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“We live in really uncertain times, and we’re all just doing the best we can to maximize what we have,” said Larry Peck, Buick’s promotions manager. “Every line in every budget for the Buick Open is being scrutinized.

“It’s a time of a lot of examination of everything we do, in every aspect of the business.”

For now, organizers of the Buick Open are planning on everything proceeding as planned for the 2009 tournament, scheduled for late July at Warwick Hills in Grand Blanc.

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Above all the pomp of Sunday’s season-finale hung an air of uncertainty and, in some cases, sheer panic. Team members quietly passed around resumes, looking to latch on at stable organizations. Others worried that the checkered flag at the end of the race would also signify the end of a steady paycheck.

Mass layoffs are expected throughout NASCAR this week, as team owners from all three national series adjust to the economic crisis.

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“We’ve raced a long time, we’re both from the Midwest and he’s (Edwards) a good competitor. He’s last year’s champion and it feels really good to beat him.”

Edwards wrested the lead from Kyle Busch late in the race and stayed out front to the end of the 200-lap event at Homestead-Miami Speedway, earning his seventh Nationwide victory and keeping Busch from recording a record 11th Nationwide victory.

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Duke — which hasn’t lost the first game at its notoriously noisy arena since 1982, and won its ninth straight season opener overall — denied Presbyterian its first road victory in 24 tries at this level.

Golf: Course designer Dye joins Hall of Fame

Course architect Pete Dye , 82, was among those inducted into the World Golf Hall of Fame in St. Augustine, Fla.

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Not wanting to use a calculator in the cockpit of his Chevrolet, Johnson will simply run hard and see where he is at the checkered flag.

“My goal is to outrun those guys,” Johnson said. “My goal’s to win the race, try to lead the most laps, gain points on those guys so that we go to Homestead with as many points as we can. That’s truthfully the goal. I hope it works that way. No telling it will.

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• Brewers make offer to Sabathia: The Brewers have opened up the bidding for free-agent left-hander CC Sabathia .

General manager Doug Melvin said the team made a contract proposal to Sabathia over the weekend but wasn’t willing to discuss terms of the offer or assess the team’s chances of keeping its prize pitcher.

Sabathia, who went 11-2 with a 1.65 ERA for the Brewers after he was traded from the Indians on July 7, filed for free agency over the weekend and is expected to draw interest from big-market teams that could outbid the Brewers.

(More in ‘Briefs: Galarraga is Tigers’ top rookie’…)

Motor sports

Crew chief Lance McGrew was asked last week what his NASCAR Sprint Cup driver, Brad Keselowski , should be for Halloween.

“A first-time Sprint Cup driver,” McGrew said.

Keselowski, the 24-year-old from Rochester Hills, didn’t have to get dressed up. Instead, he spent his Halloween qualifying the No. 25 GoDaddy.com for Sunday’s Dickies 500 at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, fulfilling McGrew’s wish.

(More in ‘Locals: Man rolls 300, then dies; Keselowski in Sprint field’…)