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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Wednesday, September 9, 2009

This week's top auto races


Associated Press

All Times EDT

NASCAR

SPRINT CUP

Chevy Rock & Roll 400

Site: Richmond, Va.

Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, noon-1:30 p.m.), practice (ESPN2, 2-3:30 p.m.), qualifying (ESPN2, 5:30-7 p.m.); Saturday, race, 7:30 p.m. (ABC, 7-11:30 p.m.).

Track: Richmond International Raceway (oval, 0.75 miles).

Race distance: 300 miles, 400 laps.

Last year: Jimmie Johnson raced to his second straight win and the fourth of his seven 2008 victories, holding off Tony Stewart in the regular-season finale. Johnson went on to win his third straight season championship.

Last week: Kasey Kahne won at Atlanta Motor Speedway to jump from 11th to sixth in the season standings. Kahne has two victories this year and 11 overall. Kevin Harvick finished second, and Juan Pablo Montoya was third.

Fast facts: Points leader Stewart, Johnson, Jeff Gordon and Denny Hamlin have clinched spots in the Chase for the championship, leaving 11 drivers to fight for the final eight spots in the 10-race playoffs. Only 217 points separate fifth-place Carl Edwards — racing with a broken right foot — from 15th-place David Reutimann. Matt Kenseth is 12th — 20 points ahead of Brian Vickers, 37 in front of Kyle Busch and 132 ahead of Reutimann. Tenth-place Mark Martin is 69 points ahead of Vickers, while No. 11 Greg Biffle has a 68-point lead over 13th. Kurt Busch is seventh, followed by Montoya and Ryan Newman. ... Kyle Busch swept the Cup and Nationwide races at Richmond in May. He's tied with Mark Martin for the series victory lead with four.

Next race: Sylvania 300, Sept. 20, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.

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

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NATIONWIDE

Virginia 529 College Savings 250

Site: Richmond, Va.

Schedule: Friday, practice (ESPN2, 10 a.m.-noon), qualifying (ESPN2, 4-5:30 p.m.), race, 8 p.m. (ESPN2, 7-10 p.m.).

Track: Richmond International Raceway (oval, 0.75 miles).

Race distance: 187.5 miles, 250 laps.

Last year: Carl Edwards won the fourth of his seven 2008 victories, passing Clint Bowyer for the lead with 28 laps to go, then pulling away through three restarts. Scott Winner finished second, and Bowyer was third.

Last week: Kevin Harvick won at Atlanta Motor Speedway, passing Dale Earnhardt Jr. with two left to go and holding off points leader Kyle Busch. Earnhardt finished third. Harvick led 131 of the 195 laps en route to his second series victory of the year.

Fast facts: Busch has a series-high six victories this season. He swept the Nationwide and Cup races at Richmond in May. ... Edwards is second in the standings, 221 points behind Busch. Edwards drove in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup races last week in Atlanta after breaking his right foot playing Frisbee. ... Kenny Wallace is making his 800th start in NASCAR's top three series. He has nine victories — three at Richmond — in 444 career Nationwide races.

Next race: Dover 200, Sept. 26, Dover International Speedway, Dover, Del.

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

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CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS

Copart 200

Site: Madison, Ill.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m.); race, 1:30 p.m. (Speed, 2-5 p.m).

Track: Gateway International Raceway (oval, 1.25 miles).

Race distance: 200 miles, 160 laps.

Last year: Ron Hornaday Jr. raced to the fourth of his six 2008 victories, holding off Dennis Setzer by 0.646 seconds. Hornaday led 113 of the 160 laps.

Last week: Mike Skinner won the first Trucks race at the Iowa Speedway, dominating the field for his second victory of the year and 27th overall.

Fast facts: The 51-year-old Hornaday leads the points race and has a series-high six victories, including a series-record five in a row earlier in the season. He has a series-record 45 wins and a record three season titles. ... Matt Crafton is second in the standings, 225 points back. Skinner is third, 281 points behind Hornaday.

Next race: Heluva Good! 200, Sept. 19, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, Loudon, N.H.

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

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FORMULA ONE

Italian Grand Prix

Site: Monza, Italy.

Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 8-9:30 a.m.); Saturday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 8-9:30 a.m.); Sunday, race, 8 a.m. (Speed, 7:30-10 a.m., 4:30-7 p.m.).

Track: Autodromo Nazionale di Monza (road course, 3.6 miles).

Race distance: 190.8 miles, 53 laps.

Last year: Renault's Fernando Alonso won Formula One's first night race, beating Williams' Nico Rosberg after starting 15th on the grid.

Last race: Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen held off Force India's Giancarlo Fisichella on Aug. 30 in the Belgian Grand Prix, the Finn's fourth victory at the track in five years. Raikkonen, the 2007 world champion, won for the first time this year.

Fast facts: Brawn's Jenson Button, a six-time winner this year, leads the season standings with 72 points. Teammate Rubens Barrichello is second with 56, followed by Red Bull drivers Sebastian Vettel (53) and Mark Webber (52). ... Fisichella left Force India last week to join Ferrari for the rest of the season. Luca Badoer ran the last two races in place of the injured Felipe Massa.

Next race: Singapore Grand Prix, Sept. 27, Marina Bay, Singapore.

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

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INDYCAR

Next race: Indy Japan 500, Sept. 19, Twin Ring Motegi, Motegi, Japan.

Last race: Points leader Ryan Briscoe won the fourth-closest finish in series history, beating Scott Dixon by 0.0077 seconds Aug. 29 at Chicagoland Speedway. Briscoe has three victories this season for Penske Racing. With two races left, he has a 25-point lead over Dario Franchitti and a 33-point advantage over Dixon.

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

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NHRA FULL THROTTLE

Next race: NHRA Carolinas Nationals, Sept. 18-20, zMax Dragway, Concord, N.C.

Last week: Tony Schumacher raced to his eighth victory at O'Reilly Raceway Park on Monday in the U.S. Nationals, tying Don Garlits for the most Top Fuel wins at the historic Indiana track. Schumacher beat Larry Dixon in the final for his fourth victory of the season and 60th overall. Ashley Force Hood (Funny Car), Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Hector Arana (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won in the regular-season finale.

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

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OTHER RACES

ARCA RE/MAX SERIES: South Jersey Building Trades 150, Sunday, New Jersey Motorsports Park, Millville, N.J. On the Net: http://www.arcaracing.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: Thursday-Saturday, Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, Calif. Super Dirtcar: Friday, Lernerville Speedway, Sarver, Pa. On the Net: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com

U.S. AUTO RACING CLUB: Sprint Car: Saturday, Terre Haute Action Track, Terre Haute, Ind. On the Net: http://www.usacracing.com