A guide to this weekend’s action in Birmingham, including previews, a timetable and TV info

A long season finally reaches crunch time for many athletes. The later than usual IAAF World Championships will take place in Doha from September 27 to October 6 and athletes can book their places on the GB team this weekend (August 24-25) at the Müller British Athletics Championships.

A top-two finish in Birmingham will be enough for automatic selection for those athletes who have already gained the British Athletics qualifying standard (listed below) or do so by September 1. Discretionary selections will then be added when the team is announced on September 2.

A wild card selection will be granted to any athletes who win at either of the Diamond League finals in Zurich on August 29 or Brussels on September 6.

A further lifeline is available in the shape of IAAF rankings invites. Athletes who do not have the qualification standard but who rank highly enough on the world lists depending on the target field size for that particular discipline may receive an invite after the qualification period closes on September 6. However, British Athletics say these will only be used for athletes “potentially capable of winning an individual medal in Doha or the Tokyo Olympic Games”.

For some athletes such as Dina Asher-Smith, lined up for the 100m, guaranteeing a place on the team should be a formality. However, in events such as the men’s and women’s 800m and the men’s 1500m, the standard is so high that exciting battles are anticipated.

Find Paul Halford’s full four-page preview in the latest edition of AW magazine, available in shops now or to read digitally here.

Previews

Men’s events

With Reece Prescod missing from the 100m through injury and waiting on selectors’ discretion if he returns to fitness in time, placing in the top two will be crucial.

READ MORE: Zharnel Hughes at the double

Zharnel Hughes will be favourite, with Adam Gemili and Ojie Edoburun also under the Doha standard.

Hughes and Gemili are aiming to complete a sprint double on the Sunday, but Miguel Francis should test them in the 200m. Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake and Richard Kilty will also be in the running.

READ MORE: Miguel Francis aims for more after making his mark

Rabah Yousif and European champion Matthew Hudson-Smith will be looking to secure automatic qualification in the 400m, while Cameron Fillery is closing in on the Doha standard in the 110m hurdles. Chris McAlister is under the qualification mark in the 400m hurdles.

The 800m is one of the most highly anticipated events of the weekend. Jamie Webb, the No.1 on times this year, and Elliott Giles were the top two in Birmingham last Sunday as most of the key contenders clashed.

The standard in the 1500m is just as hot. Charlie Da’Vall Grice should be favourite after his recent 3:30 clocking.

After his PB this year of 13:06.21, Andy Butchart is the favourite in the 5000m, while Zak Seddon will be looking to confirm his place in the steeplechase after his 8:21.28 breakthrough this season.

Cameron Corbishley, who has already been selected for Doha in the 50km race walk, competes in the non-trial 5000m walk.

Following his recent 17m breakthrough, Ben Williams is tipped for the triple jump title, while Jacob Fincham-Dukes and Dan Bramble are top contenders in the long jump.

Charlie Myers is the only pole vaulter with the qualifying mark and high jumpers Chris Baker and Tom Gale are among those looking for the Doha standard.

Commonwealth hammer champion Nick Miller chases his fifth title. Harry Hughes, the big leader on the UK javelin rankings this year, has been injured but news on his recovery seemed positive last week.

Greg Thompson and Lawrence Okoye head the entries for the discus, while Scott Lincoln is the favourite to defend his shot put title.

Women’s events

Dina Asher-Smith will compete only in the 100m, although she plans to double up in Doha. With the British record-holder expected to run away with the title, competition for the second automatic slot should be tight. Four other athletes, led by Imani Lara-Lansiquot, have the Doha standard.

One of them, Jodie Williams, is entered for both sprints, setting up an interesting potential tussle in the longer event with European junior champion Amy Hunt, who has run 22.42, and defending champion Beth Dobbin.

Laviai Nielsen is favourite in the 400m, while Olympic fourth-placer Cindy Ofili continues to seek a return to form in the 100m hurdles following injury. Meghan Beesley and Jessica Turner both have the qualifier in the 400m hurdles.

