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Kobe: Titles no longer automatic for Team USA

Published in Basketball
Friday, 13 September 2019 07:40

BEIJING -- Kobe Bryant thinks Team USA might have to get used to a new reality of losing in major events.

Bryant was part of arguably the second-most relevant Team USA in history. After the original Dream Team in 1992, the Bryant-led 2008 "Redeem Team" that won gold at the Beijing Olympics is held in high esteem. He was at the start of a 58-game tournament winning streak for the Americans that was snapped with a loss to France this week.

Back in the same arena Friday where his big fourth quarter clinched gold against Spain 11 years ago, Bryant said this summer's national team doesn't need to be redeemed next year at the Tokyo Olympics.

"It's not a matter of the rest of the world catching up to the U.S., it's that the rest of the world has been caught up for quite some time," Bryant said at the Wukesong Sports Center. "And it's to the point now where us in the U.S. are going to win some, we're going lose some. And that's just how it goes."

The Americans weren't playing in the World Cup semifinals Bryant attended Friday Night, and they won't play Sunday when the title is handed out. Instead they will play in the lowest-stakes game of the weekend, Saturday afternoon's seventh-place game against Poland.

But Bryant slapped away the concept that Team USA's struggles in China can be assigned to the top players who elected not to play this summer and that all will be well if the front line re-commits and goes to Japan next July.

"I hear that a lot: 'Did we send the best possible team that we can put out there?" Bryant said.

"You have to remember on the Redeem Team we needed a hell of a fourth quarter to beat Spain. That was a hell of a team we had. We still needed a real late push to beat Spain in that gold medal match. So I say that to say, put the best players that you think are going to make the best U.S. team out on the floor, we are still going to have challenges. It's not going to be a cakewalk. The days of the 92 Barcelona Dream Team are gone. They're over, so it's going to be tough."

Bryant played with Team USA three times and never lost a game, winning the 2007 FIBA Americas title and then Olympic gold in 2008 and 2012 in London. He passed on playing several times earlier in his career both due to injuries and for personal reasons, like in 2000 when he passed on the Sydney Olympics because he was getting married.

With that understanding, Bryant said American stars who decided to skip playing this summer had their reasons and he supported them.

"Some of those guys haven't had the opportunity to play for the United States, so I'm sure if their health allowed them to, they certainly would've been over here playing," Bryant said in an interview with ESPN.

"But a lot of those guys are coming off of serious injuries and trying to figure out how to navigate through that to get healthy again and back to 100 percent. Other guys are moving, moving to different cities and getting their families to settle in. It's a big adjustment for families, so I certainly understand it."

The regular season is coming down to the wire, with the wild-card races holding most of the drama and those teams poised for the postseason trying to position themselves for a deep run.

Here's what we'll be watching this weekend:

The Dodgers, who face the Mets on Sunday Night Baseball (ESPN, 7 p.m.), already have clinched their seventh straight National League West title. What is the best reason L.A. fans should be optimistic that this postseason will have the happy ending the previous six did not?

Eddie Matz: Three of the past four teams to clinch first have won the World Series: The '15 Royals, '16 Cubs and '18 Red Sox. So recent history favors the Dodgers, who were the first to clinch this year. Of course, the team that clinched first in 2017 and didn't win it all was ... the Dodgers. But I'm choosing to ignore that here because the question asked for optimism. Full disclosure? I'm not optimistic that L.A. (or any other NL team) can get past Atlanta right now. And even if they do, there's no getting past Houston.

Sam Miller: Two years ago, the Dodgers made a blockbuster July trade to get Yu Darvish. Darvish made two World Series starts, allowed nine runs in three total innings, and lost Game 7. Then last year, the Dodgers made a blockbuster July trade to get Manny Machado. Machado hit .182/.208/.182 in the World Series, and struck out to end the Series. This year, the Dodgers (/invoke forehead-tap meme) made no blockbuster July trades! The more sincere answer is that this is the best team the Dodgers have had in their recent run, one of the dozen best baseball teams in the past half-century, and -- with due respect to the Braves -- the more challenging side of the postseason bracket is in the American League. That all makes the Dodgers ... still underdogs against the field. A lot just has to go right.

