Auto Racing Glance

[July 25, 2019]  MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: GANDER RV 400 (160 laps, 400 miles around a 2.5-mile three-turn triangular oval), Pocono Raceway; Long Pond, Pa.

TV: Sunday, 3 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 3:20 p.m. ET) - NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: It's a trip back to one of the longest tracks on the schedule, "The Tricky Triangle" at Pocono Raceway. With only three turns, each with a different radius and banking, and each straightaway a different length, it's a unique challenge for the 21st of 36 points races this season and the second at the track since the beginning of June. ... This will be the 84th race at Pocono, dating back to Richard Petty's win in 1974. ... Kevin Harvick won the race last week at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, his first win of the season. ... Harvick has never won at Pocono. ... Kyle Busch won the race here in June and he won the July race last season. ... *Joey Logano leads the Cup standings with 783 points, followed by *Kyle Busch (780), *Harvick (691), *Denny Hamlin (669), *Brad Keselowski (663), *Martin Truex Jr. (654), Kurt Busch (638), *Chase Elliott (615), Aric Almirola (586) and *Alex Bowman (577) rounding out the top 10.

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

BEST BETS: Kyle Busch is the favorite again at 5-2, with Keselowski, Truex and Harvick at 5-1. Hamlin is at 10-1, Logano at 14-1 and Elliott at 16-1. Almirola at 40-1 and Jimmie Johnson at 50-1 may be too good to pass up.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: U.S. CELLULAR 250 (250 laps, 218.75 miles around an .875-mile oval), Iowa Speedway; Newton, Iowa.

TV: Saturday, 5 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 5:10 p.m. ET) - NBCSN (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The 19th of 33 races on the season is on tap as the series makes its second trip to Iowa in six weeks. ... Iowa Speedway, designed partially by NASCAR legend Rusty Wallace, opened in 2006 and hosted its first Xfinity race in 2009. The series has raced there twice a year since 2011. ... Christopher Bell won this race last year, and he also went to Victory Lane in June. ... Bell got his fifth win of the season last week at New Hampshire. ... *Tyler Reddick leads the Xfinity standings with 812 points, followed by *Bell (756), *Cole Custer (736), Justin Allgaier (666), Austin Cindric (649), Noah Gragson (596), Chase Briscoe (568), *Michael Annett (567), Justin Haley (555) and John Hunter Nemechek (531).

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

NASCAR GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES: GANDER RV 150 (60 laps, 150 miles around a 2.5-mile three-turn triangular oval), Pocono Raceway; Long Pond, Pa.

TV: Saturday, 1 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 1:18 p.m. ET) - FS1 (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The Trucks are at Pocono for the only time this season, racing a rare Saturday matinee. ... This will be the 14th of 23 races this season and the 10th for the series overall at Pocono. ... Kyle Busch won this race last season. ... Tyler Ankrum won two weeks ago at Kentucky Speedway. ... Grant Enfinger leads the Truck standings (542 points), followed by Stewart Friesen (508), *Brett Moffitt (501), Matt Crafton (492), Harrison Burton (448), Ben Rhodes (444), *Austin Hill (412), Todd Gilliland (392), Sheldon Creed (387) and *Johnny Sauter (373) rounding out the top 10. *Ankrum is currently 12th and in the playoffs.

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

NTT INDYCAR SERIES: HONDA INDY 200 AT MID-OHIO (90 laps, 203.22 miles around a 2.258-mile 13-turn permanent road course), Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course; Lexington, Ohio.

TV: Sunday, 4 p.m. ET (approx. green flag 4:05 p.m. ET) - NBC (Radio: Advance Auto Parts INDYCAR Radio Network, Sirius 214, XM 209, IndyCar.com, indycarradio.com and on the INDYCAR Mobile app).

THIS WEEK: After racing at Iowa last week, the series heads to the last race before a long break and its stretch run of the season, with four races in five weeks starting at Pocono on Aug. 18. ... There have been 35 races featuring Indy-style cars at Mid-Ohio since 1980. ... The series will have run 13 of its 17 races this season at the conclusion of Sunday's event. ... Alexander Rossi won this race last year. ... Josef Newgarden won last week at Iowa, his fourth victory of the season, to lengthen his points lead with just five races remaining. ... American Newgarden leads the standings (487 points), followed by American Rossi (458), France's Simon Pagenaud (429), New Zealand's Scott Dixon (389) and Australia's Will Power (322) rounding out the top five.

Standings per INDYCAR.com.

FORMULA ONE: GERMAN GRAND PRIX (67 laps, 190.414 miles around a 2.842-mile 17-turn permanent road course), Hockenheim-Ring; Hockenheim, Germany.

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

THIS WEEK: The German Grand Prix is up and Lewis Hamilton is looking to lengthen his series lead two weeks after winning his home grand prix in Great Britain. ... The first German Grand Prix was held in 1926, but some years have been skipped, making this the 77th race in history. ... This is the 11th of 21 races this season as the series races past the halfway point and the sport stays in Europe for four more consecutive races, including this one. ... Great Britain's Hamilton leads the standings with 223 points in his Mercedes, with Finland's Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, second (184), followed by Belgium's Max Verstappen, Red Bull (136), Germany's Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari (123), and Monaco's Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (120).

Standings per F1.com.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: TOYOTA NHRA SONOMA NATIONALS, Friday-Sunday, at Sonoma Raceway; Sonoma, Calif.

TV: Eliminations, Sunday, 5 p.m. ET (live) Fox, 10 p.m. ET (delayed) FS1

THIS WEEK: The NHRA is in the second week of the three-race Western Swing starting on Friday at Sonoma Raceway, followed next week with a trip to Kent, Wash. ... Steve Torrence won in Top Fuel last week at the Mile-High Nationals outside Denver, with Tommy Johnson Jr. taking Funny Car, Greg Anderson winning Pro Stock and Andrew Hines finishing on top in Pro Stock Motorcycle. ... Both Pro Stock classes are in session at Sonoma. ... Torrence leads the Top Fuel standings (1,407 points), followed by Brittany Force (852), Antron Brown (839), Doug Kalitta (831) and Clay Millican (813) rounding out the top five. ... Robert Hight leads Funny Car (1,159), followed by Tommy Johnson Jr. (1,010), John Force (958), Ron Capps (927) and Jack Beckman (904). ... Bo Butner is on top in Pro Stock (704), followed by Greg Anderson (561), Alex Laughlin (554), Matt Hartford (538) and Jason Line (503). ... Andrew Hines leads Pro Stock Motorcycle (847), followed by Eddie Krawiec (734), Hector Arana Jr. (625), Matt Smith (608) and Karen Stoffer (413).

Standings per NHRA.com.

--K. Lee Davis, Field Level Media

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