Despite the absence of the injured Laura Muir, the standard is high in all three flat endurance events. Lynsey Sharp, Alex Bell, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke and Hannah Segrave have the Doha mark over two laps, so competition will be fierce.

Sarah McDonald, who also has the mark in the 800m, concentrates on the 1500m. Her main opposition will be European under-23 champion Jemma Reekie.

Laura Weightman and Eilish McColgan seem set for a close battle in the 5000m, while Rosie Clarke and Elizabeth Bird will be wanting to secure their selection in the steeplechase.

READ MORE: Eilish McColgan keen to push on after another PB performance

Morgan Lake defends her high jump title and world indoor pentathlon champion Katarina Johnson-Thompson will provide her key opposition if she decides to line up.

Barring a mishap, Holly Bradshaw should collect her eighth pole vault title in nine years.

After sailing over the Doha standard last weekend, Abigail Irozuru will be hoping to guarantee her selection in the long jump, while Naomi Ogbeta is favourite in the triple jump as she looks for the Doha standard of 14.20m.

Sophie McKinna looks set to confirm her world championships selection in the shot put. With Sophie Hitchon having called an early end to her season, the hammer will have a different British champion for the first time since 2010, with Jessica Mayho and Rachel Hunter the most likely candidates.

Kirsty Law, Amy Holder and Phoebe Dowson head the discus line-up, while Bekah Walton, Laura Whittingham and Emma Hamplett are set to fight it out for the javelin.

READ MORE: Müller British Athletics Championships head-to-heads

British Athletics qualifying standards for Doha 2019

Qualified athletes

A list of athletes to have achieved the relevant qualifying mark in their event before the British Championships.

Men

100m: Zharnel Hughes, Reece Prescod, Adam Gemili, Ojie Edoburun
200m: Miguel Francis, Nethaneel Mitchell-Blake, Richard Kilty
400m: Rabah Yousif
800m: Jamie Webb, Kyle Langford, Elliot Giles, Jake Wightman, Josh Kerr, Max Burgin, Thomas Staines, Charlie Da’Vall Grice
1500m: Charlie Da’Vall Grice, Josh Kerr, Jake Wightman, James West, Neil Gourley
5000m: Andrew Butchart, Ben Connor, Marc Scott
3000m steeplechase: Zak Seddon
110m hurdles: Andrew Pozzi
400m hurdles: Chris McAlister
Pole vault: Charlie Myers
Triple jump: Ben Williams
Discus: Gregory Thompson
Hammer: Nick Miller

Women

100m: Dina Asher-Smith, Imani Lansiquot, Jodie Williams, Daryll Neita
200m: Dina Asher-Smith, Amy Hunt, Beth Dobbin, Jodie Williams, Ashleigh Nelson
400m: Laviai Nielsen, Emily Diamond
800m: Laura Muir, Lynsey Sharp, Alexandra Bell, Shelayna Oskan-Clarke, Sarah McDonald, Hannah Segrave
1500m: Laura Muir, Sarah McDonald, Laura Weightman, Eilish McColgan, Jemma Reekie, Melissa Courtney
5000m: Eilish McColgan, Laura Weightman, Laura Muir, Melissa Courtney, Amy-Eloise Neale, Jess Judd, Rosie Clarke
3000m steeplechase: Rosie Clarke, Elizabeth Bird
400m hurdles: Meghan Beesley, Jessica Turner
High jump: Morgan Lake, Katarina Johnson-Thompson
Pole vault: Holly Bradshaw
Long jump: Katarina Johnson-Thompson, Abigail Irozuru
Shot: Sophie McKinna

Timetable

(Timings subject to change)

