AUTO RACING: All-star out for NASCAR while IndyCar preps for 107th Indy 500
Views: 2047
2023-05-17 02:24
It's the halfway point of NASCAR's Cup Series, and that means it's time for the non-points All-Star Race, but at an unfamiliar location

All Times Eastern

NASCAR CUP SERIES

NASCAR All-Star Open

Site: North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 4 p.m., and qualifying (All-Star Pit Crew Challenge), 5:45 p.m.; Saturday, Heat No. 1, 7:35 p.m., and Heat 2, 8:15 p.m.; Sunday, All-Star Open, 5:30 p.m. (FS1), and All-Star Race, 8 p.m. (FS1).

Track: North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Race distance: 100 laps, 62.5 miles.

Last year: Ryan Blaney won at Texas.

Last race: William Byron avoided a crash six laps from the finish and won in overtime at Darlington.

Fast facts: This is a non-points exhibition at the midpoint of the regular season. ... The races will be the first for NASCAR at North Wilkesboro since 1996. ... Byron became the first three-time winner this season but stands just fifth in points, 42 behind non-winning points leader Ross Chastain. ... Christopher Bell is second, 27 points back, followed by Kevin Harvick (-29) and Denny Hamlin (-36). ... Kyle Larson and Kyle Busch, the only other multiple race winners with two each, are 10th and 11th in points, respectively.

Next race: May 28, Concord, North Carolina.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

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.

Next race: May 27, Concord, North Carolina.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR TRUCK SERIES

Tyson 250

Site: North Wilkesboro, North Carolina.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 3:05 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 10:30 a.m., and race, 1:30 p.m. (FOX).

Track: North Wilkesboro Speedway.

Race distance: 250 laps, 156.2 miles.

Last year: Did not race.

Last race: Christian Eckes led 82 of 158 laps and won under caution in double overtime at Darlington.

Fast facts: The victory was the second for Eckes this season and the third of his career. It ended a five-race slump during which he’d finished no better than 15th. ... Stewart Friesen was second, followed by Tanner Gray, Byron and Carson Hocevar. ... Corey Heim led four times for 66 laps but finished just eighth. ... Defending series champion Zane Smith, the only other two-time winner, leads the point standings with Ty Majeski nine points behind and Heim 15 in arrears.

Next race: May 26, Concord, North Carolina.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Emilia Romagna Grand Prix

Site: Imola, Italy.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 7:30 a.m. and 11 a.m.; Saturday, practice, 6:30 a.m., and qualifying, 10 a.m.; Sunday, race, 9 a.m. (ESPN).

Track: Autodromo Internazionale Enzo e Dino Ferrari.

Race distance: 63 laps, 192 miles.

Last year: Max Verstapen won from the pole position.

Last race: Max Verstappen kept Red Bull unbeaten through five races, racing from ninth at the start in Miami and passing teammate Sergio Perez with nine laps remaining. It was the fourth 1-2 finish for the Red Bull drivers this season.

Fast facts: Verstappen, the two-time defending series champion, has three wins and has finished on the podium in all five races and 22 of the last 27. Perez, a two-time winner, and third-place Fernando Alonso of Aston Martin have four podiums each and seven-time series champion Lewis Hamilton and Charles Leclerc have the others. ... Verstappen leads Perez by 14 points in the standings.

Next race: May 28, Monte Carlo.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

INDYCAR

Last race: Alex Palou inherited the lead on Lap 65, then drove away from the pack to win the Indianapolis Grand Prix by 16.8006 seconds over Pato O’Ward.

Next race: May 28, Indianapolis, Indiana.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

NHRA DRAG RACING

Last event: Antron Brown won in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan won in Funny Car in Las Vegas.

Next event: May 21, Ellwood, Illinois.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS

Next events: May 19, Attica, Ohio, and May 20, Hartford, Ohio.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars

___

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

Tags epus sports eppersons