CONCORD, N.C. — According to published reports from FOX Sports, NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series competitor Tyler Dippel was arrested last week in New York.

It was the arrest which led to him being indefinitely suspended from NASCAR.

FOX Sports’ writers Alan Cavanna and Bob Pockrass reported Monday that Dippel was pulled over by New York State Police in the town of Wallkill, N.Y., on Aug. 18 after traveling in excess of 80 mph.

When New York State Police Troopers spoke to Dippel and his unnamed passenger, they offered different stories about where they were coming from and traveling to.

Dippel gave Troopers consent to search the vehicle, which is when the Troopers discovered the drugs, Amphetamine and Dextroamphetamine, in a pill bottle with someone else’s name on it inside a backpack. The drugs are often found in the prescription drug Adderall.

As a result, Dippel was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance — 7th degree. FOX Sports reported that Dippel’s court date is set for Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 9 a.m. in Middletown, N.Y.

This isn’t Dippel’s only brush with the law this year. The 19-year-old from New York was also charged with reckless driving earlier this year in Virginia according to the FOX Sports’ report, which cited online court records. He was later convicted of the lesser charge of improper driving.

Dippel was in the midst of his first full season in the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series with Young’s Motorsports prior to his suspension. He was replaced in the No. 02 Chevrolet Silverado on Sunday at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park by D.J. Kennington.

Gab Marcotti is here to recap a busy, dramatic weekend in soccer. Welcome to Monday Musings.

Jump to: Arsenal's errors at Liverpool | Real still a mess | Spurs' Eriksen problem | Refs wreck Fiorentina vs. Napoli? | PSG need Neymar | More Man United woe | Mihajlovic is inspiring | Lewandowski carries Bayern | Griezmann the hero for Barca | Business as usual for Juve | Milan's epic fail

What Arsenal got wrong vs. Liverpool

Unai Emery's resume is what will likely get him a pass for what Arsenal fans saw on Saturday. A decade at the highest level with Valencia, Seville and Paris Saint-Germain, often succeeding because of his tactical nous and his ability to read opponents and exploit their weaknesses, means that you want to give the benefit of the doubt. But having watched the approach to Liverpool away at Anfield, it's a tough thing to do.

It's not just the midfield diamond that ceded the flanks to Jurgen Klopp's crew (who, for those not paying attention, have two pretty darn good providers in Andy Robertson and Trent Alexander-Arnold). Nor was it the decision to try to keep possession without Lucas Torreira, your second-best passer. Nor was it the insistence on playing out from the back against arguably the best high-press team in the Premier League, just a week after another high-press team, Burnley, had given them fits. And, for that matter, neither was it the reluctance to occasionally mix in the long ball (the two times they did it, it worked well) when you have speedy forwards like Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Nicolas Pepe.

It's that it's really difficult to figure out what pathway Emery sees towards success at Arsenal.

There's nothing wrong with adding Dani Ceballos for a season in midfield, but if you're trying to build something, do you really want everything to hinge so heavily around a guy who's there on loan? And given that it's hard to find a natural home for Mesut Ozil and Henrikh Mkhitaryan in the setups he has used this season, is it really wise to write them off at this stage?

Arsenal finished two points away from third place last season in Emery's first Premier League campaign. They may well hit the target this season, or come close to it, but that has more to do with issues elsewhere. The real goal has to be reducing the 27 points that separated them from Liverpool in second. It's not clear at all that Saturday did that.

- Weekend Review: Are Tottenham getting stale?
- O'Hanlon: Should we be worried about "superteam" Man City?
- Jones: Sheffield United prove heart can beat talent

As for the European champions, they played with big-game vitality and intensity as Klopp opted to turn in one of his extreme high-press performances. I'm not sure how often we'll see that from him this season. It's extremely taxing on the front men and the midfielders, which is why, incidentally, you should expect more rotation in the middle of the park this year. Not to mention the fact that you're always vulnerable to the ball over the top or teams with enough quality to break the press wide open.

All that said, in one-offs and for shorter spurts during games, it remains a devastating weapon.

