Motorsports Weekend Guide: March 21 to March 23

MWG

The blockbuster weekend predicted in last week’s guide was as much as one could hope for. Some of the F1 teams faced mechanical woes in Australia, but the racing turned out better than most anticipated (SPOILERS). In Sebring, some big names in the motorsports world gave an American mark their first win there in 45 years during a yellow-flag bonanza (SPOILERS). Another NASCAR driver earned his way into The Chase (SPOILERS) while the Nevada desert produced some newly-minted annual offroad champions (SPOILERS).

This weekend finds the racing world chock full o’ stock-car and crapcan races, but also featuring the premiere of top-level motorcycle racing and, as usual, some crazy people playing in the dirt. Follow the jump to see who’s racing what where.

 

Moto GP: Qatar (Losail International Circuit)

Motorcyle racing is hardly my area of expertise, but I’m constantly impressed by the athleticism and precision required to race one of these two-wheel rockets. I won’t claim to know much about the riders or manufacturers, so feel free to chime into the comments about it. But if two-wheel racing trips your trigger, you were probably already planning on watching the motorcycle equivalent of Formula One.

Website: MotoGP official site. Losail Circuit site. Full weekend schedule (PDF).
Supporting series:  Moto2, Moto3, National Superbike, Shell Advance Asia Talent Cup
Live Coverage: Live on Fox Sports 1. Streaming on VideoPass (subscription service).

 

NASCAR: Auto Club Speedway

After a trying weekend for fans and teams alike in Tennessee at Bristol, NASCAR heads west yet again to the high-speed oval in Fontana, California. Four different drivers have won each of the first rounds to qualify for the season-ending chase. Will there be a fifth added after Auto Club? Supporting races are a bit light this time around with only the Nationwide Series running before the Sprint Cup main event.

Website: NASCAR official siteAuto Club Speedway site.
Supporting series: Nationwide only
Race names, halfway to good:
TreatMyClot.com 300 (Nationwide), Auto Club 400 (Sprint Cup)
Live coverage:
  Sprint Cup – Fox, 12 p.m. EST on Sunday; Nationwide – ESPN2, 2 p.m. EST on Saturday

Lucas Oil Off Road Racing: Wild Horse Pass Motorsports Park (Chandler, AZ)

Lucas-Oil-Off-Road-Jump-shot

The dirt track racing series opens its season at Arizona’s Wild Horse Pass, where seven different classes will run over the dirt circuit. In the top classes, it’s essentially short-track Trophy Truck racing, like heavyweight rallycross and—if I’m allowed to editorialize—it’s a hoot to watch these behemoths slide around and launch dozens of feet into the air. If you’ve not read it, check out when the Executive Hoon got a ride in one of these monsters.

Website: Lucas Oil Off Road Racing site. Full weekend schedule. Wild Horse site.
Live coverage:  Live timing here.

 

World Racing League: Motorsports Ranch Houston

The newest crapcan racing series holds it inaugural race at MSR-H. The weekend should have a decent turnout with nearly at least a couple dozen cars expected, no small feat with a similar series running in Texas the same weekend. We’re eager to see how this plays out with eight-hour races on Saturday and Sunday.

Website: WRL official site. MSR site.
Live coverage: Race monitor app for smartphones and on the WRL site.

 

24 Hours of LeMons: Sonoma Raceway

LeMons heads to its sort-of de facto home at Sonoma. Expect big car counts and a very deep field in every single class. Weather is usually a bit brisk in March and if it’s going to rain, it’ll rain all weekend. Oh, and Hooniverse will represent on the LeMons Supreme Court for good measure. Read our full race preview here

Website: LeMons official site. Sonoma Raceway official site.
Live coverage: Specialty Timing or Race Monitor app for smartphone

 scca logo small

SCCA Majors: East Region, Sebring International Raceway

The Sports Car Club of America’s majors tour rolls on, heading to Sebring just a week after IMSA’s 12 Hours weekend. Class winners will qualify for the SCCA Nationals at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca in October. 

Website: SCCA Majors site. Sebring site.
Live coverage: Live timing here and on Race Monitor smartphone app.

 

ChumpCar World Series: Texas Motor Speedway

ChumpCar heads to Fort Worth to share another weekend with the Ultimate Streetcar Association (USCA). Chump’s part takes place Saturday with a 12-hour race on TMS’s 1.1-mile interior road course with about 25 cars registered. It may not be the full road course, but it should still produce some tight racing.

Website: CCWS website. TMS website.
Live coverage: Live timing here and on Race Monitor smartphone app.

 

ChumpCar World Series: Pacific Raceways / Roll-X

ChumpCar has partnered with the Roll-X organizers to run that formerly one-off race at Pacific Raceways in Washington state. The Double-7 weekend will feature most of the usual suspects in the Pacific Northwest, which means both seven-hour races should finish closely with experienced teams all over the entry list.

Website: CCWS website. Pacific Raceways site.
Live coverage:
Live timing here and on Race Monitor smartphone app.

 

NASCAR K&N East Series: Greenville Pickens Speedway

The eastern contingent of the NASCAR Hometracks circuit runs its first standalone race after supporting the big show at Daytona and at Bristol. Daniel Suarez has already won two of the three opening rounds but sits two points behind early-season points leader Gray Gaulding. 

Website: K&N East website. Greenville website.
Live coverage: FansChoice.tv, maybe? Live schedule was not posted as of press time.

 

NASCAR K&N West Series: Irwindale Speedway

The Hometracks’ west series will tackle the world-renowned “House of Drift,” though they’ll be running Irwindale’s oval. This is only K&N West’s second race of the year, having run with NASCAR at Phoenix to open their year. 

Website: K&N West website. Irwindale Speedway website.
Supporting series: Local Irwindale Race Trucks and Super Stocks.
Live coverage: 
FansChoice.tv, maybe? Live schedule was not posted as of press time.

 ARCA

ARCA: Mobile 200 (Mobile International Speedway)

The Automobile Racing Club of America’s stock cars head to Alabama for their second round, as well, having opened the 2014 campaign at Daytona International Speedway.

Website: ARCA website. Mobile 200 site. Weekend schedule.
Live coverage:
Live timing here.

 

Who else is racing this weekend?

Feel free to point out any series we may have missed in the comments.

[Lead photo copyright 2014 Hooniverse/Eric Rood; Lucas Oil Off Road photo copyright 2014 Hooniverse/Jeff Glucker | Other photos: Yamaha Racing via Asphalt and Rubber; ARCAracing.com]

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