NASCAR
SPRINT CUP
PURE MICHIGAN 400
Site: Brooklyn, Mich.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 12:30-2 p.m.), qualifying (Speed, 4-5:30 p.m.); Saturday, practice (Speed, 8:30-9:30 a.m., 11 a.m.-noon); Sunday, ESPN, race, 1 p.m. (ESPN, noon-4:30 p.m.).
Track: Michigan International Speedway (oval, 2.0 miles).
Race distance: 400 miles, 200 laps.
Last year: Kyle Busch raced to the last of his four 2011 victories, outlasting Jimmie Johnson in a green-white-checkered finish.
Last week: Australia’s Marcos Ambrose won at Watkins Glen for the second straight year, passing Brad Keselowski heading to the final turn in a fender-banging duel.
Fast facts: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won at Michigan in June to end a 143-race winless streak dating to his June 2008 victory at the track. … Johnson leads the season standings with four races left in the regular season. He has a one-point lead over Greg Biffle, and two-point advantage over Matt Kenseth. The top 10 will earn spots in the 12-driver Chase. Kasey Kahne, with two victories, holds the first of the two wild-card spots that will go to the drivers with the most victories in the 11th-20th spots. Kahne is 11th. No. 13 Ryan Newman, No. 14 Busch, No. 15 Jeff Gordon, No. 17 Ambrose and No. 18 Joey Logano each have one victory. Johnson, No. 5 Keselowski and No. 8 Tony Stewart lead the series with three victories. Each victory is worth three points when the points are reset for the 10-race finale. … Keselowski is from Rochester Hills, Mich.
Next race: Irwin Tools Night Race, Aug. 25, Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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NATIONWIDE
NAPA AUTO PARTS 200
Site: Montreal.
Schedule: Friday, practice, qualifying; Saturday race, 2:30 p.m. (ESPN, 2-6 p.m.).
Track: Circuit Gilles Villeneuve (road course, 2.709 miles).
Race distance: 200.466 miles, 74 laps.
Last year: Australia’s Marcos Ambrose held off Canadian Alex Tagliani five days after racing to his first Cup victory in a road race at Watkins Glen. Ambrose also won the Cup race last week at Watkins Glen.
Last week: Carl Edwards won at Watkins Glen in his first Nationwide start of the season, beating Brad Keselowski in a two-lap dash.
Fast facts: Elliott Sadler leads the season standings, 13 points ahead of defending series champion Ricky Stenhouse Jr. … Ambrose is skipping the race. Kyle Busch and Sam Hornish Jr. are the only drivers also racing in the Sprint Cup event Sunday in Michigan. … Canadian road racer Ron Fellows is driving the No. 5 Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. He won the 2008 race in rainy conditions and has three Nationwide victories at Watkins Glen. … Former Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve will pilot the No. 22 Penske Racing Dodge on the track named in honor of the Quebec driver’s late father. … The race is the third and final road-course event of the year. Nelson Piquet Jr. won at Road America in June.
Next race: Food City 250, Aug. 24, Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
VFW 200
Site: Brooklyn, Mich.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 2-3:30 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (Speed, 9:30-11 a.m.), race, 12:30 p.m. (Speed, noon-2:30 p.m.).
Track: Michigan International Speedway (oval, 2.0 miles).
Race distance: 200 miles, 100 laps.
Last year: Sprint Cup driver Kevin Harvick held off Timothy Peters for the third of his four 2011 series victories.
Last race: Joey Coulter won at Pocono on Aug. 4 for his first series victory, taking the lead on the final restart. James Buescher was second.
Fast facts: Peters leads the season standings, eight points ahead of Ty Dillon. Buescher is third, 15 points behind Peters. … Kurt Busch is making his first Truck start in 11 years, driving the No. 18 Toyota owned by brother Kyle Busch. Kurt Busch won four times as a Truck rookie in 2000, and last raced in the series in 2001 at Milwaukee. … Fellow Cup driver Brad Keselowski also is racing.
Next race: NCWTS 20, Aug. 22, Bristol Motor Speedway, Bristol, Tenn.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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NHRA FULL THROTTLE
LUCAS OIL NHRA NATIONALS
Site: Brainerd, Minn.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 11 p.m.-1 a.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 9 p.m.-midnight).
Track: Brainerd International Raceway.
Last year: Antron Brown raced to the fourth of his six 2011 Top Fuel victories. Johnny Gray topped the Funny Car field, Greg Anderson won in Pro Stock, and LE Tonglet in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Last event: Courtney Force and Erica Enders combined for the first female double in NHRA history, winning Aug. 5 in the Northwest Nationals. Force raced to her first Funny Car victory, Enders topped the Pro Stock field, and Steve Torrence won in Top Fuel.
Fast facts: Spencer Massey leads the Top Fuel standings with two races left before the six-race Countdown to the Championship. Brown is second, five points back. Both drivers have four victories this season. … Robert Hight tops the Funny Car standings, 31 points ahead of Ron Capps. Hight won four straight events from February to April. … Allen Johnson leads the Pro Stock points race. He has four victories this season. … NHRA officials approved an optional cockpit canopy for Top Fuel dragsters.
Next race: U.S. Nationals, Aug. 29-Sept. 3, Lucas Oil Raceway, Clermont, Ind.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
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INDYCAR
Next race: Indy Grand Prix of Sonoma, Aug. 26, Sonoma Raceway, Sonoma, Calif.
Last race: Target Chip Ganassi’s Scott Dixon won at Mid-Ohio for the fourth time in six years, holding off Will Power on Aug. 5. Dixon also won this year at Belle Isle.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
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FORMULA ONE
Next race: Belgian Grand Prix, Sept. 2, Spa-Francorchamps Circuit, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.
Last race: McLaren’s Lewis Hamilton won the Hungarian Grand Prix on July 29 for his second victory of the year, holding off Lotus’ Kimi Raikkonen.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
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OTHER RACES
ARCA RACING SERIES: Allen Crowe 100, Sunday, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Macon, Ill. Online: http://www.arcaracing.com
AMERICAN LE MANS SERIES: Road America Road Race Showcase, Saturday (ESPN, Sunday, 2-4 p.m.), Road America, Elkhart Lake, Wis. Online: http://www.americanlemans.com
GRAND-AM ROLEX SPORTS CAR SERIES: Montreal 200, Saturday (Speed, 7-9:30 p.m.), Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Montreal. Online: http://www.grand-am.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: Friday, River Cities Speedway, Grand Forks, N.D.; Sunday, Nodak Speedway Minot, N.D. Late Model: Friday, Winston Speedway, Rothbury, Mich.; Saturday, Merritt Raceway, Lake City, Mich. Super DirtCar: Thursday, Lebanon Valley Speedway, West Lebanon, N.Y. Online: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com
U.S. AUTO RACING CLUB: Silver Crown: Tony Bettenhausen 100, Saturday, Illinois State Fairgrounds, Macon, Ill. Online: http://www.usacracing.com
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