I Dig Sports
JCR/Hondas Brabec/Campbell Team is set to return to the Mint 400 with their sights set on defending their 2024 victory.
Preston Campbells Off-Road racing win streak goes back to 2023 with wins in the:
- 2023 California 300
- 2024 Mint 400
- 2024 Vegas to Reno
- 2024 California 300
- 2025 Parker 400
The Mint 400 airs LIVE on SPEED SPORT 1.
This year plays host to the inaugural Unlimited Off-Road Racing Championship for the bikes, consisting of a three-round series including The Parker 400, Mint 400 and California 300.
Campbell leads the points chase going into the Mint 400 off his recent victory at the Parker 400. The team will race the dependable Red Rocket 2025 Honda CRF450X prepared by JCR/Honda.
Unlimited Off-Road has put together a solid effort for 2-wheels in 2025, Johnny Campbell said. Bringing the bikes back to the Parker 400 was great to see as Honda has a deep, rich history with that event.
We are looking forward to the Mint 400 which runs just outside of Las Vegas, Nevada is the oldest most popular Offroad race in the U.S.
Preston has proven solid in these type of offroad endurance events, When teamed with the two-time Dakar Rally champion, Ricky Brabec. Together they make for a formidable team.
Strong Start Puts Gustin Atop WoO Standings Entering Smoky Mountain
MARYVILLE, Tenn. Hot off his best year to date on the World of Outlaws Late Models trail, Ryan Gustin entered this year with new tools to take his performance to the next level.
He and his No. 19R squad werent far off from being championship contenders last year, picking up five wins and 18 top fives. So, to help take that next step, they brought on what they believed to be the missing ingredient new crew chief Cody Mallory.
We got to talking a little bit at the end of last year, Gustin said. He said he would do it, and thats really all it was. Hes obviously one of the best, if not the best out here I feel like, so to have him in our corner, its huge for our team.
Having worked for the likes of Scott Bloomquist, Bobby Pierce, Rocket1 Racing and several others in the past, Mallory has long had a knack for making dirt Late Models go fast. But any driver whos been through a change on the wrenches knows that it can take time for a pairing to gel and the success to start rolling in.
For Gustin and Mallory, their getting-to-know-you phase was almost nonexistent. On the opening night of the World of Outlaws season at DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals, Gustin led all 35 laps around Volusia Speedway Park en route to the 11th win of his career with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet.
An 18th-place showing the following night may not have been what Gustin had in mind, but he rebounded three weeks later at Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals with three-straight top 10s.
Those performances were enough to put him in unfamiliar, yet comfortable territory as the World of Outlaws points leader.
The Reaper has worked with his fair share of wrenchers in his nearly two decades of dirt track racing, but none of them had ever delivered results at the national level right off the bat.
Never in a Late Model, Gustin stated. Modified stuff, weve kind of done that, but I did the majority of stuff myself on the Modified side. But these things are so technical, youve got to drive so hard and everything. He does a hell of a job making it happen where you can get up on the wheel and make it happen.
However, Mallorys addition isnt Gustins only reason for optimism in 2025. Compared to the start of Gustins first year with Todd Cooney Racing one year ago when making it to the track was an accomplishment in itself the team is entering this season far more primed for the Outlaw grind.
Were way more prepared, Gustin said. I think we got a hauler maybe two weeks before Speedweeks started last year. It was a mad dash to get everything done and get down there. Its definitely nice to have everything we need and everything where it needs to be showing up, and obviously the results show.
You aint going to win them all no matter what, but its a hell of a lot better than weve ever done [at Volusia]. Most of the time Ive been there with any team weve struggled, cant get around the place. But the boys have been working hard, Codys one of the best in the business, weve got great car owners that give us all tools we need to do our job. Hopefully we just keep on keeping on here.
The next stop on tour will take Gustin to Smoky Mountain Speedway in March, where hes had strong runs in the past. He finished fifth in the most recent World of Outlaws race at the track in 2022 a few months before its reconfiguration into a three-eighths-mile facility.
However, Gustin has been even more competitive on the smaller layout, winning with the Hunt the Front Super Dirt Series last April before finishing on the podium again in the tracks annual Mountain Moonshine Classic in June.
I feel really good about it, Gustin said. Since they reconfigured it, I think the worst weve ran is third, so were definitely looking forward to it.
Mac Returns To Kalitta Motorsports For 24th Season
YPSILANTI, Mich. One of the longest-running sports marketing partnerships is back for another year as Mac Tools returns to the Kalitta Motorsports Top Fuel dragster for its 24th-consecutive season as its primary sponsor.
The NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins March 7-9 at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
Doug Kalitta will once again pilot the red and white Mac Tools Toyota Top Fuel dragster, but the team will debut fresh, new livery when the season starts next week. Team Kalittas Mac Tools primary partnership, which began in 2001, spans more than two decades in a relationship that feels more like a friendship.
Mac Tools is a significant part of the long-term success Kalitta Motorsports enjoys in NHRA Drag Racing.
Our partnership with Kalitta Motorsports not only benefits our brand, but also helps promote the sport of drag racing and inspires the next generation of automotive professionals, Mac Tools president Phil Cox said. Kalitta Motorsports has been an amazing ambassador of the Mac Tools brand for more than 25 years, and we are excited to see what the new season holds for Doug Kalitta and the entire Kalitta Motorsports team.
As a leading manufacturer and distributor of professional-grade tools and equipment, Mac Tools is committed to supporting the automotive industry and the dedicated professionals who keep it running. We are proud to align ourselves with Doug Kalitta and his team they exemplify the same level of skill, precision and dedication that we strive for in our products and services.
Mac Tools is more than a corporate partner, Kalitta said. When you have a long-term relationship like we have, its more like family than partnership, and the new livery is pretty cool! It was great to bring them a championship a couple years ago, and were hungry to win another one this season. Were all really proud to represent Mac Tools and all of their distributors, and we look forward to more great times together.
STEELE, Ala. The International Hot Rod Association (IHRA) Summit SuperSeries World Finals, scheduled for Oct. 16-18, will take place at a new venue: Alabama Intl Dragway.
The Steele, Alabama, track boasts a long-standing relationship with IHRA, dating back to its opening. Alabama Intl Dragway hosted the IHRA Super Nationals from 1993-95, with notable winners including IHRA Hall of Fame drivers Scotty Cannon and Anthony Bertozzi.
Other champions included Top Fuel drivers Clayton Harris and Rhonda Hartman, Pro Mod standout Tommy Mauney and Pro Stock legend Roy Hill.
The venue features both one-eighth-mile and quarter-mile track configurations, earning it the well-deserved tagline, Where Records Fall.
Spanning 100 acres, the facility includes asphalt pit areas, 10,000-seat bleachers, concessions, restrooms, and trackside RV lots. One of its most significant advantages is its convenient location between Gadsden and Birmingham, just off Interstate 59 at Exit 174.
Alabama International is a fantastic location centrally positioned and, in the South, which gives us an advantage with the weather, IHRA President Rich Schaefer said. Of course, weather is always a factor, but temperature isnt a concern here.
Its an outstanding IHRA track in an ideal spot.
For the past three years, Holly Springs Motorsports Park in Mississippi hosted the IHRA Summit SuperSeries World Finals. The move isnt a reflection on the previous venue but rather an effort to refresh the event and highlight IHRAs premier national championship in bracket racing.
Holly Springs has been a great partner, and Im sure it will continue to be, along with (track co-owner) Dominic Blasco and his team, Schaefer noted. This decision wasnt about their performance or anything theyve done in the past. We just wanted to rotate the location and ensure the World Finals werent held at the same venue as a Division Finals.
The updated schedule also benefits racers who qualify for both the IHRA and WDRA World Finals. The WDRA Finals are set for Oct. 25-27 at Montgomery Intl Dragway, just two hours south of Alabama Intl Dragway.
Having the WDRA Finals so close is a huge advantage. Some racers qualify for both series by competing at different home tracks, Schaefer said. A racer can compete for an IHRA World Championship at Alabama International, then either stay in Alabama or head home before returning for the WDRA Finals.
Its a great opportunity and a cost-saving option for many competitors.
Reports: Sens' Tkachuk, Norris, Pinto out vs. Jets
Senators captain Brady Tkachuk and fellow forwards Josh Norris and Shane Pinto will sit out Ottawa's home game against the white-hot Winnipeg Jets on Wednesday, multiple media outlets reported.
All three players participated in the Senators' optional skate Wednesday morning before the team attempts to slow the high-octane Jets, who have won a franchise-record 10 in a row.
Tkachuk sustained a lower-body injury while playing for the United States in the 4 Nations Face-Off. He sat out Saturday's 5-2 home loss to the Montreal Canadiens, Ottawa's fourth straight defeat.
Tkachuk, 25, leads the Senators with 21 goals in 56 games this season and is third in points with 44.
Norris, 25, has been out since Feb. 3 with an upper-body injury. He has 31 points (19 goals, 12 assists) in 50 games this season.
Pinto, 24, has been sidelined with an upper-body injury since Feb. 4. He has 22 points (11 goals, 11 assists) in 46 games.