Real Madrid still a mess

Against Valladolid, Real Madrid managed to field not just an entire XI without newcomers, but also one where every outfield player was on the club's books since at least 2014. Sure, Eden Hazard is injured (and you assume they'll make room for him when fit) but apart from two Luka Jovic substitute appearances, we haven't seen any of the four new signings. Instead, we're seeing plenty of James Rodriguez and Gareth Bale, two guys with giant "For Sale" tags around their necks for most of the summer.

Zinedine Zidane is doing things his way, and to be fair, the Pep Guardiola-style 4-1-4-1 we saw in the first half Saturday is worth revisiting. Less impressive was the late collapse that left two points on the table. And the fact that Valladolid's equaliser was scored by a guy named Guardiola (Sergi, no relation, although he was once on Barca's books), makes it hurt a little bit more.

I made this point before but it's worth making again: no clean sheets and two points dropped after two games does not mean Real Madrid absolutely need to sign Neymar. Their four new signings have played a total of 34 minutes, and they're already stacked in Neymar's position. (What's more, Zidane is getting those guys on the pitch.)

There may be a price/package at which Neymar makes sense, but most likely, there isn't.

Tottenham's Eriksen problem

Tottenham knew what they were getting when Newcastle United rolled into town. They were taking on an embattled veteran manager who had lost his first two games and was getting criticised locally. No prizes for guessing what Steve Bruce was going to do: sit deep with a virtual 7-2-1 formation and pray for the best.

So why take the pitch without Giovani Lo Celso and Christian Eriksen, arguably Spurs' two best creative passers? Beats me.

Mauricio Pochettino's negativity over Eriksen and his contractual situation -- he recently called it "difficult" and said he "didn't know" if the Dane had played his last game for the club -- is understandable to some degree, and you can find some sympathy too. But equally, that's not a reason to bench him or, for that matter, Jan Vertonghen, the guy who was (and maybe still is?) Tottenham's vice-captain until last season.

You can blame the media for many things but there are legitimate questions to answer about the club's strategy and the degree of freedom which Pochettino has -- or maybe doesn't have -- as manager.

Refs ruin Fiorentina vs. Napoli?

After the wild Magic Mountain ride that was Napoli's 4-3 win away to Fiorentina in Serie A's curtain-raiser, the last thing you want to do is talk referees. But that crew, particularly with the penalty Dries Mertens "won," leaves little choice.

You can understand the mistake in awarding it -- referees are human and Davide Massa isn't just human, he's not particularly good either -- it's harder to accept why VAR didn't ask him to take another look. The whole crew is likely to sit out the next round (and Mertens, reportedly, could face retrospective punishment), which is encouraging.

On the pitch, Fiorentina's young ones (who later made way for the golden oldies, Franck Ribery and Kevin-Prince Boateng) were fun to watch and played without fear. It will be a transition season, but the future is bright. As for Napoli, the Smurf Squad did its thing and with Arkadiusz Milik and Hirving "Chucky" Lozano added to the mix, this is a side that can beat you many different ways.

PSG might need Neymar after all

Last season it was the teeny, tiny senior squad: a direct result of financial fair play. This year, Paris Saint-Germain have more bodies, but they're dealing with injuries. Against Toulouse they lost Edinson Cavani, Abdou Diallo and Kylian Mbappe in one fell swoop, which rather muted the celebrations for their 4-0 win.

None of the injuries looked season-ending, God forbid, and we'll get an update soon, but with Neymar out of the squad pending the final days of the transfer window, it's looking like an uphill ride for Thomas Tuchel. What does appear clear (despite the naysayers) is that if the transfer deadline comes and goes and Neymar is still there, he'll be a professional and quickly slip back into the lineup. For Tuchel, that won't come soon enough.

What does Solskjaer want Man United to be?

Aside for a few episodes -- think the Marcus Rashford missed spot-kick, some strong penalty appeals -- Manchester United could easily have beaten Crystal Palace. And while they weren't stellar, they didn't play particularly badly either. But they remain a frustratingly one-dimensional team: fine on the counterattack and toothless with the ball, unless Paul Pogba invents something or Rashford picks out that little pass for Anthony Martial that seemingly nobody can cope with.

That's what is disconcerting here. We know Ole Gunnar Solskjaer can do that reasonably well, but what else can he do? Is there an alternative way of playing -- one that actually works -- that he can turn to? That bit isn't clear at all.

