Auto Racing Glance

[March 21, 2019]  MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: STP 500 (500 laps, 263 miles around a .526-mile paperclip oval), Martinsville Speedway; Martinsville, Va.

TV: Sunday, 2 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 2:13 p.m. ET) -- FS1 (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: In the sixth of 36 races on the season, Kyle Busch won his 200th race in NASCAR's top three series last week by taking home the checkers at Fontana, Calif. It ties him with Richard Petty for most all-time wins in the top three series, but all of Petty's came at the Cup level. ... This will be the 141st Cup race at Martinsville, the most of any track in the history of the series when you exclude the qualifying races at Daytona. ... Martinsville hosted its first race in 1949. ... Clint Bowyer won this race last year, with Joey Logano winning in the fall. ... Jimmie Johnson leads all active drivers with nine wins at Martinsville, and that means nine of the grandfather clock trophies in his house. ... Denny Hamlin has won five times at what the Chesterfield, Va., native considers to be a home track. ... Hall of Fame member Petty won 14 times at Martinsville, the most in history. ... Busch led 134 of the 200 laps at Auto Club last week and collected all seven of the playoff points available by winning both stages and the race itself. ... *Kyle Busch leads the Cup standings with 237 points, followed by *Logano (222), Kevin Harvick (213), *Hamlin (205), *Brad Keselowski (176), Aric Almirola (174), Martin Truex Jr. (169), Kyle Larson (163), Kurt Busch (160) and Ryan Blaney (155) rounding out the top 10.

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

BEST BETS: Kyle Busch is the favorite again at 9/2 followed by Harvick at 5/1 with Truex, Larson and Keselowski at 7/1. Defending winner Bowyer at 20/1 is nice value, with Austin Dillon at 60/1 a good long shot.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

THIS WEEK: The series is taking the week off after running five straight to open the season. ... The series returns March 30 at Texas Motor Speedway for the My Bariatric Solutions 300. ... Cole Custer edged Kyle Busch to win last week at Fontana, Calif., but Tyler Reddick leads the standings with 220 points, followed by *Custer (213), *Christopher Bell (206), Brandon Jones (183), Austin Cindric (179), *Michael Annett (178), Justin Allgaier (171), Noah Gragson (161), Ryan Sieg (153) and John Hunter Nemechek (149).

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

NASCAR GANDER MOUNTAIN TRUCK SERIES: NASCAR GANDER MOUNTAIN TRUCK SERIES RACE AT MARTINSVILLE (250 laps, 131.5 miles around a .526-mile paperclip oval), Martinsville Speedway; Martinsville, Va.

TV: Saturday, 2 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 2:13 p.m. ET) -- Fox (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The trucks are back in action after a two-week layoff, and after Saturday's race, they will be headed to Texas for a race just six days later. Then comes a four-week layoff. ... This will be the 41st Truck Series race at Martinsville, the first being in the series' inaugural season in 1995. ... John Hunter Nemechek won this race last year with Johnny Sauter winning in the fall. ... Grant Enfinger leads the Truck standings (117 points), followed by Harrison Burton (111), *Austin Hill (108), Stewart Friesen (103), Brett Moffitt (102), Sauter (102), Matt Crafton (96), Ben Rhodes (96), Todd Gilliland (96) and Sheldon Creed (91).

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

VERIZON INDYCAR SERIES: INDYCAR CLASSIC (60 laps, 204.6 miles around a 3.410-mile 20-turn permanent road course), Circuit of the Americas, Austin, Texas.

TV: Sunday, 1 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 1:10 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: The series is back in action for one of the most anticipated events of the season, at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. ... This is first American-based major racing series to run the track, though Formula One and MotoGP have made it a fixture on their calendars. ... Josef Newgarden won the season's first race at St. Petersburg, holding off Scott Dixon, Will Power and touted rookie Felix Rosenqvist. ... Newgarden leads the standings (53 points), followed by Dixon (40), Power (37), Rosenqvist (33), and Alexander Rossi (31).

FORMULA ONE

THIS WEEK: The series takes a week off after a surprising season-opener in Australia, won by Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas in a runaway over teammate and defending series champion Lewis Hamilton. ... The Ferraris faded late in the race and missed the podium entirely, with Red Bull's Max Verstappen stepping up to finish third. ... Next up for F1 is the Bahrain Grand Prix on March 31. ... Finland's Bottas leads the standings in his Mercedes (26 points), followed by Great Britain's Hamilton, Mercedes (18); Belgium's Verstappen, Red Bull (15); Germany's Sebastian Vettel, Ferrari (12); and Monaco's Charles Leclerc, Ferrari (10).

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION

THIS WEEK: It's time for a two-week break after the just-concluded Gatornationals. ... Winners in Gainesville, Fla., were Richie Crampton in Top Fuel, Robert Hight in Funny Car, Bo Butner in Pro Stock and Andrew Hines in the season debut of Pro Stock Motorcycle. ... The NHRA is back in action April 5-7 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway for the DENSO Spark Plugs NHRA Four-Wide Nationals. ... Doug Kalitta leads the Top Fuel standings (246 points), followed by Leah Pritchett (204), Steve Torrence (197), Billy Torrence (178) and Crampton (178) rounding out the top five. ... Hight leads Funny Car (330), followed by Jack Beckman (225), Matt Hagan (215), John Force (200) and Tommy Johnson Jr. (191). ... Butner is on top in Pro Stock (301), followed by Alex Laughlin (229), Jason Line (189), Erica Enders (186) and Matt Hartford (185). ... Hines leads Pro Stock Motorcycle (124), followed by Eddie Krawiec (106), Hector Arana Jr. (76) Joey Gladstone (72) and Matt Smith (63).

*Stats and standings per NHRA.com.

--K. Lee Davis, Field Level Media

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