Saturday

11.45am: Discus W final
11.50am: 100m W heats
12.30pm: 100m M heats
1.15pm: Long jump M final
1.20pm: 400m W heats
1.45pm: Pole vault M final
1.50pm: 100m hurdles W heats
1.53pm: Javelin M final
2.20pm: 400m hurdles W heats
2.45pm: High jump M final
2.50pm: 100m W semi-final
3.05pm: Shot put W final
3.08pm: 100m M semi-final
3.25pm: Triple jump W final
3.27pm: 800m W heats
3.46pm: Hammer W final
3.54pm: 5000m M final
4.17pm: 3000m steeplechase W final
4.35pm: 100m hurdles W final
4.46pm: 100m W final
4.56pm: 100m M final
5.07pm: 400m hurdles M heats
5.35pm: 400m M heats
6.02pm: 800m M heats
6.30pm: 1500m W heats
6.50pm: 1500m M heats

Sunday

11.25am: Discus M final
11.30am: 5000m walk W final
12.10pm: 5000m walk M final
12.42pm: Pole vault W final
12.45pm: 110m hurdles M heats
1.08pm: Triple jump M final
1.10pm: 200m W heats
1.37pm: Javelin W final
1.40pm: 200m M heats
2.11pm: 400m hurdles M final
2.22pm: 400m hurdles W final
2.36pm: 3000m steeplechase M final
2.50pm: Shot put M final
2.53pm: 400m M final
3.01pm: High jump W final
3.04pm: 5000m W final
3.25pm: Long jump W final
3.29pm: 1500m W final
3.38pm: Hammer M final
3.42pm: 110m hurdles M final
3.53pm: 400m W final
4.04pm: 200m W final
4.15pm: 200m M final
4.25pm: 800m W final
4.37pm: 800m M final
4.48pm: 1500m M final

TV guide

Fans in the UK can watch live on BBC Red Button from 3pm on Saturday and BBC Two from 2pm on Sunday.

Look out for our updates on social media and athleticsweekly.com plus of course our unrivalled magazine coverage in next week’s issue.

Australia coach Michael Cheika has named uncapped teenager Jordan Petaia and David Pocock in his World Cup squad, despite the forward's fitness concerns.

Pocock, 31, has not played for the Wallabies since November 2018 because of a calf injury but joins an experienced squad with back Adam Ashley-Cooper, who has 117 caps.

Fly-half Christian Lealiifano, who was diagnosed with leukaemia in August 2016, is also in the squad.

"I'm confident," Cheika said.

"We'll be a little bit unpredictable, that's been a little bit of our theme this year, if we don't know what we're doing no one will know what we're doing."

The two-time world champions will be captained by flanker Michael Hooper, 27, and take a squad with a total of 1,406 caps.

One of the most experienced players is versatile back Ashley-Cooper, 35, who is set to become only the second Australian to play at four World Cups after George Gregan.

Kurtley Beale, 30, is chosen at fullback in the absence of Israel Folau, who was sacked earlier this year, with Dane Haylett-Petty, 30, in as back-up.

Australia begin their World Cup campaign against Fiji on 21 September and go on to face Wales, Uruguay and Georgia in the pool stage.

The Wallabies reached the final of the 2015 tournament, but lost 34-17 to New Zealand.

Australia squad:

Forwards: Allan Alaalatoa, Rory Arnold, Adam Coleman, Jack Dempsey, Folau Fainga'a, Michael Hooper (captain), Sekope Kepu, Tolu Latu, Isi Naisarani, David Pocock, Izack Rodda, Rob Simmons, Lukhan Salakaia-Loto, Scott Sio, James Slipper, Taniela Tupou, Jordan Uelese.

Backs: Adam Ashley-Cooper, Kurtley Beale, Bernard Foley, Will Genia, Dane Haylett-Petty, Reece Hodge, Samu Kerevi, Marika Koroibete, Tevita Kuridrani, Christian Lealiifano, James O'Connor, Jordan Petaia, Matt Toomua, Nic White.

Holders and three-time winners Saracens will begin their Champions Cup defence against French giants Racing 92 in Paris on 17 November.

The day before, four-time champions Leinster face Benetton Rugby.

