Kansas Speedway

NASCAR's championship race tightened considerably Sunday at Kansas Speedway, where Greg Biffle won to keep his title hopes alive and Jimmie Johnson returned to the top of the Sprint Cup leaderboard. Johnson, the four-time defending series champion, took a mediocre car and drove it to a second-place finish in Kansas City, Kan., behind Biffle. It pushed him past Denny Hamlin in the standings, and he's got an eight-point cushion after the third of 10 Chase for the Sprint Cup championship races.

Turns out an engine part on Matt Kenseth's Toyota was three grams too light when the NASCAR driver raced to victory Sunday at Kansas Speedway, the equivalent of about two cotton balls in the words of his engine builder. But in terms of Kenseth's bid to win his second Sprint Cup championship, the violation carried the weight of an anvil. Kenseth on Wednesday drew a massive 50-point penalty from NASCAR for having the unapproved part, knocking Kenseth from eighth in the Cup standings to a tie for 14th with Jeff Gordon.

KANSAS CITY, Kan. -- The Chase is starting out more like a logjam. As NASCAR's top series arrives here for the third of 10 races in the Chase for the Nextel Cup, only 18 points separate the top five drivers among the 12 vying for the championship. And the top three -- Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart and defending title winner Jimmie Johnson -- are separated by a mere four points going into Sunday's LifeLock 400 at Kansas Speedway. Qualifying is scheduled today to set the 43-car field.

The MIT police officer who was shot and killed in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings was the brother of an employee at Hendrick Motorsports, one of NASCAR's leading teams, Hendrick said Friday. Sean Collier, 26, who died Thursday night after being shot on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, was the brother of Andrew Collier, 25, a machinist at Hendrick's engine department, Hendrick said. "The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports are with Andrew Collier and his family," Hendrick said in a statement from its Charlotte, N.C., headquarters.

NASCAR's title playoff moves to the nation's heartland this weekend with everyone bracing for another of Jimmie Johnson's trademark late-season assaults -- none more so than his teammate, Mark Martin. Martin, the 50-year-old veteran and sentimental favorite to win his first championship, holds a skimpy 10-point lead over Johnson ahead of Sunday's race at Kansas Speedway, the third race in the 10-race Chase for the Sprint Cup. Johnson, an El Cajon native trying to win an unprecedented fourth consecutive Cup title, moved closer to Martin with a dominant win last Sunday at Dover, Del. Juan Pablo Montoya is third, 65 points behind Martin.

Turns out an engine part on Matt Kenseth's Toyota was three grams too light when the NASCAR driver raced to victory Sunday at Kansas Speedway, the equivalent of about two cotton balls in the words of his engine builder. But in terms of Kenseth's bid to win his second Sprint Cup championship, the violation carried the weight of an anvil. Kenseth on Wednesday drew a massive 50-point penalty from NASCAR for having the unapproved part, knocking Kenseth from eighth in the Cup standings to a tie for 14th with Jeff Gordon.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered a concussion in the multicar crash at Sunday's NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway and will miss the next two races, his team Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday. At a news conference in Charlotte, Earnhardt said the concussion at Talladega actually was his second in the last two months, the first having occurred when he crashed during a test session at Kansas several weeks ago. Neurological tests and an MRI exam taken after Talladega were normal, Earnhardt said, but he's sitting out the next two races to avoid further injury.

The MIT police officer who was shot and killed in the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombings was the brother of an employee at Hendrick Motorsports, one of NASCAR's leading teams, Hendrick said Friday. Sean Collier, 26, who died Thursday night after being shot on the Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus, was the brother of Andrew Collier, 25, a machinist at Hendrick's engine department, Hendrick said. "The thoughts and prayers of everyone at Hendrick Motorsports are with Andrew Collier and his family," Hendrick said in a statement from its Charlotte, N.C., headquarters.

What's new in motor sports heading into this weekend: 1 NASCAR's Nextel Cup series races Sunday on its longest and arguably wildest track, the 2.66-mile Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama. The track irritates two-time Cup champion Tony Stewart -- who has finished second there six times but has never won -- because drivers must draft in packs to gain position. "I dislike anything where you have to rely on somebody else," he said.

Joey Logano passed points leader Kyle Busch with three laps left Saturday at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, pulling out his fourth Nationwide victory just a week after a crash. Logano flipped his car seven times at Dover last week, but showed no signs of fear in Kansas, overcoming a bobble with six laps left before passing Busch for the victory. Busch led 173 of the 200 laps on the 1.5-mile oval and has led 2,226 laps this season, breaking the season series record of 2,127 set by Sam Ard in 1984.

NASCAR on Wednesday levied stiff fines against the teams of reigning Sprint Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski and teammate Joey Logano because their cars were found to have unapproved suspension systems before Saturday's race at Texas Motor Speedway. Keselowski's crew chief Paul Wolfe, Logano's crew chief Todd Gordon and some other team members of the two Penske Racing Fords were suspended for the next six points-paying races along with the non-points Sprint All-Star Race on May 18. The crew chiefs also were fined $100,000 each.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who missed the last two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races with a concussion, will return for Sunday's race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, his Hendrick Motorsports team announced Tuesday. The popular driver was cleared by neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty after Earnhardt drove 123 laps in a Cup car during a test Monday at the half-mile Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. "Dale Jr. has done everything asked of him" in various tests, Petty said in a statement.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. came back from two laps down Saturday to win the Nationwide Series race at Kansas Speedway, in Kansas City, Kan. The race was extended six laps because of a late caution, which helped Stenhouse grab his sixth win of the season because the cars in front of him didn't have enough gas to make it to the finish. Sam Hornish Jr. ran out of fuel before the planned restart, which extended the caution period another lap. As the field came to the green, Paul Menard ran out gas. Kyle Busch then pulled away from the field, but his tank ran dry as he exited the third turn of the final lap. Stenhouse, who had lined up in fourth on the restart, zipped past for the victory.

NASCAR and Fox Sports Media Group announced a $2.4-billion, eight-year extension Monday that runs through 2022 and keeps the prestigious Daytona 500 and first third of the Sprint Cup Series on the network. Fox, which has been with NASCAR since 2001, will pay an average of $300 million annually beginning in 2015 in its first fee increase in more than a decade. "NASCAR has been in very good hands and has enjoyed tremendous success the last 12 years in large part because of our fantastic partnership with FOX and FOX Sports Media Group," said NASCAR Chairman Brian France.

With Dale Earnhardt Jr. sidelined, NASCAR driver A.J. Allmendinger will get his first Sprint Cup Series start this weekend since being reinstated after a failed drug test. Allmendinger, of Los Gatos, Calif., is scheduled to drive the No. 51 Chevrolet for the small team of Phoenix Racing at the Cup race Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. The car previously was driven by Kurt Busch, but he is taking over for Regan Smith in the No. 78 Chevy of Furniture Row Racing starting Saturday.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered a concussion in the multicar crash at Sunday's NASCAR race at Talladega Superspeedway and will miss the next two races, his team Hendrick Motorsports announced Thursday. At a news conference in Charlotte, Earnhardt said the concussion at Talladega actually was his second in the last two months, the first having occurred when he crashed during a test session at Kansas several weeks ago. Neurological tests and an MRI exam taken after Talladega were normal, Earnhardt said, but he's sitting out the next two races to avoid further injury.

Dale Earnhardt Jr., who missed the last two NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races with a concussion, will return for Sunday's race at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, his Hendrick Motorsports team announced Tuesday. The popular driver was cleared by neurosurgeon Dr. Jerry Petty after Earnhardt drove 123 laps in a Cup car during a test Monday at the half-mile Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga. "Dale Jr. has done everything asked of him" in various tests, Petty said in a statement.

With Dale Earnhardt Jr. sidelined, NASCAR driver A.J. Allmendinger will get his first Sprint Cup Series start this weekend since being reinstated after a failed drug test. Allmendinger, of Los Gatos, Calif., is scheduled to drive the No. 51 Chevrolet for the small team of Phoenix Racing at the Cup race Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. The car previously was driven by Kurt Busch, but he is taking over for Regan Smith in the No. 78 Chevy of Furniture Row Racing starting Saturday.

Ben Curtis remained in position for his first PGA Tour victory since 2006 despite his first stumbles at the Texas Open, shooting a one-over 73 to take a three-stroke lead into the final round at San Antonio. Matt Every was second after a 73 in a bid for his first PGA Tour victory. Mayakoba winner John Huh (67), Seung-Yui Noh (68) and Charlie Wi (71) followed at four under. David Frost and Michael Allen birdied nine of the first 13 holes and combined for a nine-under 63 for a share of the second-round lead with Tom Purtzer and Brad Bryant in the Legends of Golf at Savannah, Ga. Bryant and Allen had a 65 to match Frost and Allen at 19 under at the Club at Savannah Harbor.

The Philadelphia Phillies said Ryan Howard has a torn Achilles' tendon, and it is uncertain if he will be ready for spring training. The first baseman was injured on the final play of Philadelphia's season-ending loss to St. Louis in Game 5 of the National League division series Friday night, falling as he ran out of the batter's box on his grounder. The team said an MRI exam Saturday revealed a rupture of the left Achilles' tendon and that Howard will need surgery once the swelling goes down.