David Schoenfield: I could overanalyze this, but the simplest answer is that Clayton Kershaw and Kenley Jansen are due. They've obviously been the Dodgers' best pitchers during this period and while both have had some good moments in the postseason, both have had more than a few absolutely crushing moments. Of course, the problem is that neither is as dominant as they once were and Kershaw isn't pitching that well at the moment and Jansen has the worst ERA of his career. ... Dang it, I'm supposed to instill optimism in Dodgers fans. So let's go with this: In the year of the home run, the Dodgers have hit the most home runs in the National League and allowed the second fewest. They're good at winning baseball games in 2019.

It looks as if the race for the best record in the American League could go down to the wire between the Astros and Yankees, with the No. 1 seed facing the wild-card game winner and the No. 2 seed most likely facing the Twins. Of the four potential first-round opponents, whom should Houston and New York most want to avoid?

Matz: Between the return of Mike Clevinger from injury and the emergence of Shane Bieber (a young Justin Verlander, anyone?), Cleveland has the best one-two punch of any of the four would-be first-round foes, and it's not particularly close. If I'm the Astros or Yankees, I'd be developing at least a mild case of Tribe-o-phobia.

Miller: We tend to so fetishize pitching -- especially in the postseason, and especially top-of-the-order starters -- that it's common to describe Tampa Bay or Cleveland, rather than Oakland or Minnesota, as particularly "dangerous in October." But there's not really a better way to be better in the postseason -- just being better, full stop, is almost always best. Of these four teams, Minnesota is probably the "better" team. They have eight 20-homer hitters this year -- that's a record -- and they're probably going to end up with 13 above-average hitters (minimum 200 plate appearances each), also a record. That's exhausting, especially when, as a pitcher, you have to treat every single pitch you throw as a potential run. Minnesota's pitching is just fine. Their offense is a siege, though, and I think we might be surprised to see what they can do even against great pitching staffs.

Schoenfield: Eddie and Sam both make good points. I'm going to go, however, with the A's, who have neither Cleveland's top-line starting pitching (but Oakland's pitching is better than you think) nor Minnesota's awesome power (but the A's do have plenty of it). Plus, there's this. Entering Thursday, the A's were 34-27 against teams above .500. The Twins were 30-35 and the Indians were 22-33. The AL Central is junk. The A's are the best team of the bunch. They just need to get in.

With the NL wild-card race changing by the minute, what will you be keeping an eye on this weekend among the contenders?

Matz: How the Brewers respond to losing Christian Yelich. Common sense says that they'll fold up like one of those paper thingamajigs that you used back in the fifth grade to forecast who you'd marry, where you'd live or what kind of car you'd drive (Google informs me that they're called paper fortune tellers). But common sense doesn't always prevail in times like these. Just ask Chuma Okeke and the Auburn basketball squad. By the way, prior to Yelich suffering that busted kneecap, Milwaukee was 9-4 this year in games that the reigning MVP didn't play. Just sayin'.

Miller: How the Cubs respond to losing their lead for the second wild-card spot. Common sense says they'll stiffen up their backs, draw on their veteran resilience, tap into the confidence that comes from four years of success and a recent World Series title. Maybe Joe Maddon will bring a giraffe on roller skates into the locker room to keep things loose. But common sense doesn't always prevail in times like these: After Wednesday's games, the Cubs' playoff odds dropped to 49.9%, their lowest since April, and down from 87% just a week ago. The Brewers had closed a five-game gap, and a bunch of teams that had seemingly been buried were back to hanging around, imposingly. The Cubs have the toughest schedule remaining, and their best player -- Javier Baez -- is out for the month. In the back of their minds, in the quiet voice of doubt they hear in the evenings between dinner and bed, they might even remember that way back in March a bunch of algorithms sort of warned about exactly this. They might wonder in those moments whether they're really good enough. So, do they panic? Probably not. This a good team that has won a lot, a team of players who have been winning together for a long time.

Schoenfield: How the Mets respond against the Dodgers now that they're back in the wild-card race. They have their rotation lined up with Noah Syndergaard going on Friday and Jacob deGrom on Saturday -- facing Kershaw and Hyun-Jin Ryu in two must-see matchups. They may also be catching the Dodgers at the right time as Kershaw and Ryu have both struggled of late -- Kershaw with a 5.73 ERA over his past four stars, Ryu with a 9.95 ERA over his past four. Max Muncy is out and Justin Turner is battling a sore ankle. It's set up as a big weekend for the Mets with huge crowds at Citi Field.


PICK 'EM TIME

Friday night features a matchup of likely playoff teams and Cy Young-caliber starters when Atlanta's Mike Soroka squares off with Washington's Max Scherzer. Who's your pick?

Matz: Soroka has been filthy away from Turner Field (1.44 ERA), but the Nationals kinda have his number: In 21 innings, they've gone yard five times against the rookie, accounting for nearly half the homers that Soroka has allowed this season. Yes, Washington's offense has gone cold lately, but they're due to bust out. Plus, Scherzer finally seems to be approaching his old self again. Nationals 7, Braves 5 (with three of those runs coming against the Nats' bullpen).

Miller: You know, the Braves would probably be better off skipping Soroka. There's a decent chance they'll need him to face the Nationals in the postseason, and greater familiarity generally only helps the hitters. The Nationals still need to keep winning games, but the Braves can coast a little, and pushing Soroka back three games -- he already has set a career high in innings -- would be a useful little coast. And Scherzer's my pick, anyway.

Schoenfield: Scherzer allowed one run against the Braves in his outing last Sunday. I'm expecting more of the same. He can smell the Cy Young award and needs a couple of dominant starts down the stretch. He'll get them.

In case you hadn't heard, there have been a lot of home runs this season. What team will hit the most homers this weekend?

Matz: Bronx Bombers bombard Blue Jays beyond border. (Read: Yankees)

Miller: The A's had their best slugging month of the year in August, and are slugging even higher in September. They'll be in Texas, the weather will be hot, the ball will be flying and a playoff spot will be on the line. They're reaching double digits this weekend.

Schoenfield: I'll also go with the A's, who are facing Brock Burke, Mike Minor and Un Decided.


TWO TRUE OUTCOMES

Home run hitters

Matz: Austin Meadows

Miller: Matt Olson

Schoenfield: Nolan Arenado

Strikeout pitchers

Matz: Jack Flaherty

Miller: Zac Gallen

Schoenfield: Shane Bieber

The Danish version of BBC Strictly Come Dancing, will play host to many celebrities; table tennis representation on stage will be through Michael Maze.

Olympic 2004 men’s doubles bronze medallist, Maze has had an illustrious career in the sport, and now he’s about to take his best moves on to another floor; while he is used to long hours of training, the Danish superstar will now be in room practising something that has nothing to do with table tennis balls or his famous backhand.

The show ‘Vild Med Dans’ rather prosaically translates as ‘Wild with dance’ to an English audience, and given who’s footsteps Maze is following it will be interesting to see how this new adventure works out for him.

“I’m used to dealing with something I’m good at, and now I spend a whole lot of hours on something I can’t figure out. I think it is crazy to go in front of most of the people of Denmark and stand razor-sharp and try to put together something that I am not an expert in” Michael Maze

Bayley leads the way

A few weeks ago, Britain’s Will Bayley announced to his fans delight that he was stepping onto another stage when he was officially confirmed in the Strictly Come Dancing line-up for 2019.

As an outgoing personality, born in Tonbridge Kent in the south of England, Bayley has always been an intensely likeable character in the world of table tennis; despite his extremely friendly nature, his competitiveness has never suffered.

When on the court he has a safe, equal backhand and forehand. It means he maintains a high level of consistency because it can be physically difficult for him the generate power when he plays. He also has a penchant for being in spotlight and has admitted to being over excited when he lost in the final to Germany’s Jochen Wollmert at the London Olympic Games in 2012.

For someone like that, taking part in Strictly Come Dancing is the perfect platform to strut his new moves! According to British media, Strictly Come Dancing is the 66th most popular contemporary TV programme and the 18th most famous.

Now it seems the lure has reached Denmark, with Maze following in the steps of Bayley. But is that really why he is participating?

