AUTO RACING PACKAGE: Auto Racing Glance
All Times Eastern
NASCAR
SPRINT CUP
PURE MICHIGAN 400
Site: BROOKLYN, Michigan.
Schedule: Friday, practice (Noon, NBCSN). Friday, qualifying (5:15 p.m., NBCSN). Saturday, practice (8:30 a.m., CNBC; 11:30 a.m., CNBC), Sunday, race (2 p.m., NBCSN).
Track: Michigan International Speedway (2-mile oval)
Race distance: 200 laps, 400 miles.
Last year: Matt Kenseth led 176 laps to win his third race of the season and second in three weeks.
Last race: Kevin Harvick won the rain-delayed race at Bristol Motor Speedway, his second victory of the season, and moved atop the points standings with three races remaining until NASCAR's Chase starts.
Fast facts: Dale Earnhardt Jr. will miss at least two more races because of a concussion. Alex Bowman will replace him in Michigan, and Jeff Gordon will get back behind the week the following week. ... NASCAR will roll out its lower-downforce rules package for the third time this season. ... Joey Logano tries to sweep both races at Michigan after winning from the pole in June. ... Chris Buescher of Front Row Motorsports is in solid position to earn a Chase berth. Buescher, who won at Pocono earlier this month, sits in the 30th spot in the standings. He needs to finish 30th or better to secure a spot in the 16-driver Chase field.
Next race: Bojangles' Southern 500, 6 p.m., Sept. 4, Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
___
XFINITY
ROAD AMERICA 180 FIRED UP BY JOHNSONVILLE
Site: ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (6:30 p.m., NBCSN). Saturday, race (3 p.m., NBCSN).
Track: Road America (4.05-mile road course)
Race distance: 45 laps, 182.16 miles.
Last year: Paul Menard held off a hard-charging Ryan Blaney to capture his first Xfinity Series win at Road America.
Last race: Austin Dillon led just four laps after Kyle Larson dominated much of the race and won at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Fast facts: Elliott Sadler extended his series lead over Daniel Suarez to 51 points. Justin Allgaier is third, one point ahead of Ty Dillon. ... There have been six different winners in the six previous Xfinity races at Road America: Carl Edwards (2010), Reed Sorenson (2011), Nelson Piquet Jr. (2012), AJ Allmendinger (2013), Brendan Gaughan (2014) and Paul Menard (2015). Will it be seven in a row? Chances are good since Brendan Gaughan of Richard Childress Racing is the only previous Road America winner entered in the race. Then again, RCR has won the last two Xfinity races at the road course.
Next race: VFW Sport Clips Help A Hero 200, Sept. 3, Darlington Raceway, Darlington, South Carolina.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
___
CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
CAREERS FOR VETERANS 200
Site: BROOKLYN, Michigan.
Schedule: Friday, qualifying (1:30 p.m., FS2; 4 p.m., FS2). Saturday, qualifying (9:30 a.m., FS1). Saturday, race (1 p.m., FS1).
Track: Michigan International Speedway (2-mile oval)
Race distance: 100 laps, 200 miles.
Last year: Kyle Busch won his 44th of 45 (and counting) Truck Series races.
Last race: Ben Kennedy notched his first win of the season at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Fast facts: Kennedy, the great-grandson of NASCAR founder Bill France Sr. and son of International Speedway Corp. CEO Lesa France Kennedy, was the first member of the France family to win a NASCAR national series race. ... Series leader William Byron signed a multi-year deal with Hendrick Motorsports last week. He will race full-time in the Xfinity Series for Hendrick affiliate JR Motorsports beginning in 2017.
Next race: Chevrolet Silverado 250, 2:30 p.m., Sept. 4, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Bowmanville, Ontario.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
___
VERIZON INDYCAR
FIRESTONE 600
Site: Fort Worth, Texas
Schedule: Friday, practice (Noon); Friday, qualifying (4:15 p.m.); Friday, practice (7:45 p.m.); Saturday, warmup (5:30 p.m.); Saturday, race (9 p.m. NBCSN).
Track: Texas Motor Speedway (1.5-mile oval).
Race distance: 400 laps, 600 miles.
Last year: Scott Dixon won his second of three races, victories that helped him claim his four IndyCar championship.
Last race: Will Power held off pole-sitter Mikhail Aleshin after a final restart and won the rain-delayed race at Pocono Raceway. It was Power's fourth win in six races and helped him cut into Simon Pagenaud's series points lead.
Fast facts: Power trails Team Penske teammate Pagenaud by 20 points with three races remaining. ... This is the resumption of the June race, which was postponed after several unsuccessful attempts to dry the 1 1/2-mile track soaked by rain. ... In an effort to lure fans back, track officials are providing a driver autograph session, $1 hot dogs and drinks, free vintage IndyCar T-shirts and reduced pricing for general admission tickets on the front-stretch.
Next race: Grand Prix at the Glen, 2:30 p.m., Sept. 4, Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
__
FORMULA ONE
BELGIAN GRAND PRIX
Site: Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium
Schedule: Friday, practice (4 a.m., 8 a.m.); Saturday, practice (5 a.m.); Saturday, qualifying (8 a.m.); Sunday, race (8 a.m.)
Track: Spa-Francorchamps Circuit
Race distance: 44 laps or 120 minutes.
Last year: Lewis Hamilton beat Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg by 2 seconds.
Last race: Hamilton took over first in the championship from Rosberg after winning the German Grand Prix.
Next race: Gran Premio Heineken D'Italia, 8 a.m., Sept. 4, Autodromo Nazionale Monza, Monza, Italy.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
___
NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
Last race: Brittany Force raced to her third Top Fuel victory of the season in the Lucas Oil NHRA Nationals at Brainerd International Raceway. Del Worsham won in Funny Car, Drew Skillman in Pro Stock, and Andrew Hines in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Next race: Aug. 31-Sept. 5, Chevrolet Performance U.S. Nationals, Lucas Oil Raceway, Indianapolis.
Online: http://www.nhra.com