It's not just about personnel (although it's pretty clear he would have liked a few more signings) which, to some degree, is out of his control. It's about what he can affect: the way United play and right now, it seems to be in transition only. That has to change if they're going to finish top four.

Mihajlovic is inspiring

Six weeks after telling the world he was battling a severe form of leukemia, Bologna coach Sinisa Mihajlovic slipped out of the hospital and took his place on the sideline for his team's opening fixture, a 1-1 draw at Verona. Doctors had initially advised against it but relented when they saw his mind was made up. And anyone who has followed his career as a manager and a player will tell you that once he's determined to do something, there's no stopping him.

The players themselves only found out a few hours before kickoff. He wore a baseball cap and a large bandage on his neck. He was gaunt and had clearly lost a lot of weight. It obviously was a struggle, but in case you hadn't noticed, whatever else Mihajlovic is, this man is a warrior. He'll fight cancer the way he lived his life: no retreat and no surrender.

Lewandowski keeps carrying Bayern

Robert Lewandowski's hat trick overshadowed Philippe Coutinho's debut (he came on as a substitute) on Saturday in Bayern's 3-0 win over Schalke, and it's as good a time as any to remind ourselves of his everyday brilliance. He has scored every single Bayern goal this season. He has 197 in 246 appearances in all competitions, and since 2010, he has missed just 16 league games for Bayern and Borussia Dortmund.

Appearing on the Gab + Jules podcast last week, Jan Aage Fjortoft said "they must go to church every day in Munich praying he doesn't get injured." He's right. He carries the can on his own up front, and for most of his tenure, he's had no credible back-up.

It's not surprising, then, that Bayern are about to extend his contract by another two seasons, taking him up to 2023. When you've been that consistent for that long, doing otherwise would be madness.

Griezmann proves himself for Barca

With Lionel Messi, Ousmane Dembele and Luis Suarez unavailable, Ernesto Valverde conjured up a new front three for the visit of Real Betis Sunday night. Alongside Antoine Griezmann were Rafinha (who had played once since November 2018) and Carles Perez, who had played 35 minutes of top-flight football in his entire career. (He was later replaced by Ansu Fati, who is only the second-youngest debutant in the club's history.)

Having gone a goal down, they stormed back to win 5-2, and a lot of the credit has to go to Griezmann. It wasn't just his two goals: it was the leadership, drive and personality he gave the side (evidently qualities seared into his DNA after years with Diego Simeone), which, at times, had you forgetting that you-know-who wasn't there. Critics will fault Rubi's top-heavy Betis side for failing to manage the lead but the way Barca's second half unfolded, there was no containing them.

As with Real Madrid, they'll want to think long and hard about whether they really need/want Neymar...

Business as usual for Juventus

There wasn't much new or interesting in Juve's seasonal debut, a 1-0 win over Parma. None of the new signings started, and, in fact, the new manager Maurizio Sarri, battling pneumonia, wasn't there either. Leading the line was Gonzalo Higuain, who resurrected his old Real Madrid partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo.

Might he end up doing so all season long for Juve? It's increasingly looking that way, if only by default. Of the club's three potential center forwards, he's the least likely to leave, and he's the one who knows Sarri best.

Milan get a little too creative

Milan boss Marco Giampaolo said that his formation didn't work in the opening day 1-0 defeat to Udinese. Kudos for honesty, even though he did sound like Captain Obvious after a game that saw his team fail to record a shot on target and his center forward, Krzysztof Piatek, get just 18 touches.

Giampaolo is an "outside-the-box" type of guy who likes to get creative, so he's entitled to be unconventional. But playing a midfield three of Fabio Borini, Hakan Calhanoglu and Lucas Paqueta plus Suso in the hole behind the Piatek-Samu Castillejo partnership is waaaaayyyy outside the box.

It's simply lining up without recognised central midfielders. To paraphrase Billy Joel, do that and you walk away a fool or a king. He was no king on Sunday.

A former Penn State team doctor is suing the school, football coach James Franklin and athletic director Sandy Barbour, claiming he was ousted after complaining to school officials about being pressured to clear players to return from injuries.