A friendly Maze-Kessler bet

It turns out there is more athletic honor in this adventure than earlier believed. About eight years ago, Michael Maze and his good friend Mikkel Kessler gave each other a handshake and made a bet. The former professional boxer had brought up the topic of Vild Med Dans to him over a short conversation.

Speaking of completely different things to do when they were retired or close to it, the two Danish sportsmen then proceeded to promise one another that they would only say yes to the dance program if they did it together.

In its early days, the bet was mostly for fun – and neither friend had taken it very seriously. Up until a fine day when Kessler received a sudden call from Maze.

“Eight or nine years ago, I was in town with Michael Maze. At that time we had a handshake that if one was to be ‘Vild Med Dans’, the other should be too. We were both asked a few years before but we said no. But then he suddenly called earlier this year and said he was signing a contract. So there was no way out for me (laughs).” Mikkel Kessler

And so both friend are currently engaged in preparing for a battle in a sport completely different than either of their own. Maze has been playing table tennis since the age of six, making his big break in the 2000s, bringing homet medals at the Olympic Games, European Championships as well as the World Cup. After hitting a pause on his professional career in 2016, he has every plan to make a comeback for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games.

However, he still believes what he is about to do on the dance floor will be his greatest challenge yet:

“It is going to be hard. I knew this well before, but this will be the challenge of my life so far. I have no experience with dance or anything in that world. I wish I could say I will figure it out, but it’s enough to have to follow a rhythm and think about heel and toe. And just having to have an attitude. I am used to having to stand completely opposite the curve over a ping-pong table, so I will struggle a lot with that at first.” Michael Maze

Everyone at ITTF wishes him the very best for the competition and we surely await to see his moves back on the table tennis courts very soon.

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Asian Championships preview : Team China

Published in Table Tennis
Friday, 13 September 2019 04:54

The 2019 ITTF-ATTU Asian Table Tennis Championships begin this week, with the elite prize of successful qualification for the 2020 Olympic Games for the winning outfits in both the men’s and women’s competitions.

‘Xuperman’ leads the plot

When it comes to the top stage, it is hard to not consider Team China as the top favorites. Led by current World no.1 and no.2 in Xu Xin and Fan Zhendong, their men’s team is perhaps the most balanced with both experience and youthful energy. Their participation at the Championships will be across all four events of singles, doubles, mixed doubles and team competitions. One of the Chinese players playing across them all is Xu Xin:

“When the first time that I was told that I needed to play all four events, I was also in doubt if I could make it. And so I decided I won’t make any specific requirement about what results I must achieve this time. After I played Japan Open and Korea Open in both of which I played singles, doubles and mixed doubles, I feel that I have the ability to take this challenge. I hope I can use that experience as I take an even bigger challenge at Asian Championships.” Xu Xin

Helping him along the way in Indonesia will be 2019 ITTF Challenge Plus Portugal Open winner Liang Jingkun, his opponent in final Lin Gaoyuan, and the prodigious Wang Chuqin. Both Liang and Wang have enjoyed good form this year, performing consistently across different tournaments.

Liang started the year by beating his compatriot Fan Zhendong at the World Table Tennis Championships round of 16, announcing his arrival on the elite stages. His win against Fan came shortly after he accounted for German legend Timo Boll at the 2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals in December 2018; a potential rematch may be on the cards.

As for Wang, the 2018 Youth Olympic Games double gold medallist had a momentous win over the “Dragon” Ma Long at the ITTF World Tour Australia Open in Geelong. Since then, he has not looked back; this year, the 19-year-old has a 76% win rate across 55 matches – a stat of which his seniors would be proud.

Liu wants Gold, a challenge

Team China’s men’s line-up is very evenly matched by the women’s team, for whom leading the charge will be another World no.1 in Chen Meng, with an elite list of athletes by her side.

World Table Tennis Champion in Budapest, Liu Shiwen has been outspoken about her expecations from the upcoming continental championships:

“I hope I can win the title in the team and mixed doubles events. For the singles, I just take the mindset of being a challenger. I hope that I can play out on the court what I have trained in recent times and show an overall better mental attitude.” Liu Shiwen

If there’s a team with mentally strong athletes, China’s women’s side can surely give them a run for their money. The 2019 ITTF World Tour Qatar Open winner Wang Manyu and the rising star Sun Yingsha will also be present in Yogyakarta. Both are the designated ‘youngsters’ in this squad, given their ages of 20 and 18 years – but can be equally as lethal on the court.

