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Longin Back With PK Carsport For EuroNASCAR Title Hunt
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – After finally unlocking the door to the EuroNASCAR PRO victory lane in the last race of 2019, Stienes Longin will be back with PK Carsport and sponsor Projob Workwear to chase the European NASCAR crown at the wheel of the No. 11 Chevrolet Camaro.
Longin was one of the most consistent drivers last season. For the first time in his career, he led the standings entering the playoffs thanks to a record six second-place finishes in the first nine races of the season. A heartbreaking Semi Final 1 at the Hockenheimring cost him the chance to contend for the title, but Longin turned frustration and disappointment into motivation and broke through at his home track of Zolder, winning the final race of the season and the first of his EuroNASCAR PRO career.
The Belgian ended up second in points and immediately focused on taking the next step in 2020. Negotiations took longer than expected, but Projob Workwear will be back as the proud main sponsor of the No. 11 Camaro.
“Everybody was happy with what we did last year, but the goal is to win the championship. We have to gain just one more place, the most difficult one, and become champions,” said the Leuven-native. “I think I learnt a lot in 2019. Especially the difference between finishing on the podium and winning a title. With PK Carsport and Projob Workwear we did a lot together, we improved together and we all have one common goal: raise the biggest trophy at the end of the season and fly to the NASCAR Hall Of Fame.”
Winning his first race among the most competitive NASCAR drivers in Europe and doing it in dominant fashion under torrential rain in front of his home crowd could represent a key step towards the series championship for 28-year-old Stienes Longin.
“With so many second places I knew I was capable of winning, but you have to win one to know how it really feels. Now I’m confident the pieces of the puzzle will fall together. I don’t think I have to do things in a much different way, but I have to handle things differently.” concluded the 2016 EuroNASCAR 2 champion. “With three playoff events, Vallelunga and Zolder will be even more important to position ourselves for the Finals. We have to be at our very best from September on. We’ll make sure to be ready.”
Longin will have a new spotter in 2020: Two-time EuroNASCAR champion and PK Carsport team owner Anthony Kumpen will be on Longin’s radio, while Bert Longin will focus on other aspects of his son’s preparation.
“Stienes will have an even better platform in 2020,” said Bert Longin. “He won his first EuroNASCAR PRO race and that is always important for a driver. He now knows for sure he can win because he proved it in the most difficult conditions. And then he’ll have Anthony Kumpen as his spotter. Sometimes, in a father-son situation, emotions can have the better of you both and that’s why we decide that Anthony will coach and spot Stienes. I’ll always be there and I’ll be focusing on other aspects and I am absolutely happy to be part of this NASCAR and PK Carsport families once again.”
“I have known Stienes since he was one year old so this is definitely going to be special for me. I know him very well, I know what he’s feeling when he’s racing and I think this will allow me to help him as much as possible not only between races but also during the race,” said Kumpen. “He did really well in 2019 and the goal is to fight for the championship in 2020. The first win is the most difficult one and that is in the books. The same way you have to learn how to win races, you have to learn how to win championships and I think Stienes has all the potential to be an even stronger title contender than last year.”
AMITYVILLE, N.Y. – Iconic Brands Inc. has signed Chase Elliott, driver of the No. 9 Hooters Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE, as a brand ambassador for its premium line of Hooters Spirits in a multi-year agreement that includes personal appearances at select Hooters Spirits events.
Elliott has won six races since joining the NASCAR Cup Series full time in 2016 with Hendrick Motorsports and has qualified for the NASCAR Playoffs each season. Prior to his debut in the Cup Series, Elliott won the 2014 NASCAR Xfinity Series championship before finishing as the series’ championship runner-up the following season in 2015.
“The Hooters brand is a great fit with me and racing fans everywhere, so to also be able to evolve into a brand ambassadorship role for Hooters Spirits makes a lot of sense,” said Elliott. “The Hooters Spirits brand gained a lot of momentum last year with its launch, and I’m hopeful our expanded partnership gives the brand extra horsepower in its drive to roll out nationwide.”
