NASCAR close to regular-season finish with playoffs on the line, F1 back in action after a month off
All Times Eastern
NASCAR CUP SERIES
Coke Zero Sugar 400
Site: Daytona Beach, Florida.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 5:05 p.m.; Saturday, race, 7:30 p.m. (NBC).
Track: Daytona International Speedway.
Race distance: 160 laps, 400 miles.
Last year: Chris Buescher continued his hot run, winning for a third time in a five-race stretch in the final regular-season race of the NASCAR season. Buescher finished ahead of Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing teammate Brad Keselowski, giving the long-time NASCAR program its first 1-2 finish since 2014. Aric Almirola was third, followed by Chase Elliott and Joey Logano.
Last race: It was a Monday finish after a rainy Sunday at Michigan this past week with Tyler Reddick holding on for his second NASCAR Cup Series win this season. Reddick moved past William Byron on the final lap of the second restart, finishing off an event that began Sunday and lasted only 51 laps before rain halted things. Byron ended second and Ty Gibbs third. Kyle Busch won the second stage and finished fourth.
Fast facts: Time is running out on NASCAR drivers outside of the playoff grid. There's just one race left after Daytona (at Darlington) to win your way into the 16-team playoffs. ... Those on the outside got a boost with Reddick's win since he had already won his way in at Talladega this past April. ... There are 12 drivers with victories locked into the field, meaning as many as four winless drivers — should previous winners this season take the checkered flag at Daytona and Darlington — could compete for a title. ... Joe Gibbs Racing drivers Martin Truex Jr. (eighth) and Gibbs (10th) are the top two winless drivers in the standings. ... Austin Dillon looked like he'd won his way in at Richmond two races ago, but NASCAR revoked the playoff entry while keeping the win for his wreck-filled final lap.
Next race: Sept. 1, Darlington, South Carolina.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
Wawa 250 Powered by Coca-Cola
Site: Daytona Beach, Florida.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying 3:30 p.m.; race, 7:30 p.m.. (USA Network)
Track: Daytona International Speedway.
Race distance: 100 laps, 250 miles.
Last year: Justin Allgaier came back from the back of the field and came through a side-by-side battle with Sheldon Creed on the final overtime lap to win Daytona's summer race last year. Allgaier won by 0.005 seconds, a edge of about 12 inches at the 2.5-mile track. Daniel Hemric was third, followed by Parker Kligerman and Cole Custer was fifth.
Last race: It was Allgaier again winning in overtime at Michigan this past week for his second Xfinity victory of the season. The checkered flag was Allgaier's 25th Xfinity race of his career, breaking a 10th-place tie with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Tommy Houston in the series. On the final restart, Allgaier broke free in the No. 7 Chevrolet before Kyle Sieg rolled over in a crash on the final lap to end the race.
Fast facts: There are five races left in the regular season before Xfinity's 12-team playoffs begin. After Daytona, there's Darlington, Atlanta, Watkins Glen and Bristol. ... Defending series champion Custer continues to hold the lead this season with a 12-point edge of Allgaier. ... There are eight drivers locked into the playoffs, led by Shane Van Gisbergen who's won three times on the series. Others with wins include Austin Hill, Chandler Smith, Sam Mayer, Custer, Allgaier, Riley Herbst and Jesse Love. Ryan Sieg is 12th on the grid, three points ahead of Sammy Smith.
Next race: Aug. 31, Darlington, South Carolina.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
LiUNA! 175
Site: West Allis, Wisconsin.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 3:20 p.m.; qualifying, 4:30 p.m.; Sunday, race, 3 p.m. (FS1).
Track: Milwaukee Mile.
Distance: 175 laps, 177.625 miles.
Last year: Grant Enfinger dominated in the series return to the Milwaukee Mile, winning the pole, taking both stages and leading 95 of 175 laps for the victory. The win was a boost for the team last year, which earlier in the week learned that owner GMS Racing was shutting down the program. Enfinger is racing this season for CR7 Motorsports.
Fast Facts: After a week off, the truck series returns to the track to start their 10-team playoffs. ... Corey Heim, with five victories this season, leads the field at the Milwaukee Mile. Christian Eckes is second and Ty Majeski third. ... The rest of the championship field is Nick Sanchez, Rajah Caruth, Enfinger, Tyler Ankrum, Taylor Gray, Ben Rhodes and Daniel Dye. ... After Milwaukee, the playoffs go to Bristol and Kansas before the field is cut to eight.
Next race: Sept. 19, Bristol, Tennessee.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Dutch Grand Prix
Site: Zandvoort, Netherlands.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 6:30 a.m.; practice, 10 a.m.; Saturday, practice, 5:30 a.m.; qualifying 9 a.m.; Sunday race, 9 a.m. (ESPN).
Track: Circuit Zandvoort.
