Although the 2014 season ended with 10 cars, the new season kicked off at the Hungaroring with one less participant despite the category joining forces with the FA1 series over the winter.

The size of the grid was reduced even more in the second round at Silverstone as Johnny Cecotto and Leonardo Pulcini both discontinued their participation.

NHTSA, which was established by the Highway Safety Act of 1970, will serve as title sponsor of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series qualifying for “Drive for Safety Pole Day” on Saturday, June 27. NHTSA is dedicated to achieving the highest standards of excellence in motor vehicle and highway safety and works daily to help prevent crashes and their attendant costs, both human and financial.

The 22-year-old Swiss driver – who is a former member of the Lotus F1 junior team – gets his opportunity in the double-header season one finale as Liuzzi is in Super GT action.

Fontana was the F3 Open champion in 2011. He was a race winner in Formula Two a year later and has been in GP3 since 2013, taking three podiums and two fastest laps. This season he also made a one-off appearance in Formula-Renault 3.5.

FIA Formula E

Your 2014 MAVTV 500 podium

As you would expect, the betting favorites come from the Penske and Ganassi stables, led by 2013 Fontana winner Will Power. In both of the previous 2015 oval races, the Penske and Ganassi teams swept the top-four finishing positions, and led an overwhelming percentage of the laps. No reason the 4 Penskes along with the top-two Ganassi cars (Scott Dixon and Tony Kanaan) shouldn't be the favorites.

As for someone AR1 likes (of course, for recreational purposes only)?

Brian Carroccio will be at Sonoma Raceway this weekend covering the Toyota/Save Mart 350

Of course, both the Verizon IndyCar Series and NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are in the Golden State this weekend. IndyCar is at Auto Club Speedway for the MAVTV 500. Lucille Dust, who is currently en route to Southern California on the AR1 Gulfstream, will have you covered this weekend on the IndyCar side.

8 a.m.                                Spectator gates open

9:30 a.m. – 10:20 a.m.      Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Practice

10:30 a.m. – 11:50 a.m.    NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Practice

Noon – 1:55 p.m.            Great Clips Fast Friday NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Practice

2 p.m. – 3 p.m.                  NASCAR K&N Pro Series West Final Practice

3:05 p.m. – 3:25 p.m.        Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Practice

3:30 p.m. – 4:55 p.m.      Great Clips Fast Friday NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Final Practice

5:10 p.m. – 5:40 p.m.        Pirelli GT3 Cup Trophy USA Qualifying

SATURDAY, June 27 - NHTSA Drive for Safety Pole Day Racing Schedule

Ed Carpenter

Carpenter has made just two starts thus far this season, both on oval tracks. Unfortunately, mishaps caused him to fail to finish both races.

He crashed in last month's Indianapolis 500 and finished 30th in the 33-car field.

Then earlier this month at Texas, the Indianapolis native suffered engine problems and finished 22nd.

• David Coulthard is delusional thinking Rosberg can beat Hamilton

  Takeover could 'make things happen' in F1
• F1 grid 'still has characters' - Wolff
• Williams, Bottas quiet amid Ferrari rumors
• 2015 struggle might hurt 2016 'soon' - Boullier
• Rosberg can beat Hamilton to title - Coulthard
• No more 'fake pace' from Ferrari

MIS President Roger Curtis

Track president Roger Curtis served as keynote speaker at the 2015 Sports Fan Summit in Sydney this week, sharing the racetrack's commitment to creating lasting memories for every person, every time with participants from around the world of sports.

This Australian summit in its eighth year is regarded as the premier sports marketing event in the Southern Hemisphere, offering analysis from elite international speakers from some of the most highly regarded organizations in the world. Curtis was among speakers from the NFL, NBA, MLB, MLS and USA Rugby.

