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[October 11, 2017] The Sports Xchange

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: ALABAMA 500 (188 laps, 500.08 miles around a 2.66-mile, high-banked oval), Talladega Superspeedway; Talladega, Alabama.

TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET -- NBC. Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

THIS WEEK: This will be the fifth race of the 10-race NASCAR Cup playoffs, the middle race of the three-race second round (also known as the Round of 12). It is also the 97th NASCAR Cup race at Talladega, which has been hosting NASCAR since 1969. ... Joey Logano is defending winner of this race, while Ricky Stenhouse Jr. won at Talladega on May 7. ... Martin Truex Jr. won last Sunday at Charlotte, his NASCAR Cup series-leading sixth victory of the season. With the win, Truex earned an automatic berth into the three-race Round of 8 semifinal round that starts in two weeks at Martinsville. ... Here are the Cup point standings after Charlotte: Truex (3,106 points), Kyle Larson (3,072), Kevin Harvick (3,069), Chase Elliott (3,059), Denny Hamlin (3,056), Kyle Busch (3,055), Jimmie Johnson (3,051), Jamie McMurray (3,044), Matt Kenseth (3,043), Brad Keselowski, (3,042), Ryan Blaney (3,039) and Stenhouse (3,034).

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: The series is off this weekend. The schedule resumes Oct. 21 with the Kansas Lottery 300 at Kansas Speedway.

THIS WEEK: Alex Bowman earned his first career NASCAR win last Saturday in the Xfinity race at Charlotte. Sam Hornish Jr. finished second, while Ryan Blaney was third. ... Bowman will replace Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the No. 88 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet in the 2018 NASCAR Cup Series. ... The Charlotte race was the final race of the first round of the Xfinity playoffs. Four drivers -- Brendan Gaughan, Michael Annett, Blake Koch and Jeremy Clements -- were eliminated from advancing to the second round next week at Kansas. ... William Byron (3,026) leads the Xfinity Series, followed by Justin Allgaier (3,023), Elliott Sadler (3,020), Daniel Hemric (3,009), Cole Custer (3,007), Brennan Poole (3,006), Ryan Reed (3,005) and Matt Tifft (3,004).

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: FRED'S PHARMACY 250 (94 laps, 250.04 miles around a 2.66-mile, high-banked oval), Talladega Superspeedway; Talladega, Alabama.

TV: Saturday, noon ET -- NBC. Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90.

THIS WEEK: The Truck Series was off last weekend. ... In the most recent race two weeks ago at Las Vegas, Ben Rhodes earned his first career Truck Series victory. ... Christopher Bell (2,152) is No. 1 in the point standings, followed by Rhodes (2,105), Matt Crafton (2,101), Johnny Sauter (2,098), Chase Briscoe (2,084), Austin Cindric (2,082), Kaz Grala (2,074) and John Hunter Nemechek (2,068).

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NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: AAA TEXAS NHRA FALL NATIONALS, Texas Motorplex; Ennis, Texas.

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

THIS WEEK: After enjoying last weekend off from competition, this weekend marks the fourth race of the six-race Countdown to the Championship playoffs. ... Veteran Funny Car driver Alexis DeJoria announced Monday that she will retire from NHRA drag racing at the end of this season. DeJoria cited family reasons for ending her racing career. In six-plus seasons of racing a Funny Car for Kalitta Motorsports, DeJoria earned five wins, four No. 1 qualifiers and eight final-round appearances. She also was the first female Funny Car driver to break the four-second barrier and the first woman to compete in 100 Funny Car national events. ... The winners in the most recent race, two weeks ago at Gateway Motorsports Park near St. Louis, were Steve Torrence (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car), Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) and L.E. Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle). It was the eighth win of the season for both Torrence and Capps. ... Here are the updated point standings: Top Fuel -- Torrence (2,376 points), Doug Kalitta (2,334), Brittany Force (2,293), Antron Brown (2,282), Clay Millican (2,235), Tony Schumacher (2,234), Leah Pritchett (2,224), Terry McMillen (2,115), Scott Palmer (2,105) and Shawn Langdon (2,100); Funny Car -- Capps (2,395 points), Robert Hight (2,349), Courtney Force (2,287), Matt Hagan (2,238), Jack Beckman (2,228), John Force (2,197), Tommy Johnson Jr. (2,191), J.R. Todd (2,168), Tim Wilkerson (2,130) and Cruz Pedregon (2,096); Pro Stock -- Anderson (2,393 points), Bo Butner (2,390), Jason Line (2,317), Tanner Gray (2,299), Drew Skillman (2,208), Erica Enders (2,197), Allen Johnson (2,151), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (2,148), Chris McGaha (2,122) and Vincent Nobile (2,052); Pro Stock Motorcycle -- Eddie Krawiec (2,378 points), Tonglet (2,362), Andrew Hines (2,306), Hector Arana Jr. (2,263), Jerry Savoie (2,261), Scotty Pollacheck (2,252), Matt Smith (2,238), Karen Stoffer (2,148), Angie Smith (2,119) and Joey Gladstone (2,117).

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