Elliott drives the No. 9 race car, the same number his father Bill Elliott brought to fame in the 1980s.
Richard DeCicco, chief executive officer of Iconic, also expressed his enthusiasm for Elliott and his growing presence as a sports celebrity.
“Chase Elliott is the perfect ambassador for Hooters Spirits, and we’re ecstatic to have him join the family,” said DeCicco. “Signing an athlete of his caliber is a monumental milestone for Iconic and Hooters. Chase’s work ethic, skills and talent – combined with his established loyal fan following – made him the ideal choice. We believe that this will be pivotal in raising awareness of Hooters Spirits and Iconic Brands. This will also lead to increased exposure and future sales going forward.”
Hooters Spirits launched its premium line of alcohol beverages in August 2019 with first tastings taking place in and around Bristol, Tenn. The No. 9 Hooters Spirits Chevrolet show car was at each event with the Hooters Girls on site taking pictures with customers and fans. The debut events led up to the NASCAR Cup Series Bass Pro Shops 500 on Aug. 17 at Bristol Motor Speedway, where Chase Elliott drove the Hendricks Motorsports No. 9 Hooters Spirits Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE to a top-five finish.
Rory McIlroy to donate driver from Players victory to TPC Sawgrass
While staring down one of the most daunting finishing holes in golf, Rory McIlroy confidently pulled driver out of his bag and ripped one down the middle, setting himself up to claim his first Players Championship title.
Now, that same driver will live on inside TPC Sawgrass, just as those who came before him left a club behind.
"The driver played a huge role for me last year in winning The Players," said McIlroy, who will defend his title next week. "It was perfect. I think I picked the tee up pretty quickly. ... Knew that from there it should be a pretty simple task to win the golf tournament."
McIlroy's win at the PGA Tour's signature event was only the beginning of what would become a Player-of-the-Year season, capped off by his second FedExCup title at East Lake in August.
With one win under his belt in the wraparound season, the world No. 1 will look to become the first player to win back-to-back Players.
Why the Honda Classic is moving tournament dates after Players in 2021
Honda Classic executive director Ken Kennerly has been lobbying PGA Tour officials about getting a date change for the event, and he will get his wish.
Kennerly confirmed the tournament will be moved deeper into March next year.
Instead of leading off the Florida swing, the Honda Classic will be played March 18-21.
With the date change, the Arnold Palmer Invitational will lead off next year, followed by The Players and then the Honda Classic.
“In our opinion, after talking to players, it’s a better date,” Kennerly said.
The Honda Classic rebuilt its event with Kennerly taking over in 2007, with some elite fields responding to the tournament’s upgrades and its move to PGA National, but the revamped PGA Tour schedule unveiled two years ago added new challenges. The revamped schedule moved the Honda Classic into the middle of a hard run of five big events, a run that also included a more fortified finish to the West Coast swing. The Honda Classic was feeling the squeeze the last two seasons, with the Genesis Invitational and WGC-Mexico Championship preceding it and the Arnold Palmer Invitational and The Players following it. The WGC event was previously played at Doral in suburban Miami, which added convenience to players also wanting to compete at nearby Honda.
“We will have to see how it goes,” Kennerly said. “You never know what these guys are going to decide to play and what they’re going to miss, but we feel it will be better for us.”
The Masters was a factor in Honda’s move to the middle of March next year. With one less week on the calendar before the year’s first major, the Tour’s making adjustments. How that will affect the Valspar Championship’s dates has yet to be announced.
While the Honda Classic will remain among a hard run of big events, it will follow The Players in Florida, instead of the WGC event in Mexico, adding some scheduling convenience for players already in the state.
Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Justin Thomas have homes in South Florida but skipped this year’s event. Woods has missed the last two years.
Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp has ridiculed suggestions the Premier League title could become null and void should the coronavirus outbreak affect the end of the season in England.
The Telegraph had reported Liverpool, who are 22 points clear at the top of the table, may not be crowned champions if the campaign is curtailed by the coronavirus.
