Kansas City, KS (SportsNetwork.com) - The first race in the Contender Round -- the second round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup championship -- takes place on Sunday at Kansas Speedway, and each of the 12 drivers who remain in the Chase have their points total reset to 3,000. After last weekends race at Dover, A.J. Allmendinger, Kurt Busch, Greg Biffle and Aric Almirola were eliminated from the playoffs in NASCARs premier series. Those drivers who advanced from the opening round in the Chase, known as the Challenger Round, are: Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Kevin Harvick, Jimmie Johnson, Jeff Gordon, Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Matt Kenseth, Ryan Newman, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin and Kasey Kahne. The Contender Round includes the races at Kansas, Charlotte (Oct. 11) and Talladega (Oct. 19). After Talladega, the Chase field will be trimmed to eight drivers for the Eliminator Round, which has the events at Martinsville (Oct. 26), Texas (Nov. 2) and Phoenix (Nov. 9). The Nov. 16 season-finale at Homestead will feature just four drivers contending for the championship. The highest finishing driver among the final four in that race will win the title. If a driver currently in the Chase field wins at either Kansas, Charlotte or Talladega, that person will automatically advance to the Eliminator Round. The remaining available positions 1-8 that have not been filled based upon wins will be determined by points following Talladega. Talladega, the only restrictor-plate track in the Chase, is considered as a wild card race, but many drivers think of Kansas as a wild card event as well. Kansas, a 1.5-mile track, underwent a repave and had variable banking added in the turns in 2012. I think you look at this round, the Contender Round, with Kansas, and youve got Talladega at the end, Charlotte probably not so much, but two of the three races are as much of a wild card as you can get in NASCAR racing these days, Keselowski said. I think when we get all said and done, and it comes to Homestead and the championships crown, whoever wins it will have earned it. But one of the great teams that has a shot at winning this will probably be less at home after this series of events, because you dont control your destiny as much as you do the other races of the season. Keselowski concluded the Challenger Round as the points leader. He won the Chase-opener at Chicagoland and then finished seventh at New Hampshire and second at Dover. Logano, who is Keselowskis teammate at Team Penske, has done very well in the Chase as well. He won at New Hampshire and finished fourth at both Chicagoland and Dover. We have confidence in not just myself but the road crew, the pit crew, everyone is feeling good about what weve done, Logano said. Last week (at Dover), we didnt have the strongest car, but we were able to execute and get a nice, solid top-five out of it. Thats what we have to do the next round, get us some top-fives and get us into the next one. Hopefully, well get a win in these first two races and not have to worry about Talladega. Gordon claimed his fourth win of the season at Dover. His first victory in 2014 occurred in the spring race at Kansas. This is the fourth year that Kansas has hosted two Sprint Cup events in a season. No driver has yet to score a season-sweep here. We won at Kansas earlier this year, so were excited about this weekend, Gordon said. Wed like to get another win to go ahead and clinch a spot in the Eliminator Round, but if we dont solid finishes this weekend and at Charlotte hopefully put us in a good position before Talladega. Gordon leads all drivers with three victories at Kansas. He won the first two Cup races at this track (2001-02). Tony Stewart, Biffle, Johnson and Kenseth have two wins each at Kansas. Johnson is attempting to win his record-tying seventh championship in the series. He started the Chase with a 12th-place run at Chicagoland before finishing fifth at New Hampshire and third at Dover. Im ready to get going, Johnson said. These three tracks should be a lot of fun. We feel like we have a really good chance of winning at all three tracks, but the first two would make the experience of the third race of the Contender Round that much more enjoyable. Johnson has three wins this season but has not been to victory lane since June 15 at Michigan (14 races ago). Forty-three teams are on the entry list for the Hollywood Casino 400. Series: NASCAR Sprint Cup. Date: Sunday, Oct. 5. Race: Hollywood Casino 400. Site: Kansas Speedway. Track: 1.5-mile oval. Start time: 2 p.m. ET. Laps: 267. Miles: 400.5. 2013 Winner: Kevin Harvick. Television: ESPN. Radio: Motor Racing Network (MRN)/SIRIUS NASCAR Radio. Cheap Football NCAA Jerseys . The Canucks figured to be active prior to Wednesdays trade deadline, getting a jump on things the previous day when they dealt goaltender Roberto Luongo to the Florida Panthers for netminder Jacob Markstrom and forward Shawn Matthias. Fake NCAA Jerseys . He even addressed his group of relievers Sunday morning. Dustin McGowan made those worries a nonfactor, at least for a day. McGowan pitched three-hit ball for seven innings, Colby Rasmus hit a grand slam and Melky Cabrera added a two-run homer as the Blue Jays beat the Pittsburgh Pirates 7-2. https://www.chinajerseysncaa.us/ . - Zac Leslie scored two goals and assisted on two more, and Justin Nichols made 34 saves as the Guelph Storm blanked the Kitchener Rangers 6-0 in Ontario Hockey League action on Sunday. Wholesale NCAA Jerseys China NCAA Jerseys China . For the Bombers it has been a combination of things coming together at the most inappropriate moments in time. Quarterback, injuries, Canadian talent or depth and leadership are all issues. Trust me when I say being a Bomber is no fun right now in a city that embraces football the way Winnipeg does. While Buck Pierce will be getting another shot, I think Max Hall does deserve another