Auto Racing Glance

[September 23, 2020]  MONSTER ENERGY NASCAR CUP SERIES: SOUTH POINT 400 (267 laps, 400.5 miles around a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval), Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Las Vegas.

TV: Sunday, 7 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 7:16 p.m. ET) -- NBCSN (Radio: Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The series heads to Las Vegas after the playoff field was whittled down from 16 to 12 at Bristol on Saturday, won by ... surprise! ... Kevin Harvick, his ninth win of the season. ... The second round of the playoffs start at Las Vegas -- the third time the speedway has had two races in a season -- and this will be the 26th race there, the first coming in 1998. ... The 1.5-mile D-shaped oval is often branded as a "cookie-cutter" track, following the formula of so many of the newer tracks in NASCAR, so drivers with success this season on similar tracks should be expected to fare well here, and that includes playoff drivers Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin and Harvick. ... Logano won the race at Las Vegas in February. ... The 12 drivers still alive in the playoffs are vying for spots in the Round of 8 at Vegas, Talladega and the Charlotte "roval" over the next three races. A win automatically propels the victor into the next round of the playoffs. ... Harvick leads the points (3,067), followed by Hamlin (3,048), Keselowski (3,035), Logano (3,022), Chase Elliott (3,021), Martin Truex Jr. (3,016), Alex Bowman (3,009), Austin Dillon (3,005), Aric Almirola (3,005), Kyle Busch (3,004), Clint Bowyer (3,004) and Kurt Busch (3,001). William Byron, Cole Custer, Matt DiBenedetto and Ryan Blaney are out.

BEST BETS: Odds-makers like drivers behind the wheel of a Ford or Toyota, with no Chevrolet driver at better than 11/1 (Elliott). Ford teammates Keselowski and Logano are 5/1, along with Toyota driver Truex. Ford's Harvick is 6/1 and Toyota's Hamlin is 8/1. You have to like Matt Kenseth at 66/1 as a flyer.

*Standings per NASCAR.com.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES: ALSCO 300 (200 laps, 300 miles around a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval), Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Las Vegas.

TV: Saturday, 7:30 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 7:48 p.m. ET) -- NBCSN (Radio: Performance Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: With the 27th of 33 races on the season, the series is ready to start the playoffs with its Round of 12. ... Chase Briscoe won last week at Bristol, his seventh victory of the season. ... This will be the 27th series race at the track, and the third time a race has been held at Vegas for the second time in a season. ... Tyler Reddick won this race last season and Briscoe won this February. ... Briscoe, Austin Cindric and Brandon Jones are Xfinity regulars to win on a 1.5-mile track such as Las Vegas this season. ... Briscoe (2,050) leads the standings due to the most wins, followed by Cindric (2,050), Justin Allgaier (2,033), Noah Gragson (2,025), Jones (2,020), Justin Haley (2,018), Harrison Burton (2,014), Ross Chastain (2,010), Ryan Sieg (2,002), Michael Annett (2,002), Riley Herbst (2,001) and Brandon Brown (2,000) comprising the top 12.

*Standings per NASCAR.com.

NASCAR GANDER OUTDOORS TRUCK SERIES: WORLD OF WESTGATE 200 (134 laps, 201 miles around a 1.5-mile D-shaped oval), Las Vegas Motor Speedway; Las Vegas.

TV: Friday, 9 p.m. ET (Green flag approx. 9:18 p.m. ET) -- FS1 (Radio: Motor Racing Network, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Channel 90).

THIS WEEK: The Trucks are back for race 18 of 23 on the season and the second race of the playoffs, kicking off a NASCAR tripleheader weekend in Las Vegas. ... There are eight drivers left in the playoffs with two (Christian Eckes and Todd Gilliland) being eliminated last week at Bristol. Sam Mayer was the surprise winner at Bristol, the 17-year-old making just his fourth start of the season and sixth of his career. He is not in the playoffs. ... Austin Hill won this race last season, with Kyle Busch winning in February, but Busch and other full-time Cup drivers are not allowed to race in the Trucks playoffs. ... Brett Moffitt leads the Truck points (2,068), followed by Sheldon Creed (2,060), Zane Smith (2,057), Grant Enfinger (2,056), Tyler Ankrum (2,051), Matt Crafton (2,045), Ben Rhodes (2,038) and Austin Hill (2,034).

*Standings per NASCAR.com.

NTT INDYCAR SERIES

THIS WEEK: The American open-wheel is in the midst of three weeks off before returning to Indianapolis Motor Speedway's infield road course for a doubleheader on Oct. 2-3, with the season finale on the street course at St. Petersburg, Fla., on Oct. 25. ... Will Power broke a long losing streak with a win two weeks ago at Mid-Ohio, with Colton Herta winning the second race of the doubleheader weekend. ... Scott Dixon is ahead in the standings with 456 points, followed by Josef Newgarden (384), Pato O'Ward (338), Herta (327) and Power (306).

*Stats and standings per IndyCar.com.

FORMULA ONE: RUSSIAN GRAND PRIX (52 laps, 188.968 miles around a 3.634-mile 18-turn temporary street course), Sochi Autodrom; Sochi, Russia.

TV: Sunday, 7 a.m. ET (Green flag approx. 7:05 a.m. ET) - ESPN2 (Radio: SiriusXM Radio Channel 132).

THIS WEEK: The series is in Sochi, Russia, for the seventh Russian Grand Prix in the modern era, all being held at the Sochi track since 2014, but it's the ninth Russian Grand Prix after two held in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 1913-14. ... This is the 10th of 17 races on the season. ... Lewis Hamilton won this race last year. ... Hamilton won two weeks ago at the Tuscan Grand Prix. ... Great Britain's Hamilton leads the standings with 190 points in his Mercedes, with Finland's Valtteri Bottas, Mercedes, second (135), followed by Belgium's Max Verstappen, Red Bull (110), Great Britain's Lando Norris, McLaren (65) and Thai/British driver Alexander Albon, Red Bull (63).

*Standings per F1.com.

NATIONAL HOT ROD ASSOCIATION: AMALIE MOTOR OIL NHRA GATORNATIONALS, Friday-Sunday, at Gainesville Raceway, Gainesville, Fla.

TV: Eliminations, Sunday, 2-5 p.m. ET, FS1

THIS WEEK: The Gatornationals are back, the first event of the season to be postponed by COVID-19 back in March. ... Shawn Langdon in Top Fuel, Jack Beckman in Funny Car, Erica Enders in Pro Stock and Scotty Pollacheck in Pro Stock Motorcycle's won three weeks ago at the U.S. Nationals in Indianapolis, the sixth event of the season. ... Five events remain on the schedule. ... Doug Kalitta leads the Top Fuel points with 492, followed by Leah Pruett (442) and Steve Torrence (432). ... Beckman leads Funny Car (517) with Matt Hagan (482) and Tommy Johnson Jr. (460) giving chase. ... Enders leads Pro Stock (453), followed by Jeg Coughlin Jr. (446) and Jason Line (442) behind her. ... Pollacheck leads Pro Stock Motorcycle (251), followed by Andrew Hines (226) and Eddie Krawiec (225).

*Standings per NHRA.com

--By K. Lee David, Field Level Media

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