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However, speaking ahead of the FA Cup fifth-round clash with Chelsea on Tuesday, Klopp said: "I don't think our fans are paranoid. I can't believe that Liverpool fans are bothered about it and I actually speak to Liverpool fans.
"If you want to ask me how much sense it would make, who would play in the Champions League next season, it would be really interesting.
"It's a nice story, but when I saw it for the first time, I thought: 'Wow! Really, somebody thinks something like that?' Liverpool fans are not silly enough to believe these things."
Liverpool's youngest-ever starting XI beat Shrewsbury 1-0 in a fourth-round replay and while Klopp said he is likely to use some of the same players, he will also look to many of his first choice against Chelsea.
"It's not about loyalty," he said. "These boys are our boys, and they did what they did.
"If we win the FA Cup in the end, they would be involved in our celebrations. If they will play tomorrow night, I don't know, we will see that, for sure not all of them.
"From the Shrewsbury team for sure there will be boys in the squad, and who will start then, we will see.
"It's a different situation than it was in the last round. If you see the team who played at Shrewsbury, that was actually an FA Cup team for us in that moment, which we thought would make sense.
"We couldn't get the result we wanted, that's why we had to play a second time, but it will not be exactly the team who played the second time against Shrewsbury."
Nuwan Pradeep, Dhananjaya de Silva out of West Indies T20Is
Sri Lanka's 3-0 sweep in the ODIs against West Indies has come with some collateral damage. Fast bowler Nuwan Pradeep and allrounder Dhananjaya de Silva will miss the two-match T20I series which begins March 4, after both picked up injuries in the third ODI on Sunday. Asitha Fernando, the right-arm quick, is the only replacement who has been called up.
Pradeep hobbled off the field after 4.3 overs in Pallkelle, picking up a hamstring injury three deliveries into his second spell. De Silva injured his wrist during the second innings after scoring a half-century that took the hosts to a match-winning score of 307.
Fernando's only Sri Lanka appearance came in an ODI in 2017, where he bowled just two overs against Zimbabwe. Since then, he has been in and out of squads - across all three formats - without breaking into the playing XI. In 20 T20 games, he has an economy of 6.98 and an average of 16.84. Even so, he is once again likely to be behind the first-choice trio of Lahiru Kumara, Lasith Malinga, and Isuru Udana in terms of the pecking order.
Fernando has been chosen partly due to his first-class form. He has taken 26 wickets at an average of 17.61 across four matches in the ongoing Premier League Tournament. It is likely because the first-class competition is in full swing that that the selectors have named no replacement for de Silva, as well.
Angelo Mathews and Dasun Shanaka, also, offer pace options. Their form, together with the recent consistency shown by Thisara Perera and Wanindu Hasaranga may be why there was no replacement sought for de Silva.
Hamstring injuries have been a constant problem for Pradeep, and this one will keep him out for at least six weeks, which means that he is not available for the forthcoming Tests against England. In any case, he has not been chosen in the longest format for a while, mainly because of his injury problems.
De Silva, meanwhile, is understood to be facing a shorter recovery period, and should be back in time for the Tests, the first of which begins on March 19.
Updated Sri Lanka squad: Lasith Malinga (capt.), Avishka Fernando, Kusal Perera, Shehan Jayasuriya, Niroshan Dickwella, Kusal Mendis, Angelo Mathews, Thisara Perera, Dasun Shanaka, Wanindu Hasaranga, Lakshan Sandakan, Isuru Udana, Asitha Fernando, Lahiru Kumara
New Knicks president Rose asks fans for patience
The New York Knicks have officially named former player agent Leon Rose as their new president.
Terms of Rose's deal were not disclosed. The Knicks announced that Rose, formerly the co-head of CAA's basketball division, will "oversee all basketball operations and personnel for the team."
In a letter to the team's fans, Rose said he will support interim coach Mike Miller and his staff.