And last season's Challenge Cup champions Clermont host Premiership side Harlequins.

Leicester start their Challenge Cup campaign at home against French team Pau after failing to qualify for the Champions Cup.

Two-time Champions Cup winners Munster and Welsh side Ospreys join Premiership champions Saracens and Racing 92 in Pool Four and play each other in the first round.

Premiership side Bath host Irish team Ulster on the opening weekend, while four-time winners and current Top 14 champions Toulouse travel to Gloucester for the first match of the tournament on 15 November.

Elsewhere, Premiership runners-up Exeter travel to France to face La Rochelle, Glasgow welcome Sale, Northampton host Lyon and Connacht play Montpellier.

In the Challenge Cup, European rugby union's second tier, Worcester play Russian team Enisei-STM, while newly-promoted Premiership club London Irish face Welsh side Scarlets.

Fellow Premiership team Bristol take on Italians Zebre and Wasps travel to Bordeux-Begles. Pro14 side Edinburgh also face French opponents in Agen, Cardiff Blues face Italian team Calvisano and Dragons play Castres.

After six rounds, five pool winners and the three best runners-up will qualify for the Challenge Cup and Champions Cup knock-out stages. The finals take place in Marseille on 22 and 23 May.

Champions Cup Round One

Friday 15 November

Gloucester v Toulouse (19:45 GMT)

Saturday 16 November

Bath v Ulster (13:00 GMT)

Glasgow v Sale (13:00 GMT)

Leinster v Benetton (15:15 GMT)

La Rochelle v Exeter (16:15 GMT)

Ospreys v Munster (17:30 GMT)

Clermont v Harlequins (18:30 GMT)

Sunday 17 November

Northampton v Lyon (13:00 GMT)

Connacht v Montpellier (13:00 GMT)

Racing 92 v Saracens (16:15 GMT)

Challenge Cup Round One

Friday 15 November

Enisei-STM v Worcester (TBC)

Agen v Edinburgh (20:00 GMT)

Stade Francais v Brive (20:45 GMT)

Bayonne v Toulon (20:45 GMT)

Saturday 16 November

Calvisano v Cardiff Blues (14:30 GMT)

Leicester v Pau (15:00 GMT)

Bristol v Zebre (15:00 GMT)

Dragons v Castres (15:00 GMT)

Bordeaux-Begles v Wasps (21:00 GMT)

Scarlets v London Irish (20:00 GMT)

WEBSTER CITY, Iowa — Hamilton County Speedway hosted the 13th Annual USMTS Casey’s Clash presented by AmericInn on Thursday night and Jake O’Neil made himself at home in victory lane for the third time this season.

Hunter Marriott garnered the Sybesma Graphics Pole Award and led early on before giving way to Dereck Ramirez, who came from the sixth starting spot to the front in three laps.

Ramirez built a sizeable lead but a trio of early cautions slowed the pace-the most notable of which happened when Ryan Gustin’s Spike Hardcore Energy mount erupted in a puff of smoke while battling for the top spot.

After Gustin’s charge was extinguished, Marriot and O’Neil chased the leader while Lance Mari, Terry Phillips, Rodney Sanders and Zack VanderBeek were close behind.

While Ramirez ran through the middle of the corners, O’Neil searched for a faster line around the high side of the historic half-mile while VanderBeek was sneaking around the shortest way around the track with Marriott and Sanders still within striking distance.

With 21 of 35 laps in the books, Ramirez dove into the first turn somewhat lower than he had been, which opened the door for O’Neil and VanderBeek. Suddenly, Ramirez had O’Neil to his right and VanderBeek to his left as the three exited turn two.

The attempted three-wide drag race down the back-stretch failed miserably. O’Neil bounced off the outside concrete wall and into the right side of Ramirez’s race car, and then Ramirez clipped the front end of VanderBeek’s VanderBuilt chassis.

The incident, which had all of the makings of a major melee, left Ramirez spinning to a stop and the waving of the yellow flag for the fifth and final time.

