On the tracks | This weekend’s auto races

NASCAR SPRINT CUP

Gordon relishing title chase: It wasn’t that long ago people were wondering if Jeff Gordon was all washed up.

Well, looks who’s in contention for a Sprint Cup championship.

Gordon heads into Sunday’s race at Talladega Superspeedway fourth in the points and hoping to take advantage of a perilous track where the standings can change in a hurry.

He’s still a bit of a long shot, with Matt Kenseth and Jimmie Johnson holding down the top two spots. But just the fact that Gordon is being mentioned as a championship contender is rewarding to the 43-year-old driver, who hasn’t won a title since 2001 and figures it’s been a half-dozen years since he made a serious run at the top spot.

Gordon says he doesn’t “have the words to describe how much it would mean.”

NASCAR NATIONWIDE

Gaughan moving back: Brendan Gaughan is moving back to the NASCAR Nationwide Series next year for Richard Childress Racing.

The team announced Friday at Talladega Superspeedway that Gaughan will drive the No. 62 car with sponsorship from South Point Hotel & Casino in his hometown of Las Vegas.

Gaughan is driving for Childress in the truck series this season and ranks 10th in the point standings heading into Saturday’s truck race at Talladega. He has also made three Nationwide starts.

Gaughan competed in Sprint Cup in 2004, and he had a full-time Nationwide ride in 2009 and 2010. He has never won a race in NASCAR’s top two series.

Hamlin, Herring fill in for Vickers: Denny Hamlin and Drew Herring will replace ailing Brian Vickers in the No. 20 car for the final three races of the NASCAR Nationwide season.

Joe Gibbs Racing announced Friday that Cup regular Hamlin will make his first Nationwide start of the season at Texas on Nov. 2. Herring will be behind the wheel Nov. 9 at Phoenix and the finale at Homestead on Nov. 16.

Vickers is sidelined for the rest of the season undergoing treatment for a blood clot.

2014 schedule announced: NASCAR announced a 33-race schedule for the 2014 Nationwide Series with virtually no changes from this year’s slate.

The dates for Darlington and the first Texas race are being shifted to coincide with the Sprint Cup schedule announced this week. Also, the first Iowa race is being moved from June to May.

The track lineup is the same as this season. There are 30 ovals and three road courses: Road America, Watkins Glen and Mid-Ohio.

INDYCAR

Penske sweeps front row: Penske Racing swept the first three spots in qualifying for the season finale at Auto Club Speedway, where Helio Castroneves is chasing Scott Dixon in the race for the IndyCar championship.

Will Power won the pole for Saturday night’s race and Castroneves was second. AJ Allmendinger, brought in by team owner Roger Penske to aid Castroneves’ title bid, qualified third.

Associated Press