LDN - Sports

Auto Racing Glance

[September 29, 2016] The Sports Xchange

NASCAR SPRINT CUP SERIES: CITIZEN SOLDER 400 (400 laps, 400 miles), Dover International Speedway; Dover, Delaware.

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

THEN AND NOW: This will be the 94th Sprint Cup race held at Dover International Speedway. It will also be the third race of the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup Championship playoffs, in addition to being the first elimination race of the Chase. The four drivers with the fewest amount of points earned after Sunday's race will be eliminated from further advancement into the Round of 12 (second round of the Chase). ... Kevin Harvick, who won this past Sunday at New Hampshire, is also the defending winner of this race last October. Matt Kenseth won at Dover this past May. ... The first two race winners thus far in the Chase have been Martin Truex Jr. (Chicagoland) and Harvick (New Hampshire). ... A total of 13 different drivers have won at least one race in the first 28 races this season: Brad Keselowski (4 wins), Kyle Busch (4), Martin Truex Jr. (3), 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. ... Brad Keselowski assumed the top spot in the Sprint Cup standings after New Hampshire. Martin Truex Jr. is one point behind, followed by Kyle Busch (-2), Matt Kenseth (-9), Joey Logano (-14), Kevin Harvick (-16), Denny Hamlin (-16), Jimmie Johnson (-17), Chase Elliott (-19), Carl Edwards (-19), Kurt Busch (-20), Kyle Larson (-30), Jamie McMurray (-35), Austin Dillon (-35), Tony Stewart (-41) and Christ Buescher (-60). That obviously means the most vulnerable drivers facing potential elimination after Dover are McMurray, Dillon, Stewart and Buescher.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: DRIVE SOBER 200, (200 laps, 200 miles), Dover International Speedway; Dover, Del.

TV: Saturday, Oct. 1, 3 p.m. ET - NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).

THEN AND NOW: Saturday will mark the 66th time the Xfinity Series has raced at Dover International Speedway. Regan Smith is the defending winner of this race, while Erik Jones won there earlier this year in May. ... Saturday's race marks the second race of the inaugural Xfinity Chase for the Championship playoffs (seven races). Elliott Sadler won the first race of the Xfinity Chase last Saturday at Kentucky Speedway. ... With his win, Sadler moved into the top spot of the Xfinity Series point standings. Daniel Suarez is second (-8 points), followed by Brendan Gaughan (-14), Ryan Reed (-16), Darrell Wallace Jr. (-16), Justin Allgaier (-18), Brennan Poole (-19), Blake Koch (-20), Erik Jones (-23), Ryan Sieg (-25), Brandon Jones (-35) and Ty Dillon (-35). After Saturday's race, there will be one more event (Friday, Oct. 7 at Charlotte) before the Xfinity Chase field is cut from 12 to just eight drivers. ... 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), 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: DC SOLAR 350 (146 laps, 219 miles), Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Las Vegas, Nevada.

TV: Saturday, Oct 1, 8 p.m. ET - Fox Sports 1 (Radio: Motor Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90).

THEN AND NOW: This will be the 20th Truck Series race at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. John Wes Townley is the defending winner of this race, having won on the 1.5-mile track on October 3, 2015. ... Rookie William Byron continued his domination, earning his sixth win in 17 starts thus far this season, winning last Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Byron's win came in the opening event of the inaugural seven-race Truck Series' Chase for the Championship format. William Byron maintains his lead in the series standings. Two-time champion Matt Crafton is second (-16), followed by Christopher Bell (-17), John Hunter Nemechek (-22), Timothy Peters (-24), Johnny Sauter (-26), Ben Kennedy (-27) and Daniel Hemric (-47). ... 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, Pocono and New Hampshire), Matt Crafton (Dover, Charlotte), Christopher Bell (Gateway), Kyle Larson (Eldora), Ben Kennedy (Bristol) and Brett Moffitt (Michigan).

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VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES: 2016 season has concluded.

THEN AND NOW: Simon Pagenaud is the new Verizon IndyCar Series champion. But less than two weeks after winning the championship, Pagenaud will be back behind the wheel this Saturday (Oct. 1) in the IMSA sports car series' season finale, the 10-hour Petit Le Mans endurance race at Road Atlanta. Pagenaud will be part of a three-driver team for Action Express Racing. Pagenaud was a full-time driver on the American Le Mans Series from 2008 to 2010 before moving full-time to the IndyCar Series in 2011. ... This season's IndyCar 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). ... Rumors continue to grow in strength that Josef Newgarden will soon sign with Team Penske, and that Juan Pablo Montoya is deciding whether to remain with the Penske organization and shift to a full-time sports car ride in IMSA in 2017, or perhaps join another team and return for another season in the IndyCar circuit. Montoya's name has been mentioned most prominently as being courted by Ed Carpenter Racing - if he doesn't remain with Team Penske, that is. It's unlikely Penske would expand to a five-car team, which would be the first time it has ever carried that many teams in a season. ... 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: DODGE NATIONALS, Maple Grove Raceway; Reading, Pennsylvania.

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

THEN AND NOW: The NHRA's six-race Countdown to the Championship moves to the midpoint with its third race this weekend at Maple Grove Raceway. ... Winners of this past Sunday's AAA Insurance Midwest Nationals at Gateway Motorsports Park in suburban St. Louis were Shawn Langdon (Top Fuel), Jack Beckman (Funny Car), Alex Laughlin (Pro Stock) and Jerry Savoie (Pro Stock Motorcycle). Of note, it was Laughlin's first career win in Pro Stock. Here are the updated standings after the first two Countdown races -- TOP FUEL: 1. Antron Brown; 2. Doug Kalitta (-13); 3. Tony Schumacher (-54); 4. Shawn Langdon (-77); 5. Brittany Force (-91); 6. Steve Torrence (-97); 7. J.R. Todd (-106); 8. Richie Crampton (-131); 9. Leah Pritchett (-151); 10. Clay Millican (-174). FUNNY CAR: 1. Ron Capps; 2. Tommy Johnson Jr. (-48); 3. Jack Beckman (-70); 4. John Force (-74); 5. Del Worsham (-84); 6. Matt Hagan (-96); 7. Robert Hight (-114); 8. Courtney Force (-124); 9. Tim Wilkerson (-129); 10. Alexis DeJoria (-205). PRO STOCK: 1. Jason Line; 2. Greg Anderson (-63); 3. Bo Butner (-87); 4. Vincent Nobile (-125); 5. Shane Gray (-143); 6. Chris McGaha (-175); 7. Allen Johnson (-183); 8. Drew Skillman (-184); 9. Jeg Coughlin (-226); 10. Erica Enders (-258). PRO STOCK MOTORCYCLE: 1. Andrew Hines; 2. Angelle Sampey (-2); 3. Chip Ellis (-17); 4. Jerry Savoie (-42); 5. Eddie Krawiec (-76); 6. LE Tonglet IV (-122); 7. Hector Arana Jr. (-145); 8. Hector Arana (-153); 9.Cory Reed (-155); 10. Matt Smith (-164).

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