“I just hate it,” O’Neil said. “I think it was a racing deal. I just had a really good run to the outside. He didn’t come all the way up to the top so I thought maybe he was just leaving a lane up there. I was all the way to his door and got stuck in the marbles up there and bounced off the fence, and then bounced off of him. I tried keeping it off of him.”

The restart with 14 laps remaining had O’Neil setting the pace while Ramirez was relegated to the back of the pack.

As the laps wound down, O’Neil continued to lead while Sanders chipped away at his advantage and closed to within a car length as the two took the white flag, but Sanders got above the cushion and clobbered the concrete wall in turn one allowing O’Neil to cruise to a $2,500 payday.

Sanders held on for second with Phillips getting by VanderBeek in the closing laps to grab the third spot while Dustin Sorensen came from tenth to finish fifth.

The finish:

Jake O’Neil, Rodney Sanders, Terry Phillips, Zack VanderBeek, Dustin Sorensen, Hunter Marriott, Kyle Brown, Mark Elliott, Al Hejna, Lance Mari, Dereck Ramirez, Adam Kates, Travis Saurer, Ron Ver Beek, Duke Erickson, Ben Nading, Jimmy Ray, Chase Ellingson, Daniel Hilsabeck, Ryan Gustin, Josh Cain.

CHICO, Calif. — Tim Kaeding found himself in the right place at the right time and capitalized to score round two of the King of the West by NARC Fujitsu Sprint Car Series Fastest Four Days in Motorsports at Silver Dollar Speedway.

He pocketed $5,000 for his efforts.

Kaeding, started the 30-lapper in the fourth spot aboard Rod Tiner’s Shark Racing Engines Helix sprint car and watched the race unfold in front of him. He motored past fast qualifier Andy Forsberg on the second circuit for the runner-up spot and then had a front row seat when race leader Shane Golobic’s engine blew on lap six.

At the same time that was happening, the race came to a screeching halt when Stephen Ingraham took a nasty barrel roll down the back chute. He suffered a knee injury but limped away from his destroyed race car under his own power.

Kaeding inherited the lead for the restart, but had to fend off a tailgating Kyle Larson and the freight train that included Forsberg, Mitchell Faccinto, Bud Kaeding and Colby Copeland.  Larson began to challenge the leader as the pair zigged and zagged through slower traffic.

However, Larson charge ended when he jumped the cushion and spun on lap 17, bringing out the caution.

The two-time King of the West champion continued where he left off and survived two more caution periods on his way to his 67th series victory.

The battle for the runner-up position was a classic open wheel battle that saw the next three drivers swap positions on a corner by corner basis.  Pole Shuffle winner Mitchell Faccinto ultimately won that battle in the TSG Recycling Disposal KPC.

Forsberg settled for the show position aboard his own A & A Stepping Stone sprint car.  Bud Kaeding drove the Alviso Rock Maxim from 14^thto finish fourth. Colby Copeland finished fifth.

“This one feels real good,” said Kaeding. “I don’t know how many of these wins I have left in my career so I’m enjoying everyone! I can’t say enough about Rod Tiner and this team who gave me a great race car. This one was a lot of fun.”

The finish:

Tim Kaeding, Mitchell Faccinto, Andy Forsberg, Bud Kaeding, Colby Copeland, Nathan Rolfe, D.J Netto, Dominic Scelzi, Kyle Larson, Rico Abreu, Jonathan Allard, Geoff Ensign, Ryan Bernal, Sean Watts, Heath Hall, Chelsea Blevins, Michael Ing, Gary Paulson, Shane Golobic, Stephen Ingraham, Cole Macedo, Willie Croft, Sean Becker.

MANSFIELD, Ohio — Scott Bloomquist and Jonathan Davenport claimed feature victories during Thursday night’s preliminary program for the second annual Dirt Million presented by Arizona Sport Shirts.

Bloomquist, a three-time Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series National Champion won the first 30-lap Duel of the night in the new format instituted for this year’s race.

Davenport, the two-time and defending series champion held off a trio of drivers in a furious finish in the second 30-lap Duel. Both feature races went caution-free.

Bloomquist took the lead at the start of the first feature and sprinted away to easily pick up the win. The win marks his all-time leading 95th Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series career win.

Both Josh Richards and Brandon Sheppard tried to track down Bloomquist, but the boss of Team Zero went to Victory Lane for the first-time at Mansfield.

With the win, Bloomquist cemented himself into Saturday’s 100-lap Dirt Million main event. Richards held off Sheppard to earn the runner-up spot with Michael Norris and Darrell Lanigan rounding out the top five.

“The car has felt great after we found out what was wrong with it. We put in on a jig last week and it was pretty far off,” Bloomquist said. “We had a pretty good car last week at Batesville. I hope it feels as good here Saturday night. We hot lapped fast tonight, we qualified a little off, and we changed a few things that we didn’t like. I want to dedicate this race to Chris [Madden]. I hate it that he got hurt earlier in the week. He should be back in a few weeks.”

“He [Bloomquist] was in a league of his own,” said the runner-up Richards. “There was one time we got caught up in lapped traffic that we were gaining on him just a little bit and that was only because of the lapped cars. We needed to be better. Me and Sheppard had a good race for second. We need to be a little better tomorrow night. This place has always been good to me.”

The second duel feature saw Davenport take the lead from Mike Marlar on lap five and hold off a trio of drivers before he could go to victory lane for the 11th time this season with the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series.

Davenport got caught up in lapped traffic and that allowed Chase Junghans, Bobby Pierce, and Ricky Weiss all to close on him in the final ten laps of the race. Junghans passed Weiss for second with four laps to go as Pierce followed topside two laps from the finish.

As the four drivers came off of turn four Davenport had traffic on front of him, but he held off a furious charge from the other three competitors for the win.

“I was hoping to see the checkered flag sooner. I was looking around and I couldn’t really tell if anybody was underneath me. I was trying the bottom and the top. They were two-wide in front of me. I couldn’t make the middle work like I could the bottom and the top. I saw Stormy [Scott] down there on the bottom and he was pretty good, so I just tried to stay focused on what I was doing.”

Junghans came close to scoring his first career Lucas Oil victory with his runner-up finish after starting sixth.

“The only way we were going to win was if JD missed his marks. It was a hornet’s nest down there with those lapped cars. I felt good around the bottom in three and four. The track was great once it cleaned off. Hopefully we will get one spot better tomorrow night.”

The finishes:

First feature: Scott Bloomquist, Josh Richards, Brandon Sheppard, Michael Norris, Darrell Lanigan, Dennis Erb Jr., Tim McCreadie, Tyler Erb, Gregg Satterlee, Rick Eckert, Shanon Buckingham, Earl Pearson Jr., Jared Landers, Max Blair, Brian Shirley, Kent Robinson, Doug Drown, Mike Benedum, Billy Moyer Jr., Gordy Gundaker.

Second feature: Jonathan Davenport, Chase Junghans, Bobby Pierce, Ricky Weiss, Mike Marlar, Dale McDowell, Hudson O’Neal, Steve Casebolt, Chris Ferguson, Jimmy Owens, Devin Moran, Brandon Overton, Billy Moyer, Shannon Babb, Shane Clanton, Kyle Bronson, David Scott, Mason Zeigler, Stormy Scott, Eddie Carrier Jr.

BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. — Aaron Reutzel won the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 visit to Grandview Speedway for the second consecutive year Thursday night.

Reutzel led all 35 laps aboard the Baughman-Reutzel Motorsports/Folkens Brothers Trucking/Fischer Body Shop/No. 87 to become the first winner of the Hodnett Cup at the third-mile race track.

It was Reutzel’s eighth All Star victory of the season and pushed him two points ahead of Dale Blaney in the battle for the series championship.

