AUTO RACING: NASCAR's top two series head to Phoenix

Updated Mar. 9, 2022 4:27 p.m. ET

Associated Press

All Times Eastern

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Ruoff Mortgage 500

Site: Avondale, Arizona.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 1:30 p.m., and qualifying, 2:05 p.m.; Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (FOX)

Track: Phoenix Raceway.

Race distance: 312 laps, 312 miles.

Last year: Martin Truex Jr. won after starting fifth.

Last race: Alex Bowman made a two-tire stop pay off in overtime at Las Vegas, outrunning Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson for the victory.

Fast facts: Hendrick placed three drivers in the top five with William Byron running fifth. ... Larson, the defending series champion, moved into the points lead by six over Truex. ... Denny Hamlin, who finished third in the standings last season and had 25 top-10 finishes in 36 races, has been running at the finish just once in three races and is 30th in the point standings.

Next race: March 20, Hampton, Georgia.

Online:

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

United Rentals 200

Site: Avondale, Arizona.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 11:30 a.m., qualifying, noon, and race, 4:30 p.m. (FS1)

Track: Phoenix Raceway.

Race distance: 200 laps, 200 miles.

Last year: Austin Cindric won after starting third.

Last race: Ty Gibbs pulled away on a restart with six laps remaining at Las Vegas and claimed his first victory of the season.

Fast facts: Gibbs jumped to second in the standings behind Noah Gragson, who finished second at Las Vegas. ... Gragson, A.J. Allmendinger and Justin Allgaier have finished in the top 10 in all three races. Gragson has finished in the top five in all three. ... The race featured 17 lead changes, 11 caution flags and a 42-minute red flag for light snow and rain.

Next race: March 19, Hampton, Georgia.

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NASCAR TRUCK SERIES

Last race: Chandler Smith won at Las Vegas for his third career victory.

Next race: March 19, Hampton, Georgia.

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FORMULA ONE

Last race: Max Verstappen passed seven-time series champion Lewis Hamilton on the final lap and won his first series championship.

Next race: March 20, Sakhir, Bahrain (season opener).

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INDYCAR

Last race: Scott McLaughlin led 49 of 100 laps and held off reigning series champion Alex Palou over the closing laps for his first career victory in the season-opener at St. Petersburg, Florida.

Next race: March 20, Fort Worth, Texas.

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NHRA DRAG RACING

Last event: Mike Salinas won in Top Fuel and Robert Hight won in Funny Car in Chandler, Arizona.

Next event: March 10-13, Gainesville, Florida.

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WORLD OF OUTLAWS

Next events: March 11-12, Tulare, California.

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