NHRA to determine champions, a week after NASCAR crowns title winners. F1 returns next week in Vegas

All Times Eastern

NHRA Drag Racing

In-N-Out Burger NHRA Finals

Site: Pomona, California.

Track: In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

Last event: Brittany Force earned her first Top Fuel victory in 39 races, beating defending champion Doug Kalitta in Las Vegas. Teammate Austin Prock defeated Paul Lee in Funny Car to move to the brink of his first championship.

Fast Facts: Prock leads teammate Jack Beckman by 188 points and will clinch the Funny Car title with his first qualifying run. Beckman is driving for John Force as the 16-time champion continues to recuperate from a horrific accident in June. Force witnessed both wins in his return to the track. ... Justin Ashley maintains a 44-point lead on Antron Brown in Top Fuel, with Shawn Langdon 45 back.

Next event: March 6-9, 2025, Gainesville, Florida.

Online: http://www.nhra.com

Not PARSE.LY: NHRA racing

Formula 1 last series going in Las Vegas as Brown, Prock win series titles at NHRA finals

 

3 hurt when small plane crashes near Southern California dragstrip hosting racing event

 

Last chance to dance in NASCAR before final race in Phoenix. Formula 1 heads to Brazil

 

Formula 1

Last race: Max Verstappen overcame penalties that left him starting 17th and then the rain to win the Brazilian Grand Prix in Sao Paulo and take a huge step toward securing his fourth consecutive title. The Dutchman overtook Estaban Ocon on Lap 42 and won by nearly 20 seconds for his first victory since June.

Fast facts: Verstappen’s best drive in months ended a 10-race drought after winning seven of the first 10 events. He widened his lead over Lando Norris from 44 to 62 points and needs to finish ahead of him over the next three races to clinch the title. ... Norris won the sprint race and started on the pole at Interlagos but finished sixth. He and Mercedes driver George Russell were fined 5,000 euros ($5,440) each for breaching the FIA’s start procedure in an investigation by stewards.

Next race: Nov. 23, Las Vegas.

Online: http://www.formula1.com

NASCAR Cup Series

Last race: Joey Logano led 107 laps to dominate the winner-take-all finale at Phoenix Raceway, earning his third championship and completing a remarkable turnaround after initially missing the second-round cut before earning a reprieve with another driver’s disqualification. Logano’s No. 22 Ford held off teammate and 2023 champion Ryan Blaney by .330 seconds on the 1-mile oval to give Team Penske a 1-2 sweep along with its third consecutive NASCAR title. Penske clinched its third motorsports crown in less than a month.

Fast facts: All of Logano’s titles have come in even-numbered years: 2018, 2022 and this season. He and Kyle Busch are the series’ only active three-time champions. ... Playoff drivers William Byron (Chevy) and Tyler Reddick (Toyota) finished third and sixth respectively in the 312-lap race in the desert. ... 2017 champion Martin Truex Jr. finished 17th after starting on the pole in his final full-time Cup start.

Next race: Feb. 16, 2025, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR Xfinity Series

Last race: Justin Allgaier recovered from being a lap down midway through the race to pass Austin Hill and Cole Custer in overtime after a restart, finish second behind Riley Herbst and claim his first series title. Allgaier overcame a flat tire and consecutive penalties that dropped him in the grid, then withstood another caution that forced a double-overtime restart to give JR Motorsports the crown.

Fast facts: Allgaier earned the fourth Xfinity title for JR Motorsports and Hall of Fame owner Dale Earnhardt Jr. ... Herbst won the first two stages and race for Stewart-Haas Racing, which ceased operations after Phoenix. ... Custer was eighth, AJ Allmendinger ninth and Hill 10th among playoff finalists.

Next race: Feb. 15, 2025, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

NASCAR Truck Series

Last race: Ty Majeski dominated from the pole in a Ford to earn his first championship, holding off playoff drivers Corey Heim and Christian Eckes in the 150-mile finale at Phoenix Raceway. Majeski led 132 laps, Heim 16 and championship finalist Grant Enfinger two while finishing fifth.

Fast facts: Majeski clinched a series-high sixth title for ThorSport Racing. He raced in his second championship four in just his third full-time season.

Next race: Feb. 14, 2025, Daytona Beach, Florida.

Online: http://www.nascar.com

World of Outlaws Sprint Cars

Last event: David Gravel won in Concord, North Carolina, last Thursday and clinched the series crown a day later while Carson Macedo won Friday’s event for his 12th victory of the season. Gravel finished fourth in Friday’s race, which was enough to lock up the title. Tyler Courtney won the season’s final race with Gravel finishing second and Macedo third.

Next race: Feb. 5-8, 2025, Barberville, Florida.

Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com/sprintcars

IndyCar

Last race: Alex Palou claimed his second consecutive IndyCar championship and third in four years at Nashville Superspeedway, where Colton Herta won the Music City Grand Prix for Andretti Global.

Next race: March 2, 2025, St. Petersburg, Florida.

Online: http://www.indycar.com

___

AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/hub/auto-racing