NASCAR & Auto Racing

Sprint Cup Series driver Kasey Kahne finished 21st at Chicagoland, and he’s now in danger of being eliminated at Dover.

NASCAR Cup Series at New Hampshire: What you need to know about Sunday’s playoffs race

A quick look at the ISM Connect 300, the Sunday, Sept. 24, 2017 race at New Hampshire Motor Speedway in Loudon, N.H.

Austin Dillon is a huge Panthers fan, and on some of his fantasy football teams, he even picked Carolina players like running back Christian McCaffrey.

Obsessed with fantasy football? One local NASCAR driver probably has you beat...

NASCAR driver Austin Dillon carries the flag for the Carolinas both on the track and with his fantasy football team, where he picked several Panthers.

Jimmie Johnson (right) gathers with Vitalia Blanco and her son Lazaro (behind her) after helping to repair their home, which was damaged during Hurricane Irma.

NASCAR & Auto Racing

Hurricane Irma left Florida destroyed. Now Jimmie Johnson is helping to pick up the pieces

NASCAR driver Jimmie Johnson personally helped repair the home of a Florida family damaged when Hurricane Irma rolled through the state.

Martin Truex Jr. had a huge lead coming into the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs, but he gave himself even more of an advantage by winning the first postseason race at Chicagoland.

NASCAR & Auto Racing

Martin Truex Jr. already had a huge lead – then he won again. Who can catch him?

NASCAR Cup Series: Martin Truex Jr. opened the playoffs with a huge lead, then gave himself even more of an advantage by winning the Chicagoland race.

Chase Elliott drives during a NASCAR Cup Monster Energy Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017.

Sports

Chase Elliott's NASCAR title chances take hit with penalty

Chase Elliott's NASCAR title chances take hit with penalty for modification to his car.

Sports

Kasey Kahne to stay in NASCAR and drive for Leavine in 2018

Kasey Kahne will drive for Leavine Family Racing in the No. 95 Chevrolet Camaro next season.

Modified championship racer Ted Christopher, 59, was one of two people killed in a plane crash in Connecticut on Saturday, NASCAR officials said.

NASCAR & Auto Racing

Some of NASCAR’s biggest names shared their thoughts on driver killed in plane crash

Some of NASCAR’s best-known drivers and others reacted on social media to the death of modified driver Ted Christopher in a Connecticut plane crash.

Doug Kalitta, seen here in qualifying, opened the six-race NHRA Countdown to the Championship with a Top Fuel win in Sunday’s Carolina Nationals at ZMax Dragway in Concord.

NASCAR & Auto Racing

Doug Kalitta’s win at zMax checks off some needed firsts, but he’s hoping for more

NHRA Countdown to the Championship | Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway: Doug Kalitta hopes Sunday’s Top Fuel win won’t be his last.

Martin Truex Jr., celebrates with his crew in Victory Lane after winning Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Monster Energy Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill.

NASCAR & Auto Racing

NASCAR Cup Series results and 3 takeaways from Sunday’s race at Chicagoland Speedway

NASCAR Cup Series results and takeaways from Chicagoland Speedway, where Martin Truex Jr. won Sunday’s NASCAR Cup Series Tales of the Turtles 400.

Chase Elliott, right, greets fans before a NASCAR Cup Monster Energy Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017.

Sports

Chase for championship: Elliott a NASCAR title contender

Chase Elliott just might be the next one to carry the banner as NASCAR's most popular driver.

Josef Newgarden celebrates after winning the IndyCar championship Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in Sonoma, Calif.

Sports

Column: IndyCar needs to push Newgarden as its new star

Column: IndyCar needs to push Newgarden as its new star.

Drivers cross the starting line during the NASCAR Cup auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017.

Sports

Veteran Grubb named crew chief for rest of Kahne's season

Hendrick Motorsports has replaced driver Kasey Kahne's crew chief for the rest of the season.

Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen struggles to control his car after colliding with teammate Sebastian Vettel of Germany at the start of the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017.

Sports

Vettel loses huge ground in title race after Singapore blip

In the space of three races, Sebastian Vettel is now twice as far behind Lewis Hamilton as he was ahead of him.

Josef Newgarden, right, stands and celebrates after being presented the Astor Cup for winning the IndyCar championship Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in Sonoma, Calif. Looking on at center is team owner Roger Penske.

Sports

Gamble on Newgarden leads to 15th title for Roger Penske

Gamble on Newgarden leads to 15th title for Roger Penske.

Josef Newgarden rides a scooter to his car for a warmup before an IndyCar auto race Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017, in Sonoma, Calif.

Sports

Newgarden gives Team Penske a 15th IndyCar championship

Josef Newgarden won his first IndyCar championship by closing out the best year of his career as the top driver at Team Penske.

Martin Truex Jr., waits for a NASCAR Cup Monster Energy Series auto race at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, Ill., Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017.

Sports

Truex opens NASCAR's playoffs with win at Chicagoland

Martin Truex Jr. backed up his regular-season dominance with a win in NASCAR's playoff opener at Chicagoland Speedway.

Courtney Force, top, took the Funny Car No. 1 qualifier Saturday with her Friday pass in the NHRA Carolina Nationals, the opening event in the Countdown to the Championship, at zMAX Dragway in Concord.

NASCAR & Auto Racing

At zMax Dragway, Courtney Force goes for something she’s yet to do this season

NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMax Dragway: Doug Kalitta, Courtney Force, Tanner Gray, and Andrew Hines stood on Friday runs to take poles for Sunday.

Sports

Doug Kalitta wins Top Fuel final in Countdown opener

Doug Kalitta won the Top Fuel final in the Countdown to the Championship-opening NHRA Carolina Nationals at zMAX Dragway.

FILE - In this Sept. 16, 2005 file photo, Ted Christopher celebrates his victory in the Busch North Series Sylvania 125 at the New Hampshire International Speedway in Loudon, N.H. NASCAR officials say modified championship racer Christopher was one of two people killed when a small plane crashed in Connecticut. The Federal Aviation Administration confirms that two people were aboard a Mooney M20C plane that went down in a wooded area near the North Branford-Guilford border shortly before 2 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 16, 2017. NASCAR says Christopher and the plane's pilot died.

National

Police make ID in plane crash that took NASCAR racer's life

Authorities have identified the second person killed in a Connecticut plane crash that claimed the life of NASCAR modified champion racer Ted Christopher.

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton of Britain steers his car during the Singapore Formula One Grand Prix on the Marina Bay City Circuit Singapore, Sunday, Sept. 17, 2017.

Celebrities

Vettel's recklessness plays straight into Hamilton's hands

Vettel's recklessness plays straight into Hamilton's hands at Singapore Grand Prix.

Scoreboards

Videos

Ride with Matt Bell in his Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R race car

Aug 08, 2017

North Carolina-based professional race car driver Matt Bell stopped by the News & Observer to tell us about his Chevrolet Camaro GT4.R and the upcoming IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship Aug. 25-27 at Virginia International Raceway. The headlining race, the Michelin GT Challenge, will last nearly three hours, and drivers will reach top speeds of 190 miles per hour in some of the most technologically advanced GT cars available today.

Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com