The lawsuit filed Friday by Dr. Scott Lynch in Dauphin County was first reported by Penn Live. Lynch was removed from his position as director of athletic medicine in March and replaced by Dr. Wayne Sebastianelli, who had previously held the position until 2013.

Lynch is seeking $50,000 in damages.

Penn State Health and the Milton S. Hershey Medical Center in Hershey, Pennsylvania, where Lynch is still employed, also are named as defendants.

In the lawsuit, Lynch claims Franklin attempted to interfere with the doctor's authority on "multiple and repeated occasions." Lynch said he reported Franklin's "wrongdoing" to Barbour and associate athletic director Charmelle Green, who is also named as a defendant. Lynch claims in the lawsuit that on or about Jan. 24, Barbour and Green communicated to Dr. Kevin Black of Penn State Health that Lynch be relieved of his assignment of football team orthopedic physician and director of athletic medicine.

Requests for comment from Franklin and Barbour were directed to Penn State Health. In a statement, Penn State Health said the transition was made with the "best interests of student-athletes in mind..."

"While we reject Dr. Lynch's claims and will vigorously defend our program and its representatives, we remain grateful to him for his five years as director of athletic medicine for Intercollegiate Athletics and for his continued association with Penn State Health," the statement said.

Lynch claims Penn State violated whistleblower laws by removing him and Big Ten and NCAA rules by Franklin infringing on the autonomy of the medical staff.

INDIANAPOLIS -- The post-Andrew Luck era got underway for the Indianapolis Colts on Monday with head coach Frank Reich saying the team is in "good hands with Jacoby Brissett as our quarterback."

The day began with a team meeting where Reich and general manager Chris Ballard spoke passionately about where the franchise is headed after the shocking announcement Saturday that Luck, the No. 1 overall pick in 2012, is retiring after seven years. Luck's locker, which sat in the middle of the locker room, was empty with all of his belongings gone, including his nameplate.

"On one hand, we can respect and honor the player and the teammate (Luck) was," Reich said. "At the same time, we can share an excitement and an enthusiasm about the team we have going forward and the journey ahead of us. Ultimately, it's not how good any one player is, it's not. It's about how good we are as a team."

The Colts are about to find out how good of a complete team they are with Brissett, who has taken nearly all the first-team snaps since last spring, as their new starting quarterback. The team was expected to take a step forward from last season's 10-6 record and AFC divisional round playoff appearance. Reich joked on Monday that they'll gladly go back to taking on the underdog role again now that Luck has retired.

"It's been a roller-coaster of emotions," Brissett said. "Main thing is not being able to see Andrew every day. Ups and downs, but it's on the way up now... I was shocked (at Luck's retirement). Then we had a long conversation. It was emotions going back and forth. You sit down with him and you understand his decision. He's one of my good friends. It's tough. He was like smiling at the end. That's what helped me gain clarity and understand the situation. Seeing him smiling. I wish him the best. We'll talk long after our football careers."

Brissett, receiver T.Y. Hilton and offensive lineman Anthony Castonzo were some of the few players who knew before others that Luck was retiring after suffering what the former Stanford quarterback termed Saturday as a "cycle of injury, pain, rehab, injury, pain, rehab." Luck endured shoulder problems, bruised ribs, a lacerated kidney, a calf strain and then, most recently, pain in his ankle. He missed 26 games since the 2015 season.

Many of the Colts found out about Luck's plan to retire during or immediately after their preseason game against Chicago once ESPN's Adam Schefter broke the news Saturday. Luck spoke to his now-former teammates and coaching staff in the locker room after the game. Players said there was complete silence as Luck spoke.

"It was tough," receiver Chester Rogers said. "That was probably one of the toughest speeches I had to endure in my career. You hate to see someone go out. It's sad, but also happy for him because he's going out when he wants to."

Hilton, who was in the same 2012 draft class as Luck and was the quarterback's favorite target throughout their time together, posted a heartfelt message on Twitter about what Luck meant to him. "It's been very tough, that's my best friend," Hilton said. "It hurt me. Not going to lie. I was able to have the heart-to-heart with him. I was cool with the decision. He'll always be with me."

