AUTO RACING THIS WEEK
NASCAR CUP SERIES COOK OUT SOUTHERN 500
Site: Darlington, South Carolina.
Schedule: Sunday, race, 6 p.m.
Track: Darlington
Raceway
Race distance: 367 laps, 501.3 miles.
Last year: William Byron won after starting sixth.
Last race: Ryan Blaney won his second race in a row and third of the season on a wild final lap of overtime at Daytona.
Fast facts: Tyler Reddick finished fifth and claimed the 16th and final spot in the playoffs, which begin this weekend . ... Kyle Larson won the regular-season championship with a 28-point edge over Blaney and Martin Truex Jr. Winless Denny Hamlin, who led the points most of the season, will start seventh on the playoff grid and Kevin Harvick, who won a series-high nine races last year but none this season, will start 16th.
Next race: Sept. 11, Richmond, Virginia.
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES SPORT CLIPS HAIRCUTS VFW HELP A HERO 200
Site: Darlington, South Carolina.
Schedule: Saturday, race, 3:30 p.m.
Track: Darlington Raceway.
Race distance: 147 laps,
200 miles.
Last year: Brandon Jones won after starting eighth.
Last race: Justin Haley barely beat teammates
A.J. Allmendinger and Jeb Burton in a three-wide finish to win at Daytona.
Fast facts: Three races remains before the round of 12 drivers is set for the playoffs.
... Allmendinger passed defending series champion Austin Cindric as the series points leader by 17 points. Justin Allgaier is a distant third, 125 points behind.
Next race: Sept. 11, Richmond, Virginia.
NASCAR TRUCK SERIES IN IT TO WIN IT 200
Site: Darlington, South Carolina.
Schedule: Sunday, race, 1:30 p.m.
Track: Darlington Raceway.
Race distance: 147 laps, 200 miles.
Last year: Ben Rhodes won after starting fifth.
Last race: Defending series champion Sheldon Creed dominated the playoff opener, leading 142 of 163 laps and winning in overtime at World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway.
Fast facts: Creed is just two points behind points leader John Hunter Nemechek and one ahead of Rhodes. Threetime series champ Matt Crafton is fourth, just 22 points off the pace.
Next race: Sept. 16,
Bristol, Tennessee. FORMULA ONE DUTCH GRAND PRIX
Site: North Holland, Netherlands.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 5:30 a.m. and 9 a.m.; Saturday, practice, 6 a.m., and qualifying, 9 a.m.; Sunday, race, 9 a.m. (ESPN) Track: Circuit Zandvoort. Race distance: 72 laps, 190.5 miles.
Last year: Did not race. Last race: Max Verstappen won the rainshortened Belgian Grand Prix where points were cut in half.
Fast facts: The weird ending in Belgium allowed Verstappen to trim Lewis Hamilton’s points lead from eight to just three with 11 scheduled races remaining as their season-long championship battle heats up.
Next race: Sept. 12, Monza, Italy.
INDYCAR
Last race: Josef Newgarden won for the second time this season after starting third.
Next race: Sept. 12, Portland, Oregon.
NHRA DRAG RACING
Last event: Steve Torrence won in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan won in Funny Car in Brainerd, Minn.
Next event: Sept. 1-5, Indianapolis, Indiana.