds a one-point edge over second-ranked Brad Keselowski. The rest of the 16 Chase drivers and how far behind Truex: Kyle Busch (-4), Denny Hamlin (-5), Joey Logano (-7), Chase Elliott (-11), Matt Kenseth (-12), Jimmie Johnson (-13), Carl Edwards (-18), Kurt Busch (-19), Jamie McMurray (-20), Tony Stewart (-22), Austin Dillon (-23), Kevin Harvick (-23), Kyle Larson (-24) and Chris Buescher (-34).

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: VISITMYRTLEBEACH.COM 300, (200 laps, 300 miles), Kentucky Speedway; Sparta, Ky.

TV: Saturday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m. ET -- NBCSN (Radio: Performance Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).

THEN AND NOW: Saturday will mark the 21st time the Xfinity Series has raced at Kentucky Speedway. Ryan Blaney is the defending winner of this race, while Kyle Busch won there earlier this year in July. ... Saturday's race will also mark the start of the inaugural Chase for the Championship in the Xfinity Series. ... Erik Jones won last Saturday's Xfinity Series race at Chicagoland. By winning that race, Jones becomes the No. 1 seed in the 12-driver Chase field. The other 11 drivers and the number of points they are behind Jones heading into Saturday's race are Elliott Sadler (-6), Daniel Suarez (-9), and the remaining nine drivers are all 12 points behind Jones, tied for fourth: Ty Dillon, Justin Allgaier, Darrell Wallace Jr., Brendan Gaughan, Brennan Poole, Ryan Sieg, Ryan Reed, Brandon Jones and Blake Koch. ... Winners of the first 26 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), Denny Hamlin (Charlotte), Kyle Larson (Pocono), Daniel Suarez (Michigan), 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: UNOH 175 (175 laps, 185.2 miles), New Hampshire Motor Speedway; Loudon, N.H.

TV: Saturday, Sept. 24, 1 p.m. ET -- Fox Sports 1 (Radio: Performance Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).

THEN AND NOW: This will be the 19th Truck Series race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Austin Dillon is the defending winner. ... Kyle Busch has won three of the last five Truck races at NHMS. ... Saturday's race will mark the inaugural event of the seven-race Truck Series' Chase for the Championship format. Eight drivers will make up the Chase field: Points leader William Byron, Matt Crafton (-9), John Hunter Nemechek (-9), Christopher Bell (-12), Johnny Sauter (-12), Ben Kennedy (-12), Daniel Hemric (-15) and Timothy Peters (-15). ... Kyle Busch won the last regular-season Truck Series race last Friday at Chicagoland Speedway. ... There have been nine winners thus far this season: Johnny Sauter (Daytona), John Hunter Nemechek (Atlanta, Canada), Kyle Busch (Martinsville, Chicagoland), William Byron (Kansas, Michigan, Iowa, Kentucky and Pocono), Matt Crafton (Dover, Charlotte), Christopher Bell (Gateway), Kyle Larson (Eldora), Ben Kennedy (Bristol) and Brett Moffitt (Michigan).

VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES: 2016 season has concluded.

THEN AND NOW: The IndyCar season wrapped up last Sunday at Sonoma Raceway. Simon Pagenaud won both the race and his first career IndyCar championship. It was his fifth win in the 16-race season, with all five triumphs coming on four road courses and one temporary street course. ... Will Power finished second in the championship battle, followed by Helio Castroneves, giving Team Penske a 1-2-3 finish in the company's 50th year of racing. Josef Newgarden finished fourth, followed by Graham Rahal, 2015 champion Scott Dixon, Tony Kanaan, Juan Pablo Montoya, Charlie Kimball and Carlos Munoz in 10th. ... Sunday marked the 11th consecutive season that the series' championship was decided in the final race. ... Ryan Hunter-Reay, who finished 12th in the season standings, welcomed his third son into the world with wife Beccy last Wednesday. Tragically, less than 24 hours later, Beccy's father -- noted off-road racing champion Bob Gordon -- and his wife were found dead in their Orange, Calif., home. Police are calling the incident a murder-suicide. Gordon is also the father of former NASCAR driver and current Stadium SuperTrucks Series owner and driver Robby Gordon. ...

