Yahoo Autos Where to Watch NASCAR, F1 This Weekend (October 23rd, 2022)
Formula 1 - United States Grand Prix
Sunday, October 23rd - 3:00 p.m. ET - ESPN
The modern United States Grand Prix was already a successful event before Drive to Survive, but Formula 1’s newfound popularity in the U.S. has taken the race to another level. Another expected sellout should make for an unforgettable atmosphere again at the race. The championship, however, is no longer in play.
With Max Verstappen already crowned after the Japanese Grand Prix two weeks ago, the USGP stands out as the first event of the season without F1’s highest honor at stake. That does not mean the season is over, though. Many major prizes are still available, including second in the drivers’ championship, which is currently separated by just one point after 18 races. Red Bull’s Sergio Pérez currently leads Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc. A top-three finish will be a career high for both. There’s also the matter of next season’s roster changes. Several drivers are fighting for their future in the sport, with finishes in the points critical to their survival in Formula 1.
NASCAR - Homestead-Miami Speedway
Sunday, October 23rd - 2:30 p.m. ET - NBC
This round, the Round of 8, is the heart of the modern NASCAR Cup Series championship format. Elite teams and drivers expect to make the playoffs, survive two rounds of elimination, and effectively begin fighting for their championship in these last four races. This year, however, many of those elite drivers did not make it this far. Kyle Busch, Kevin Harvick, and reigning champion Kyle Larson are among the former series champions who missed the final two rounds of the playoffs this season, leaving room for five drivers who have never made a Championship 4. With former champion and expected contender Joey Logano already locked in for the Championship 4 round at Phoenix, seven drivers are fighting for three remaining spots over the next two races.
Two of those drivers, Ross Chastain and Chase Elliott, are more than 15 points clear of the cutoff line as it stands today. One, Christopher Bell, is more than 15 points behind it. In both cases, the gaps are relatively insignificant; strong stage finishes can erase deficits, and poor finishes can exacerbate them. This is an all-out brawl, with Elliott and Denny Hamlin serving as the only perennial contenders in the group. At least one driver (but maybe two or three) who was never expected to contend for a title will head to Phoenix with an even shot at one.
That makes Homestead a very significant race. If Sunday’s overall winner comes from that group of seven, that driver will both secure a spot for the forthcoming championship round in Phoenix and cut the line down to six drivers grappling for just a pair of championship spots in the Championship 4. Winning at Homestead puts a driver in the proverbial driver’s seat, sowing chaos for the two other drivers they’ll fight for a championship in Martinsville next weekend. In modern NASCAR, there is no understanding it: This stretch of races determines who will win the series championship.
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