AUTO RACING: Blaney, Custer and Rhodes win NASCAR championships. Verstappen wins 17th in 20 starts

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NASCAR CUP SERIES

Last race: Ryan Blaney raced to his first career NASCAR championship by banging his way past fellow contender and 2021 champion Kyle Larson in the closing laps at Phoenix Raceway to give Team Penske back-to-back Cup titles. Joey Logano won the title last year, and Ross Chastain won the race, becoming the first driver to win the season finale while not in contention for the championship.

Next race: Feb. 4, Los Angeles (non-points race); Feb. 15, Daytona Beach, Florida.

NASCAR XFINITY SERIES

Last race: Cole Custer pulled away in a three-wide race with fellow contenders Justin Allgaier and John Hunter Nemechek and held off Allgaier at Phoenix to win his first Xfinity Series championship.

Next race: Feb. 17, Daytona Beach, Florida.

NASCAR TRUCK SERIES

Last race: Ben Rhodes’ fifth-place finish in a crash-filled, quadruple-overtime Truck Series finale at Phoenix was enough to earn him his second series championship in three years, by one point over Grant Enfinger, while non-championship contender Christian Eckes won for the fourth time this season.

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

FORMULA ONE

Last race: Three-time series champion Max Verstappen won for the record 17th time in 20 races this season and Red Bull teammate Sergio Perez padded his lead over seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton in the fight for second place in the final F1 standings by finishing fourth to Hamilton’s eighth with two races remaining.

Next race: Nov. 18, Las Vegas.

INDYCAR

Last race: Scott Dixon won at Laguna Seca, his third win of the season, all in the last four races. The six-time champion gave Chip Ganassi Racing a 1-2 finish in the standings. A week earlier, teammate Alex Palou became the first driver in 18 years to clinch the title before the final race of the season.

Next race: 2024 season opener at St. Petersburg, Florida.

Online: http://www.indycar.com