NBC Sports Group's lead IndyCar play-by-play voice Leigh Diffey will call the MAVTV 500, alongside analyst and former race mechanic for the Benetton F1 team Steve Matchett, and analyst and former driver Paul Tracy. Robin Miller, Jon Beekhuis, Kevin Lee and Kelli Stavast will handle pit reporting duties.

Following is this week's motorsports coverage schedule on NBCSN:

Penske teammates Will Power and Jan Pablo Montoya have been nominated for an ESPY

Celebrities from sports and entertainment will convene July 15 at the Nokia Theater in Los Angeles to commemorate the past year in sports by recognizing major sports achievements, reliving unforgettable moments and saluting the leading performers and performances. The ESPY (Excellence in Sports Performance Yearly) awards were first presented in 1993.

Tony Kanaan takes the checkered flag in last season's MAVTV 500

NTT Data Chip Ganassi Racing driver Tony Kanaan scored the win last year, leading teammate Scott Dixon last year in a Ganassi one-two finish. Reigning series champion Will Power (2013) and Ed Carpenter (2012) are other former winners in the field.

Team Penske's Helio Castroneves won pole for last year's race. The Brazilian is a three-time pole winner at the track. Entry list below...

Scheduled to take part in the test are the teams of Brad Keselowski (Team Penske, Ford), Tony Stewart (Stewart-Haas Racing, Chevrolet) and Matt Kenseth (Joe Gibbs Racing, Toyota).

Carl Edwards celebrates victory last season at Sonoma Raceway

Joe Gibbs Racing's Carl Edwards won the 2014 race driving for Roush Fenway Racing. Hendrick Motorsports' Jeff Gordon is the all-time leading winner at Sonoma Raceway with five victories. Jamie McMurray of Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates is the track-record holder. McMurray won pole for last year's race with a lap of 1:14.354.

Entry list....

Jeff Gordon - the betting favorite to win this weekend's Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma Raceway

As for someone AR1 likes?

Obviously, drivers like Gordon, Kevin Harvick, Kurt Busch and Martin Truex Jr. are favorites for a reason. But if you're looking for good value, 66/1 strikes us as a pretty good deal for Kyle Larson. The 2014 Sprint Cup Rookie of the Year has shown his prowess in road racing events before, and you have to think this weekend's Sonoma race may present Larson with an opportunity to score that breakthrough victory.  Odds below.

The greatest IndyCar drivers - like Mario Andretti - won in NASCAR, F1 and Sportscars. That is what AR1 calls a truly great versatile driver. Juan Montoya fits that bill today.

On Saturday, Auto Club Speedway will host the fourth MAV TV 500 on the fastest track in the series. It'll be the third oval race this season, following the Indianapolis 500 and the Firestone 600 at Texas Motor Speedway. Of the remaining five events on the schedule, three will be on ovals.

There have been 10 IndyCar races leading to Fontana, the majority of them on street courses (St. Petersburg, Long Beach, two in Detroit and Toronto).

No other series comes close to the variety of competitive venues. NASCAR does vary from its usual oval stock car races for a pair of Sprint Cup road races, but no other discipline ventures from its traditional roots.

• Merhi needs a bigger check to ensure he has bought a fulltime F1 backmarker ride

  McLaren-Honda will 'make things right' - Alonso
• Italian chief 'not fond' of Imola plans
• Hamilton made 'mistakes' in Austria - Mercedes
• Radical Williams winglet 'not legal'
• Ferrari not giving up on catching Mercedes
• Merhi admits still looking for sponsor
• Horner says Brawn should write new F1 rulebook
• Kaltenborn: Allow trio to catch up
• Alonso: I lost motivation at Ferrari

2012

1. St. Pete 3rd
2. Brazil 2nd
3. Milwaukee 1st
4. Iowa 1st
5. Toronto 1st
6. Baltimore 1st

Two years after Niki Lauda's miraculous story was depicted in Ron Howard's Rush, a new documentary takes a closer look. Formula One's most famous survivor talks to Susan Griffin about the aftermath of the accident and whether the sport is any safer today