THE BIG STORY
Denny Hamlin won Saturday night's Air Guard 400 at Richmond International Raceway. It was his sixth win of the season and the 10 bonus points for winning moved him ahead of Jimmie Johnson in the standings for the start of the Chase. Kyle Busch, Johnson, Joey Logano and Marcos Ambrose completed the top-five finishers. Kevin Harvick, the points leader most of the season, is third after finishing ninth. Clint Bowyer finished sixth and easily locked-up the final Chase place.
Also: There are 17 races on the 2011 IndyCar schedule, with all the ISC-owned tracks (Chicagoland, Watkins Glen, Kansas, Homestead) gone. There are eight ovals and nine road courses. The opener is March 27 in St. Petersburg. Milwaukee returns June 19. The season-finale wasn't announced but is expected to be at either Las Vegas or California Speedway . . . In the World of Outlaws, Jason Meyers, Donny Schatz and Sammy Swindell were winners at Silver Dollar Speedway in Chico, Calif.

NASCAR Sprint Cup Series
Carl Edwards won the pole Friday at Richmond with a 127.762 mph lap. He led through the first pit stop on a lap 56 yellow when Kurt Busch tapped David Reutimann into a spin. Edwards' came out of the pits first but then Clint Bowyer and later Denny Hamlin moved to the front. On lap 146, Terry Labonte hit the wall. Hamlin exited the pits first. There was another yellow on lap 226 due to a rain shower. Again, Hamlin got out of the pits ahead of his rivals. On pit sequencing, Juan Pablo Montoya passed Hamlin for the lead with 72 laps to go, but Hamlin reclaimed that position on lap 69. He was under intense pressure from Toyota teammate Kyle Busch until the closing laps, when Busch's brakes seemed to fade. Hamlin won by .537 second. He averaged 104.096 mph with three yellows for 28 of the 400 laps. Edwards wound up 10th.

NASCAR Nationwide Series
The series' new car made its short-track debut Friday night at Richmond, with Kevin Harvick winning the Virginia 529 College Savings 250. Harvick's Chevrolet Impala got caught in lapped traffic in the closing laps, which allowed Brad Keselowski's Dodge Challenger to close in. Harvick got loose and bounced off the wall but won by .256 second. Trevor Bayne was third in a Toyota Camry. Harvick averaged 98.039 mph for his third win of the season. There were six yellows for 30 of the 250 laps. Keselowski leads Carl Edwards (10th) by 373 points.


Rolex Sports Car Series
Scott Pruett and Memo Rojas capped their championship season by winning Saturday's Utah 250 at Miller Motorsports Park, the series' finale. Pruett's BMW-Riley led the final 39 of 86 laps, getting out ahead of his rivals during pit stops, and won by 1.9 seconds over the Chevrolet-Riley of Alex Gurney and Jon Fogarty. Max Angelelli and Ricky Taylor were third in a Ford-Dallara. It marked the winners' ninth victory of the season and a record third G-A title for Pruett. They averaged 95.166 mph. In GT, a Chevrolet Camaro won for the first time, with Robin Liddell and Andrew Davis in the car. Jeff Segal and Emil Assentato finished sixth and clinched the title in a Mazda RX-8


Formula One
Fernando Alonso won Ferrari's home race, Sunday's Italian Grand Prix at Monza. He started on the pole but slotted in second behind McLaren-Mercedes' Jenson Button on the first lap. Lewis Hamilton had contact with another car on the first lap and went off with suspension failure. Alonso got the lead on lap 38 when his one pit stop was slightly faster than Button's. He won by 2.9 seconds. Felipe Massa was third in the other Ferrari after 53 laps. Mark Webber (sixth) leads Hamilton by five points.


Racer of the Week
Denny Hamlin. Sixth victory of the season results in the top seed in the Chase.

Yes, He REALLY Said That
Kevin Harvick, on his thoughts about the competition going into the Chase. "I will be honest with you, I have kind of shut myself off to the whole racing world other than ourselves."

This Weekend
The Chase begins Sunday at New Hampshire. The Trucks run there Saturday. NHRA goes in Charlotte. Indy Cars travel to Japan.

 

NASCAR: Who will claim the Chase? 5:10

Click above link for vid : )

We know which 12 drivers will race in the Chase for the Cup. But who will win it?
Who do you think will Win the Chase ?

 

LOUDON


1 p.m. ET Sunday, ESPN



DOVER


3 p.m. ET Sept. 25, ESPN2



LOUDON


2:30 p.m. ET Saturday, SPEED



Champ's drive for five now begins in earnest

Even with the defending four-time Cup Series champion rounding into form and seemingly ready to unleash his best equipment, the drivers competing for this year's title agree the Chase is more wide open than it has been since the start of the Jimmie Johnson dynasty.

Chase: Full coverage | Play: Chase Tracker


Chase is on

Matt Yocum catches up with the 12 drivers who make up this year's championship field.
Watch Now


Happy days

Harvick on RCR's turnaround and how competitive he believes he can be in the Chase.
Watch Now



After The Lap:
All-access pass

Fan-focused event has unprecedented access to the Chase drivers.
5 Comments
Send Me 2 Vegas!


Burton: Momentum about being good

Aumann: Drivers with so-called 'mo' have had mixed Chase results.
5 Comments
Hamlin confident


Cindric carries dual role at Penske Racing

1on1: Will Hornish return? 'I wouldn't say anything is for sure.'
15 Comments
Sounds Off: K. Busch


Tweaking the Chase hot topic for debate

H2H: Eligibility format in question, but is current system best for now?
408 Comments
Sizing up the field



Play Misty for Me: A.J. loves his dog

Six Pack of Pop: Does Allmendinger find Lohan or Hilton more annoying?
26 Comments
Shop: A.J.'s gear


Pressley focused on driving opportunities

Nationwide Driver of the Week seeks full-time ride in 2011.
0 Comments
Submit chat questions


Carter named GM for Rusty Wallace Racing

Marks reunion with Wallace; Parrott out as crew chief for the 62 car.
0 Comments
Nationwide coverage



Race Chatter: Hamlin, Busch vie for the win

Listen to in-car radio communication as the JGR teammates race down the stretch at RIR.

 

Keep the change

Everyone has an opinion on how to fix the Chase and NASCAR has been listening as it ponders change. But, surprisingly, many say it needs little tweaking -- if any at all.

Chase: Wide open field | No wins, no problem | Play: Chase Tracker
Loudon, N.H.
Sunny 38°
Forecast



Busch happy to take part in media day

On Chase outside in '09, Busch wearing a large smile in New York.
252 Comments
JGR poised for title


Happy thoughts: Why Harvick needs to win

Caraviello: It would bode well for the Chase if he wins the 2010 Cup.
270 Comments
Sponsor's awkward spot


Busch's turn in the champion's spotlight?

Power Rankings: A look at the title chances of each driver as the Chase gets under way.
Sizing up the field


Twelve things to know for Loudon

Little nuggets about all 12 Chase drivers as the postseason begins.
14 Comments
Chase coverage



Strong run a must as Chase gets started

In the Loop: NHMS can make or break driver's championship hopes.
60 Comments
Cup Loop Data


Stick to Chase drivers in New Hampshire

Fantasy: Since debut in '04, a Chase driver has won NHMS fall race.
39 Comments
Fantasy Showdown



Spencer reviews first 26, previews final 10

'Jimmy's Take' on the winners and losers for the regular season, and Chase predictions.
NASCAR on SPEED


After The Lap:
All-access pass

Fan-focused event has unprecedented access to the Chase drivers.
8 Comments
Send Me 2 Vegas!
Source: Nascar.com

 

Wanted: Fast start

With the green set to drop on the Chase, Track Smack debates which of the 12 drivers is most in need of a strong run at New Hampshire to jumpstart his title drive.

Loudon: Entry List | Weekend Preview | In the Loop | Play: Chase Tracker
Loudon, N.H.
Cloudy 60°
Forecast




Inside NASCAR:
Chasing the title

Inside NASCAR's crew debate and make their final picks for the race at New Hampshire.
More Inside NASCAR


Busch, Hamlin see big-picture racing

Teammates downplay notion that feud will resurface during Chase.
72 Comments
Hamlin up for Chase


Roush up to speed just in time for Chase

Much like his race team, Jack Roush appears to be firing on all cylinders.
189 Comments
Kenseth looks for more



Success at Loudon could be key in Chase

Gordon, Busch weigh significance of getting off to a good start in championship hunt.
Fantasy Showdown



Chase drivers in tight races norm at NHMS

Numbers:A Chase driver has won each of the six previous openers.
625 Comments
Fantasy Preview


Harvick, Busch look to continue winning

Numbers: Cup twosome have won past seven when both raced.
56 Comments
Loudon Notebook


Truck leader pushes aside Cup dalliance

Bodine decides to put focus solely on stretch run, championship.
11 Comments
Bodine: Season stats


New Hampshire
revs up title run

Follow the 10-race trek as 12 drivers compete for the Cup Series title, beginning Sunday.
Seeing the big picture



Source: www.nascar.com