AUTO RACING: Three-peat Champion Max Verstappen And Formula One Take Center Stage In Las Vegas – News18

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NASCAR CUP SERIES

Last race: Ryan Blaney raced to his first career NASCAR championship by banging his way past fellow contender and 2021 champion Kyle Larson in the closing laps at Phoenix Raceway to give Team Penske back-to-back Cup titles. Joey Logano won the title last year, and Ross Chastain won the race, becoming the first driver to win the season finale while not in contention for the championship.

Next race: Season openers Feb. 4, Los Angeles (non-points race), and Feb. 15, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Last race: Cole Custer pulled away in a three-wide race with fellow contenders Justin Allgaier and John Hunter Nemechek and held off Allgaier at Phoenix to win his first Xfinity Series championship.

Next race: Season opener Feb. 17, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR TRUCK SERIES

Last race: Ben Rhodes’ fifth-place finish in a crash-filled, quadruple-overtime Truck Series finale at Phoenix was enough to earn him his second series championship in three years, by one point over Grant Enfinger, while non-championship contender Christian Eckes won for the fourth time this season.

Next race: Season opener Feb. 16, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Las Vegas Grand Prix

Site: Las Vegas.

Schedule: Thursday, practice, 11:30 p.m.; Friday, practice, 3 a.m. and 11:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 3 a.m.; Sunday, race, 1 a.m. (ESPN).

Track: Las Vegas Strip Circuit.

Race distance: 50 laps, 192.7 miles.

Last year: First F1 race in Las Vegas since 1982.

Last race: Three-time series champion Max Verstappen won in Brazil, his record 17th victory in 20 races this season.

Fast facts: Verstappen, who won two races in 2020, including the season finale, has won 43 of the last 65 races. … Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, padded his lead over seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the fight for second place in the final F1 standings by finishing fourth to Hamilton’s eighth with two races remaining. Perez leads by 32 points with two races remaining.

Next race: Nov. 26, Abu Dhabi (season finale).

Online: http://www.formula1.com

INDYCAR

Last race: Scott Dixon won at Laguna Seca, his third win of the season, all in the last four races. The six-time champion gave Chip Ganassi Racing a 1-2 finish in the standings. A week earlier, teammate Alex Palou became the first driver in 18 years to clinch the title before the final race of the season.

Next race: Season opener at St. Petersburg, Florida.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

NHRA DRAG RACING

Last event: Doug Kalitta won in Top Fuel and Chad Green won in Funny Car in the season finale in Pomona, California.

Next event: Season-openers March 7-10, Gainesville, Florida.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS

Next events: Season openers Feb. 8, 9 and 10, Barberville, Florida.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars

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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing

(This story has not been edited by News18 staff and is published from a syndicated news agency feed – Associated Press)