Brissett said it "sucked" that fans booed Luck as he walked off the field at the conclusion of Saturday's game.

"You don't want to hear that, especially for a guy like that who has done as much as he's done, what he's been through," Brissett said.

The Colts will miss Luck, but the reality is they have to move forward with Brissett under center. He started 15 games during the 2017 season when Luck missed the entire year due his right shoulder injury. The Colts were 4-11 with Brissett that season, but the roster and situation are drastically different now. Brissett is in his second season in Reich's offense, and the Colts return the same starting offensive line and key skill position players from an offense that finished seventh in the NFL last season.

Brissett, according to Reich, has taken about 1,200 reps with the first team since the spring.

"You can just feel his presence in the huddle and on the field," Reich said. "The confidence that he's had, the chemistry with his receivers. We all know Andrew and T.Y. had a unique chemistry and connection. I can feel that developing. That's been very important that Jacoby has taken all those reps."

Britain's Andy Murray recorded his first singles victory since hip surgery in January with a 6-0 6-1 win over teenager Imran Sibille in Mallorca.

Playing on the Challenger Tour for the first time in 14 years, Murray needed only 43 minutes to win his first-round match at the Rafa Nadal Open.

The 32-year-old outclassed Sibille, an alternate entry 15 years his junior and making his professional debut.

Moving freely, Murray won five of his seven break-point chances.

Three-time Grand Slam champion Murray won the doubles title at Queen's Club in June, but in the past fortnight lost 6-4 6-4 to Richard Gasquet in his first singles match for seven months in Cincinnati and 7-6 7-5 to Tennys Sandgren in the Winston-Salem Open.

However, he lost only three points in the first set against 17-year-old French player Sibille, a trainee at the Rafa Nadal Academy in Mallorca, sealing his first break with an emphatic smash.

Murray, who has slipped to 328 in the rankings because of his injury problems, faces world number 115 Norbert Gombos of Slovakia in the second round on Tuesday.

INDIANAPOLIS – NASCAR Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress will drive the Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 Pace Car to lead the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series field to the start of the Big Machine Vodka 400 Sept. 8 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Richard Childress Racing is celebrating its 50th anniversary this season as one of NASCAR’s most legendary and winning teams. RCR has accumulated 15 championships and more than 200 victories across NASCAR’s top three series, including three victories in the Big Machine Vodka 400 at the Brickyard (1995, ’03, ’11) and three Daytona 500 wins (1998, ’07, ’18). RCR was the first organization in NASCAR history to win championships across all three national touring series.

RCR has raced almost exclusively in General Motors vehicles since its inception in 1969, with nearly 3,000 total starts in the Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, Pontiac and Buick brands.

“What an honor it is to have been chosen to lead the field to the green flag at the Brickyard this year,” said Childress, chairman and CEO, Richard Childress Racing. “RCR has had a tremendous amount of success at this historic speedway, all backed by our longest-standing partner in General Motors and the Chevrolet brand. Chevy and RCR have been together for all 50 of RCR’s years as a company, and I couldn’t be prouder to represent them.”

North Carolina native Childress started RCR as an owner-driver, making 285 Cup Series starts over 12 seasons with limited funding and success. Childress decided to retire as a driver and focus on team ownership in 1981.

Ricky Rudd earned RCR’s first Cup Series victory at Riverside Int’l Raceway in September 1983, capping a 14-year quest for Childress and the team to reach victory lane.

The team’s greatest success came with the legendary Dale Earnhardt behind the wheel. After making limited starts with RCR in 1981, Earnhardt drove full time for the team from 1984 until 2001, winning 67 races and six Cup Series championships in the black No. 3 Chevrolet.

For his contributions to the sport as an independent driver and owner, Childress was inducted into the NASCAR Hall of Fame in the Class of 2017.

“Richard Childress is a legend of American motorsports, with an incredible record of success in NASCAR,” IMS President J. Douglas Boles said. “His team has created indelible memories for the last 50 years, including popular, emotional victories at the Brickyard with Dale Earnhardt in 1995, Kevin Harvick in 2003 and Paul Menard in 2011.