Sun and Wang were both partners in their winning run at the 2019 Qatar Open as well the Japan Open. It will very intriguing to see them bring their camaraderie and team experience to this side – something which might just prove to be the difference in Indonesia.

Queen of Hearts lays down masterplan

Speaking of experience, ‘The Queen of Hearts’ Ding Ning is somewhat of a veteran across pretty much every elite table tennis competition. The reigning Olympic Games champion has put in a string of amazing performances this year, reaching two consecutive finals on the World Tour – the Korea Open and Australia Open.

The current world no.2 has had ups and downs in her career. She knows it is important to take all her experience as lessons for the future. Talking about her future decisions and the upcoming Asian Championships, she was very clear about staying focused on the big picture:

“I need to reserve more physical energy for the upcoming events, like the Asian Championships. It is just a beginning and there are still a lot of tournaments up ahead. I will not only focus on what to achieve this time, but also I need to have a better plan for the future.” Ding Ning

There is a seriousness about Team China going into these continental championships. Every one of their athletes is pumped and has only gold in their sights. Will anyone be able to stop them?

Catch all the action live on itTV and keep up to date right here on ITTF!

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California Car Owner Morrie Williams, 85

Published in Racing
Friday, 13 September 2019 03:10

Morrie Williams, owner of the iconic number No. 0 sprint car and a veteran of six decades of racing on the West Coast, has died at the age of 85.

Williams died early Sept. 11 after a long battle with cancer.

His distinctive white Morrie Williams Motorsports/Alviso Rock/AV Solutions/Williams Roofing Maxim emblazoned with a red “0” was a fixture and consistent winner in the King of the West/Fujitsu sprint car series where he won four championships, the most recent in 2017 with driver Bud Kaeding.

“I’ve been fortunate to be part of Williams Motorsports for the past six and a half years and they have made me feel like family since day one,” said Kaeding.

Three of Williams’ championships were with driver Jonathan Allard (2006, ’08, ’12), while other notable drivers who had seat time with Williams over the years included Greg DeCaires, Jimmy Carr, Dennis Moore and Peter Murphy.

Morrie Williams (left) and Bud Kaeding. (M&M photo)

“He helped a lot of people get ahead in this sport, including mechanics,” noted Ashley Smith, his son-in-law and former crew chief of Williams Motorsports. “He was an incredible man but very humble about his accomplishments,” he said of Williams, who was soft-spoken and often preferred to stay in the background and allow his drivers and crew members to claim the spotlight.

Williams got his start in motorsports as a driver in the 1960s, racing a winged supermodified he built with his father at tracks in California’s San Joaquin Valley, such as Madera Speedway and Kearney Bowl, near Fresno and his home in the Sierra foothill town of Coarsegold.

By the mid-1980’s he was a car owner in the Northern Auto Racing Club/KWS series and for many years travelled from the West Coast to compete at the Knoxville Nationals.

Despite being physically limited by his illness, Williams consistently joined his race team at the track until about four weeks ago and his passion for motorsports continued beyond that.

“He was watching DirtVision over the last weeks,” noted Smith, including Kaeding’s most recent win when he dominated all 30 laps during the KWS Championship Classic at Stockton’s dirt track in late August.

A celebration of life ceremony is scheduled for Williams on Oct. 11 at the Oakhurst Community Center in the Sierra foothills town of Oakhurst, east of Fresno.

McFadden Runs Down Blaney At Atomic

Published in Racing
Friday, 13 September 2019 03:15

CHILLICOTHE, Ohio — James McFadden passed Dale Blaney with less than two laps remaining to win Thursday night’s Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 Speedweek Reloaded feature at Atomic Speedway.

Starting third on the grid, the multi-time World Series Sprintcars champion in Australia, battled within the top three the entire distance, taking second from Aaron Reutzel on lap 21 and stealing the top spot from Blaney in the closing circuits.