opportunity.TORONTO -- Bradley Orr said that every kids dream growing up playing soccer in England was to hoist a cup. So he and his Toronto FC teammates say they will have no problem getting up for their Amway Canadian Championship final against rival Montreal Impact, even if the result doesnt count toward Major League Soccer standings. "No, not at all. I love cup games. Theres a prize at the end of it," the Toronto defender said after practice Tuesday. "Back in England it was the FA Cup, now that were here its the Canadian Cup, and its just as important for me as any league game, because theres pride at stake and theres a lot to play for. Its a big game, no doubt about it, and one were looking forward to." Toronto hosts Montreal for the first of two legs Wednesday at BMO Field. The second leg is June 4 at Saputo Stadium in Montreal. The team with the higher aggregate score after the two matches also represents Canada in the 2014-2015 CONCACAF Champions League. "Very very important," captain Steven Caldwell said. "We want to win the Cup. We obviously want to get a good lead if we can from the first leg, its going to be tough, were playing our rivals, a very good side, who are . . . far better than theyve been showing." Toronto is hoping to reclaim the title they relinquished to Montreal last season. TFC won the championship four straight years -- from 2009 through 2012 -- while the Impact won the inaugural competition in 2008 and again last year. "Its Canadian pride here," Toronto-born defender Ashtone Morgan said on the importance of the matches. "I think last year we had a sour taste in our mouth and were looking to bounce back this year, and looking to get the trophy." Dwayne De Rosario is tied for the tournament all-time lead in goals with four, and won back-to-back tournament MVP honours, in 2009 and 10. The 2009 victory was De Rosarios first playing with his hometown team in Toronto, after holding MLS jobs with the San Jose Earthquakes and Houston Dynamo. "For me it was a first championship coming back home, a championship for my city, a championship for TFC, and it was a special moment," De Rosario said. "And hopefully I can create another special moment tomorrow and win back that trophy for this club." Toronto is 7-1-2 all-time against the Impact in Canadian Championship action and are the favourites this season against a Montreal team that is struggling through a horrendous start to the season. TFC has four wins, four losses and one draw in MLS games, while Montreal is 1-6-4 and last in the league. Toronto coach Ryan Nelsen warned though that not only is Montreal a better team than this seasons results indicate, but standings and recent results dont mean much when a championship trophy is on the line. "Very dangerous team, very good team," Nelsen said of the Impact. "Theyre just having a little bit of a bad run at the moment. When you come to this competition, form doesnt really matter, it kind of goes out the window. Ive watched a lot of theiir games, and they have been unlucky in quite a few of them; theyve had opportunities to win the games, but it hasnt fallen their way.dddddddddddd You know the quality they have, theyll get it right." Toronto defeated the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 at home and then 5-3 on penalty kicks in Vancouver to reach the final. The Impact battled back to beat second-division side FC Edmonton to earn their spot in the final. It was a confident TFC team that practised Wednesday morning at their training ground north of the city, after salvaging a 2-2 draw at Sporting Kansas City -- the defending league champions -- last Friday. Toronto managed a draw despite losing Caldwell to a red card in the 63rd minute. "Were very pleased with the result, not the performance particularly but at the end of the day were judged on points. . . Well take that in a very tough place to play," Caldwell said. "They were obviously a better team and we couldnt get anything going all night, and then with the sending off, and the penalty (awarded to Kansas City in the 84th minute for a Doneil Henry foul in the box). . . we felt even the 50-50 decisions were going against us. But well take the draw and move on. Excited for (Wednesday) night." Caldwells red card will keep him out of Saturdays MLS game against the visiting Columbus Crew, but hell be available Wednesday to a Toronto lineup that wont differ much from last Friday. Nelsen said midfielders Jonathan Osorio (hamstring) and Jackson Goncalves (concussion) wont play, while Luke Moore (groin) is questionable. Collen Warner, recently acquired in a trade with Montreal, is ineligible to play because hes cup-tied to the Impact. Nelsen was already in good spirits Wednesday but the coach brightened considerably when asked his thoughts on Queens Park Rangers promotion to the Premier League. "Brilliant. Absolutely fantastic," said Nelsen, who ended his playing career with QPR. The squad that Nelsen played two seasons for defeated Derby 1-0 last weekend to earn promotion. Bobby Zamora scored the decisive goal, pouncing on a defensive miscue by Derby in the 90th minute. "Football is a funny game . . . when youre down to 10 men, as long as you stay in the game, you generally get that one chance. It couldnt have been more obvious than that QPR game," Nelsen said. "Bobby took it brilliantly like he has for his whole career. I can imagine there were a few celebrations that night." Nelsen said he is still emotionally tied to QPR, as he is to every team hes played for, saying he still has good friends not only with that club but DC United, Blackburn, and Tottenham. "You get so emotionally involved because you go through so many highs and lows and people dont really understand how low the lows are and how high the highs are, that you become friends and you make friends," he said. "And when you do things for other people and they do things for you, that are unforgettable things that imprint on your life, and your memories, you obviously stay friends." ' ' '