AUTO RACING: Darlington ahead after physicality rules Kansas
Tue, May 9, 2023
Other News (AP)
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NASCAR CUP SERIES
Goodyear 400
Site: Darlington, South Carolina.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 10:35 a.m., and qualifying, 11:20 a.m.; Sunday, race, 3 p.m. (FS1).
Track: Darlington Raceway.
Race distance: 293 laps, 400.2 miles.
Last year: Joey Logano won from the pole position.
Last race: Denny Hamlin bumped Kyle Larson off the lead heading onto the backstretch of the final lap at Kansas and ended his 33-race winless streak.
Fast facts: Hamlin's pass was the 38th, a race record, gave him a record fourth win at the track and gave Joe Gibbs Racing its 400th win in the premier series. ... Larson finished second and William Byron third after being two laps down earlier in the race. Bubba Wallace was fourth and Ross Chastain fifth. ... Noah Gragson, spun by Chastain with about 60 laps to go, confronted him after the race and put his hands on him before Chastain responded with a right hook. ... "Throwback Weekend" at Darlington will have Chase Elliott's No. 9 car for Hendrick Motorsports look like father Bill Elliott's car from 2003, Ryan Blaney's No. 12 will pay homage to father Dave Blaney's old sprint car and the No. 21 of Harrison Burton will look like father Jeff Burton's old paint scheme.
Next race: May 21, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
Shriners Children's 200
Site: Darlington, South Carolina.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 5:05 p.m., and qualifying, 5:35 p.m.; Saturday, race, 1:30 p.m. (FOX).
Track: Darlington Raceway.
Race distance: 147 laps, 200 miles.
Last year: Justin Allgaier won after starting third.
Last race: Ryan Truex dominated at Dover, winning the first two stages, leading 124 of the 200 laps and claiming his first series victory by nearly five seconds.
Fast facts: Truex gave Toyota its fourth victory of the year, two fewer than Chevrolet. ... He was the 14th series driver to claim his first career victory at Dover. ... Josh Berry was second and has won or finished second in all three of his career starts at Dover. ... Three-time winner Austin Hill leads two-time winner John Hunter Nemechek by just four points in the standings. They are the only multiple winners this season. ... Chandler Smith is third, 38 points behind. ... Nemechek, fourth-place Berry and fifth-place Allgaier lead with five top-five finishes through 10 races.
Next race: May 27, Concord, North Carolina.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR TRUCK SERIES
Buckle Up South Carolina 200
Site: Darlington, South Carolina.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 3:05 p.m., qualifying, 3:35 p.m., and race, 7:30 p.m. (FS1).
Track: Darlington Raceway.
Race distance: 147 laps, 200 miles.
Last year: John Hunter Nemechek won from the pole position.
Last race: Grant Enfinger won for the first time this season, beating Corey Heim by more than four seconds at Kansas.
Fast facts: Enfinger led 65 laps in a race slowed by seven cautions for 40 of 134 laps. ... Zane Smith was third, followed by Stewart Friesen and Cup Series regular Ross Chastain. ... Two-time winner and defending series champion Smith and non-winner Ty Majeski are tied atop the point standings with 2021 champ Ben Rhodes third, 41 points back.
Next race: May 20, North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Last race: Max Vertsappen kept Red Bull unbeaten through five races, racing from ninth at the start and passing teammate Sergio Perez with nine laps remaining. It's the fourth 1-2 finish for the Red Bull drivers this season.
Next race: May 21, Imola, Italy.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
GMR Grand Prix
Site: Indianapolis, Indiana.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 9 a.m. and 1 p.m.; and qualifications, 4 p.m.-5:15 p.m.; Saturday, race, 3:30 p.m. (NBC).
Track: Indianapolis road course.
Race distance: 85 laps, 207.32 miles.
Last year: Colton Herta won after starting 14th.
Last race: Scott McLaughlin surged past Romain Grosjean and was scarcely challenged the rest of the way in Alabama for his fourth IndyCar victory.
Fast facts: The winners of the first four races range from first in points (Marcus Ericsson) to ninth (Kyle Kirkwood). McLaughlin is fourth and Josef Newgarden is sixth. ... Pato O'Ware is second in points, three behind Ericsson, and Alex Palou is third, nine points back. ... Ericsson, O'Ward and fifth-place Grosjean each have two podium finishes.
Next race: May 28, Indianapolis, Indiana.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
Last events: Antron Brown won in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan won in Funny Car in Las Vegas.
Next events: May 21, Ellwood, Illinois.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Next events: May 10, Abbottstown, Pennsylvania; May 12-13, Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars
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