It'll be a very sad weekend in suburban Phoenix as the final NHRA drag race will ever be held at Wild Horse Motorsports Park. The facility is shutting down soon after the race is completed to begin expansion of a freeway on- and off-ramp. Photo courtesy Wild Horse Motorsports Park.

Here's your weekend racing schedule

Formula One is off, but NASCAR is on the COTA road course in Austin, Texas, ARCA East is going in circles in Pensacola, Fla., and NHRA is back at things in the straight and narrow, as well, in suburban Phoenix -- sadly, for the final time.

Author:
Jay Wells
Publish date:
Mar 23, 2023 12:16 AM EDT

Starting Friday and going through Sunday, we've got guys and gals going not just in circles, but also turning left to right, as well as other guys challenging the straight line.

And we'll have two former F1 champions -- Kimi Raikonnen and Jenson Button -- in this Sunday's NASCAR Cup race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. Also joining the party will be IMSA veteran Jordan Taylor and seven-time NASCAR Cup champion Jimmie Johnson.

By the way, we'd be remiss if we didn't point out that this will be the last NHRA drag race ever to be held at Wild Horse Motorsports Park in suburban Chandler, Ariz. The track is legendary and has been around for several decades.

Unfortunately, Wild Horse Motorsports Park will soon be going the way of other forms of "progress," when -- almost immediately after the crowds leave Sunday -- it will start being dismantled and torn down to make way for a freeway on and off ramp.

Yep, that's progress alright (I say with a smug snicker).

But seriously, if you get a chance to attend this weekend's race in-person or if you can only watch on TV, don't miss it, because you'll never see drag racing at one of the best venues to ever host side-by-side racing ever again.

Many thanks, as usual, to our master of schedules, Jay Wells: