
The XFinity 500, a NASCAR Cup Series race, will take place on Sunday, October 31, 2021 (10/31/11) at Martinsville Speedway in Henry County, Virginia.
Fans can follow the event for free via a trial version of fuboTV.
Here’s what you need to know:
What: NASCAR Cup Series
Which race: XFinity 500
When: Sunday October 31, 2021
Time: 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: Martinsville Speedway
TV: NBC
Channel finder: Verizon Fios, Comcast Xfinity, Spectrum / Charter, Optimum / Altice, Cox, DIRECTV, Dish, Hulu, fuboTV, Sling.
Livestream: fuboTV (free trial version)
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At home, the US Grand Prix for Haas F1 was like the rest of the season.
A clunk.
The only Formula 1 team owned by an American was again last. His two cars, driven by rookies Mick Schumacher and Nikita Mazepin, were so far off the pace that they were two laps behind when Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton sped past them to the finish line.
However, team owner Gene Haas seemed far from disappointed with the results on Sunday at the Circuit of the Americas or the entire 2021 season.
Haas said in an interview with The Associated Press that he saved money by not pouring cash into his cars before the sweeping changes to car regulations next year. Haas Automation, the team owner’s personal business, is booming – and that was the reason it expanded into the international series.
His CNC engineering company, headquartered in Oxnard, California, was considered one of the largest in North America when Haas was only a co-owner of NASCAR’s Stewart-Haas Racing team. Now that Haas is in Formula 1, Haas Automation has established itself around the world.
So Haas doesn’t mind that the growing popularity of Formula 1 in America hasn’t strengthened his young team. And don’t bother suggesting that he hire an American driver just because the team owner is from California and has a race store in North Carolina.
“This is probably a very sensitive and frustrating point for me,” said Haas AP during the US Grand Prix weekend. “Everyone says, ‘Well, you should have an American driver.’ But what I don’t understand is why there isn’t a major sponsorship for an American driver?
“It takes millions and millions of dollars. You need a benefactor to help an American driver in Formula One. With all the talk about it, there is no one who has ever stood up for it. “
Haas hasn’t shown much interest in developing an American driver and has handed over his cars to a German and a Russian this season.
Schumacher comes from racing and is the son of seven-time German F1 champion Michael Schumacher. Mazepin comes from Russian money; His billionaire father Dmitry is the main shareholder of Uralkali, the Russian fertilizer company that is the main sponsor of Haas F1.
The Haas cars are red, white, and blue, but the red, blue, and white scheme reflects the Russian flag.
The team was in midfield when Haas acquired the failed Marussia team’s assets and put a pair of cars on the grid in 2016. But the team has collapsed in the past two years and Haas is the only team that didn’t score a point in 2021.
Gene Haas said he was surprised that F1 drove the shortened 2020 season in the pandemic and that upcoming car changes made it advisable to save money instead of tweaking old engines for a bit of speed.
“You could spend $ 10 million to $ 20 million and maybe get a position,” said Haas. “It wasn’t worth the money. We just decided to put all our money into the 22 series car. “
Auto development for 2022 is encouraging, he said.
“The good thing is, because it’s a whole new format, nobody can really copy anyone,” he said. “All 10 teams will have 10 unique cars. We’ll see who’s lucky. “
The current lack of speed is offset by a lack of experience behind the wheel. Mazepin – mockingly called “Mazespin” by the fans because of his numerous slips on the track – and Schumacher spent the season pushing around in the back of the grid, getting in the way of the leaders and arguing among themselves.
Your boss doesn’t see it as a wasted season.
“Hopefully they are taking advantage of the season instead of complaining that they are slow,” said Haas. “You have good experience in Formula 1 racing because it has a lot to say if you only drive with these guys.”
The return of Formula 1 to Texas came last week when America’s appetite for F1 exploded. The race weekend attracted more than 350,000 fans over three days, 140,000 came to the race on Sunday.
But the Haas team trailer was mostly quiet at the other end of the paddock, far away from the hustle and bustle of Red Bull, Mercedes, McLaren and Ferrari. Williams and Alfa Romeo, his neighbors in the paddock and near the bottom of the table, also had more action.
Money can be made with success on the track. Fan interest in the US appears to be rising and the Liberty Media-owned series will add a second American race next season in Miami. There is hope of adding a third one day.
McLaren’s American boss Zak Brown predicted last week that F1 teams could soon be worth billions, comparable to NFL, NBA or Premier League soccer clubs.
Haas team boss Günther Steiner said the team had come too late to benefit from the increasing popularity of Formula 1 in his home country and that it was time to “deal more with people from America”.
“I think we neglected that a bit at the beginning because Formula 1 has grown very quickly over the past two years,” said Steiner. “In the beginning when we started it was much smaller and now it seems … why didn’t we see this coming?”
However, Haas refuses to classify Haas F1 as an “American” Formula 1 team because it ignores its European people and business efforts. And for Haas Automation, it makes no difference being an American team that ultimately pays Gene Haas’ bills.
“Most of my team is from England, Italy … Europe,” said Haas. “We’re basically just trying to lead a team in the most efficient and best possible way. We don’t care too much about whether or not it is popular with the American public. That’s how I see the business side. It’s a great opportunity to help us a lot with brand awareness in Europe. “
(The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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