I Dig Sports
TRENTON, N.J. Pat Bealer showcased his patience and stormed around Anthony Perrego with a daring three-wide move through lapped traffic to win a spectacular BELFOR Property Restoration East Coast Indoor Dirt Nationals feature Saturday night at CURE Insurance Arena.
This is by far the biggest win in my 32-year career, said Bealer, who raked in $5,000 for his efforts. It feels like a dream that my son won last night and I won tonight. I knew we had 40 laps, and I know this track starts out slick and then gets a little bite on the bottom. I was just patient and made my move on Anthony when he slipped up off the bottom. Then I tried to hit my marks every lap and it all worked out.
Bealers son Zach, who won on Friday night, started the 40-lap affair on the pole and led the opening eight circuits before Perrego rocketed around the outside following a lap-nine restart to take command.
Meanwhile, Pat Bealer, who started sixth, didnt make a lot of noise until lap 18 when he cracked the top five for the first time after clearing a hornets nest of intense racing around him.
Once settling into fifth, Bealer found a new gear, rolling around the bottom of his competitors like they were standing still to eventually put himself right on the rear bumper of Perrego for the race lead.
While Perrego fended off the relentless pressure for a couple laps, it wound up being too much as he left just enough room for Bealer to squeeze his No. 24 inside off turn two to put Perrego in the middle of a three-wide situation with a lapped car on lap 28. As the duo roared into turn three, Bealer got the advantage and hightailed it off turn four to clear into the position.
However, the remainder of the race wasnt easy as a mirage of late-race cautions, including one for Perrego after he spun off turn two, kept the field hot on his heels.
I was glad to see the one yellow when we were in heavy lapped traffic, Bealer said. But on those restarts with two or three laps to go, I knew I had to make really good starts. I was nervous, but I just had to tell myself that I was good.
On the final restart with two laps to go, Bealer surged ahead and left Kenny Miller III in the dust to go untouched all the way to the checkered flag. Keith McIntyre, Briggs Danner and Billy Pauch Jr. completed the top five.
The finish:
Feature (40 Laps) 1. Pat Bealer 2. Kenny Miller III 3. Keith McIntyre 4. Briggs Danner 5. Billy Pauch Jr 6. Lukas Kostic 7. Luke Thomas 8. Alex Bright 9. Billy Koch 10. Zack Bealer 11. Aidan Borden 12. Eric Jennings 13. JT Bierman 14. Jasper Zeigafuse 15. Cole Gerber 16. Marty Brian 17. Tim Buckwalter 18. Christopher Allen 19. Dominic Schmidt 20. Anthony Tramontana 21. Anthony Perrego 22. Alex Ruppert 23. Matt Warner 24. Scott Kreutter 25. Christian Bruno
MOHAVE VALLEY, Ariz. After problems forced early leader Kevin Thomas Jr. to the work area during a lap-six caution flag, Jake Swanson led the rest of the way to claim victory in Saturday nights Avanti Windows & Doors USAC CRA Sprint Car season opener at Mohave Valley Raceway.
Piloting Tom and Christy Dunkels No. 17x Inland Rigging / Maxima Racing Oils DRC, Swanson fought off several challenges to earn his seventh career series triumph.
Tommy Thunder Malcolm, R.J. Johnson, Brody Fuson and Eddie Tafoya Jr. followed the former Western World Champion to the checkered flag.
Fuson began the night by scoring the second Woodland Auto Display / WC Friend Company Fast Time Award of his career.
The pilot of the Bob & Toni Van Meter No. 51 Spike recorded a time of 13.997 seconds over the 31-car roster.
The finish:
Feature (30 laps, starting positions in parentheses) 1. Jake Swanson (3), 2. Tommy Malcolm (2), 3. R.J. Johnson (6), 4. Brody Fuson (7), 5. Eddie Tafoya Jr. (10), 6. Logan Williams (8), 7. Logan Calderwood (12), 8. Austin Williams (11), 9. Blake Bower (9), 10. Charles Davis Jr. (4), 11. A.J. Bender (15), 12. Braden Chiaramonte (16), 13. Cole Wakim (17), 14. Verne Sweeney (20), 15. Lonnie Oliver (22), 16. Andrew Sweeney (18), 17. David Gasper (14), 18. Racin Silva (19), 19. Brody Wake (21), 20. Grant Sexton (13), 21. Kevin Thomas Jr. (1), 22. Cody Williams (5). NT
CLEWISTON, Fla. Mark Whitener led from start to finish in winning Saturday nights Swamp Cabbage 100 at Hendry County Motorsports Park.
