AUTO RACING: Suarez wins at Atlanta by an eyelash while Verstappen hopes to start four-peat in F1

Published Feb. 27, 2024 8:50 a.m. ET

Associated Press

All Times Eastern

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Pennzoil 400 presented by Jiffy Lube

Site: Las Vegas.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 2:05 p.m., and qualifying, 2:50; Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (FOX).

Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Race distance: 267 laps, 400 miles.

Last year: William Byron won after starting second.

Last race: Daniel Suarez narrowly edged Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in the closest finish in Atlanta history for his second career victory in the top series.

Fast facts: The victory came in career start No. 253 for Suarez, whose other win came in June 2022 at Sonoma. ... The winning margin — 0.003 seconds — is the third-closest since 1993 when electronic scoring was implemented. ... The race featured 10 cautions and an Atlanta-record 48 lead changes. ... Blaney finished second, followed by Busch ... Todd Gilliland led 58 laps; the third-year driver had led a combined 11 laps in his first two seasons. He finished 26th.

Next race: March 10, Avondale, Arizona.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

The LiUNA

Site: Las Vegas.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 6:35 p.m., and qualifying, 7:05 p.m.; Saturday, race, 5 p.m. (FS1).

Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Race distance: 200 laps, 300 miles.

Last year: Austin Hill won after starting ninth.

Last race: Hill won his second straight race to open the season, surging to the lead on an overtime restart when teammate Jesse Love ran out of gas at Atlanta.

Fast facts: Hill became the first driver since Tony Stewart in 2008 to win the first two Xfinity races of the season. ... Hill has won three of the last four Xfinity Series races at Atlanta and is halfway to his wins total in 33 races last season. ... Love started on the pole, becoming the first driver to win the pole in his first two career starts, led 157 laps and finished 12th. ... Georgia native Chandler Smith finished second and New Zealander Shane Van Gisbergen was third.

Next race: March 9, Avondale, Arizona.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR TRUCK SERIES

Victoria’s Voice Foundation 200 presented by Westgate Resorts

Site: Las Vegas.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 4:35 p.m., qualifying, 5:05 p.m., and race, 9 p.m. (FS1).

Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Race distance: 134 laps, 201 miles.

Last year: Kyle Busch won from the pole position.

Last race: Busch moved to the lead when Grant Enfinger had tire problems with six laps to go and won in the truck series for the seventh time at Atlanta.

Fast facts: The victory was Busch's 65th in the truck series, extending his own record, and 230th across NASCAR's three national series. ... Busch drove for Spire Motorsports, who he sold his truck team to late last year, and will race four more times for the team this season. ... Ty Majeski was second, followed by Corey Heim, Taylor Gray and Nick Sanchez, who won the season-opener at Daytona.

Next race: March 16, Bristol, Tennessee.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Bahrain Grand Prix

Site: Sakhir, Bahrain.

Schedule: Thursday, practice, 6:30 a.m. and 10 a.m.; Friday, practice, 7:30 a.m., and qualifying, 11 a.m.; Saturday, race, 10 a.m. (ESPN).

Track: Bahrain International Circuit.

Race distance: 57 laps, 191.53 miles.

Last year: Max Verstappen won from the pole position.

Last race: Verstappen completed his third consecutive championship season by winning the season finale in Abu Dhabi, his seventh consecutive victory and season-record 19th in 22 races in 2023.

Fast facts: In winning three consecutive championships, Verstappen has won 44 of 66 races, including 28 of the last 33. Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez won two of the three races Verstappen didn't in 2023 and Carlos Sainz Jr. of Ferrari was the lone non-Red Bull winner. Sainz will have to find a new team in 2025 when seven-time series champion Lewis Hamilton moves from Mercedes to Ferrari.

Next race: March 10, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

INDYCAR

Last race: Scott Dixon won last year’s season finale 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 had become the first driver in 18 years to clinch the title before the final race of the season.

Next race: Season opener at St. Petersburg, Florida, March 10.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

NHRA DRAG RACING

Next event: March 7-10, Gainesville, Florida.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS

Next events: March 3 & 4, Barberville, Florida.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars

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