AUTO RACING: Hope for Ford in NASCAR; Red Bull rules F1

All Times Eastern

NASCAR CUP SERIES

EckoPark Automotive Grand Prix

Site: Austin, Texas.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 2:05 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 11:30 a.m.; Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m. (FOX).

Track: Circuit of the Americas.

Race distance: 68 laps, 231.88 miles.

Last year: Ross Chastain won after starting 16th.

Last race: Defending series champion Joey Logano passed former teammate Brad Keselowski on the final lap to win in Atlanta.

Fast facts: The victory was the first for Ford after Chevrolet claimed the first four races. ... Ford drivers also claimed the top eight starting spots. ... Logano led 140 of the 260 laps in his 32nd career victory. ... The results also jumbled the point standings with Logano moving into the lead and Hendrick Motorsports drivers falling significantly after penalties and suspensions were handed out for all four teams during the week for illegal modifications made at Phoenix. Each Hendrick driver was also docked 100 points, leaving former leader Alex Bowman 20th after Atlanta, two-race winner William Byron 28th and Kyle Larson 32nd.

Next race: April 2, Richmond, Virginia.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Pit Boss 250 presented by USA Today

Site: Austin, Texas.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 6:30 p.m., and qualifying, 7 p.m.; Saturday, race, 5 p.m. (FS1).

Track: Circuit of the Americas.

Race distance: 48 laps, 156.86 miles.

Last year: A.J. Allmendinger won after starting fourth.

Last race: Georgia native Austin Hill led three times for 103 laps at Atlanta and won for the third time in five races this season.

Fast facts: The race included a track record 12 cautions for 68 laps, including 26 of the 40 that comprised the first stage. ... Daniel Hemric finished second by .085 seconds after making contact with Parker Kligerman during the last dash for the checkered flag. Ryan Truex was third, and Klingerman finished fourth going sideways. ... The victory was Hill's fifth, including the last two season-openers at Daytona.

Next race: April 1, Richmond, Virginia.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR TRUCK SERIES

Xpel 225

Site: Austin, Texas.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 4:30 p.m., and qualifying, 5 p.m.; Saturday, race, 1:30 p.m. (FS1).

Track: Circuit of the Americas.

Race distance: 42 laps, 143.22 miles.

Last year: Zane Smith won after starting second.

Last race: Christian Eckes grabbed the lead on an overtime restart at Atlanta and claimed his second career victory.

Fast facts: The race featured a track record 11 cautions for 58 laps, including one on the 137th and final lap before Eckes took the checkered flag. . ... Eckes won the first stage but dropped to 13th place after a pit road penalty. ... Nick Sanchez finished second, followed by John Hunter Nemechek.

Next race: April 1, Fort Worth, Texas.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

FORMULA ONE

Last race: Sergio Perez led Red Bull to a second 1-2 finish in as many races so far this season, but this time it was Perez beating Max Verstappen to the checkered flag. Verstappen rallied from 15th.

Next race: April 2, Melbourne, Australia.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

INDYCAR

Last race: Marcus Ericsson passed Pato O’Ward with three laps remaining and prevailed in the season-opener on the streets of St. Petersburg in a race that was filled with crashes.

Next race: April 2, Fort Worth, Texas.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

NHRA DRAG RACING

Last event: Mike Salinas won in Top Fuel and Matt Hagan won in Funny Car in Gainesville, Florida.

Next event: March 24-26 Chandler, Arizona.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

WORLD OF OUTLAWS

Next events: March 24, Talladega, Alabama, and March 25, Columbus, Mississippi.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars