AUTO RACING: NASCAR heads to Michigan for Cup, Xfinity races as IndyCar goes to Music City

All Times Eastern

NASCAR CUP SERIES

FireKeepers Casino 400

Site: Brooklyn, Michigan.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 12:35 p.m., and qualifying, 1:20 p.m.; Sunday, race, 2:30 p.m. (USA).

Track: Michigan International Speedway.

Race distance: 200 laps, 400 miles.

Last year: Kevin Harvick ended a 65-race winless drought that lasted nearly nearly two years with his sixth victory at Michigan.

Last race: Chris Buescher pulled away on a restart with three laps to go and won at Richmond.

Fast facts: Buescher became the 12th playoff-eligible race winner this year and there are four playoff spots up for grabs over the next month. Ty Gibbs is the first driver out, 18 points behind Michael McDowell. ... Harvick hasn't won since his visit to Michigan a year ago. ... Ford now has 723 wins in the Cup Series. ... William Byron leads the series with four wins; Kyle Busch and Martin Truex Jr. each have three.

Next race: Aug. 13, Indianapolis.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Cabo Wabo 250

Site: Brooklyn, Michigan.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 3:35 p.m., and qualifying, 4:05 p.m.; Saturday, race, 3:30 p.m. (NBC).

Track: Michigan International Speedway.

Race distance: 125 laps, 250 miles.

Last year: Ty Gibbs won his fifth race of the season.

Last race: Sam Mayer grabbed his first career Xfinity Series victory in the second overtime session at Road America in his native Wisconsin.

Fast facts: Justin Hill of Richard Childress Racing leads the points standings, 14 ahead of John Hunter Nemechek of Joe Gibbs Racing. ... The Xfinity Series plans to make The CW its exclusive broadcast home, with 33 live races each year starting in 2025 and running through 2031.

Next race: Aug. 12, Indianapolis.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR TRUCK SERIES

Last race: Carson Hocevar won at Richmond in the last race before the playoff opener as Matt Crafton claimed the final spot in the postseason grid.

Next race: Indianapolis, Aug. 11.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Last race: Two-time reigning Formula One champion Max Verstappen won the Belgian Grand Prix, his 10th consecutive victory, to extend his standings lead over Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez to 125 points after just 12 races.

Next race: Aug. 27, Zandvoort, The Netherlands.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

INDYCAR

Big Machine Music City Grand Prix

Site: Nashville, Tennessee.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 4 p.m.; Saturday, practice, 11:40 a.m. and 6:25 p.m., qualifying, 2:45 p.m.; Sunday, race, noon.

Track: Street course.

Race distance: 80 laps, 168 miles.

Last year: Scott Dixon won the second IndyCar race at Nashville.

Last race: Josef Newgarden swept a weekend doubleheader in Iowa.

Fast facts: Newgarden and Alex Palou each have a series-best four wins this season; Palou leads Newgarden by 98 points with just five races remaining. ... Linus Lundqvist, 24, will replace Simon Pagenaud and make his IndyCar Series debut in the No. 60 fielded by Meyer Shank Racing. Pagenaud was not cleared to race this week as he recovers from a July 1 crash in practice at Mid-Ohio.... The state of Tennessee proclaimed July 31 as “Josef Newgarden Day” to honor the Team Penske driver and first Tennessean to win the Indianapolis 500.

Next race: Aug. 12, Indianapolis.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

NHRA DRAG RACING

Last event: Justin Ashley won in Top Fuel and JR Todd won in Funny Car in Sonoma, California.

Next event: Aug. 13, Topeka, Kansas.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS

Next events: Aug. 4-5, Pevely, Missouri.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars

___

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