LAS VEGAS – The plan for Jack Beckman is to have a chance to race for an NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series world championship at the final race of the season.

But for that to happen, the former Funny Car world champion knows he must perform at the penultimate race of the season, the Dodge NHRA Nationals presented by Pennzoil, Oct. 31-Nov. 3 at The Strip at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Beckman heads to the race second in points, 70 behind leader Robert Hight going into the final two events of the Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship.

The veteran standout has had his share of big moments in this year’s playoffs, advancing to a pair of finals in his 11,000-horsepower Infinite Hero Founder Dodge SRT Hellcat, but rising to the occasion in Vegas will be imperative if Beckman has any hopes of chasing down Hight to end the year.

“Our goal is to win a championship,” Beckman said. “I think it will be a big mistake for any team to look past Vegas and look toward Pomona just because Pomona is going to offer points-and-a-half. If you stumble first round in Vegas, you’re not going to get those rounds. We can’t look past the next run right now. You can’t afford to give away any points.”

The NHRA’s return to Las Vegas marks the fifth of six races in the Countdown to the Championship and comes around at the perfect time for the 2012 Funny Car champion.

Two of his six final rounds have come in the playoffs, including a victory at the opening race of the Countdown to the Championship, allowing him to move into the title conversation. But Beckman suffered a red light in the final round at Charlotte and has just one round win at the other two playoff races, meaning the goal is consistency in Las Vegas.

It can be a tense time with a world title on the line, but Beckman will look to remain focused down the stretch.

“In a perfect world, you treat Q1 the same as the final round at Pomona,” said Beckman, who has 29 career wins. “In reality, driving the car is no easier or more difficult whether it’s qualifying or a final round, it’s just the pressure we put on ourselves. I stumbled in the final round at Charlotte and you can’t do that. If we’re going to win this championship, the car has to be to right and the driver has to be right. I just have to go up there and do my job.

“I can thrive under pressure, I just didn’t have my head where it needed to be in the final round, and it’s time to get it back.”

It’s far from a two-car race for the title as well, raising the stakes in Vegas even more. Beckman leads John Force by just four points, while Dallas winner Matt Hagan and Bob Tasca are also lurking.

But Beckman is confident at this point in the season, praising a team, led by crew chiefs John Medlen and Dean Antonelli, that has made the most of its opportunities.

The team didn’t test during the preseason and has limited those sessions, but they’re currently performing as well as they have all year heading to Las Vegas.

“It forced us to be more efficient with our testing and incorporate more of it during the regular season,” Beckman said. “But that’s over. Now every single run counts. You want to do everything you can to come out on top. The faster the horse you ride, the better a jockey you become. From a driver’s standpoint, your confidence is always going to be best when you’re driving a fast car.

“Being confident helps me perform better and having a fast car never hurts your confidence.”

LASALLE, Ill.— Track owner Kerry Izzo is reportedly selling LaSalle Speedway and $2 million is the asking price.

On Tuesday, OneDirt.com reported the quarter-mile dirt track on a 50-plus acre plot is for sale.

The track, then known as Tommy’s LaSalle Speedway, opened in May of 1986 with Tommy Glynn the owner and promoter. Racing took place for a number of years with Glynn having health issues that led to operations ceasing at the track.

In August of 1991, Tony Izzo Sr. and Kerry Izzo purchased the raceway with plans set for the track to reopen in the spring of 1992. Weekly stock car racing was held from 1992 through 2015. Numerous special events were held over the years with the World of Outlaws sprint car series and several “national” touring late model associations competing at the LaSalle oval, located 90 miles west of Chicago on Route 6.

In 2000, Kerry Izzo took over sole ownership of the speedway with her children — Tony Jr., Kerrianne and Joe — assisting her in various capacities. In 2016, the track began running a limited schedule, special events only with the speedway’s annual two-day “Thaw Brawl” late model special in late March/early April highlighting the season.

Texas racer Tyler Erb won this year’s $15,000-to-win, eighth annual Thaw Brawl 75 lapper on Sunday afternoon, March 31, as weather hampered the promotion.

On May 30 of this year, Kerry Izzo posted on Facebook that she was ceasing “any and all operations at the LaSalle Speedway.”

The past months have had both fans and competitors wondering the fate of the Illinois raceway.

The LaSalle speed plant is located on the site that use to be the Tri-County Speedway. The dirt track was built by Francis Conerton in 1948 and hosted a limited schedule of midget and hot rod racing before closing.

During the 1950s an outdoor movie theatre was built at the site with the big outdoor screen still present when the new track opened in 1986 and for many years after that.

Liverpool condemned a "highly offensive" banner of striker Divock Origi seen in the away end ahead of their Champions League game at KRC Genk on Wednesday.

Origi, 24, began his career with the Belgian side. His head was photoshopped onto the viral meme known as "WhatsApp Guy," which plays on a racial stereotype.

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The poster was briefly hanging from the second tier of the Liverpool end at the Luminus Arena. Officials removed it as soon as it was flagged, before kickoff.

"The banner is highly offensive and inappropriate," a spokesperson for the European champions said.

"We condemn its use at the game tonight and sought to have it removed as soon as we became aware.

"We will look to identify those responsible for bringing it into the stadium and act accordingly."

Former Manchester United forward Romelu Lukaku urged supporters to stop chants of a similar nature in September 2017.

Alex Morgan and husband Servando Carrasco are expecting their first child next spring. The United States women's national team captain posted the news Wednesday on her Instagram account, posing with Carrasco in a photo that announced their daughter is due in April.

