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Auto Racing Glance

[October 25, 2018] MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: FIRST DATA 500 (500 laps, 263 miles around a .526-mile paperclip oval), Martinsville Speedway; Martinsville, Va.

TV: Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 2:43 p.m. ET) -- NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: Chase Elliott was already in the Round of 8 in the playoffs, but he won for the second time in three weeks Sunday to emphatically state his case as the series' hottest driver. ... The Round of 8 starts Sunday at Martinsville as the eight drivers still in playoff contention look to make the final four for the season finale at Homestead over the next three races. ... The four drivers eliminated after Elliott's win at Kansas were Denny Hamlin, Kyle Larson, Brad Keselowski and Ryan Blaney. ... This will be the 140th Cup race at Martinsville, which hosted its first race in 1949. ... Playoff contender Clint Bowyer won at the track in March, with Kyle Busch winning this race last year. ... There are five Ford Fusions, two Toyota Camry's and one Chevrolet Camaro in the final eight. ... This is the 33rd of 36 races on the season. ... A win in any of the next three races by a playoff driver automatically puts them in the final four. All four Stewart-Haas Racing drivers are still alive. ... Kyle Busch leads the standings after the points reset in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota (4,055 points), followed by SHR Ford driver Kevin Harvick (4,054), JGR's Martin Truex Jr. (4,038), Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet driver Elliott (4,018), SHR's Bowyer (4,015), Team Penske Ford driver Joey Logano (4,015), SHR's Kurt Busch (4,015) and Aric Almirola (4,006).

(All stats and standings per NASCAR.com)

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

THIS WEEK: The series opened its Round of 8 at Kansas and no playoff driver won, as the trophy went to first-time series winner John Hunter Nemechek. Contenders Christopher Bell, Justin Allgaier, Austin Cindric and Cole Custer all had disastrous days by getting involved in a first-lap wreck that eventually left Bell, Allgaier and Cindric 37th-39th respectively with each earning one point, while Custer limped home 26th for an 11-point day. ... Now the series takes a week off before resuming Nov. 3 at Texas Motor Speedway, a track similar to Kansas. ... Elliott Sadler leads the points (3,058), followed by Daniel Hemric (3,057), Tyler Reddick (3,055), Bell (3,045), Matt Tifft (3,044), Allgaier (3,040), Custer (3,022) and Cindric (3,002).

(All stats and standings per NASCAR.com)

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: ALPHA ENERGY SOLUTIONS 200 (200 laps, 105.2 miles around a .526-mile paperclip oval), Martinsville Speedway; Martinsville, Va.

TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 1:13 p.m. ET) -- FS1 (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The Trucks are back at Martinsville, where there's always a good show for race cars with tailgates. ... This race starts the Round of 6, where the drivers have two races to make the final four at Homestead. ... This will be the 40th series race at the track, with Noah Gragson winning this race last year. Nemechek won here in March. ... After a week off next week, they head to Phoenix for the final race in the round. ... Johnny Sauter leads the Truck points (3,042), followed by Brett Moffitt (3,027), Gragson (3,025), Grant Enfinger (3,018), Justin Haley (3,014) and Matt Crafton (3,003).

(All stats and standings per NASCAR.com)

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VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES

THIS WEEK: The 2019 season starts March 10 in St. Petersburg, Fla.

FORMULA ONE: MEXICAN GRAND PRIX (71 laps, 195.037 miles around a 2.747-mile 17-turn permanent road course), Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez; Mexico City.

TV: Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 2:40 p.m. ET) -- ABC (Radio: SiriusXM Radio Channel 132).

THIS WEEK: The title didn't get settled at Circuit of the Americas last week, but Lewis Hamilton is a virtual lock with three races to go. He needs to finish seventh or better in Mexico City to earn his fifth championship. ... Kimi Raikkonen won in Austin with a one-stop strategy that worked to perfection. ... This will be the 19th of 21 races on the season and the 19th Mexican Grand Prix overall. ... The 17th and final turn on the track, the "Peraltada" is one of the fastest in F1 and sets up cars for a slingshot dynamic to the start/finish line, though it is not as fast as it once was after Hermann Tilke's redesign in 2015. ... Great Britain's Hamilton leads the standings in his Mercedes (346 points), followed by Germany's Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari (276), Finland's Raikkonen, Ferrari (221), Finland's Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes (217) and Belgium's Max Verstappen, Red Bull (191).

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: NHRA TOYOTA NATIONALS, Friday-Sunday, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Las Vegas, Nev.

TV: Eliminations, Sunday, 7-10 p.m. ET -- FS1 (tape delayed)

THIS WEEK: It's off to Las Vegas for the penultimate and 23rd event of the season. ... The field narrowed greatly two weeks ago at Charlotte and put the title races in sharper focus, as any driver more than 150 points out of the lead has to be considered a long shot. ... Winners at Charlotte were Steve Torrence in Top Fuel, Ron Capps in Funny Car, Jason Line in Pro Stock and Matt Smith in Pro Stock Motorcycle. ... Torrence leads the Top Fuel standings (2,592 points), followed by Clay Millican (2,423), Tony Schumacher (2,382), Leah Pritchett (2,297), Antron Brown (2,253), Brittany Force (2,243), Mike Salinas (2,228), Doug Kalitta (2,225), Terry McMillen (2,221) and Scott Palmer (2,149). ... Robert Hight leads Funny Car (2,445), followed by J.R. Todd (2,434), Capps (2,336), Tim Wilkerson (2,334), Tommy Johnson Jr. (2,296), Courtney Force (2,264), John Force (2,241), Matt Hagan (2,229), Jack Beckman (2,204) and Shawn Langdon (2,152). ... Tanner Gray leads Pro Stock (2,509) followed by Jeg Coughlin Jr. (2,379), Vincent Nobile (2,373), Drew Skillman (2,356), Erica Enders (2,338), Greg Anderson (2,299), Line (2,291), Bo Butner (2,186), Deric Kramer (2,168) and Chris McGaha (2,096). ... Smith leads Pro Stock Motorcycle (2,426), followed by LE Tonglet (2,385), Eddie Krawiec (2,370), Jerry Savoie (2,326), Andrew Hines (2,291), Hector Arana Jr. (2,288), Angie Smith (2,221), Angelle Sampey (2,216), Steve Johnson (2,209) and Scotty Pollacheck (2,177).

--Field Level Media

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