[to top of second column]

This season's race winners were: Juan Pablo Montoya (St. Petersburg), Scott Dixon (Phoenix, Watkins Glen), Simon Pagenaud (Long Beach, Birmingham, Grand Prix of Indianapolis, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma), Alexander Rossi (Indianapolis 500), Sebastien Bourdais (Belle Isle 1), Will Power (Belle Isle 2, Road America, Toronto, Pocono), Josef Newgarden (Iowa) and Graham Rahal (Texas). ... 2012 series champion Ryan Hunter-Reay has re-signed through 2020 with Andretti Autosport and with primary sponsor DHL Express. ... There have been numerous unconfirmed reports in recent days that Josef Newgarden will be joining Team Penske in 2017, replacing Juan Pablo Montoya. Ironically, Montoya could potentially replace Newgarden at Ed Carpenter Racing. There also have been reports that Montoya may remain with Team Penske, but will shift to a full-time ride for the organization in the IMSA Sports Car series. ... Speaking of IMSA, Pagenaud's "offseason" was pretty short. It was announced Wednesday that he will race in the upcoming IMSA Petit LeMans race at Road Atlanta. ... Indianapolis 500 winner Alexander Rossi is reportedly close to signing a three-year contract extension with Andretti Autosport.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION, MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES: AAA INSURANCE MIDWEST NATIONALS, Gateway Motorsports Park; Madison, Ill. (suburban St. Louis).

TV: Sunday, Sept. 25, 2 p.m.-5 p.m. ET -- Fox Sports 1.

THEN AND NOW: The NHRA's six-race Countdown to the Championship got underway last weekend at zMAX Dragway in suburban Charlotte, N.C. Winners of the four pro categories were: Antron Brown (Top Fuel), John Force (Funny Car), Jason Line (Pro Stock) and Chip Ellis (Pro Stock Motorcycle). Of note, it was Brown's second consecutive win in the Countdown opener. Also, Force, who has won a record 16 Funny Car championships, earned a record 146th Funny Car win of his career. Also, Ellis won his seventh career PSM race but the first since 2008. ... Also of note, two-time defending Pro Stock champion Erica Enders suffered a major setback to potentially earning a third straight championship this season when she failed to qualify for last Sunday's final eliminations. Enders is now essentially in a must-win situation for the remaining five races -- and that still might not be enough, given how far back she now is in the points. ... Next weekend's race at Maple Grove Raceway near Reading, Pa., has been named the Dodge Nationals. ... Here are the updated standings after the first of the six Countdown races -- TOP FUEL: 1. Antron Brown; 2. Doug Kalitta (-42); 3. Steve Torrence (-100); 4. Brittany Force (-116); 5. Tony Schumacher (-127); 6. J.R. Todd (-152); 7. Shawn Langdon (-159) 8. Leah Pritchett (-172); 9. Clay Millican (-174); 10. Richie Crampton (-180). FUNNY CAR: 1. Ron Capps; 2. Del Worsham (-42); 3. John Force (-50); 4. Tommy Johnson Jr. (-62); 5. Matt Hagan (-72); 6. Courtney Force (-100); 7. Robert Hight (-101); 8. Jack Beckman (-110); 9. 9.Tim Wilkerson (-127); 10. Alexis DeJoria (-158). PRO STOCK: 1. Jason Line; 2. Greg Anderson (-50); 3. Vincent Nobile (-104); 4. Bo Butner (-110); 5. Allen Johnson (-138); 6. Chris McGaha (-151); 7. Shane Gray (-152); 8. Drew Skillman (-160); 9. Jeg Coughlin (-181); 10. Erica Enders (-213). PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Andrew Hines; 2. Chip Ellis (-44); 3. Angelle Sampey (-49); 4. Eddie Krawiec (-85); 5. LE Tonglet IV (-99); 6. Jerry Savoie (-106); 7. Hector Arana Jr. (-122); 8. Hector Arana (-1533); 9. Matt Smith (-163); 10. Cory Reed (-173).

-----------------------------------------------

Back to top