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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, October 14, 2009

This week's top auto races


Associated Press

All Times EDT

NASCAR

SPRINT CUP

NASCAR Banking 500

Site: Concord, N.C.

Schedule: Thursday, practice (Speed, 3-4:30 p.m.), qualifying (ESPN2, 7-9 p.m.); Friday, practice (Speed, 5-6 p.m.; ESPN2, 6:30-7:30 p.m.); Saturday, race, 7:25 p.m. (ABC, 7-11:30 p.m.).

Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).

Race distance: 501 miles, 334 laps.

Last year: Jeff Burton raced to his second victory of the season for Richard Childress Racing, holding off Kasey Kahne. Kurt Busch was third.

Last week: Jimmie Johnson took the Chase lead in his bid for a record fourth straight season title, easily pulling away from Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jeff Gordon after a late restart in Fontana, Calif. Johnson has five victories this year and 45 overall — 16 in Chase races.

Fast facts: Johnson has a 12-point lead over teammate Mark Martin with six races left. Juan Pablo Montoya is third, 58 points back. Tony Stewart (-84) is fourth, followed by Gordon (-105), Busch (-121), Greg Biffle (-188), Carl Edwards (-192), Denny Hamlin (-219), Ryan Newman (-223), Kahne (-306) and Brian Vickers (-351). ... Johnson has five victories at Lowe's — four in a row in 2004-05 — in the No. 48 Lowe's Chevrolet, matching Gordon for the active lead. ... In May at the track, Stewart won the All-Star race and David Reutimann took the rain-shortened Coca-Cola 600.

Next race: Tums Fast Relief 500. Oct. 25, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

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NATIONWIDE

Dollar General 300

Site: Concord, N.C.

Schedule: Thursday, practice (ESPN2, 6-7 p.m.); Friday, qualifying (ESPN2, 3-5 p.m.); race, 8 p.m. (ESPN2, 7:30-11:30 p.m.).

Track: Lowe's Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).

Race distance: 300 miles, 200 laps.

Last year: Kyle Busch completed a season sweep at the track, racing to the ninth of his 10 2008 Nationwide victories. Jeff Burton finished second.

Last week: Joey Logano raced to his second straight victory and fifth of the season, pulling away from Brian Vickers over the final two laps in Fontana, Calif.

Fast facts: Busch has a 155-point lead over Carl Edwards with five races left. Edwards cut 90 points off Busch's lead last week with a third-place finish. Illness forced to Busch to give way to Denny Hamlin while leading early in the race, then a late wreck relegated the No. 18 Toyota to 31st. Busch has six victories this year, the last in July at Gateway. ... Mike Bliss won the May race at the track.

Next race: Kroger On Track for the Cure 250, Oct. 24, Memphis Motorsports Park, Memphis, Tenn.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

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CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS

Next race: Kroger 200, Oct. 24, Martinsville Speedway, Martinsville, Va.

Last race: Johnny Sauter raced to his first career Trucks victory Sept. 26 in Las Vegas, taking the lead from Matt Crafton with 16 laps left.

On the Net: http://www.nascar.com

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FORMULA ONE

Brazilian Grand Prix

Site: Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 1-2:30 p.m.); Saturday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 1-2:30 p.m.); Sunday, race, noon (Speed, 11 a.m.-2 p.m.).

Track: Interlagos, Jose Carlos Pace (road course, 2.677 miles).

Race distance: 190.08 miles, 71 laps.

Last year: McLaren's Lewis Hamilton became Formula One's youngest champion at age 23, making a last-lap pass to finish fifth and win the title by a point over Brazil's Felipe Massa, the race winner in a Ferrari.

Last race: Red Bull's Sebastian Vettel led the Japanese Grand Prix from start to finish Oct. 4, reviving his championship hopes with two races left. Series leader Jenson Button was eighth and Brawn GP teammate Rubens Barrichello seventh, leaving Button 14 points ahead of Barrichello and 16 in front of Vettel.

Fast facts: Massa is recovering from life-threatening injuries at the Hungarian GP in July, when he was knocked unconscious by a loose car part in qualifying and crashed into a safety barrier. He had surgery on the area around his left eye and later had a had a metal plate inserted. The Brazilian was cleared medically by FIA on Saturday and tested a car Monday at Ferrari's private track, but isn't expected to return to racing until next season. ... Toyota's Timo Glock also will miss the race after cracking a vertebra during qualifying in Japan. Kamui Kobayashi is filling in for Glock.

Next race: Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Nov. 1, Yas Marina Circuit, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

On the Net: http://www.formula1.com

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NHRA FULL THROTTLE

Next event: NHRA Las Vegas Nationals, Oct. 29-Nov. 1, Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas.

Last week: Mike Edwards went wire-to-wire at the NHRA Virginia Nationals, earning the maximum 150 points to nearly clinch his first Pro Stock title. Del Worsham (Funny Car) and Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel) also won in the fourth of six playoff events.

On the Net: http://www.nhra.com