“Chevrolet has been a consistent, powerful element of RCR’s success over the last 50 years, and we’re also proud of the longstanding partnership between IMS and Chevy. So, it’s very fitting that Richard is receiving the honor of leading the field – including two RCR Chevys – to the green flag at IMS for one of the most prestigious NASCAR races of the year.”

Childress’ first Cup Series start as a driver, in 1969 at Talladega, came behind the wheel of the No. 13 Chevrolet Camaro. RCR’s relationship with Chevrolet is one of the longest between a manufacturer and a team in NASCAR history.

“Richard Childress, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and NASCAR are all very special to us,” Chevrolet U.S. Vice President of Performance and Motorsports Jim Campbell said. “That’s why we can’t wait for Richard to lead the field to green in the Camaro ZL1 Pace Car at the Brickyard 400. Richard and his teams have raced with Chevrolet and our company in NASCAR since 1969. He is a championship team owner, a member of the NASCAR Hall of Fame, and a partner and friend to everyone at Chevrolet.”

CONCORD, N.C.  – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. will team up with Duane “Dog” Chapman and his new unscripted series Dog’s Most Wanted when the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns to the iconic Darlington Raceway for the famed Southern 500 on Sept. 1.

Stenhouse’s No. 17 Ford Mustang will be fully-wrapped to promote WGN America’s new series Dog’s Most Wanted, which features Chapman, his late wife Beth and a hand-picked team of bounty hunters bringing criminals to justice. The series premieres on Sept. 4 4 at 9/8c on WGN America.

“It’s going to be awesome to have Dog’s Most Wanted on the car at Darlington,” said Stenhouse. “We are looking forward to having him at the race and hopefully he can help us track down and capture a trip to victory lane.”

The bounty hunter and TV personality will be in attendance as the green flag waves on the fifth edition of the South Carolina track’s throwback weekend.

In this new series, Chapman and the late Beth Chapman will be supported by a ferocious team of hunters Dog calls “The Dirty Dozen.”  Together they will go on a cross-country manhunt to track down a carefully curated list of Dog’s Most Wanted fugitives. In their personal lives, the series tackles the family’s most difficult fight as their beloved matriarch Beth Chapman bravely fights – and tragically loses – her battle with cancer.

Dog’s Most Wanted is produced by Dorsey Pictures, a Red Arrow Studios company, along with Entertainment by Bonnie and Clyde. Chris Dorsey (“Building Alaska”), and Matt Assmus serve as Executive Producers for Dorsey Pictures. Dog and the late Beth Chapman are Executive Producers for Bonnie & Clyde.

STUTTGART, Germany – TAG Heuer has entered into a long-term agreement with Porsche to serve as the title and timing partner of the Porsche Formula E team.

The Porsche works entry in the ABB FIA Formula E Championship during the 2019/2020 season will be called the TAG Heuer Porsche Formula E Team.

“We are truly honored to begin our partnership with Porsche, a move which further strengthens our presence in Formula E,” said Stéphane Bianchi, CEO of LVMH Watch making division and CEO of TAG Heuer. “Beyond sharing the same passion for motorsport and having the same challenger spirit, our two brands have the same uncompromising love for quality and technology. TAG Heuer is looking forward to supporting the team on its journey into Formula E and the upcoming races.”

Both brands can look back on many shared achievements throughout their history of involvement in motor racing. For Porsche, a noteworthy highlight is the TAG-Turbo made by Porsche, which powered Formula One cars in the 1980s and won two Constructors’ Championships (1984 & 1985) and three Drivers’ Championships (1984-1986).

The Swiss watchmaker, Heuer, was already involved in motorsports in the 1970s, teaming up with Jo Siffert, who drove for Porsche from 1966 to 1971 and won a number of endurance races, as well as contributing to Porsche’s victory in the 1969 World Sportscar Championships. In the 1990s, TAG Heuer became a sponsor of the Porsche Supercup and still continues its role as partner for several Porsche Cups today.

“Long-standing tradition, highest precision and technical innovation has always been common values for Porsche and TAG Heuer,” said Detlev von Platen, member of the Executive Board for Sales and Marketing, Porsche AG. “The ABB FIA Formula E Championship is the perfect platform for both companies to create the future of motorsports. I am convinced that the partnership with TAG Heuer will be another great example for team successes in motorsport.”