"I want to thank Mike for his continued leadership and professionalism during this period," he wrote.
While noting that the Knicks have young talent, Rose wrote that "nothing about this is easy, or quick, so I ask for your continued patience."
A message to our fans from Team President Leon Rose (1/3): pic.twitter.com/qc5Vh0cz0g
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 2, 2020
(3/3) pic.twitter.com/h3M2oj6TKT
— NEW YORK KNICKS (@nyknicks) March 2, 2020
Rose has been one of the top agents in basketball for decades, with clients including Joel Embiid, Chris Paul, Devin Booker, Karl-Anthony Towns, Carmelo Anthony and Kyle Kuzma. Previous Rose clients included LeBron James and Allen Iverson.
"We are pleased to welcome Leon to the New York Knicks as team president, and believe he is the right leader to build a winning organization for our fans," Knicks owner James Dolan said in a statement. "Leon is one of the most respected executives in professional basketball, with decades of experience successfully working with NBA players and team management in all facets of the game. We are confident he brings the right combination of expertise and relationships to ensure the long-term success of our franchise."
The Knicks are 18-42 this season, the second-worst record in the Eastern Conference and fourth worst overall. The Knicks fired coach David Fizdale in December after starting 4-18. Fizdale was 21-83 in less than two seasons as coach.
New York has clinched its seventh consecutive season with a losing record. The last time the Knicks made the postseason was the 2012-13 season.
Go behind the scenes with ESPN's MLB All-Access games
Fans will get a unique inside look at some of MLB's biggest stars and most popular teams during four "All-Access" telecasts of spring training games on ESPN. Special behind-the-scenes coverage will include players, managers and executives being miked up, in-game interviews and other features before and during the game broadcasts.
Check back here for videos and other content from all the action.
Monday: Angels vs. Cubs, 3 p.m. ET
• 'Only in spring training' stories: Driving to the wrong park, practicing in khakis and more
• Joe Maddon opens up on leaving Cubs, returning to Angels
• Why the Angels are doing the right thing in holding back Ohtani
• How Bryant and Arenado are moving forward from trade rumors
Tuesday: Red Sox vs. Yankees, 1 p.m. ET
Judge is inspiring kids to be better leaders
Yankees star Aaron Judge expresses how important his All Rise Foundation is to help inspire kids to be responsible in their communities.
• Yankees won't miss Luis Severino as much as you think
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Wednesday: Cardinals vs. Mets, 1 p.m. ET
• Same city, new team: Betances gets fresh start in Queens
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Friday: Red Sox vs. Braves, 1 p.m. ET
Verdugo meets his idol David Ortiz
Alex Verdugo, fresh off of getting traded to the Red Sox, meets David Ortiz, who Verdugo models his game after.
The reason he will be honing his claws; he enters the now well-established tournament in a not too dissimilar situation to last year.
In 2019, he proved the doubters wrong; he won the men’s singles title before the following month in Budapest proceeding to be crowned world champion for the third consecutive time.
Cause for question
Hindsight is wonderful thing but if we search our hearts did we really think that Ma Long, even though superhuman, could really win in Doha? He was the no.11 seed!
Not only was he not listed amongst the favourites, for some nine months he had either not enjoyed the best of results or injury had forced withdrawal. In June 2018 he won on the ITTF World Tour in China, he beat Fan Zhendong in the final but from that moment everything turned from bad to worse.
Later in the month in Japan he experienced a quarter-final exit at the hands of Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto; then in August in Bulgaria, he departed in the opening round, losing to England’s Liam Pitchford. Following Bulgaria, injury forced withdrawal from proceedings; in March he returned in Qatar, he returned in style, he set the record straight.
Similar pattern
Now, one year later there is a similar pattern, accepted not as drastic but, since last June when retaining his title at the 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum China Open, once again in Shenzhen, the results have not been to Ma Long standards.
Most certainly the rest of humanity would be delighted but Ma Long has a major problem; it is called Ma Long.
