AUTO RACING PACKAGE: Auto Racing Glance
All Times Eastern
NASCAR
SPRINT CUP
Site: Martinsville, Virginia.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (FS1, 4:15 p.m.); Saturday, practice (FS1, 10-10:55 a.m.; 1:50 p.m.); Sunday, race, 1 p.m. (FS1, 1-5 p.m.).
Last race: Jimmie Johnson rallied from third to win a green-white-checkered finish, clinching his 15th straight season with at least two wins.
Fast facts: The first five Cup races have produced an average margin of victory at just under 0.4 seconds, the slimmest since electronic timing and scoring was introduced in 1993. All three manufacturers have won races in 2016.
Next race: Duck Commander 500, April 9, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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XFINITY
Next race: O'Reilly Auto Parts 300, April 8, Texas Motor Speedway, Fort Worth, Texas.
Last race: Austin Dillon led the only lap that mattered, taking the lead from a dominant Kyle Busch to win at the Auto Club Speedway on March 19.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
ALPHA ENERGY SOLUTIONS 250
Site: Martinsville, Virginia.
Schedule: Friday, practice (FS1, 10-10:55, 3-3:50 p.m.); Saturday, qualifying (FS1, 11:15 a.m.; 1:50 p.m.); race, (FS1, 2:30 p.m.).
Track: Martinsville Speedway (oval, 0.52 miles).
Race distance: 500 miles, 263 laps.
Last year: Joey Logano led 150 laps from the pole, holding off Matt Crafton and Erik Jones for the win.
Fast facts: Kyle Busch and Kyle Larson plan to race in both Cup and trucks this weekend. It'll be Larson's first race in this series since September. Sixteen-year-old Justin Haley plans to make his fourth start.
Next race: Toyota Tundra 250, May 6, Kansas Speedway, Kansas City, Kansas.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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VERIZON INDYCAR
DESERT DIAMOND WEST VALLEY PHOENIX GRAND PRIX
Site: Avondale, Arizona.
Schedule: Friday, practice (NBCSN, 1 p.m.); qualifying (NBCSN, 11:15 a.m.; 1:50 p.m.); practice, (NBCSN, 9:15-9:45 p.m.); Saturday, race (NBCSN, 8:30 p.m.)
Track: Phoenix International Raceway, (oval, 1.022 miles).
Race distance: 255.5 miles, 250 laps.
Fast facts: IndyCar makes its first trip to PIR since 2005, when Sam Hornish Jr. won for the second time. Tony Kanaan took back-to-back victories in 2003-04. Arie Luyendyk still holds the track record for qualifying at 19.608 seconds in 1996.
Next race: Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach, April 17, Long Beach, California.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
DENSO SPARK PLUGS NHRA NATIONALS
Site: Las Vegas
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (4:30-6 p.m.), qualifying (7:30-9:45). Saturday, qualifying (4:10 p.m.), qualifying (7-8:05 p.m.); Sunday, final eliminations (FS1, 5-8 p.m.).
Track: The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
Last year: Sixteen-time Funny Car national champion John Force won for the fifth time in Las Vegas, while Richie Crampton (Top Fuel) and Erica Enders-Stevens (Pro Stock) also took top honors. Force's win was the first from a Chevrolet Funny Car in 12 years.
Last race: Brittany Force, John's daughter, finally won her first race and jumped atop the Top Fuel points standings in Gainesville, Florida. Force's win, combined with Leah Pritchett's victory in Phoenix, marked the first time since 1990 that female drivers had claimed back-to-back Top Fuel events.
Fast facts: This is the first of two stop in Las Vegas for drag racing's top series. The penultimate event of the season will be here this fall. Five-time NHRA Pro Stock world champion Jeg Coughlin Jr. won the fan vote for the eighth and final spot in the Pro Stock Bonus event - which pays $50,000 to the winner.
Next event: 4Wide NHRA Nationals, April 22-24, Charlotte.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
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FORMULA ONE
GULF AIR BAHRAIN GRAND PRIX
Site: Sakhir, Bahrain.
Schedule: Friday, practice (7-8:30 a.m.), practice (11-12:30 p.m.) Saturday, practice (8-9 a.m.), qualifying (11:00 a.m-12:00 p.m.); Sunday, race, (Fox Sports, 11 a.m.)
Track: Bahrain International Circuit (road course, 3.6 miles).
Race distance: 191.6 miles, 57 laps.
Last year: Lewis Hamilton led 49 of 57 laps to give Mercedes a win. Kimi Raikkonen was second, followed by Hamilton's teammate, Nico Rosberg.
Fast facts: The series is in flux after a number of unhappy drivers called the series' decision-making "obsolete and ill-structured" following the season-opening Australian Grand Prix. But F1 leader Bernie Ecclestone has said a new qualifying format derided by drivers will be in place for Bahrain as well.
Next race: Chinese Grand Prix, April 17, Shanghai International Circuit, Shanghai, CHN.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
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OTHER RACES
WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Sprint Car: Friday, Ocean Outlaw Showdown, Watsonville, California; Saturday, Mini Gold Cup, Silver Dollar Speedway, Chico, California.
Online: http://www.worldofoutlaws.com