Also on Wednesday, the Senators recalled forwards Angus Crookshank and Jan Jenik from Belleville of the American Hockey League.
Avs' Nichushkin, out since Dec. 31, returns Wed.
DENVER -- Valeri Nichushkin returns to the Colorado Avalanche lineup Wednesday night for the first time in nearly two months after recovering from a lower-body injury.
The Russian forward will try to spark a sputtering Avalanche offense that's scored two goals in back-to-back losses since coming back from the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
The game against the New Jersey Devils will be Nichushkin's first since Dec. 31.
"You can't underestimate how much he means to this team," defenseman Cale Makar said after Wednesday's morning skate. "It will be a huge addition for us. Hopefully he's back to Valeri form. He looks pretty good out there."
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said there will be no restrictions with Nichushkin. He also will help out on special teams.
The 29-year-old Nichushkin had 11 goals and six assists in 21 games before getting hurt. He missed the opening 17 games of the season after being suspended last May and placed in Stage 3 of the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program.
Colorado is 209-74-27 with Nichushkin in the lineup.
"In regard to the power forwards, you can say he's the best in the world," forward Logan O'Connor said. "Just a big-body forward out there for us. ... It's going to be massive to have back in the lineup."
The 6-foot-4, 210-pound Nichushkin can help out trying to score gritty goals in front of the net -- an area where the Avalanche have struggled at times. It was the forte of captain Gabriel Landeskog, but he hasn't played since the Avalanche hoisted the Stanley Cup in 2022 due to a lingering knee injury.
"There are so many things he does with that frame of his," forward Jonathan Drouin said of Nichushkin. "He's a beast and we're going to need him."
Concacaf has launched an investigation into an incident that occurred in the final minutes of the Concacaf Champions Cup match between Los Angeles FC and the Colorado Rapids after Sergi Palencia allegedly called Chidozie Awaziem a derogatory term.
Confusion arose at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles as the referees added six minutes of added time to the second leg of the first-round series.
Colorado Rapids head coach Chris Armas later explained that Awaziem was left visibly upset after being called a derogatory term, causing a standstill in the game's last moments.
"Yeah, there was an incident that happened on the field. Our player Chidozie Awaziem was pretty clear and upset about a derogatory term that he said was clear about what was said," Armas said. "Our club, I, are fully behind our player to support him with the investigation to further investigate what went down. He was visibly upset."
A Concacaf spokesperson confirmed to ESPN that the organization will conduct a thorough investigation into the matter.
"Concacaf has initiated an investigation into a reported incident between players Chidozie Awaziem of Colorado Rapids and Sergi Palencia of Los Angeles FC during last night's Concacaf Champions Cup match. The investigation will involve a thorough review of the match officials' reports, available match footage, and the respective positions of both clubs."
When asked about the situation after the match, LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo pledged his full support to the investigation and players.
"He thought it was directed towards him. I don't know exactly what was said. I'm sure the ref will write a report. We'll figure it out. We want to support the players," Cherundolo said.
The Colorado Rapids issued a statement on Wednesday.
"The Colorado Rapids fully support Concacaf's ongoing investigation into the reported use of abusive language by an LAFC player during last night's match at BMO Stadium.
"As a club, we do not tolerate any form of abuse, and we stand with our players following these very serious allegations. This language has no place in our game."
LAFC advanced to the Concacaf Champions Cup round of 16 due to the away-goals rule after drawing 2-2 against the Colorado Rapids over the two-legged series.
Though Colorado won the first leg 2-1, LAFC scored a goal at Dick's Sporting Goods Park and triumphed 1-0 in the second match to secure the ticket into the next round of the international tournament.
LAFC will now host the Columbus Crew at BMO Stadium on March 4 for the first leg of the round-of-16 series.
Premier League live blog: Liverpool host Newcastle on vital day in title race
On Wednesday, four Premier League matches could go some way to ironing out the title race, the top four and everything beyond that.
Our reporters are at all four and will provide play-by-play from Liverpool against Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur against Manchester City, Nottingham Forest against Arsenal, and Manchester United against Ipswich Town. Enjoy!
Buttler on captaincy future: 'You've got to consider all possibilities'
Buttler won the 2022 T20 World Cup, his first ICC tournament as captain, but England have underperformed ever since. They lost six out of nine games at the 2023 ODI World Cup, were thrashed by India in the semi-finals of the T20 World Cup in 2024, and have now gone out of the Champions Trophy with one group match remaining, following back-to-back defeats to Australia and Afghanistan.
Matthew Mott lost his job as England's coach after last year's T20 World Cup and Buttler conceded that he had feared for his own job at the time. He has since captained the team on a tough tour to India where they won only once in eight games, and appeared to concede that his time in charge was likely up in the aftermath of Wednesday night's game.
