AUTO RACING: Bell emerging as a star; IndyCar to Long Beach

Updated Apr. 11, 2023 12:43 p.m. ET

Associated Press

All Times Eastern

NASCAR CUP SERIES

NOCO 400

Site: Martinsville, Virginia.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 4:35 p.m., and qualifying, 5:20 p.m.; Sunday, race, 3 p.m. (FS1).

Track: Martinsville Speedway.

Race distance: 400 laps, 210 miles.

Last year: William Byron won after starting fifth.

Last race: Christopher Bell held off Tyler Reddick until a caution flag on the final lap made him the winner on the dirt at Bristol.

Fast facts: Bell became the sixth different winner through seven races and moved from third to first in the point standings, 13 ahead of Ross Chastain and 26 ahead of Kevin Harvick. ... Bell leads all drivers with five top-five finishes and is tied with Alex Bowman with six top-10 finishes. ... Bowman dropped to 11th in points and Byron, the only two-time winner this season, dropped to 14th after both were docked 60 points and five playoff points for illegal modifications to their cars at Richmond. ... Chastain is the only driver in the top six who has been running at the finish in all eight races. ... There were 14 cautions at Bristol. ... NASCAR has suspended Cody Ware indefinitely after he was arrested on domestic violence charges in North Carolina.

Next race: April 23, Talladega, Alabama.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Call 811.com Before You Dig 250

Site: Martinsville, Virginia.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 5 p.m., and qualifying, 5:35 p.m.; Saturday, race, 7:30 p.m. (FS1).

Track: Martinsville Speedway.

Race distance: 250 laps, 131.5 miles.

Last year: Brandon Jones won after starting 12th.

Last race: Chandler Smith outran John Hunter Nemechek in a six-lap dash to the finish to win at Richmond, his first victory in 10 career starts in the series. Nemechek rallied after being 33rd to end the first stage.

Fast facts: Austin Hill has won three of the seven races run this season, but his points lead is just 12 over Riley Herbst and 18 over Nemechek. ... Hill is the only multiple race winner. ... The top three and fifth-place Josh Berry have all finished in the top 10 in each race. ... Chandler Smith and Justin Allgaier lead with four top-five finishes each. ... Chevrolets have won the last three races and four of six this season.

Next race: April 22, Talladega, Alabama.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR TRUCK SERIES

Long John Silver's 200

Site: Martinsville, Virginia.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 3 p.m., qualifying, 3:35 p.m., and race, 7:30 p.m. (FS1).

Track: Martinsville Speedway.

Race distance: 200 laps, 105 miles.

Last year: William Byron won after starting 32nd, by far the deepest starting spot in the field to get to Victory Lane last year.

Last race: Cup Series star Joey Logano led 138 of the 150 laps and beat ThorSport teammate Ty Majeski to the checkered flag by 1.241 seconds at Bristol.

Fast facts: Logano joined Kyle Busch as non-regulars in the series to win through six races this season. ... Majeski expanded his points lead from three to 34 over defending series champion Zane Smith, who finished 21st. ... 2021 champion Ben Rhodes is third, 47 points back, followed by three-time champion Matt Crafton, who is 61 points behind.

Next race: May 6, Kansas City, Kansas.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Last race: Two-time defending champion Max Verstappen outran seven-time champ Lewis Hamilton in a three-lap sprint of a race filled with restarts to win for the second time in three races this year and the 18th time in the last 27. The finish was Hamilton’s best in more than a year.

Next race: April 30, Azerbaijan.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

INDYCAR

Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach

Site: Long Beach, California.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 6 p.m.; Saturday, practice, 11:45 a.m., and qualifying, 3:05 p.m.-4:20 p.m.; Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (ABC).

Track: Long Beach street circuit.

Race distance: 85 laps, 167.28 miles.

Last year: Josef Newgarden won after starting second.

Last race: Josef Newgarden edged Pato O’Ward in a stirring lead-swapping duel and won at Texas when a crash behind the leaders brought out a yellow flag just as the leaders took the white flag. It was Newgarden's third win at Texas.

Fast facts: Pato O'Ward leads the point standings by seven over Marcus Ericsson, 15 over six-time champion Scott Dixon and 16 over Newgarden. ... O'Ward is the only driver with two podium finishes. Four other drivers have one each. ... The series takes next weekend off before moving to Alabama.

Next race: April 30, Birmingham, Alabama.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

NHRA DRAG RACING

Last event: Justin Ashley won in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan won in Funny Car at Pomona, California.

Next event: April 16, Las Vegas.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS

Next events: April 1 & 15, Pevely, Missouri.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars

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