Let's get ready to rumble with this weekend's racing schedule!
The wait is over for Formula One fans and coming up this weekend will be the Belgian Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps.
After a month's hiatus, the F1 teams congregate to resume the second half of their world championship status with drivers Max Verstappen, Charles LeClerc, Carlo Sainz, and Sergio Perez all vying for the title.
Rain will again likely be part of the race, with the weather forecast for the weekend calling for a wet track surface -- which leads to loads of questions of which driver’s strategy will take them to the top spot on the podium.
Between the spray, fog, and limited visibility -- and throw in the infamous Eau Rouge corner -- it will make for a very interesting race. Stay tuned Sunday at 8:55 a.m. EDT on ESPN2 and bring your rain gear!
As for NASCAR, the house that Bill France built, known as the Daytona International Speedway, hosts the end of the NASCAR Cup regular season on Saturday night (again, weather permitting) -- a 70 percent chance of thunderstorms is in the forecast).
As many already know, Chase Elliott has earned the No. 1 position in the standings that leads into a 10-race playoff series, but the focus is on the 16th and final spot going into Daytona. Because Kurt Busch has withdrawn from playoff eligibility due to still displaying concussion symptoms from his crash at Pocono in late July, Ryan Blaney is locked into the playoffs due to points, even though he has not won a race.
Likewise, former Cup champ Martin Truex Jr. has moved up a notch with Busch's decision to sit the playoffs out. Truex comes into Saturday night's race in the 16th and final playoff-eligible spot, again like Blaney, on points (Truex is also winless in 2022).
However, Truex is not locked into the playoffs as Blaney is. Still eligible and in playoff contention are 2012 NASCAR Cup champ Brad Keselowski, 2021 Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell, Erik Jones, Aric Almirola, Austin Dillon, Bubba Wallace and Chris Buescher and many others who, by virtue of earning just one checkered flag on Saturday night, they’d be in the championship chase.
The Xfinity series Wawa 250 starts 7:00 p.m. EDT on Friday night on USA Network. NBC covers all the Coke Zero 400 action on Saturday at 7:00 p.m. EDT.
IMSA is racing at the Virginia International Raceway for the Michelin GT Challenge at VIR on Sunday on CNBC. ARCA goes to the Milwaukee Mile for the Sprecher 150 on MAVTV and the NASCAR Whelen Modified tour is back at Langley Speedway for the Checkeredflag.com 150 streaming on Floracing.com.
Both IndyCar and NHRA return next weekend for Labor Day Weekend races in Portland and Indianapolis, respectively.
Please check the schedule to receive the exact dates and times and wishing everyone a safe and fun racing weekend.
Follow Jay Wells on Twitter @jaywells500.