"It's tough to say, stood here right now, and I don't want to make any sort of emotional statements," Buttler told Sky Sports. "But I think it's fair to say that you've got to consider all possibilities.
"I've enjoyed it [the captaincy]. I've seen lots of people say it doesn't sit well with me, but I do enjoy it. I enjoy the challenge. Obviously I don't enjoy losing games of cricket and the results. And of course when they're not going well, you do look at yourself in the mirror and say, 'Am I part of the problem or am I part of the solution?' I think that's what I've got to work out."
Buttler conceded at his post-match press conference that his future may not be in his own hands. "You [the press] are probably not the first people I'd discuss that with," he said. "I'll take a little bit of time to work out, personally, what I think is right, and obviously the guys at the top are in charge, and they'll have their own views as well.
"I enjoy leading. Even before, when I wasn't captain, I'd like to think of myself as a leader in the team, but results are tough and they weigh heavy at times. Of course, you want to be leading a winning team, and we haven't been that for a while now, so obviously that brings some difficult moments."
Harry Brook captained England in their ODI series against Australia in September and is their official vice-captain at the Champions Trophy, while Liam Livingstone (ODI) and Phil Salt (T20I) have also deputised in Buttler's absence. After Saturday's game against South Africa, England's next white-ball fixtures are against West Indies in June.
In Lahore, England fell just short in pursuit of the 326-run target set by Afghanistan despite Joe Root's first ODI hundred since 2019. Buttler said that their failure to reach the target on a flat pitch was a reflection of the team's wider struggles.
"I think a confident team would've romped home tonight," he said. "That's the way sport goes sometimes. When you've been short of results in those 50-50 games, you probably find ways to lose as opposed to win when you're a really confident, flying team.
"The last 10 overs with the ball got away from us: they scored 113 runs in that phase. If we could have restricted them, that would've made the chase a lot easier. Joe Root played an unbelievable innings, full of class and character as usual, and we needed one of the top six to go longer with him.
"Everyone is going to be very disappointed and it is going to be raw You've got to allow things like this to push you forward and drive you forward in your future - as an individual, as a team, and, as an England white-ball side, to get back to the level that we want to be at, competing in these tournaments and being here to win."
Buttler fell for 38 at a critical time in the run chase after an 83-run stand with Root, opening up an end for Afghanistan to target. He has been short of runs in 50-over cricket for some time, with 352 ODI runs at 22.00 since the start of the 2023 World Cup.
"I think when I'm at my best, I'm one of the best players in the world," he said. "I'm not performing at that level at the moment. I've felt in good touch, but I'm not getting the scores that I've been used to over time, so that's frustrating."
Matt Roller is an assistant editor at ESPNcricinfo. @mroller98
Group B scenarios: How can Afghanistan qualify? Are South Africa favourites to finish on top?
Afghanistan's win against England means it's now a three-way battle for semi-finals qualification from Group B, with two games to go. Australia (three points, NRR 0.475) take on Afghanistan (two points, NRR -0.99) in Lahore on Friday, while South Africa (three points, NRR 2.14) face England on Saturday. Here's an explainer on who will qualify based on those two results.
If Australia and South Africa win
Australia and South Africa will qualify with five points each. The top spot in the group will be decided by the win margins, with South Africa favourites to finish first, given their comprehensive win against Afghanistan. Assuming a one-run win for South Africa after scoring 300, Australia need to win by 87 runs (with the same first-innings total) to go past South Africa's NRR.
If Australia and England win
Australia will top the group with five points, while South Africa will still finish second on three.
If Afghanistan and South Africa win
South Africa will top with five points, while Afghanistan, with four points, will finish second ahead of Australia.
If Afghanistan and England win
Afghanistan will finish on top with four points. The second place will then go to either Australia or South Africa, who will both finish on three points. South Africa are well ahead on net run rate currently, which means they'll have to suffer a big loss to England for Australia to move ahead on NRR. For instance, if Australia lose by just one run after Afghanistan score 300, South Africa will have lose by 87 chasing the same target, for their NRR to slip below Australia's.
If Australia-Afghanistan is washed out
There's a possibility of showers in Lahore on Friday. If points are shared in that game, Australia will go up to four points and will be assured of qualification.
If South Africa beat England they will top the group with five points, but if England win, then South Africa and Afghanistan will finish on three points, which will bring NRR into the equation. Afghanistan (NRR -0.99) will almost certainly be eliminated, as they'll need South Africa to lose by at least 207 runs (chasing 301) to move up to second place and qualify.
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