AUTO RACING PACKAGE: Auto Racing Glance
All Times Eastern
NASCAR
MONSTER ENERGY CUP
STP 500
Site: Martinsville, Virginia
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 10:05 & 12:30 p.m. (FS1), qualifying, 5:10 p.m. (FS1); Sunday, race, 2 p.m., FS1
Track: Martinsville Speedway (oval, 0.526 miles).
Race distance: 263 miles, 500 laps.
Last year: Brad Keselowski held off Kyle Busch for his second win of the year.
Last week: Defending series champion Martin Truex Jr. snapped Kevin Harvick's three-race winning streak.
Fast facts: Richard Childress Racing announced on Tuesday that Daniel Hemric will make his series debut in the No. 8 Chevrolet in two races this season, at Richmond Raceway on April 21 and at the new Charlotte Motor Speedway road course on Sept. 30. The No. 8 car was driven by the recently retired Dale Earnhardt Jr. for nine seasons. Aric Almirola and Mark Martin last drove it for a combined 43 races from 2008-09. ... Hendrick Motorsports on Monday withdrew its appeal for Chase Elliott's No. 9 team following the race at Phoenix two weeks ago. Crew chief Alan Gustafson will begin a two-week suspension this week for a rear suspension violation.
Next race: O'Reilly Auto Parts 500, April 8, Texas Motor Speedway.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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XFINITY
Last race: Joey Logano was dominant in Fontana, leading 139 of 150 laps.
Next race: My Bariatric Solutions 300, April 7, Texas Motor Speedway.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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CAMPING WORLD TRUCK
ALPHA ENERGY SOLUTIONS 250
Site: Martinsville, Virginia
Schedule: Friday, practice, 11:05 a.m., practice, 1:05 p.m. & 3:05 p.m. (FS1), Saturday, qualifying, 11:05 a.m. (FS1), race, 2 p.m., FS1.
Track: Martinsville Speedway
Race distance: 131.5 miles, 250 laps.
Last year: Chase Elliott won from the pole.
Last race: Kyle Busch won in his hometown of Las Vegas, his 50th victory in the series.
Fast facts: The series returns from a three-week break with Johnny Sauter on top by 39 points. Sauter, who won the championship in 2016 and was second a year ago, has finished first, third and second in three races in 2018 - and he was the runner-up to Busch in Las Vegas despite not leading a lap. ... The drivers ranked second through sixth in the standings are within eight points of each other, with Brett Moffitt leading the way with 109 points.
Next race: May 4, Dover International Speedway, Dover, Delaware.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
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VERIZON INDYCAR
Last race: Sebastian Bourdais opened the season with a win in St. Petersburg for the second year in a row.
Next race: Phoenix Grand Prix, April 7, ISM Raceway, Phoenix.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
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FORMULA ONE
AUSTRAILIAN GRAND PRIX
Site: Melbourne
Schedule: Thursday, practice, 9 p.m.; Friday, practice, 1 a.m. & 11 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 2 a.m. (ESPN2); Sunday, race, 1:10 a.m., ESPN2
Track: Melbourne Grand Prix Circuit (3.29 miles)
Race distance: 191.1 miles, 58 laps.
Last season: Lewis Hamilton won the F1 championship for the third time in four seasons.
Fast facts: Formula One kicks off 2018 in Australia. The series arrived on the continent in 1985 in Adelaide before moving to Melbourne in 1996. ... This year's race will feature a new DRS zone. A driver within one second of a rival car may activate his DRS, which alters the angle of the rear wing flap, reducing drag and thereby providing a temporary speed advantage. ... Mercedes drivers enter 2018 with four straight titles.
Next race: Bahrain Grand Prix, April 8, Bahrain International Circuit, Bahrain.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING
Last week: Richie Crampton took first in Top Fuel in Florida, upsetting teammate Doug Kalitta and three-time champion Antron Brown to reach the final.
Next race: Four-Wide Nationals, April 6-8, The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Las Vegas.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
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OTHER RACES
WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Friday, Ocean Outlaw Showdown, Ocean Speedway, Watsonville, California; Saturday, Bakersfield Speedway, Bakersfield, California.
Online: http://www.woosprint.com