Welcome to what I hope to make a weekly feature around these parts: A quick glance at the world of racing to help you keep track of what’s going on in the world. Naturally, any given weekend has more racing than you can shake the proverbial stick axle at, but I’ll do my best to give an overview of the motorsports world big and small. The title is a working one (could use more zazz) as is the lead image, which will probably get a snazzy, Hooniversally awesome text treatment when I’m not flailing to get this thing done a

Since I’m a slovenly Midwesterner, this may appear a tad Americentrist (apparently an actual thing), but feel free to add to this list in the comments if you know of other sanctioned races, drifts, drag races, etc. going on this weekend. With that in mind, let’s see what’s shaking,

 

 

NASCAR: Daytona 500 (Daytona International Speedway)

I’ll confess to not being a big NASCAR fan, but if there’s a stock-car race to watch on the big oval at Daytona, this is it. Heralded by the usual big-media hype and fanfare (expect Wednesday’s seven-car practice pileup to factor into the narrative), the 500-mile race serves as the series’ 2014 opener and will draw more than 100,000 fans to one of the fastest races of the season. What can you expect? Very high speeds, lots of drafting, the occasional 20-car wreck, and maybe a tossed helmet or just a shoving match. The big race is Sunday at 1 p.m. EST with supporting races on each of the two days leading up to it.

Supporting Series: NASCAR Nationwide (Saturday, 1:15 p.m. EST), NASCAR Camping World Trucks (Friday, 7:30 p.m. EST)
Live coverage: FOX will cover the main event and ESPN will have the Nationwide race. FOX Sports 1 will air the Trucks race.

Tudor United Sportscar Championship: Sebring Test (Sebring International Raceway)

This should actually be going on as this post goes live. Several teams from the top American sportscar series tested at Sebring last November before the 24 Hours of Daytona and the series adjusted the Balance of Performance. Many will be interested to see how lap times compare after these adjustments. The main TUSC series and supporting Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge will test today and tomorrow. Three more supporting series—Cooper Tires Prototype Lites, IMSA/Porsche GT3 Cup, and Lamborghini Super Trofeo—the  will hold their tests next Monday and Tuesday.

Live coverage: No official coverage, but expect Racer.com’s Marshall Pruett and Sportscar365.com’s John Dagys to have plenty to write about in the coming days.

 

Rally America: Rally in the 100 Acre Wood (Missouri)

After last month’s Sno*Drift Rally in Michigan, the U.S. rally series heads to the foot of the Ozark Mountains and the 100 Acre Wood. Rally America doesn’t draw the big names that show up in other rallies, but some of the stalwarts of American rallying like Andrew Comrie-Picard, Antoine L’Estage, and David Higgins will be there alongside international stars like Travis Pastrana and six-time 100 Acre Wood winner Ken Block. The rally runs 17 stages on Friday and Saturday. Rally America provides some seriously high-quality PDF spectator guides that are worth checking out whether you’re going or not. And while you’re checking things out, this video of the Stage 13 jump last year is pretty terrific.

Live coverage: Follow social media with Rally America (Twitter, Facebook) and 100 Acre Wood (Twitter, Facebook). NBC Sports will air a one-hour highlights show will air May 3.

SCCA Majors: West Region (Inde Motorsports Ranch in Willcox, AZ)

It’s hard to single out single events on a given weekend in the club racing world, but the SCCA’s Majors circuit gives something of a regional championship. Most weekends feature multiple races with the best eight races counting toward the championship. This weekend, the West Region trucks out to Inde Motorsports Ranch just east of Tucson.

Live coverage: You can follow live timing here or on the Race Monitor app for smartphones.

 

Racing anywhere this weekend or know of any more races? Let us know in the comments.

 

[Top photo: Copyright 2014 Hooniverse/Eric Rood; Rally America photo: 100 Acre Wood Flickr Photostream/Uncredited]