The Associated Press
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NASCAR
SPRINT CUP
GOODY’S HEADACHE RELIEF SHOT 500
Site: Martinsville, Virginia.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Fox Sports 1, noon-1:30 p.m.), qualifying (Fox Sports 1, 4:30-6 p.m.); Saturday, practice (Fox Sports 1, 9-10 a.m., noon-1 p.m.); Sunday, race, 1:45 p.m. (ESPN, 1-5:30 p.m.).
Track: Martinsville Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles).
Race distance: 263 miles, 500 laps.
Last year: Jeff Gordon raced to his eighth Martinsville victory to tie Hendrick Motorsports teammate Jimmie Johnson for the lead among active drivers at the track.
Last week: Brad Keselowski won at Talladega to earn a spot in the third round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship. He has a series-high six victories.
Fast facts: The race opens the third three-race round in the Chase. The championship field was cut from 12 to eight last week. Keselowski, Joey Logano and Kevin Harvick advanced with second-round victories. Gordon, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Newman, Matt Kenseth and Carl Edwards qualified on points. Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Kyle Busch and Kasey Kahne were eliminated. The field will be cut to four after the ninth race. Points are reset after each round and the title will be decided by finishing order in the Nov. 16 finale at Homestead. … Kurt Busch won the March race at the track to snap an 83-race victory drought. … Richard Petty won a record 15 times at Martinsville, the only remaining venue from NASCAR’s inaugural 1949 season.
Next race: AAA Texas 500, Nov. 2, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
KROGER 200
Site: Martinsville, Virginia.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Fox Sports 1, 1:30-2:30 p.m., 3-4:30 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (Fox Sports 1, 10-11:30 a.m.), race, 1:45 p.m. (Fox Sports 1, 1-3:30 p.m.).
Track: Martinsville Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles).
Race distance: 105.2 miles, 200 laps.
Last year: Darrell Wallace Jr. became the second black driver to win on NASCAR’s national level. Wendell Scott won in 1963 in Jacksonville, Florida, in what is now known as the Sprint Cup Series.
Last week: Timothy Peters won at Talladega in a two-lap sprint to the finish.
Fast facts: Wallace has two victories this year. Kyle Busch Motorsports teammate Erik Jones is making his 11 start of the season. He also has two victories this year. … Defending series champion Matt Crafton leads the standings, 16 points ahead of Ryan Blaney with four races left. Wallace is third, 28 points back. Crafton won the March race at the track.
Next race: WinStar World Casino and Resort 350, Oct. 31, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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NATIONWIDE
Next race: O’Reilly Auto Parts Challenge, Nov. 1, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.
Last race: Brad Keselowski won at Charlotte on Oct. 10 for his fourth victory in nine starts this year.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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FORMULA ONE
Next race: U.S. Grand Prix, Nov. 2, Circuit of The Americas, Austin, Texas.
Last race: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won the Russian Grand Prix on Oct. 12 for his fourth straight victory and ninth of the year. Teammate Nico Rosberg was second and Mercedes wrapped up the constructors title. Hamilton has a 17-point lead over Rosberg with three races left.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
Next event: NHRA Toyota Nationals, Oct. 30-Nov. 2, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas.
Last event: Matt Hagan won the NHRA Nationals on Oct. 5 in Mohnton, Pennsylvania, to take the Funny Car points lead. Hagan raced to his third victory of the season and second in the Countdown to the Championship playoffs. Tony Schumacher won in Top Fuel, Rodger Brogdon in Pro Stock, and Eddie Krawiec in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
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OTHER RACES
WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: Saturday, Port Royal Speedway, Port Royal, Pennsylvania. Super DirtCar: Sunday, Orange County Fair Speedway, Middletown, New York. Online: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com
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