"We are already in love and we haven't even met her yet," Morgan's post read. "Newest member of the Carrasco family, coming soon."

The celebratory post did not elaborate on Morgan's soccer plans. After turning 30 during the World Cup -- in which she matched teammate Megan Rapinoe and England's Ellen White for the most goals scored and received the Silver Boot -- Morgan committed to playing through the 2023 World Cup.

She would join a list of national team players to compete in a World Cup after giving birth, including Jessica McDonald from the 2019 champions. Current women's national team general manager Kate Markgraf played in two World Cups before giving birth and one afterward. Also included are 2015 World Cup captain Christie Rampone, two-time World Cup winners Joy Fawcett and Carla Overbeck and 2007 World Cup participant Tina Ellertson.

Of more immediate relevance is the 2020 Olympics. A source close to Morgan confirmed her goal remains to compete in Japan. The pregnancy presumably rules Morgan out of Olympic qualifying for the U.S., as well as the early portion of the 2020 National Women's Soccer League season with the Orlando Pride. The site and dates of the CONCACAF Olympic qualifying tournament have yet to be announced, but precedent and logistics indicate it will likely take place in February or March.

The Olympic women's tournament begins on July 22 in Japan. Rosters for that tournament would not need to be finalized until a few weeks prior to competition. Olympic rosters are limited to 18 players, compared to 23 players for the World Cup.

Morgan won an Olympic gold medal as a member of the 2012 U.S. team.

Morgan and Carrasco, who currently plays for the LA Galaxy, met while students at the University of California and married on New Year's Eve in 2014.

The New England Patriots have placed Josh Gordon on injured reserve, a source told ESPN's Field Yates.

The receiver had been dealing with a knee injury.

Gordon last played Oct. 10, catching one ball for 7 yards in the team's win against the Giants. He finishes the season with 20 receptions for 287 yards and a touchdown.

The IR designation comes a day after New England (7-0) acquired veteran wideout Mohamed Sanu from the Atlanta Falcons for a second-round draft pick.

The Pats have become thin at the receiver spot since the well-documented release of Antonio Brown.

Julian Edelman (ribs) and Phillip Dorsett (hamstring) have been on the injury report in recent weeks, while undrafted free agents Jakobi Meyers and Gunner Olszewski have helped fill some of that void. First-round draft pick N'Keal Harry is eligible to return from injured reserve for the Nov. 3 game against the Baltimore Ravens.

Local favourite Roger Federer eased into the quarter-finals of the Swiss Indoors with a 6-0 6-3 victory over Moldovan Radu Albot in Basel.

The 38-year-old world number three, seeking to win the event for the 10th time, won in one hour and two minutes.

He next faces the winner of the match between compatriot Stan Wawrinka and American Frances Tiafoe.

British number one Dan Evans was beaten 6-4 6-2 by Tiafoe in the opening round.

Federer, champion in Basel in four of the last five editions of the tournament, began this year's event with a 6-2 6-1 win over German qualifier Peter Gojowczyk in only 52 minutes.

Evans, 29, the world number 43 who became British number one for the first time this month, had beaten 48th-ranked Tiafoe in three sets in their only previous meeting on the hard courts of Florida this year.

But 21-year-old Tiafoe, who saved six break points out of seven, won in one hour and 16 minutes.

Seventh seed Wawrinka beat Uruguay's Pablo Cuevas 6-3 6-4.

Colorado Avalanche star Mikko Rantanen is "week-to-week" after suffering a lower-body injury during an awkward moment against the St. Louis Blues on Monday.

The injury wasn't caused by an opponent, but rather by an opponent's ice. Early in the second period, Rantanen's left skate got caught in the ice, causing his left foot to twist unnaturally. He fell to the ice in pain, and limped off to the dressing room for treatment.

"He's week-to-week. ... I should know more early next week," said coach Jared Bednar, who added that he doesn't envision it will be in the "four-to-six-week" range.

Rantanen has five goals and seven points in nine games for the Avalanche, who are tied for the Western Conference points lead with a 7-1-1 record.

He has been one of the NHL's top-scoring wingers for the past three seasons and is tied for fourth among right wings with 1.12 points per game since 2017. Rantanen, 22, set career highs in goals (31) and assists (56) last season.

His line with center Nathan MacKinnon and left wing Gabriel Landeskog is in the conversation for best in the NHL.

"He is one of the best players in the NHL. When you lose one of the best players in the NHL, it's tough," MacKinnon said. "We're not going to replace him, but he got hurt last year and we found a way to get some wins. Hopefully we can weather the storm until he gets back. Mikko is a freak. He will be back, I'm sure, sooner than later. And like I said, we need guys to step up, including myself."

Minnesota Wild goalie Devan Dubnyk will miss Thursday's game against the Nashville Predators due to an upper-body injury he suffered Tuesday night, the team announced Wednesday.

Dubnyk is considered day-to-day, the club said.

Dubnyk left Tuesday night's 3-0 win against Edmonton after being injured early in the second period.

Dubnyk was upended after Minnesota's Ryan Donato fell to the ice while battling the Oilers' Brandon Manning. Dubnyk tried to leap over both sliding players, but fell hard on his backside and appeared to hit the back of his head on the ice.

"He fell. He looked like he fell, but hard. I don't know what part of his body he hurt," said Wild coach Bruce Boudreau. He had no further update after the game.

Playing his 300th game with the Wild, Dubnyk was checked by a trainer before exiting after making nine saves. He was replaced by Alex Stalock.

An All-Star three of the past four seasons, Dubnyk entered the game with a 1-5-0 record, 4.18 goals-against average and .874 save percentage.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.