Auto Racing Glance

[August 08, 2019]  MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: CONSUMERS ENERGY 400 (200 laps, 400 miles around a two-mile D-shaped oval), Michigan International Speedway; Brooklyn, Mich.

TV: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 3:18 p.m. ET) -- NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: After the second road course race of the season at Watkins Glen, a very different challenge awaits at Michigan, as it presents the obstacle of getting the cars to work in multiple grooves and making drivers comfortable as tire wear becomes an issue. ... Chase Elliott won for the second straight year at The Glen and should look forward to Michigan, where he has top-10s in six of the previous seven races and has finished second three times. ... Kevin Harvick won this race last season. Joey Logano won the race here this spring. ... This will be the 101st series race at Michigan, and an important one to Ford and Chevrolet, with their headquarters nearby. This is the 23rd of 36 races this season. ... *Kyle Busch leads the Cup standings with 851 points, followed by *Logano (838), *Harvick (777), *Denny Hamlin (771), *Martin Truex Jr. (753), *Brad Keselowski (728), *Kurt Busch (679), *Elliott (676), Aric Almirola (640) and Ryan Blaney (633) rounding out the top 10. *Alex Bowman (623) is in the playoffs with his earlier win and sits 11th in the standings.

BEST BETS: It's the usual suspects at the top, with Kyle Busch again the favorite to win at 5/1, followed by Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. at 5/1, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski at 6/1. William Byron is a good deal at 40/1 as is Jimmie Johnson at 50/1. Darrell "Bubba" Wallace Jr. is in a car that does well at big tracks and is better than his 1,000/1 odds.

*Denotes race winner and playoff berth. Standings per NASCAR.com.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: B&L TRANSPORT 170 (75 laps, 180 miles around a 13-turn 2.4-mile permanent road course), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course; Lexington, Ohio.

TV: Saturday, 3 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 3:18 p.m. ET) -- NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The 21st of 33 races on the season, the series makes its second of four trips to a road course and its second in as many weeks coming off Watkins Glen. ... Mid-Ohio is a technical course that rewards precise braking and turn-in points, but can be forgiving on turn exits. ... This will be the seventh series race at the track dating back to 2013. ... Justin Allgaier won this race last year. ... Austin Cindric won last week at Watkins Glen. ... *Tyler Reddick leads the Xfinity standings with 889 points, followed by *Christopher Bell (857), *Cole Custer (790), Allgaier (742), *Cindric (698), *Chase Briscoe (663), Noah Gragson (661), *Michael Annett (629), Justin Haley (627) and John Hunter Nemechek (605).

*Denotes race winner and playoff berth. Standings per NASCAR.com.

NASCAR GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES: CORRIGAN OIL 200 (100 laps, 200 miles around a two-mile D-shaped oval), Michigan International Speedway; Brooklyn, Mich.

TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 1:48 p.m. ET) -- FS1 (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: After the dirt race at Eldora, the Trucks are back at it for the 16th of 23 races this season, with Stewart Friesen having won last Thursday. ... This will be the 20th series race at the track dating back to 1999. ... Brett Moffitt won this race last year. ... Grant Enfinger leads the Truck standings (622 points) followed by Matt Crafton (570), *Friesen (567), *Moffitt (564), Ben Rhodes (507), Harrison Burton (506), Todd Gilliland (473), Sheldon Creed (450), *Austin Hill (431), and *Johnny Sauter (418) rounding out the top 10. *Tyler Ankrum (322) is currently 12th and in the playoffs as is *Ross Chastain (250) in 14th place.

*Denotes race winner and playoff berth. Standings per NASCAR.com.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

THIS WEEK: The series takes its second of two weeks off before heading to Pocono Raceway on Aug. 18, having run 13 of 17 races so far. ... Scott Dixon won the race at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course two week ago to help tighten up the championship race. ... American Josef Newgarden leads the standings (504 points), followed by American Alexander Rossi (488), France's Simon Pagenaud (457), New Zealand's Dixon (442) and Australia's Will Power (356) rounding out the top five.

Standings per INDYCAR.com.

FORMULA ONE

THIS WEEK: The long summer break begins after 12 of 21 races this season, F1 racing resumes at the Belgian Grand Prix on Sept. 1. ... Great Britain's Lewis Hamilton got more breathing room in the championship race with a win in Hungary last week. ... Barring an injury, the championship will be Hamilton's running away as he has already built a 62-point lead just past the halfway mark. ... Drivers hoping to catch up will need a serious technological breakthrough in the next few weeks to stop Hamilton's march to sixth world title, and if his nearest pursuer -- teammate Valtteri Bottas -- makes one, Hamilton will benefit just as much. ... Great Britain's Hamilton leads the standings with 250 points in his Mercedes, with Finland's Bottas, Mercedes, second (188), followed by Belgium's Max Verstappen, Red Bull (181), Germany's Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari (156), and Monaco's Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (132).

Standings per F1.com.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

THIS WEEK: With the Western Swing and the NHRA Northwest Nationals behind it, the sport takes a week off before heading to Minnesota for the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals for the 17th of 24 races this season. ... Winners at Pacific Raceways outside Seattle last week were Austin Prock in Top Fuel, John Force in Funny Car and Matt Hartford in Pro Stock. Pro Stock Motorcycle had the weekend off and won't return until the U.S. Nationals on Labor Day weekend. ... Steve Torrence leads the Top Fuel standings (1,587 points), followed by Antron Brown (966), Clay Millican (955), Brittany Force (953) and Doug Kalitta (940) rounding out the top five. ... Robert Hight leads Funny Car (1,341), followed by John Force (1,155), Tommy Johnson Jr. (1,117), Ron Capps (1,057) and Jack Beckman (1,039). ... Bo Butner is on top in Pro Stock (815), followed by Greg Anderson (769), Alex Laughlin (742), Hartford (679) and Jason Line (644). ... Andrew Hines leads Pro Stock Motorcycle (967), followed by Eddie Krawiec (770), Matt Smith (712), Hector Arana Jr. (658) and Karen Stoffer (452).

Standings per NHRA.com.

--By K. Lee Davis, Field Level Media

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