Before Reutzel could march his way to victory against the infamous Pennsylvania Posse, Mother Nature intervened just after qualifying resulting in a lengthy delay. Suffice it to say, track and Series officials held their ground and allowed the weather to pass.

“I just want to thank all of the fans, as well as all of the officials for sticking this one out and not throwing in the towel. We all really appreciate their efforts,” Reutzel said. “It was definitely a hard call to make, but I’m glad they did it. The track was really fast tonight because of the rain. We were really lucky to draw the one [during dash redraw]. That was a pretty big deal.”

Despite starting from the pole position and earning the initial jump, the path to victory was not paved easy for Reutzel.

After a pair of cautions, one resulting in red-flag conditions, disturbed competition during the first six circuits, a long green followed, thus creating periods of dense traffic around the Grandview bullring.

As traffic started to intensify, so did the pressure on Reutzel for the lead. By lap 20, Paul McMahan, who battled in the second position the entire distance up until that point, was all over Reutzel for the top spot.

Danny Dietrich, a 13-time winner in 2019, soon threw his hat into the ring creating a three-car battle for the lead. The lead trio raced nearly nose to tail until a yellow sign of relief waved for Reutzel on lap 27. The caution allowed Reutzel to restart in clean air, and that is where he dominated.

McMahan held on to finish second at the final checkers, followed by Dietrich, Ryan Smith and Ryan Taylor.

“There were a lot of lapped cars that were not cooperating,” Reutzel explained. “In clean air I was really good, but in dirty air I struggled a little bit. Hats off to my guys. Night in and night out, they bust their butts and it really shows.”

The finish:

Feature (35 Laps): 1. 87-Aaron Reutzel [1]; 2. 13-Paul McMahan [2]; 3. 48-Danny Dietrich [4]; 4. 72-Ryan Smith [5]; 5. 20-Ryan Taylor [3]; 6. 11-Dale Blaney [11]; 7. 98H-Dave Blaney [6]; 8. 14-Tony Stewart [13]; 9. 70-Brock Zearfoss [7]; 10. 26-Cory Eliason [9]; 11. 51-Freddie Rahmer [14]; 12. 91R-Kyle Reinhardt [15]; 13. 88-Brandon Rahmer [16]; 14. 39M-Anthony Macri [22]; 15. 5-Jeff Halligan [18]; 16. W20-Greg Wilson [20]; 17. 99-Skylar Gee [19]; 18. 73B-Brett Michalski [21]; 19. 91-Anthony Fiore [17]; 20. O7-Gerard McIntyre [8]; 21. 87K-Alan Krimes [12]; 22. 40-George Hobaugh [23]; 23. 70X-Justin Peck [10] Lap Leaders: Aaron Reutzel (1-30)

KOKOMO, Ind. — Driving his second car in as many nights, Thomas Meseraull cruised to his first USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series victory of the season on night one of Sprint Car Smackdown VIII at Kokomo Speedway.

On Wednesday Meseraull led laps aboard the No. 23s Simon Racing entry. Thursday night he was aboard Tom Eades’ No. 47, giving the first-year car owner his initial USAC triumph.

Meseraull knew he had to put together a complete night to provide himself his best shot to collect a USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car win for the fifth-straight year, something accomplished only by five other drivers: Brady Bacon, Justin Grant, Chase Stockon, Kevin Thomas, Jr. and Chris Windom over the same time span since 2015.

“After (Indiana) Sprint Week, we got our ass handed to us, flat out,” Meseraull admitted. “We just got beat.  It was a little unexpected.  I had to qualify a little better tonight, and I did, which put us up front.  Track position in these deals is everything.  It’s everything.”

Meseraull began his journey from the outside of the front row, but it was Bacon who took control early on, sliding from his pole starting position to the top in turn one to lead the opening seven circuits with Meseraull in tow, trailing the two-time series champ a couple car lengths behind.

