Auto Racing Glance

[August 24, 2018]  MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES

THIS WEEK: NASCAR's top series takes its last week off before the stretch run home to end the season the Sunday before Thanksgiving. ... There are two races left before the playoff field is set, and so far, 12 of the 16 spots are spoken for. ... Kurt Busch won Saturday Night's race at Bristol, cementing a spot. ... With only two potential new winners on the season before the playoffs begin, at least two spots will be earned on points, and with the domination of the "Big Three " -- Kevin Harvick (seven victories), Kyle Busch (six) and Martin Truex Jr. (four) -- all four remaining spots may be won on points. ... Next up for the series is the annual trip to Darlington Raceway next Sunday. ... *Kyle Busch leads the points standings with 1,003, followed by *Harvick (960), *Truex (849), Kurt Busch (796), *Clint Bowyer (776), *Joey Logano (768), Ryan Blaney (733), Brad Keselowski (730), Kyle Larson (729) and Denny Hamlin (707) rounding out the top 10. ... *Chase Elliott is 11th (697) *Erik Jones is in 13th (635) and *Austin Dillon is in 19th (475), all inside the playoff cutoff. ... The four drivers currently winless but in the playoffs on points are Blaney, Keselowski, Larson and Hamlin. Aric Almirola (12th, 658 points) is the first driver on the outside looking in. He is 51 points behind Hamlin, a tall order to make up in two races.

(All stats and standings per NASCAR.com)

*Denotes race winner and playoff berth

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: JOHNSONVILLE 180 (45 laps, 182.16 miles around a 4.048-mile 14-turn permanent road course), Road America; Elkhart Lake, Wis.

TV: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 3:15 p.m. ET) - NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The 23rd of 33 races on the season, the series makes its third trip to a road course in four weeks, this time the long and fast track at Road America. ... This will be the ninth race at the track, with the series coming back once a year since the inaugural race in 2010. ... Cup regular Kyle Larson won Friday's race at Bristol, leaving just four races for the Xfinity full-timers in the regular season before the playoffs begin at Richmond on Sept. 21. ... This race has some added interest as NASCAR Hall of Famer Bill Elliott, Chase's father, comes out of retirement to run. ... Jeremy Clements won this race last year. ... *Christopher Bell leads the standings with 810 points, followed by *Justin Allgaier (797), Elliott Sadler (793), Cole Custer (791), Daniel Hemric (768), *Tyler Reddick (643), Brandon Jones (634), Ryan Truex (618), Austin Cindric (582) and Matt Tifft (580) rounding out the top 10. The playoffs will start with 12 drivers, with Ryan Reed (534) and Ross Chastain (479) holding spots 11 and 12, respectively. Michael Annett (437) is currently the first driver out.

(All stats and standings per NASCAR.com)

*Denotes race winner and playoff berth

NASCAR CAMPING WORLD TRUCK SERIES: CHEVROLET SILVERADO 250 (64 laps, 157.376 miles around a 2.459-mile 10-turn permanent road course), Canadian Tire Motorsport Park; Bowmanville, Ontario.

TV: Sunday, 2:30 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 2:42 p.m. ET) - FS1 (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: Let the playoffs begin! The Trucks head into the Championship Round of 8 with a trip north of the border to Ontario and the final road-course race of the season. ... This will be the sixth series race at the track as the Trucks come back every year since the inaugural in 2013. ... This is the 17th of 23 races on the season. ... Eight drivers have three races to ensure they make the Round of 6, with mighty Talladega serving as the cutoff on Oct. 13. ... Austin Cindric won this race last year. ... Johnny Sauter won the race last weekend at Bristol. ... With the points reset, Sauter leads the Truck standings (2,042 points), followed by Brett Moffitt (2,027), Noah Gragson (2,022), Ben Rhodes (2,014), Stewart Friesen (2,012), Grant Enfinger (2,011), Justin Haley (2,009) and Matt Crafton (2,003) make up the field. ... A victory automatically advances a driver to the next round.

(All stats and standings per NASCAR.com)

VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES: BOMMARITO AUTOMOTIVE GROUP 500 (248 laps, 310 miles [498.4 kilometers] around a 1.25-mile (2.01km] four-turn egg-shaped oval), Gateway Motorsports Park; Madison, Ill.