Starting outside the front row, Whitener took the lead at the start of the 75-lap event for the Crate Racin USA late models and was never headed en route to a $15,000 payday.
Whitener finished 3.833 seconds ahead of Pearson Lee Williams.
Nevin Gainey, Brenden Smith and Kaede Loudy completed the top five.
Cody Overton was the fast qualifier for the 32-car field with a lap of 14.630 seconds.
The finish:
Mark Whitener, Pearson Lee Williams, Nevin Gainey, Brenden Smith, Kaede Loudy, Sam Seawright, Jake Rainey, Koulten Herbert, Austin Yarbrough, Demetrious Drellos, Ivedent Lloyd Jr., Clay Harris, Dalton Peavy, Payton Stevenson, Wil Herrington, Devin Dixon, Cody Overton, Jason Garver, Tanner Cobb, Bubba Rolling, Christian Augspurger, Eli Johnson, Chase Giddens, Nick Johnson.
PINELLAS PARK, Fla. Kody Swanson and Colton Bettis each won 35-lap sprint car features during Saturdays Dave Steeles Winged Sprint Car Championship at Showtime Speedway.
Swanson started seventh and won the opening event, beating Bettis to the finish line. Aaron Willison, Davey Hamilton Jr. and Steven Hollinger rounded out the top five.
The tables were turned in the nightcap with Bettis getting the better of Swanson and claiming the victory. Willison, Hamilton and Dodge Carlbert completed the top five.
The finishes:
Feature 1 (35 Laps): 1. 26-Kody Swanson[7]; 2. 61-Colton Bettis[6]; 3. 36-Aaron Willison[1]; 4. 14-Davey Hamilton Jr[3]; 5. 81-Steven Hollinger[8]; 6. 88-Sport Allen[2]; 7. 9-Dodge Carlbert[4]; 8. 59X-John Inman[9]; 9. 44-Jim Childers[12]; 10. X-JJ Dutton[11]; 11. 55-Tommy Nichols[10]; 12. 02-Gene Lasker[13]; 13. 33J-Jeff Montgomery[5]; 14. 18-LJ Grimm[14]; 15. (DNS) 1-Brian Gingras; 16. (DNS) 33-Robert Yoho
Feature 2 (35 laps) 1 #61 Colton Bettis 2 #26 Kody Swanson 3 #36 Aaron Willison 4 #14 Davey Hamilton Jr 5 #9 Dodge Carlbert 6 #33J Jeff Montgomery 7 #44 Jim Childers 8 #59X John Inman 9 #X J.J. Dutton 10 #18 L.J. Grimm 11 #81 Steven Hollinger 12 #55 Tommy Nichols 13 #02 Gene Lasker 14 #88 Sport Allen
ATLANTA Corey Heim has signed a multi-year deal with 23XI Racing to join the team as its first development driver.
The 22-year-old, who will continue as part of the Toyota Driver Development Program (TD2), will also race in multiple events throughout the season in the NASCAR Cup Series and the Xfinity Series.
A 12-time winner in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and winner of the season-opening event at Daytona (Fla.) Intl Speedway, Heim will also continue to serve as 23XIs reserve driver.
Heim, who raced with 23XI last season at Nashville (Tenn.) Superspeedway, will run multiple Cup Series races behind the wheel of the No. 67 Toyota Camry XSE, with veteran crew chief Bootie Barker set to lead the team. Heim is set to make his first Cup Series start of the season in May at Kansas Speedway, where he raced last spring while filling in for Erik Jones in the No. 43 Toyota Camry.
Additionally, as part of his development process, Heim will compete in multiple Xfinity Series races with Sam Hunt Racing (SHR) in a Toyota GR Supra supported by 23XI. Last season, Heim competed in 13 races with SHR and has 17 total starts in the Xfinity Series, earning three top-five and five top-10 finishes. Heims first race with SHR will be at Circuit of the Americas, where he will compete in his first road course event in the Xfinity Series.
Its a dream come true to be a part of 23XI, and Im excited for the opportunity to race more Cup and Xfinity races this year. Im blessed to have the chance to compete in all three series as I continue to set my sights on full-time Cup racing when that time comes, said Heim. The success that 23XI has shown in only a few short years has been impressive and Im excited to learn from the organization.