For McFadden, the victory bumps his season total with Tony Stewart’s All Stars to three, now with five on his career. The $5,000 triumph was a first-ever at Atomic Speedway during All Star competition.

Despite losing grip on the lead, Blaney hung on to finish second, followed by fellow six-time Series champion Chad Kemenah, Canadian All Star Rookie of the Year contender Skylar Gee and Reutzel.

“I thought if I could slide him and block him out of turn two, we were going to be alright,” said McFadden, who drives the Kasey Kahne Racing with Mike Curb/Wicked Energy Gum/Karavan/No. 9 sprint car. “It was a tough race. It was super hard to see where you needed to be at some points. The guys gave me a great car and I can’t thank them enough.”

Although the first 10 circuits were filled with their share of chaos, two cautions including a red flag incident that eventually led to tire-wall repair, things started to really intensify once the leaders found traffic on lap 13.

Blaney was in control, but Chad Kemenah and James McFadden were waiting in the wings and ready to strike. Trying to take advantage of Blaney’s momentum shift in traffic, Kemenah attempted a bid for the top spot on lap 16. Despite making his slider work through the corner, Blaney dove back underneath the No. K4 and exited turn two resuming control.

With Reutzel now in the mix, a nose-to-tail battle in traffic involving the top-four spots soon erupted. By lap 21, McFadden was in a prime position to advance, nose-diving to the bottom of turn one before sliding in front of Kemenah to gain second. The move worked, now setting his aim on Blaney.

By lap 24, McFadden was all over the back bumper of Blaney, as no lapped cars separated himself from the race leader. Just as the front-runners received the two-to-go signal from the flagstand, McFadden put himself in position to execute, once again diving to the bottom of turn one in an attempt to slide up in front of the McGhee Motorsports No. 11.

As with his move around Kemenah, the slide job worked, leading the last lap and a half to secure the victory.

“Dale (Blaney) didn’t do anything wrong. We were in a position to capitalize,” McFadden continued. “Luckily, it worked out. Sometimes it’s better to be the leader in the closing laps, sometimes it better to be second.”

The finish:

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 9-James McFadden [3]; 2. 11-Dale Blaney [1]; 3. K4-Chad Kemenah [2]; 4. 99-Skylar Gee [6]; 5. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4]; 6. 70X-Justin Peck [7]; 7. 22C-Cole Duncan [5]; 8. 14-Tony Stewart [10]; 9. 4-Cap Henry [13]; 10. 13-Paul McMahan [11]; 11. 70-Brock Zearfoss [14]; 12. W20-Greg Wilson [9]; 13. 26-Cory Eliason [12]; 14. 9X-Ricky Peterson [19]; 15. 1B-Keith Baxter [16]; 16. 4D-Josh Davis [21]; 17. J4-John Garvin [23]; 18. 21-Brinton Marvel [22]; 19. 45-Trevor Baker [18]; 20. 42-Sye Lynch [8]; 21. 9W-Lance Webb [24]; 22. 59-Bryan Nuckles [17]; 23. 6-Justin Grant [20]; 24. 33M-Mason Daniel [15] Lap Leaders: Dale Blaney (1-28), James McFadden (29, 30)

Clanton Rules Night One At Knoxville

Published in Racing
Friday, 13 September 2019 03:22

KNOXVILLE, Iowa — Shane Clanton came from seventh starting spot to win Thursday night’s preliminary event during the Lucas Oil Knoxville Late Model Nationals at Knoxville Raceway.

For the 44-year-old Georgia native, it was his first victory at the historic half-mile venue. He also became the 16th different winner this season on the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series tour.

Clanton was the fourth different leader during the 25-lap race. The A-Main was slowed by only one caution flag for Jonathan Davenport on lap four. Ricky Thornton Jr. led the first lap in the Chad Stapleton-owned Club 29 Race Car. His place atop the leaderboard was short-lived as outside front-row starter Devin Moran took the lead on lap two.

Moran led until Tyler Erb took the lead away from him on lap five. Clanton charged from the inside of row number four and grabbed the lead away from Erb on lap 14.
Clanton pulled away from Erb and went on to pick up the preliminary night victory. Erb crossed the finish line in second, followed by Darrell Lanigan, Ricky Weiss and Thornton.

