AUTO RACING: Max takes Sin City to extend his record to 18 wins in 21 Formula One races this season

The Associated Press
·3 min read
Ferrari's Charles Leclerc, left, of Monaco, leads Red Bull's Max Verstappen, of the Netherlands, off the line at the start of the Formula One Las Vegas Grand Prix auto race, Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/Darron Cummings)
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NASCAR CUP SERIES

Last race: Ryan Blaney raced to his first career NASCAR championship by banging his way past fellow contender and 2021 champion Kyle Larson in the closing laps at Phoenix Raceway to give Team Penske back-to-back Cup titles. Joey Logano won the title last year, and Ross Chastain won the race, becoming the first driver to win the season finale while not in contention for the championship.

Next race: Season openers Feb. 4, Los Angeles (non-points race), and Feb. 15, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Last race: Cole Custer pulled away in a three-wide race with fellow contenders Justin Allgaier and John Hunter Nemechek and held off Allgaier at Phoenix to win his first Xfinity Series championship.

Next race: Season opener Feb. 17, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR TRUCK SERIES

Last race: Ben Rhodes’ fifth-place finish in a crash-filled, quadruple-overtime Truck Series finale at Phoenix was enough to earn him his second series championship in three years, by one point over Grant Enfinger, while non-championship contender Christian Eckes won for the fourth time this season.

Next race: Season opener Feb. 16, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Site: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 4:30 a.m. and 8 a.m.; Saturday, practice, 5:30 a.m., and qualifying, 9 a.m.; Sunday, race, 8 a.m. (ESPN).

Track: Yas Marina Circuit.

Race distance: 58 laps, 190.25 miles.

Last year:

Last race: Three-time series champion Max Verstappen passed Charles Leclerc twice, the second time with 13 laps to go, extending his record for victories in a season to 18 in Las Vegas.

Fast facts: Verstappen, who won two races in 2020, including the season finale, has won 44 of the last 66 races. ... Verstappen’s Red Bull teammate, Sergio Perez, clinched second place over seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the final F1 standings by finishing third to Hamilton’s seventh with one race remaining. ... Hamilton will finish third with his 32-point lead over Carlos Sainz Jr.

Next race: 2024 season opener, March 2, Bahrain.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

INDYCAR

Last race: Scott Dixon won at Laguna Seca, his third win of the season, all in the last four races. The six-time champion gave Chip Ganassi Racing a 1-2 finish in the standings. A week earlier, teammate Alex Palou became the first driver in 18 years to clinch the title before the final race of the season.

Next race: Season opener at St. Petersburg, Florida.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

NHRA DRAG RACING

Last event: Doug Kalitta won in Top Fuel and Chad Green won in Funny Car in the season finale in Pomona, California.

Next event: Season-openers March 7-10, Gainesville, Florida.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS

Next events: Season openers Feb. 8, 9 and 10, Barberville, Florida.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars

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