Im also grateful to everyone at Toyota for their ongoing support in my development both on and off the track, and I look forward to strengthening that relationship for years to come.
Our team was fortunate to work with Corey last year and we look forward to growing our relationship with him as our development driver starting in 2025, said Steve Lauletta, President of 23XI Racing. Corey continues to prove he is a talented, hard-working driver, and we plan to make all the resources of 23XI available to support his development within the Toyota family as he progresses in NASCAR.
I couldnt be more excited to have Corey back with us at SHR this year, working alongside 23XI on his professional development, said Sam Hunt, owner of Sam Hunt Racing. Corey has become like a little brother to me we understand each others journeys, and he genuinely cares about the growth and success of SHR long-term. We have had some very strong performances together in the past, so we are looking to continue maximizing our resources and flexing strength as we chase that first organizational win and develop Corey as a Sunday driver.
While Heim will run several races with 23XI and SHR, TRICON will continue to be his primary home for the third straight season, where he drives the No. 11 Safelite Toyota Tundra TRD Pro. His performance has been impressive in the NASCAR Truck Series, including twelve wins and 33 top-five finishes. Heim, the 2023 Regular Season champion, is the youngest driver in Truck Series history to earn 10 wins, and has made back-to-back appearances in the Championship 4 the last two seasons.
Heim will also continue to be a valued part of the TD2 program, which has helped support drivers achieve their dreams of earning full-time NASCAR Cup Series rides. TRD takes an active role in each TD2 drivers development to help them achieve their goals of long-term success in motorsport. The mutual long-term commitment allows TRD to provide additional opportunities on and off the track to encourage and support their personal development.
Corey continues to impress on-track with his racing acumen and talent behind the wheel and also continues to work hard behind the scenes with TRD partners, at TPC, and on the simulator, said Tyler Gibbs, president, TRD U.S.A. We are pleased to have a robust schedule in place for Corey this year and know that he will take advantage of every opportunity to continue to grow as a race car driver.
Everyone at TRD looks forward to a long tenure with Corey as we support him in reaching his ultimate goals in NASCAR competition.
Anaheim Ducks goaltender John Gibson left his club's 3-2 overtime victory over the Boston Bruins after two periods due to an upper-body injury Saturday night.
Gibson, 31, a topic of trade talks, stopped 19 shots before exiting, giving way to Lukas Dostal, who made nine saves en route to a win that was sealed when Leo Carlsson scored with 1:21 left in the extra session.
"We just have to believe in everyone in this room," Anaheim's Frank Vatrano said after the win. "We're a really close group. We all get along. At the end of the day, everyone wants to play in the playoffs. I think for us, it's about not getting too far ahead of ourselves and try to take it game by game."
Any playoff push for Anaheim likely will need Gibson, one of the most reliable netminders on the trade market. Should the Ducks deal him, he will command a hefty price. And should they keep him, the club will be limited in how it might add salary in the offseason.
Gibson has two years remaining on a deal that carries a $6.4 million salary cap hit, and because he has played on some subpar Ducks teams, his numbers don't match his skills in the crease. He was 13-27-2 last season, a year after finishing 14-31-8. Heading into Saturday's return to action from the 4 Nations Face-Off break, he was 9-9-2.
But among a crop of journeyman goaltenders who might be available before the trade deadline, Gibson, a Pittsburgh native and career Duck, stands out as the one who can immediately be a No. 1 for a contender. But the diagnosis of this recent injury looms large for his future.
His club picked up the slack in Boston. Trevor Zegras and Vatrano also scored for Anaheim, which won for the seventh time in the past eight games to climb above .500 for the first time in four months.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Newcastle United scored four goals in 11 first-half minutes to keep alive their Champions League qualification hopes with a thrilling 4-3 victory over Nottingham Forest at St James' Park on Sunday but had to hold on under heavy pressure in the second period.
Newcastle move into fifth place with 44 points from 26 games, outside the top four on goal difference only. High-flying Forest lost for the second week in a row but remain in third with 47 points from the same number of matches.
Forest led early through Callum Hudson-Odoi's long-range strike but Newcastle roared into life with four quick goals from 18-year-old Lewis Miley, Jacob Murphy and a brace from Alexander Isak, the first a penalty, which gave them a 4-1 half-time lead.