“Our car has been good all night long,” Clanton said. “We just made the right adjustments. I was biding my time behind Terbo [Erb], and it looked like he was hurting his tires. I went to the middle and the car stuck, and we went by him, then that was all she wrote.

“To win here at Knoxville is a dream come true,” Clanton added. “I have seen Donny Schatz win here so many times and I would like to start my own legacy here.”

Erb led nine laps but came home in the runner-up spot.

“There wasn’t a whole lot I could do in the last 10 or 15 laps, he [Clanton] had a better car,” he said. “He could maneuver through a lot better than I could. My car felt really good. It’s the same kind of issue we have been having. The longer we go, the tires just get hot. We are going to work on it. It was a good run. This is my favorite race track that we come to.”

Lanigan edged out Weiss at the finish line to round out the podium.

“The car got really good through the middle and the bottom,” Lanigan said. “I would have liked to have seen a caution to see if we could have made a late-race charge. It’s just awesome to come out here and run well.”

The finish:

Feature (25 laps): 1. Shane Clanton (7); 2. Tyler Erb (4); 3. Darrell Lanigan (5); 4. Ricky Weiss (6); 5. Ricky Thornton Jr. (1); 6. Tyler Bruening (10); 7. Brandon Sheppard (12); 8. Devin Moran (2); 9. Bobby Pierce (11); 10. Chris Simpson (3); 11. Dennis Erb Jr. (18); 12. Frank Heckenast Jr. (13); 13. Josh Richards (16); 14. Stormy Scott (19); 15. Earl Pearson Jr. (21); 16. Jimmy Owens (20); 17. Shanon Buckingham (9); 18. Kyle Bronson (24); 19. Shannon Babb (14); 20. Brian Birkhofer (15); 21. Chad Simpson (22); 22. Billy Moyer Jr. (23); 23. Jeremiah Hurst (17); 24. Jonathan Davenport (8). Lap Leaders: Thornton Jr. 1, Moran 2-4, Erb 5-13, Clanton 14-25.

Williams Sticks With Mercedes Through 2025

Published in Racing
Friday, 13 September 2019 03:57

ROKiT Williams Racing and Mercedes-Benz confirmed a long-term partnership extension that will keep the team running Mercedes engines through the end of the 2025 FIA Formula One season.

Williams has been in partnership with Mercedes-Benz since the start of the 2014 season.

“We have enjoyed a wonderful partnership with Mercedes-Benz over the past six years of what was originally a seven-year agreement, and so we are delighted to be continuing working with them for a further five years from 2021,” said Deputy Team Principal Claire Williams. “Mercedes-Benz has been one of the sport’s most successful engine suppliers and we believe that they will continue to have an extremely competitive engine package going forwards. Over our time with them they have become a real friend of the team, and we look forward to working with Mercedes-AMG HPP in future.”

The team will continue to be supplied with Mercedes-Benz Power Units (Internal Combustion Engine plus Energy Recovery System) by Mercedes-AMG High Performance Powertrains (HPP) based in Brixworth, UK for a further five years from 2021, following the conclusion of the original agreement. Williams will continue to manufacture its own transmission.

The 2014 regulations saw teams switch from naturally aspirated 2.4-liter V-8 engines to 1.6-liter V6 turbocharged hybrid Power Units, and Williams has enjoyed a successful partnership with Mercedes-Benz since this time, achieving some of its best results in recent years finishing third in both the 2014 and 2015 seasons.

“Building long-term partnerships has been a key pillar of our approach to the hybrid era in Formula One. Williams has been an exemplary partner since we began working together ahead of the 2014 season and we have enjoyed a number of highlights during those years,” said Andy Cowell, Managing Director of Mercedes-AMG HPP. “We have built strong human and technical relationships to the team in Grove and very much look forward to building on them in the years ahead.”

“Williams is one of the iconic brands in Formula One and we at Mercedes are proud to count them as part of our motorsport family,” added Toto Wolff, CEO and Team Principal of Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport. “They have been through some tough times recently but that has only served to demonstrate their resilience and strength of character as they battle back to where they belong on the grid. I am certain that the outlook for independent teams is bright under the financial regulations that will be introduced from 2021 and we are delighted to continue our partnership with Williams into that new era of our sport.”