Distance: 72 laps, 306.5 kilometers (190.45 miles).
Last year: Max Verstappen won his ninth straight F1 race of the season at the Dutch Grand Prix, tying the record of Sebastian Vettel set in 2013. Verstappen went on to break Vettel's mark a week later in Italy. At Circuit Zandvoort, Verstappen won from the pole in a race in wet weather. Fernando Alonso finished second and Pierre Gasly was third.
Last race: Lewis Hamilton took the Belgian Grand Prix on July 28 when Mercedes teammate George Russell was disqualified after crossing the line first with an underweight car. ... Russell had held off Hamilton, despite the past series champion closing in on the leader over the final laps. Oscar Piastri had finished third behind Russell and Hamilton, but was moved up to second. Fourth-place Charles Leclerc was declared third after the disqualification.
Fast facts: F1 teams should be well rested after a mid-summer break of nearly a month since last competing at the Belgium Grand Prix on July 28. The series takes a similar break between racing in Singapore on Sept. 22 and at the Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas on Oct. 20. ... Series leader Verstappen has not made a podium since the last of his seven victories this season in Spain on June 23. ... Despite that, Verstappen has a 78-point lead over McLaren driver Lando Norris. Leclerc sits in third, 100 points behind Verstappen.
Next race: Sept. 1, Monza, Italy.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
BitNile.com Grand Prix of Portland
Site: Portland, Oregon.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 5:55 p.m.; Saturday practice, 12 p.m.; qualifying, 3:30 p.m.; practice, 8:15 p.m.; Sunday race, 3:20 p.m. (USA Network).
Track: Portland International Raceway.
Distance: 110 laps, 347.6 kilometers (216.04 miles).
Last year: Alex Palou clinched his second IndyCar title at Portland in 2023, leading 69 of 110 laps on the way to victory. Felix Rosenqvist was second and Palou's Ganassi teammate Scott Dixon was third. Palou locked up the title with one weekend remaining in the 17-race schedule, marking the first time in IndyCar the championship has been settled before the finale since the late Dan Wheldon won in 2005.
Last race: Indy 500 winner Josef Newgarden took a wild race at World Wide Technology Raceway outside of St. Louis last week in IndyCar's return from nearly a month off. Newgarden spun out early, then survived a late restart to win there for the fourth time in five tries. Scott McLaughlin was second, followed by Linus Lundqvist, Alex Palou and Colton Herta.
Fast Facts: Maybe you've heard this before, but Palou, the series points leader, can go a long way to locking up another IndyCar crown with a strong run at Portland. His fourth place at World Wide Technology Raceway last week has him 59 points in front of Herta with three races left. ... Palou's teammate Dixon sits in third with Will Power fourth and Scott McLaughlin fifth.
Next races: Aug. 31-Sept. 1, West Allis, Wisconsin.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
Last event: Justin Ashley won in Top Fuel and Blake Alexander took the Funny Car title at the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals in Brainerd, Minnesota. The series now takes a week off before the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis over Labor Day weekend. Ashley outran Shawn Langdon in the final round for his 14th career victory. Ashley took out three-time NASCAR champion Tony Stewart in the round of eight on the way his fourth title this season. Alexander and his team bounced back after an explosion took them out in Sonoma with his first victory of the season. Alexander won when defending world champion Matt Hagan went red in the final four.
Fast facts: Past champion Jack Beckman is racing in place of Funny Car legend John Force, who continues his recovery from a horrific crash in Virginia two months ago. Breckman was eliminated by Alexander in the second round. ... Doug Kalitta leads the Top Fuel standings, 84 points ahead of Langdon. Ashley sits third, followed by Steve Torrence and Antron Brown. ... In Funny Car, Austin Prock has a 218-point lead over Bob Tasca III. Hagan is third, followed by J.R. Todd and John Force's team with Beckman the pilot.
Next event: Aug. 28-Sept. 2, Indianapolis.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Duel in the Dakotas; World of Outlaws Northern Tour
Site: Grand Forks, North Dakota; West Fargo, North Dakota.
Last events: Carson Macedo won his fourth overall World of Outlaws victory at Jackson Motorplex in Minnesota last Friday night. That tied him with Logan Schuchart and Brad Sweet for most overall wins at the facility. Macedo started second in the final 30 laps and quickly drove to the front. The victory was also Macedo's fourth win of the season. On Saturday, Donny Schatz joined the party with his fourth overall victory at the track. He had what looked like a comfortable lead heading into the final lap, but had to hold off Sheldon Haudenschild to take the checkered flag.
Fast facts: David Gravel widened his points lead. He's got 6,364 points, 106 ahead of Schatz in second. Macedo remained in third, although he fell from 130 points behind to 142.
Next events: Aug. 30-Sept. 1, Brandon, South Dakota.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars
___
AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing
