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[March 09, 2017] The Sports Xchange

MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: Kobalt 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles), Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

TV: Sunday, 3:30 p.m. ET -- FOX. Radio: Performance Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90.

THIS WEEK: This will be the 20th NASCAR Cup race at Las Vegas (the first was in 1998). ... Defending race winner: Brad Keselowski has won two of the past three races at Las Vegas (2014 and 2016) ... Jimmie Johnson is the winningest Cup driver at Las Vegas with four wins, but he has not reached victory lane there since 2010. ... Points leaders: Kevin Harvick (90 points), Kurt Busch (86), Keselowski (84), Chase Elliott (82), Joey Logano (80). ... Last week's race winner at Atlanta: Keselowski. It was his first career Cup win at the Hampton, Ga., track. ... An announcement is expected late Wednesday afternoon of a second race being added at Las Vegas for the 2018 season. It is expected that Speedway Motorsports Inc., which owns LVMS, will move a race from another of its tracks, New Hampshire Motor Speedway, to give Las Vegas a long-coveted second yearly Cup event.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: Boyd Gaming 300 (200 laps, 300 miles), Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

TV: Saturday, 4 p.m. ET -- Fox Sports 1. Radio: Performance Racing Network/SiriusXM Channel 90.

THIS WEEK: This will be the 21st Xfinity race held at LVMS. ... Defending Las Vegas Xfinity winner: Kyle Busch. ... Points leaders: Elliott Sadler (70 points), William Byron (67), Ryan Reed (66), Brendan Gaughan (62), Matt Tifft (56). ... Last Saturday's winner at Atlanta: Kyle Busch.

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: The series is off until April 1 at Martinsville.

THIS WEEK: Christopher Bell won last Saturday's race at Atlanta, his third career Truck Series win. It was also the first Truck Series win at Atlanta for Kyle Busch Motorsports. ... Points leaders: Bell (93 points), Johnny Sauter (86), Ben Rhodes (86), Kaz Grala (78), Matt Crafton (72).

VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES: Firestone Grand Prix (110 laps on 1.8-mile street course, 198 miles), St. Petersburg, Fla.

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TV: Sunday, noon ET, ABC. Radio: SiriusXM Radio -- Sirius channel 212, XM channel 209.

THIS WEEK: This is the 2017 season-opening race. ... Defending St. Petersburg winner: Juan Pablo Montoya (also won 2015 race). Montoya will not be at St. Pete to defend his last two wins, as he has been replaced on Team Penske by Josef Newgarden. Montoya is only scheduled to race in the Indianapolis 500 this season. However, he reportedly is in line to drive in the IMSA Series for Team Penske at some point this year. ... Defending 2016 season champion: Simon Pagenaud.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION, MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING SERIES: Next race is the Amalie Motor Oil Gatornationals, March 16-19, in Gainesville, Fla.

THIS WEEK: There is no race this weekend. ... Winners two weeks ago at Phoenix in the second race of the season: Leah Pritchett (Top Fuel), Matt Hagan (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock). ... Pritchett and Hagan have both won the first two races thus far this season, while Anderson joined teammate Jason Line, who won the season opener at Pomona, Calif., three weeks ago. ... Points leaders: Top Fuel -- Pritchett (245 points), Tony Schumacher (153), Brittany Force (151), Antron Brown (143), Doug Kalitta (140); Funny Car -- Hagan (240), Ron Capps (178), Courtney Force (140), Tommy Johnson Jr. (134), John Force (112); Pro Stock -- Anderson (225), Line (195), Jeg Coughlin Jr. (132), Bo Butner III (131), Drew Skillman (129).

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