Auto racing schedule: IndyCar series heads to Ohio this weekend

A glance at the weekend auto racing schedule, including the Verizon IndyCar series which is coming to Portland Aug. 31.

VERIZON INDYCAR

HONDA INDY 200

Site: Lexington, Ohio.

Schedule: Friday, practice, 11 a.m. & 2:35 p.m.; Saturday, practice, 10 a.m., qualifying, 1:35 p.m. (NBCSN); Sunday, race, 3:30 p.m., CNBC.

Track: Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course (road, 2.258 miles)

Race distance: 203.22 miles, 90 laps.

Last year: Josef Newgarden took first after teammate Will Power won the pole.

Last race: Scott Dixon won in Toronto, his third victory in six races.

Fast facts: Dixon's win in Canada on July 15 was his 44th career win, which ranks third on the all-time IndyCar wins list. ... Dixon is also the winningest driver at Mid-Ohio with five victories, the last coming in 2014. ... Team Penske has won the last two races in Lexington, with Simon Pagenaud snapping an eight-year drought for the team in 2016.

Next race: ABC Supply 500, Aug. 19, Pocono Raceway, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

In Portland: Aug. 31 to Sept. 2 at PIR

Online: http://www.indycar.com

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NASCAR

GANDER OUTDOORS 400

Site: Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

Schedule: Saturday, practice, 9 & 11:40 a.m. (CNBC), qualifying, 4:10 p.m. (NBCSN); Sunday, race, 2:30 p.m., NBCSN.

Track: Pocono Raceway (oval, 2.5 miles).

Race distance: 400 miles, 160 laps.

Last year: Kyle Busch beat the field at the "Tricky Triangle" from the front row.

Last race: Kevin Harvick won in New Hampshire despite leading just 12 laps.

Fast facts: There has been a different winner in each of the last four races, just the second time that has happened all season. The stranglehold of this season's "Big Three" continued last weekend, with Harvick, Martin Truex Jr. and Kyle Busch now combining to win 15 of the first 20 races of 2018. ... Those three drivers also hold the top three places in the standings, led by Busch with 844 points. ... Seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson has just two top-five finishes this season.

Next race: GoBowling at The Glen, Aug. 5, Watkins Glen International, Watkins Glen, New York.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

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XFINITY

U.S. CELLULAR 250

Site: Newton, Iowa

Schedule: Friday, practice, 5:05 p.m. & 6:35 p.m. (NBCSN); Saturday, qualifying, 3:05 p.m. (NBCSN), race, 5:20 p.m., NBCSN.

Track: Iowa Speedway (oval, 0.894 miles).

Race distance: 218.75 miles, 250 laps.

Last year: Ryan Preece won his first series race as part of just a four-start season

Last race: Christopher Bell won for the second week in a row.

Fast facts: Daniel Hemric took over the points lead after finishing 11th in last week's race. It's the first time that Hemric, in his second year driving the No. 21 Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing, has held the top spot. JR Motorsports held the points lead throughout all of last season, when William Byron won the title. ... Bell, despite three wins to none for Hemric, is six points back in second place.

Next race: Zippo 200, Aug. 4, Watkins Glen, New York.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

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CAMPING WORLD TRUCK

GANDER OUTDOORS 150

Site: Long Pond, Pennsylvania.

Schedule: Friday, practice, noon & 2 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 10 a.m. (FS1), race, 1 p.m., FS1

Track: Pocono Raceway

Race distance: 150 miles, 60 laps.

Last year: Christopher Bell took first on his way to winning the championship.

Last race: Chase Briscoe won on the dirt at Eldora.

Fast facts: Briscoe, 23, beat out ThorSport Racing teammate Grant Enfinger to earn his second career win. It was a one-off race for Briscoe, a Ford development driver. ... Johnny Sauter's lead over Noah Gragson was 32 points after Eldora. Brett Moffitt is third, 80 points behind Sauter.

Next race: Corrigan Oil 200, Aug. 11, Michigan International Speedway, Brooklyn, Michigan.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

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FORMULA ONE

HUNGARIAN GRAND PRIX

Site: Budapest

Schedule: Friday, practice, 5 a.m. (ESPN2) & 9 a.m. (ESPNU); Saturday, practice, 6 a.m. (ESPN2), qualifying, 9 a.m. (ESPNews); Sunday, race, 9 a.m., ESPN2

Track: Hungaroring (circuit, 2.72 miles).

Race distance: 190.5 miles, 70 laps.

Last year: Sebastian Vettel won from the pole.

Last race: Lewis Hamilton rallied from starting 14th to take first in Germany.

Fast facts: Hamilton's remarkable win last weekend was the 66th of his career, and it put him back atop the standings. ... Vettel went from eight points up in the standings to 17 down when his car hit a wall in the 52nd lap. Vettel had a nine-second lead before the incident. ... Kimi Raikkonen, Vettel's Ferrari teammate, is in third, 57 points behind Hamilton.

Next race: Belgian Grand Prix, Aug. 26, Spa-Francorchamps Circuit, Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

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NHRA MELLO YELLO DRAG RACING

SONOMA NATIONALS

Site: Sonoma, California.

Schedule: Friday, qualifying, 8 & 11 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 5 p.m. & 8 p.m.; Sunday, final, 6:30 p.m., FOX.

Track: Sonoma Raceway.

Last year: Steve Torrence won in Top Fuel.

Last race: Leah Pritchett took first in Colorado.

Fast facts: J.R. Todd (Funny Car), Tanner Gray (Pro Stock) and LE Tonglet (Pro Stock Motorcycle) also won their divisions in Sonoma in 2017. ... Todd won in Top Fuel here in 2006 and 2016 as well. ... Pritchett moved into third, 183 points behind series leader Torrence, after winning last week. Clay Millican is in second place.

Next race: Northwest Nationals, Aug. 3-5, Pacific Raceways, Kent, Washington.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

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OTHER RACES

WORLD OF OUTLAWS: Friday, The Big "R'' Outlaw Shootout, Ransomville Speedway, Ransomville, New York; Sunday, Empire State Challenge, Weedsport Speedway, Weedsport, New York.

Online: http://www.woosprint.com

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