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AUTO RACING PACKAGE: Auto Racing Glance

By WTOP Staff

The Associated Press

All Times EDT

NASCAR

SPRINT CUP

NASCAR SPRINT ALL-STAR RACE

Site: Concord, North Carolina.

Schedule: Friday, Sprint Showdown practice (Fox Sports 1, noon-1:45 p.m.), Sprint All-Star practice (Fox Sports 1, 1:45-3:30 p.m.), Sprint Showdown qualifying (Fox Sports 1, 4-5:30 p.m.); Sprint Showdown race, 7:15 p.m. (Fox Sports 1, 7-8 p.m.); Saturday, Sprint All-Star qualifying (Fox Sports 1, 7-8:30 p.m.); Sprint All-Star race, 9:10 p.m. (Fox Sports 1, 8:30-11 p.m.).

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).

Race distances: Sprint Showdown, 40 laps (only counting green-flag laps), 60 miles (two 20-lap segments). Sprint All-Star, 90 laps, 135 miles (four 20-lap segments and a 10-lap finale with only green-flag laps counting in the last segment).

Last year: Jimmie Johnson won for the record fourth time, joining the late Davey Allison as only drivers to win two years in a row.

Last week: Jeff Gordon won at Kansas Speedway for his 89th Sprint Cup victory, holding off Kevin Harvick.

Fast facts: Race winners in the last two seasons earned spots in the non-points event. The top two in the Sprint Showdown and a driver selected in fan voting will complete the All-Star field. … The winner will receive $1 million. … The running order for the 10-lap final segment will be determined by finishing averages in the first four segments, with ties broken by finishing positions in the fourth segment.

Next race: Coca-Cola 600, May 25, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

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NATIONWIDE

GET TO KNOW NEWTON 250

Site: Newton, Iowa.

Schedule: Friday, practice; Saturday, practice, qualifying; Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (ESPN, 1:30-4:30 p.m.).

Track: Iowa Speedway (oval, 0.875 miles).

Race distance: 218.75 miles, 250 laps.

Last year: Trevor Bayne won the rain-delayed race for his second series victory.

Last race: Elliott Sadler raced to his first Talladega victory May 3, winning a three-lap shootout to the checkered flag. Chris Buescher was second.

Fast facts: Chase Elliott, the points leader and winner of consecutive races at Texas and Darlington, will graduate from high school Saturday in Georgia. … Sadler is second in the standings, a point back. … Sam Hornish Jr. is driving Joe Gibbs Racings’ No. 54 Toyota. … Austin Theriault is making his series debut in JR Motorsports’ No. 5 Chevrolet. … The series will return to the track in August. … NASCAR bought Iowa Speedway last year.

Next race: History 300, May 24, Charlotte Motor Speedway, Concord, North Carolina.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

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CAMPING WORLD TRUCK

NORTH CAROLINA EDUCATION LOTTERY 200

Site: Concord, North Carolina.

Schedule: Thursday, practice; Friday, practice (Fox Sports 1, 11 a.m.-noon), qualifying (Fox Sports 1, 5:30-7 p.m.); race, 8:30 p.m. (Fox Sports 1, 8-11 p.m.).

Track: Charlotte Motor Speedway (oval, 1.5 miles).

Race distance: 201 miles, 134 laps.

Last year: Kyle Busch raced to his fifth series victory at the track.

Last week: Busch dominated the caution-filled race at Kansas Speedway for his second victory in two starts this year. He has 37 victories in the series.

Fast facts: The race is the fourth of the season. Busch won at Daytona in February and defending series champion Matt Crafton took the March 30 event at Martinsville. … Crafton was second at Kansas to take the points lead. … Sprint Cup driver Brad Keselowski is making his first series start of the year, driving his own No. 19 Ford.

Next race: Lucas Oil 200, May 30, Dover International Speedway, Dover, Delaware.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING

NHRA SUMMER NATIONALS

Site: Commerce, Georgia.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying; Saturday, qualifying (ESPN2, 6-8 p.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (ESPN2, 9 p.m.-midnight).

Track: Atlanta Dragway.

Last year: Antron Brown won the Top Fuel final in the rain-delayed event. Johnny Gray topped the Funny Car field, and Mike Edwards won in Pro Stock.

Last event: Erica Enders-Stevens raced to her second Pro Stock victory of the season, winning the SpringNationals on April 27 in Baytown, Texas. Antron Brown won in Top Fuel, and Robert Hight topped the Funny Car field.

Fast facts: Hight, a three-time winner in the first six events this year, leads the Funny Car standings — 122 points ahead of John Force. The 65-year-old Force won the season-opening Winternationals in Pomona, California, for his record 139th victory. He won his record 16th season title last year. … Brown, also a three-time winner this season, leads the Top Fuel standings. Enders-Stevens tops the Pro Stock division.

Next race: NHRA Kansas Nationals, May 23-25, Heartland Park Topeka, Topeka, Kansas.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

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VERIZON INDYCAR

Next race: Indianapolis 500, May 25, Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Indianapolis.

Last week: France’s Simon Pagenaud won the inaugural Grand Prix of Indianapolis, stretching his fuel the final 29 laps on the speedway’s road course.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

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FORMULA ONE

Next race: Monaco Grand Prix, May 25, Circuit de Monaco, Monte Carlo, Monaco.

Last week: Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton won the Spanish Grand Prix for his fourth straight victory. Teammate Nico Rosberg was second for the fourth race in a row.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

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OTHER RACES

ARCA RACING SERIES: Menards 200, Sunday, Toledo Speedway (Fox Sports 1, 2-4 p.m.), Toledo, Ohio. Online: http://www.arcaracing.com

U.S. AUTO RACING CLUB: Silver Crown: Hoosier 100, Friday, Lucas Oil Raceway, Clermont, Indiana. Online: http://www.usacracing.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: Saturday, Williams Grove Speedway, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania; Sunday, Orange County Fair Speedway, Middletown, New York. Late Model: Friday, 201 Speedway, Sitka, Kentucky; Saturday, Smoky Mountain Speedway, Maryville, Tennessee; Duck River Raceway Park, Wheel, Tennessee. Online: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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