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – After one session of the 16th Solheim Cup, the Europeans hold a slight advantage.

Georgia Hall and Celine Boutier took down Americans Lexi Thompson and Brittany Altomare to highlight Europe's Friday foursomes performance. The home side will enter Friday afternoon's fourball session leading, 2 1/2 to 1 1/2.

Here are match-by-match recaps from the opening foursomes session at Gleneagles:

Match 1: Pressel/Alex (USA) vs. Ciganda/Law (EUR), halved

The first match was the best of the session and came down to the final hole, where it was halved with pars. A fitting end to this back-and-forth battle. The Europeans jumped out to a 2-up lead after four holes, but Pressel energized her side with a 20-foot birdie at the par-4 fifth. Europe bogeyed the next two holes to give the U.S. its first lead, but a short miss by Pressel at No. 8 gave it back. Ciganda forced the match to No. 18 with a 20-foot birdie at 17, but both teams played the last hole poorly.

Match 2: Hall/Boutier (EUR) def. Thompson/Altomare (USA), 2 and 1

Thompson debuts a new partner, but Hall and Boutier took control. Hall hit great iron shots into greens at 4, 5 and 7, and Boutier birdied two of those to give Europe a 2-up lead. Thompson had to make a 7-footer for par to halve the par-5 ninth, but overall, she struggled with the putter. The Americans clawed back, winning 14 and 16, but the comeback fell short as Thompson missed a long birdie at No. 17 that would’ve extended the match.

Match 3: J. Korda/N. Korda (USA) def. Masson/Ewart Shadoff (EUR), 6 and 4

For the first time in a Solheim Cup, two sisters teamed in the same match – and the Kordas delivered. The Europeans struggled, bogeying Nos. 3 and 5 to fall 4 down. Jessica and Masson matched birdies at the par-3 sixth and again at the par-3 10th, where Jessica chipped in. The Kordas went 6 up with par on No. 11 after the Europeans made their fifth bogey or worse.

Match 4: Hull/Munoz (EUR) def. Park/Khang (USA), 2 and 1

The Europeans didn’t make a birdie until Munoz sunk a 7-footer at the par-4 13th, yet somehow, they led for much of the match. Still, the U.S. stayed close thanks to Europe’s double at No. 6 and bogey at No. 8. When Khang made birdie at the drivable par-4 14th, it was just the Americans’ second of the match. Three holes later, Park missed a 6-footer for par that ended it.

Day 1 fourball pairings: Victorious Korda sisters split

Published in Golf
Friday, 13 September 2019 00:35

GLENEAGLES, Scotland – Jessica and Nelly Korda made Solheim Cup history Friday morning, becoming the first pair of sisters to team in the matches. And they did so successfully, winning, 6 and 4, in the foursomes session. But they won't be partnered in the afternoon fourballs.

U.S. captain Juli Inkster split up the two for the better-ball session, in a bid to spark Lexi Thompson and Brittany Alomare, who teamed in the morning and lost.

Inkster and European captain Catriona Matthew both cleared their benches. All 12 players from both teams will make first-day appearances. That includes American Danielle Kang.

Kang became a pre-tournament focus with her quotes saying the Solheim Cup was a chance to “take souls,” make opponents “cry” and “crush” the other team. It fired up European media. When Kang stepped up to the first tee, she waved for the crowd to make more noise. They obliged . . . and nobody booed.

Here's a look at the Day 1 fourballs (all times ET):

Match 1, 7:40AM: Danielle Kang and Lizette Salas (U.S.) vs. Suzann Pettersen and Anne van Dam (EUR)

Match 2, 7:55AM: Ally McDonald and Angel Yin (U.S.) vs. Anna Nordqvist and Caroline Hedwall (EUR)

Match 3, 8:10AM: Nelly Korda and Brittany Altomare (U.S.) vs. Charley Hull and Azahara Munoz (EUR)

Match 4, 8:25AM: Jessica Korda and Lexi Thompson (U.S.) vs. Carlota Ciganda and Bronte Law (EUR)

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