The first stoppage of the night came on lap seven when the night’s ProSource Hard Work Award winner and 19th running Josh Hodges flipped upside down in turn four.

Once racing resumed, Meseraull stuck right with Bacon, and on the ninth lap, made his bid for the lead, dipping to the bottom of turn one and sliding up in front of Bacon for the top spot.  With tension high and the competition at a peak level, Meseraull knew there was no time to putt around in second.

“It was so slick to the curb, and the curb was on the wall.  It was as tall as me, I swear,” Meseraull recalled.  “It was so big out there, I knew I couldn’t waste any time.  After the red flag, we ended up parking there right off of three and realized that it wasn’t slick to the curb.  It had a big hole before the curb, like the track had gotten ate up and it had this big dip and my car was evil up there.  I’d hit it and it’d get up on two wheels. I just started going in above it in three and cheating across it and driving to the slick. That hole got Brady one lap, and I knew I had to just bomb it in there and hope to God that it would stick, and it stuck.”

Meanwhile, as the battle for the lead switched hands, fourth-running C.J. Leary biked entering on the bottom of turn one. The series point leader miraculously saved his mount without flipping or making contact, but the landing is what got him, flattening his left-rear tire before slowing to bring out the yellow.

On the 10th lap restart, Bacon went to work on the bottom underneath Meseraull for the lead in turn one, however Meseraull retained the momentum on the high side as did Courtney back in third.  While Bacon trekked the low line, Courtney stuck to the top and raced around the outside to nip Bacon at the line for second and nail down the position exiting turn two.

Courtney put the chase on Meseraull, diamonding off the third turn as well as following him on the top shelf to find a way to close the gap. On the 12th lap, though, Courtney got in above the cushion a bit off turn four, allowing Meseraull to jump away and build his lead to nearly a full straightaway (2.729 seconds) just after the midway point.

On the 17th lap, Logan Seavey slowed to a stop on the bottom of turn one, erasing Meseraull’s substantial advantage just prior to hitting lapped traffic.

It hardly seemed to make a difference to Meseraull once the green flag dropped on the restart with 13 to go where he once again utilized the high line to break away from Courtney, holding a half-straightaway advantage down the stretch with only lapped traffic to contend with in the final five-lap push.

Meseraull skimmed the outside concrete in turn two with two to go, with no tiptoeing around the outside of the lappers occurring whatsoever, as he closed out a sterling performance with a 1.339-second victory over Courtney, Justin Grant, Brady Bacon and Chase Stockon.

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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has said Arsenal can match Liverpool up front by starting him alongside Alexandre Lacazette and Nicolas Pepe when the two sides meet at Anfield in the Premier League on Saturday.

Liverpool's attacking trio of Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino combined for 69 goals and 19 assists in all competitions last season, and Aubameyang labelled them "one of the best trios in the world."

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"As we've seen from last season, Liverpool play with three up front and they play very well. Why not us? I think we can do it," Aubameyang told Sky Sports.

"I see a lot of similarities. Pepe and me, we are quick players like Mane and Salah, while 'Laca' is a player who can keep the ball and is really good with his feet like Firmino. So yes, we can say we are close enough."

Pepe, who cost Arsenal a club record £72 million, scored 22 league goals and provided 11 assists for Lille last season and Aubameyang is looking forward to seeing what he can bring to the attack when the three link up on the pitch.

"First of all, he speaks French so it will be easy for him to settle in and play with us," he added. "He only started training with us a few weeks ago but it's good to have him with us. He's started well.

"Last season he was amazing. He'll bring us speed and excellent finishing."

Accommodating all three in the starting lineup would require a change in formation but Aubameyang has no qualms about moving from the striker role to play out wide.

"I've played a lot of times on the right and the left during my career, so I'm used to it. It's a bit of a different job," he said.

"When you are a striker you have to keep hold of the ball and you have to score goals. When you are out wide you have to run and defend a bit more than if you are playing as a striker through the middle. But it's not a problem."