AUTO RACING: Byron back on top after 4th Cup Series win; Verstappen keeps rolling, Palou hopes to
All Times Eastern
NASCAR CUP SERIES
Crayon 301
Site: Loudon, New Hampshire.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 12:05 p.m., and qualifying, 12:50 p.m.; Sunday, race, 2:30 p.m. (USA).
Track: New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 301 laps, 318.46 miles.
Last year: Christopher Bell won after starting fifth.
Last race: William Byron overcame a spin early in the second stage that put him a lap down and was in the right position when the race at Atlanta was shortened by rain after he took the lead for his series-best fourth victory of the year.
Fast facts: Byron took over the series points lead by 21 over Martin Truex Jr., 36 over Kyle Busch and 37 over Bell. ... The race was stopped with 75 laps to go because of rain and the threat of lightning. Fans were encouraged to leave the stands shortly thereafter with severe weather moving in and NASCAR called it official shortly thereafter. ... Daniel Suarez was second. followed by AJ Allmendinger, Michael McDowell and Busch. ... Richard Childress was the grand marshal in a No. 29 car. Kevin Harvick drove the No. 29 to victory at Atlanta for his first victory in 2001 and drove his final race at the track and had a late spin. He finished 30th.
Next race: July 23, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
Ambetter Health 200
Site: Loudon, New Hampshire.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 5:05 p.m., and qualifying, 5:35 p.m.; Saturday, race, 3 p.m. (USA).
Track: New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 150 laps, 318.46 miles.
Last year: Justin Allgaier won after starting third.
Last race: Points leader John Hunter Nemechek passed Justin Haley at the start of overtime and held off Daniel Hemric to win at Atlanta, his third victory of the season.
Fast facts: Nemechek leads Austin Hill, the only other three-time winner this year, by 16 points and Cole Custer by 45. Fourth-place Allgaier, who is 54 points back, is the only other driver within 150 points of the lead. ... Custer was third, followed by Haley. ... Nemechek, Hill and Allgaier share the lead with nine top-five finishes, and Nemechek leads with 14 top-10s in 17 races. ... The top five in the standings have combined to win 10 races. Four others were won by non-championship contenders.
Next race: July 22, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
Last race: Points leader Corey Heim passed Ty Majeski with 26 laps to go and never relinquished the top spot at Mid-Ohio, winning for the second time this season and for the first time on a road course. Heim, with one fewer start than the rest of the contenders, leads defending series champion Zane Smith by 26 points and Majeski by 51 through 14 of 23 races.
Next race: July 22, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Last race: Max Verstappen recovered from a slow start on the pole to win the British Grand Prix, another dominant performance that was upstaged by a stirring duel in which Lando Norris held off fellow Brit Lewis Hamilton for second place.
Next race: July 23, Budapest, Hungary.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
Honda Indy Toronto
Site: Toronto, Canada.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 3 p.m.; Saturday, practice, 10:35 a.m., and qualifying, 2:50 p.m.; Sunday, race, 1:30 p.m. (peacock).
Track: Exhibition Place street circuit.
Race distance: 85 laps, 151.81 miles.
Last year: Scott Dixon won after starting second.
Last race: Alex Palou continued his dominance at Mid-Ohio with his third straight series win. He easily beat Dixon, his Chip Ganassi Racing teammate, for his fourth win in the last five races and extended his lead over Dixon to 110 points.
Fast facts: With a maximum of 54 points offered per race and five points awarded to those who finish last in a 27-car field, the most an opponent can gain in a single race is 49 points, which means Palou’s lead is more than two races with eight remaining. ... Dan Wheldon also won three races in a row and four of five in 2005, but his lead was 73 points after that flurry. He also won his lone championship that year. ... Third-place Josef Newgarden (116 points behind) is the only other multiple race winner with two victories through the first nine events.
Next race: Doubleheader weekend July 22-23 at Newton, Iowa.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
Last event: Leah Pruett won in Top Fuel and Blake Alexander won in Funny Car in Norwalk, Ohio.
Next event: July 16, Morrison, Colorado.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Next events: July 14 & 15, Rossburg, Ohio.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing and https://twitter.com/AP