Forest were the better side in the second period and created numerous chances against a nervous home team, as Nikola Milenkovic netted and a late goal by Ryan Yates almost earned the visitors what would have been a deserved point.
"It was a brilliant first half, the reaction after conceding was really good," Isak told Sky Sports. "We dropped a bit second half and conceded sloppy goals. I'm obviously happy to win the game.
"The most important thing was to win. We want to win more comfortably but it was a big win."
It was the proverbial game of two halves, with Newcastle utterly dominant in the first but then meek in the second.
Richard Sellers/Sportsphoto/Allstar via Getty Images
The home side had five shots on target in the first half and none in the second in a performance that will give manager Eddie Howe plenty of food for thought despite the three points.
"We made mistakes, Newcastle made mistakes also. But it was two totally different halves. We started well, we scored, and they just rolled over us," Forest manager Nuno Espirito Santo said.
"There was nothing else in the first half about us. Every time Newcastle had the ball they scored. In the second half we were much better."
Forest led inside six minutes when Hudson-Odoi drilled a low shot from 30 metres into the bottom left corner, before Newcastle seized control with a goal blitz that started midway through the first half.
Miley was picked out in acres of space in the penalty box and fired low into the net, before the home side went ahead when Murphy bundled in the ball at the back post off his thigh.
Newcastle received a penalty when Lewis Hall's cross from the left struck the arm of jumping Forest defender Ola Aina, which was deemed to be in an unnatural position.
Isak went down the middle with his spot kick and while Forest goalkeeper Matz Sels got a strong hand to it, he could not keep out the ball.
The home side added a fourth with Isak scoring his 50th Premier League goal in his 76th appearance. He timed his run into the box to perfection and his shot deflected into the net off the boot of a defender.
Newcastle almost scored a fifth early in the second half when Fabian Schaer's header from a corner came back off the post.
But the hosts inexplicably fell off the pace after that and Forest created chance after chance until Milenkovic flicked the ball into the net from close range.
Yates fired in a third for the visitors as the clock struck 90 minutes but they could not force an equaliser in injury time.
Inter Miami CF head coach Javier Mascherano has praised the team for its "soul" after his players overcame a first-half red card to earn a draw against New York City FC at Chase Stadium on Saturday to kick off the 2025 MLS season.
Tomás Avilés got Miami's season off to the best possible start with his fifth-minute goal, tapping in from Lionel Messi's square pass.
The Herons' first challenge of the night arrived five minutes later, however, when new signing Fafà Picault picked up an injury 10 minutes into game and had to be substituted.
Shortly afterwards, Avilés brought down NYCFC's Alonso Martínez just outside the box and was shown a straight red card.
Mascherano adjusted the line up to continue the match with 10 men, before an injury to Marcelo Weigandt forced Inter Miami to make more tactical changes. NYCFC capitalised on their advantage, with Mitja Ilenic and Martínez scoring either side of half-time to give them a lead that looked like it would hold until the final whistle.
Miami fought back in the dying moments, however, with Messi again providing that pass for Telasco Segovia's equaliser in the tenth minute of stoppage time.
"In the end, the team ends up scoring because it's a team that has soul, that has heart," Mascherano said. "I think we have to stay with that, with the positive. Less than 72 hours ago we played at minus 24 degrees and today they ran like horses. We have to keep jumping through obstacles that we will have on the way.
"But I am one of those who stay with the positive things. And today, beyond the result, which I think was clearly a result that we deserved, or we deserved victory, I stay with a lot of positive things and with the team. The team has soul, the team has life and we are going to fight."
Mascherano revealed Inter Miami requested the match against NYCFC be moved to Sunday to accommodate players after having to face Sporting Kansas City in the Concacaf Champions Cup just 72 hours prior to the season-opener. The league declined the request.
"Tomorrow we will do the most thorough tests to see what Picault and Weigandt have," the Argentine coach said. "This is what happens sometimes when the games move. We had nothing to do with it being less than 20 degrees in Kansas. We asked to play on Sunday, they didn't accept it, we played.
"You play at minus 24 degrees, it's less than 72 hours ago. Then, you travel and you get a three-hour trip. You get there at five in the morning.
"The players are not robots. They are people, they are human beings. And you have to understand that this is about the players. Without players, football doesn't exist. All of us here don't exist without players."
Mascherano added that his former Barcelona teammate and compatriot Messi remains the main man for Miami as they look to better their Supporters' Shield success from 2024.