TV: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (approx. green flag 8:05 p.m. ET) - NBCSN (Radio: Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network, Sirius 214, XM 209, IndyCar.com, indycarradio.com and on the INDYCAR Mobile app).

THIS WEEK: After a long-delayed race at Pocono on Sunday where driver Robert Wickens was seriously injured in an early crash, the series heads to a night race at the short, fast and technical Gateway Motorsports Park, the 15th of 17 races on the season. ... This is the final oval race of the season before the season ends at a street course in Portland and the Sonoma road course. ... This will be the fifth series race at gateway, but just the second since a return last season, won by Josef Newgarden. ... The track is tricky, with a tight-radius trip through turns 1 and 2 and then a wider radius through 3 and 4. ... Alexander Rossi is on a roll, having won back-to-back at Pocono and Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course to tighten up the championship race. ... Scott Dixon has seen his lead in the championship dwindle to 29 points as the New Zealander is on top of the standings (530), followed by Rossi (501), Newgarden (464), Australia's Will Power (449) and Ryan Hunter-Reay (411).

FORMULA ONE: BELGIAN GRAND PRIX (44 laps, 191.488 miles around a 4.352-mile 19-turn permanent road course), Spa-Francorchamps; Spa, Belgium.

TV: Sunday, 9 a.m. ET (Green flag approx. 9:05 a.m. ET) - ESPN2 (Radio: SiriusXM Radio Channel 132).

THIS WEEK: The long summer break is over and Spa is on tap for the 13th of 21 races this season. ... What awaits is a long, technical race course with hills and sweeping turns - and unpredictable weather -- that has seen thrilling battles through the years. This will be the 74th Belgian Grand Prix with the current course configuration set up in 1981, but with periodic slight changes, the last in 2007. ... Lewis Hamilton won this race last year. ... Great Britain's Hamilton put some distance on his nearest pursuer in the championship race with a win in Hungary before the summer break, but Sebastian Vettel of Germany finished second to stay in the title hunt. ... Barring an injury, the series is down to a two-man race for the title between the two four-time champions. ... Hamilton leads the standings in his Mercedes with 213 points, followed by Vettel, Ferrari (189), Finland's Kimi Raikkonen, Ferrari (146), Finland's Valterri Bottas, Mercedes (132) and Australia's Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull (118).

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

THIS WEEK: After the annual trip to Minnesota, the NHRA looks forward to the "Big Go," the U.S. Nationals over Labor Day weekend in Indianapolis. Indy will be the last chance for drivers and teams with playoffs aspirations to get in or to really ready their machines for the drive to the championship. ... Winners in Minnesota were Billy Torrence in Top Fuel, Jack Beckman in Funny Car Deric Kramer in Pro Stock and Eddie Krawiec in Pro Stock Motorcycle. All four classes will race in Indy. ... *Steve Torrence leads the Top Fuel standings (1,332 points), followed by *Tony Schumacher (1,145), *Clay Millican (1,144), *Leah Pritchett (1,118), *Doug Kalitta (1,027), *Antron Brown (1,026), Terry McMillen (791), Brittany Force (787), Scott Palmer (701) and Mike Salinas (694) rounding out the top 10. ... *Courtney Force leads Funny Car (1,372), followed by *Ron Capps (1,177), *Robert Hight (1,154), *Beckman (1,110), *Matt Hagan (1,102), * Tommy Johnson Jr. (987), *J.R. Todd (987), John Force (855), Shawn Langdon (791) and Tim Wilkerson (747). ... *Greg Anderson leads Pro Stock (1,262) followed by *Tanner Gray (1,242), *Erica Enders (1,146), *Vincent Nobile (1,084), *Jeg Coughlin Jr. (1,055), *Kramer (1,045),*Jason Line (986), *Chris McGaha (983),*Drew Skillman (959) and Bo Butner (930). ... *Andrew Hines leads Pro Stock Motorcycle (784), followed by *Krawiec (773), *Hector Arana Jr. (646), *LE Tonglet (641), *Jerry Savoie (588), *Matt Smith (540), Scotty Pollacheck (480), Angie Smith (409), Angelle Sampey (372) and Hector Arana Sr. (353). ... The playoffs start with 10 drivers in each class.

*Denotes clinched playoff berth

--Field Level Media

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