AUTO RACING: Hamlin declares himself the man to beat in NASCAR. Sainz ends Verstappen's win streak
All Times Eastern
NASCAR CUP SERIES
AutoTrader EchoPark Automotive 400
Site: Fort Worth, Texas.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 12:35 p.m., and qualifying, 1:20 p.m.; Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (USA).
Track: Texas Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 267 laps, 400 miles.
Last year: Tyler Reddick won after starting fourth.
Last race: Denny Hamlin took the lead off pit road and led the final 135 laps at Bristol, beating Kyle Larson by 2.462 seconds in the first elimination race of the Cup Series playoffs.
Fast facts: Defending series champion Joey Logano, retiring Kevin Harvick, Daytona 500 winner Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Michael McDowell were eliminated from the playoffs. Logano is the first defending champ not to make it out of the first round the following year. ... Bubba Wallace and Reddick, who drive for the 23XI Racing team co-owned by Hamlin and Michael Jordan, also advanced in the playoffs. ... Pole sitter Christopher Bell led a race-high 187 laps. ... Hamlin led 142 laps in all, and Ty Gibbs led 102.
Next race: Oct. 1, Talladega, Alabama.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
Andy's Frozen Custard 300
Site: Fort Worth, Texas.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 10:35 a.m., qualifying, 11:05 a.m., and race, 3:30 p.m. (USA).
Track: Texas Motor Speedway.
Race distance: 200 laps, 300 miles.
Last year: Noah Gragson won his fourth consecutive race after starting second.
Last race: Justin Allgaier won at Bristol for the second time in his career — the first win came in 2010 — and earned a spot in the second round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series playoffs.
Fast facts: The victory was Allgaier's third of the season. ... Dale Earnhardt Jr. drove his first race of the season and was contending before his car caught fire with 29 laps remaining. ... Earnhardt plans to race again at Homestead-Miami in late October. ... Daniel Hemric, who will move up to the Cup Series next year for Kaulig Racing, finished second after starting the race ranked 11th in the 12-driver playoff field. John Hunter Nemechek finished third, followed by Cole Custer and Chandler Smith. ... Regular-season champ Austin Hill finished 32nd after contact with Richard Childress Racing teammate Sheldon Creed caused him to crash.
Next race: Oct. 7, Concord, North Carolina.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
Last race: Regular-season champion Corey Heim passed Christian Eckes with six laps to go and won at Bristol, becoming the first driver to secure a spot in the championship finale.
Next race: Sept. 30, Talladega, Alabama.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Japanese Grand Prix
Site: Tokyo, Japan.
Schedule: Thursday, practice, 10:30 p.m.; Friday, practice, 2 a.m. and 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 2 a.m.; Sunday, race, 1 a.m. (ESPN).
Track: Suzuka International Racing Course.
Race distance: 53 laps, 191.053 miles.
Last year: Max Verstappen won from the pole position.
Last race: Carlos Sainz Jr., who earned his first podium in the previous race, ended two-time defending series champion Verstappen's record run of 10 straight victories and Red Bull's run of 15 straight wins in Singapore, with both Red Bull drivers finishing off the podium.
Fast facts: Sainz won from the pole ... Verstappen finished fifth and Sergio Perez eighth after struggling all weekend. ... The result was Verstappen's worst since Nov. 2022, but he still increased his championship lead to 151 points over Perez with seven races to go. ... McLaren’s Lando Norris finished second and the Mercedes seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton was third. ... Charles Leclerc was fourth, one spot ahead of Verstappen.
Next race: Oct. 8, Doha, Qatar.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
Last race: Scott Dixon won at Laguna Seca, his third win of the season, all in the last four races. The six-time champion gave Chip Ganassi Racing a 1-2 finish in the standings. A week earlier, teammate Alex Palou became the first driver in 18 years to clinch the title before the final race of the season.
Next race: Next season.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
Last event: Doug Kalita won in Top Fuel and Robert Hight won in Funny Car in Mohnton, Pennsylvania.
Next event: Sept. 22-24. Concord, North Carolina.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Next events: Sept. 22, Eldora, Ohio, and Sept. 23, Hartford, Ohio.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars
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