THIS WEEK IN AUTO RACING

NASCAR CUP SERIES

Cook Out Southern 500

Site: Darlington, South Carolina. Schedule: Saturday, practice,

12:30 p.m., and qualifying, 1:20 p.m.; Sunday, race, 6 p.m (USA).

Track: Darlington Raceway.

Race distance: 367 laps, 501.3 miles.

Last year: Erik Jones won after starting 15th.

Last race: Chris Buescher led RFK Racing’s first 1-2 finish in nine years, winning at Daytona for the third time in the final five regular-season races.

Fast facts: This is the first race of the playoffs. … Buescher’s victory boosted Bubba Wallace into the final postseason spot and eliminated fan favorite Chase Elliott, who finished fourth, from the playoffs for the first time in eight seasons.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Sport Clips Haircuts VFW Help A Hero 200

Site: Darlington, South Carolina. Schedule: Saturday, practice, 10:35 a.m., qualifying, 11:05 a.m., and race, 3:30 p.m. (USA).

Track: Darlington Raceway.

Race distance: 147 laps, 200.8 miles.

Last year: Noah Gragson won after startng second.

Last race: Justin Allgaier held off Sheldon Creed by 0.005 seconds in double overtime to prevail in the fourth-closest finish in series history and win for the first time in 26 starts at Daytona.

NASCAR TRUCK SERIES

Last race: Grant Enfinger led 95 of 175 laps and passed Carson Hocevar on the 159th lap to win in Milwaukee. His third victory of the season advanced him into the next round of the playoffs.

FORMULA ONE

Italian Grand Prix

Site: Monza, Italy.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 6:30 a.m., and qualifying, 10 a.m.; Sunday, race, 9 a.m. (ESPN). Track: Autodromo Nazionale Monza.

Race distance: 53 laps, 190.596 miles.

Last year: Max Verstappen won after starting seventh.

Last race: Two-time defending series champion Max Verstappen won the rain-marred Dutch Grand Prix to equal Sebastian Vettel’s F1 record with nine straight victories.

INDYCAR

Bitnil.com Grand Prix of Portland Site: Portland, Oregon.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, noon, qualifying, 3:30 p.m., and final practice, 8:15 p.m.; Sunday, race, 3 p.m. (NBC).

Track: Portland International Raceway.

Race distance: 119 laps, 216.04 miles.

Last race: Scott Dixon earned his 55th victory in the series in his record-extending 320th career start and did so in dominating fashion, beating Pato O’Ward by more than 22 seconds.