HICKORY - West Virginia’s Dalton Hopkins is usually a fairly quiet young man, but as of late the Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series rookie has been making a lot of noise in the best way possible.

Hopkins, on the strength of two-straight fifth-place finishes, suddenly finds himself second in the Championship Series standings behind leader J.P. Morgan. In addition, Hopkins also leads the Rookie of the Year standings for the first time all season as the series heads to Hickory Motor Speedway this Saturday for the Rev-Oil 250.

With two races left in the Rev-Oil Pro Cup Series season, Hopkins hopes to continue his run of consistency at Hickory. The odds appear in his favor, as Hopkins finished fifth at Hickory earlier this year.

AAA Carolinas will host its annual Great Fall Battery Roundup, a used battery collection and recycling program, as part of Car Care Month in October. It is available to the general public, as well as AAA members.

North Carolina motorists can receive $5 for every auto or marine battery they bring in to any one of 24 AAA Car Care Centers, or 34 Approved Auto Repair shops from October 16 through the 31.

“Improperly disposed batteries do serious harm to our environment,” said David E. Parsons, president and CEO of AAA Carolinas.  “This program is a win-win for everyone including motorists, AAA, battery recycle centers and the environment at large.”

AAA encourages residents to help fight stream and ground pollution and raise awareness by recycling batteries at one of 58 convenient North Carolina locations.

GREAT BALLS OF FIRE!, an exhibition on comets, asteroids and meteors arrives Saturday, September 29, at Catawba Science Center (CSC).

Begin your visit as a novice astronomer and leave feeling like an expert after learning about the origins of our solar system and discovering facts about asteroids, comets and meteors. Various exhibits and activities will explain the difference in these objects, how they are formed and their relationship to planets and stars.

Participants will learn about impending dangers presented by asteroids and develop solutions on a computer-based simulator. Visitors will even have the chance to simulate a meteorite’s impact.

This exhibition was developed by the Space Science Institute, with assistance from Catawba Science Center and its 2008-2010 Student Advisory Team. This temporary exhibit will engage guests young and old in a variety of hands-on activities. .