School is back in session and the racing season has reached the stretch run for many of the touring series, while the majority of the country’s short tracks are down to their final week or two of competition.
Here’s what to watch for.
Where It Began
The regular season for the NASCAR Cup Series will conclude right back where it started in mid-February — Daytona (Fla.) Int’l Speedway.
Race 26 for the series will see the playoff field set at its conclusion and a slew of drivers led by Chase Elliott and Alex Bowman will be looking to win an attempt to steal a spot in the 16-driver field.
The Last Oval
World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway is the final oval race on the NTT IndyCar Series calendar this season. While Alex Palou has 101-point advantage over Scott Dixon in the standings, Josef Newgarden has won every oval race this season.
The USAC Silver Crown Series shares the bill Sunday at the 1.25-mile speedway.
Smackdown
It’s one of the most anticipated USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Championship events of the season. Kokomo Smackdown XII features three nights of racing at the quarter-mile dirt track, culminating with a 40-lap, $30,000-to-win main event on Saturday night.
Quad Cities
Davenport Speedway is the destination for the Quad Cities 150 featuring the World of Outlaws CASE Construction Late Model Series Thursday, Friday and Saturday.
The half-mile track will see the powerful late models run features all three nights, with $30,000 earmarked to Saturday’s winner.
The Xtreme Outlaw Midget Series is also on the card on Friday and Saturday night.
Milwaukee
The NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series returns to the famed Milwaukee Mile for the first time in 13 seasons on Sunday afternoon. The series shares the bill with the ARCA Menards Series.
WoO Sprints
The World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series makes its final trek of the season through the Dakotas.
Friday night’s stop is River Cities Speedway in Grand Forks, N.D., while the series hits Red River Valley Speedway in West Fargo, N.D., the following evening. Brad Sweet holds a 50-point lead over Carson Macedo.
Asphalt LM
Touring asphalt late models will have a busy slate of races beginning Wednesday with an SRL national tour event at Missouri’s I-44 Speedway.
The ASA Midwest Tour visits Madison Int’l Speedway on Friday, while the CARS Tour late model stocks journey to Wake County Speedway. The American-Canadian Tour late models head north to Oxford Plains Speedway Saturday as the lead in to Sunday’s legendary Oxford 250 super late model race.
Formula 1
Formula 1’s summer break concludes and racing returns with the Dutch Grand Prix on Sunday at Zandvoort. Max Verstappen has won 10 of the 12 races this season.
