Eastern times

NASCAR

SPRINT CUP

AMP Energy 500

Site: Talladega, Ala.

Schedule: Friday, practice (Speed, 2-3:30 p.m., 4-5 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (Speed, noon-3 p.m.); Sunday, race, 1 p.m. (ABC, noon-5 p.m.).

Track: Talladega Superspeedway (oval, 2.66 miles).

Race distance: 500 miles, 188 laps.

Last year: Tony Stewart ended a 43-race winless streak with his lone victory in his final season for Joe Gibbs Racings. Stewart blocked Regan Smith for the final three laps, forcing Smith to dip below the out-of-bounds line to make a last-ditch pass that NASCAR later ruled illegal.

Last week: Denny Hamlin raced to his third victory of the year, holding off series leader Jimmie Johnson at Martinsville Speedway. Johnson won five of the previous six races at the 0.526-mile track.

Fast facts: Johnson has a 118-point lead over Hendrick Motorsports teammate Mark Martin with four races left. Fellow Hendrick driver Jeff Gordon (-150) is third, followed by Stewart (-192) and Juan Pablo Montoya (-200). ... Johnson has six wins this season — three in the first six Chase races — and 46 overall. ... Brad Keselowski won the April race at Talladega for his lone Cup victory. He made contact with Carl Edwards on the last lap, sending Edwards airborne into the safety fence. Johnson was 30th. ... Gordon leads active drivers with six Talladega victories, one more than Dale Earnhardt Jr. ... Roush Fenway's Matt Kenseth and David Ragan are using Ford's new FR9 motors.

Next race: Dickie's 500, Nov. 8, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.

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

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CAMPING WORLD TRUCKS

Mountain Dew 250

Site: Talladega, Ala.

Schedule: Friday, practice, qualifying (Speed, 5-7 p.m.); Saturday, race, 4 p.m. (Speed, 3:30-6:30 p.m.).

Track: Talladega Superspeedway (oval, 2.66 miles).

Race distance: 250.4 miles, 94 laps.

Last year: Todd Bodine won the race for the second straight year, taking the lead on the final turn and holding off Ron Hornaday Jr. and Kyle Busch. Bodine also won the 2008 season-opener at Daytona, NASCAR's other restrictor-plate track.

Last week: Timothy Peters raced to his first career Trucks win, holding off Todd Bodine over three restarts at Martinsville Speedway. Peters stopped just once in the 200-lap race, after 33 laps, and led the final 84 laps.

Fast facts: Mike and Chrissy Wallace are set to become the first father-daughter combination in a NASCAR national series event. The 21-year-old Chrissy made her series debut in March at Martinsville. ... Hornaday has a 224-point lead over Matt Crafton with four races left. The 51-year-old Hornaday won five straight races this summer and has a series-high six victories. He has 45 career victories and three season titles, both series records. ... Busch has five series victories this year.

Next race: WinStar World Casino 350, Nov. 6, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.

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

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NATIONWIDE

Next race: O'Reilly Challenge, Nov. 7, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.

Last week: Brad Keselowski raced to his fourth victory of the year, holding off series leader Kyle Busch at Memphis Motorsports Park.

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

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FORMULA ONE

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Site: Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates.

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

Track: Yas Marina Circuit (road course, 3.45 miles).

Race distance: 189.8 miles, 55 laps.

Last year: Inaugural race.

Last race: Brawn GP's Jenson Button wrapped up his first season title in the next-to-last race of the season, finishing fifth in the Brazilian Grand Prix on Oct. 18. Brawn became the first first-year constructors' champion. Red Bull's Mark Webber won the race.

Fast facts: The season-ending event is the last for BMW, pulling out of the sport to reduce costs, and also marks the final race for Fernando Alonso with Renault and Kimi Raikkonen with Ferrari. Alonso, a two-time season champion with Renault, will take Raikkonen's seat at Ferrari next year. ... Button is winless in the last nine races after winning six of the first seven. ... The 21-turn, Hermann Tilke-designed Yas Marina circuit sits on a man-made island.

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

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NHRA FULL THROTTLE

NHRA Las Vegas Nationals

Site: Las Vegas.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 11:30 p.m.-1:30 a.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 7:30-10:30 p.m.).

Track: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Last year: Tony Schumacher raced to the last of his record 15 Top Fuel victories of the year after wrapping up his sixth season championship by qualifying. Cruz Pedregon won in Funny Car, taking the points lead en route to his second series championship. Jeg Coughlin (Pro Stock) and Chris Rivas (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won.

Last event: Mike Edwards went wire-to-wire at the NHRA Virginia Nationals on Oct. 11, earning the maximum 150 points to nearly clinch his first Pro Stock title with two races left. Del Worsham (Funny Car) and Brandon Bernstein (Top Fuel) also won.

Fast facts: Schumacher, a five-time Top Fuel winner this season, has a 47-point lead over Larry Dixon. Cory McClenathan (-68) is third, and Antron Brown (-81) fourth. ... Robert Hight tops the Funny Car standings, followed by Ashley Force Hood (-13), Tony Pedregon (-48) and Ron Capps (-63). ... In Pro Stock, Edwards has a 128-point lead over Greg Anderson. ... Hector Arana leads the Pro Stock Motorcycle standings, 28 points ahead of Ed Krawiec. ... Schumacher raced to his third straight Top Fuel victory at the track in April. Capps (Funny Car) and Coughlin (Pro Stock) also won.

Next race: Automobile Club of Southern California Finals, Nov. 12-15, Auto Club Raceway at Pomona, Pomona, Calif.

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