"Messi is the soul of this team. You saw this on the pitch. He is a kid playing and he doesn't want to lose," Mascherano said. "So for us it's a big big advantage. So we just need to keep him with this spirit. Because it's not just what he does on the pitch.
"It's what he translates to his teammates and all that he does with his 37 years. He's not just playing in attack, he helps us in defense, running the centre-back, running the whole midfield. So he's magnificent."
Inter Miami will now prepare to host Sporting KC on Tuesday, Feb. 25 at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida for the second leg of the first-round CCC clash.
Miami triumphed 1-0 over Kansas in the first match via a Messi goal.
Erling Haaland hasn't been named in Manchester City's squad for their clash against Liverpool on Sunday owing to injury.
The Norway international was an unused substitute during City's midweek Champions League loss to Real Madrid after picking up a knock against Newcastle United the previous weekend.
City boss Pep Guardiola confirmed that Haaland was ruled out of the game after undergoing further tests on Saturday.
"During this nine years, we played many seasons. We had really, really important players and we survived. And this season we had a lot, lot of games we could not survive, but in the specific games, we have to do it," he said ahead of the game.
His injury sees Jérémy Doku named in City's starting lineup for the first time in over a month, while Kevin De Bruyne and Nathan Aké come into the XI in place of Ilkay Gündogan and John Stones.
The England international faces a long period on the sidelines, with Guardiola saying the defender might have to undergo surgery.
City will hope Haaland's attacking threat will be compensated by January signing Omar Marmoush, who scored a first half hat trick against Newcaslte last week.
Guardiola's side go into the game in fourth place, 17 points behind Liverpool the top of the Premier League. The visitors can go 11 points clear of second-placed Arsenal with a win at the Etihad.
Zimbabwe 141 for 7 (Munyonga 43*, Young 4-24) beat Ireland 137 for 8 (Tucker 46, Gwandu 3-24) by three wickets
Their victory with four balls to spare now gives Zimbabwe an unassailable 1-0 lead in the three-game series with the first T20I washed out and the third encounter remaining on February 25.
Young turns perfect replacement
The quick was not in the T20I squad originally, but brought in late to replace the injured Mark Adair. Adair had been Ireland's best bowler in the ODIs, but Young's new-ball spell made up for his absence.
His first ball of the evening was a short ball that Zimbabwe opener Tadiwanashe Marumani half-heartedly pulled towards short fine leg. Three balls later, he dug another one in and took Wessly Madhevere's outside edge to Paul Stirling. Next over, Brian Bennett sliced one to deep backward point and Ireland had the early edge.
Later, when Ireland were desperate for a wicket, his dismissal of Tashinga Musekiwa at what seemed to be a crucial point in the game left him with figures of 4 for 24.
Zimbabwe's lower-middle order steps up
With the early collapse, the experienced pair of Raza and Burl were the perfect batters to follow. Ireland kept the pressure up, but Raza grinded it out with only two fours in his 27-ball 22. He could afford to with a middling target.
Burl's 27 at a strike rate of 135 kept the Zimbabwe innings in touch with the rate. Ireland, though, dismissed both in quick succession with Burl edging Harry Tector behind and Raza hitting down long off's throat to leave Zimbabwe at 64 for 5.
Munyonga, though, showed great maturity in navigating a tricky period by contributing in the 33-run sixth-wicket stand with Musekiwa (15) and another 15 runs with Wellington Masakadza. No. 9 Richard Ngarava struck two crucial fours late in the 19th over off Young before Munyonga hit the winning runs with a thrashing through the covers.
Ireland stutter after rain break
After losing Stirling early, the other opener Lorcan Tucker (46) held fort in the company of No. 3 Tector (28) to lift the innings. Tector, the more enterprising of the two, fell in the eighth over to Raza trying to find a big shot, leaving Ireland at 59 for 2.
But Tucker and No. 4 Curtis Campher failed to gain momentum like Tector, adding only 40 runs in their 5.5 overs together and their dismissals shortly after the rain break came in a phase when Zimbabwe's bowlers kept things tight.
Blessing Muzarabani, Trevor Gwandu and Raza all went for under six an over. Gwandu's dismissals of Tucker, George Dockrell and Neil Rock crippled Ireland's pursuit of a big flourish, while Raza broke two dangerous partnerships. Ireland scored only 16 in the last three overs to finish on a below-par 137 for 8.
Sreshth Shah is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @sreshthx
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