On the ITTF World Tour, two weeks after his success in Shenzhen, he was beaten in the quarter-finals in Japan by Fan Zhendong, then in the Korea Republic he suffered in the final when facing Xu Xin, before in Australia, losing in the penultimate round to Wang Chuqin.
Likewise at the Agricultural Bank of China 2019 ITTF World Tour Grand Finals and earlier this year at the 2020 ITTF World Tour Platinum German Open in Magdeburg he concluded play the runner up; in the former beaten by Fan Zhendong, in the latter by Xu Xin.
Chengdu
Defeats against colleagues, they rarely if ever can be considered a true reflection of form, to call them upsets is not correct.
However, on Sunday 1st December at the Chengdu Airlines 2019 Men’s World Cup there was a surprise; for the first time ever when competing in the annual tournament, Ma Long did not gain a place on the podium.
Teenagers, ended ambitions; at the semi-final stage he was beaten by Japan’s Tomokazu Harimoto, in the third place match by Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju.
Beware, don’t annoy a legend, it’s a dangerous habit; a repeat of last year, more than likely, the “Dragon” is wounded, in Doha breathing fire!
Timo Boll
Undeniably one of the all-time greats, German legend Timo Boll more often than not enjoys his time spent at the Europe Top 16 Cup competition and this year’s event in Montreux proved no exception. Negotiating contests against Kristian Karlsson, Liam Pitchford and Robert Gardos, 38-year-old Boll then added surprise finalist Darko Jorgic to the list to once again take the plaudits. Boll has now won the title seven times, equalling another table tennis icon in retired Swedish star Jan-Ove Waldner.
Dina Meshref
Claiming her first ITTF Africa Cup women’s singles gold back in 2011 and then her second three years later, Egypt’s Dina Meshref has progressed to dominate ever since making it seven title wins in a row with another outstanding performance at the 2020 edition of the event in Tunis. Prevailing over Nigeria’s Offiong Edem in the final, Meshref has now emerged as champion on eight occasions, six times more than her closest rival!
Tomokazu Harimoto
Showing his ruthless side from start to finish at the 2020 ITTF World Tour Hungarian Open, Tomokazu Harimoto was simply majestic in Budapest. Dropping just three games throughout the entirety of the men’s singles draw, Japan’s Harimoto brushed aside Dimitrij Ovtcharov in straight games before going on to claim revenge for his defeat to Yukiya Uda at the 2020 All-Japan National Championships.
Miwa Harimoto
Winner of the junior and cadet girls’ singles titles at the 2020 Czech Junior and Cadet Open in Hodonín, 11-year-old Miwa Harimoto was just as sharp at the 2020 Swedish Junior and Cadet Open, part of the Safir International in Örebro, finishing runner-up in the Elite class women’s singles event as well as taking home silverware in the Under 21 women’s singles and cadet girls’ singles categories.
Kirill Gerassimenko
Very much a shining beacon of hope of Kazakh table tennis, Kirill Gerassimenko continues to live up to the hype and was a man amongst the headlines at the 2020 ITTF Challenge Spanish Open in Grenada. Surpassing his previous best semi-final finishes achieved at the 2017 Polish and 2018 Thailand Opens, Gerassimenko came out on top against top seeded Benedikt Duda in the final to hand Kazakhstan its first-ever men’s singles title!
Colin Judge
Making a name for himself at the 2020 Para Polish Open, Ireland’s Colin Judge was one of the standout competitors in Wladyslawowo with two unanticipated title successes. The no.4 seed in the men’s singles class 3, Judge beat top seed Maciej Nalepka and Kim Jinsung on his way to glory and also partnered Israel’s Shmuel Ben Asor to victory in the men’s team class 3 event.
Michela Brunelli
Like Colin Judge, Michela Brunelli also caught the eye in Wladyslawowo with her outstanding efforts. Brunelli outperformed expectations in the women’s singles class 2-3 category as the unseeded Italian player beat Japan’s Yukimi Chada to claim a silver medal finish. Brunelli upset the odds yet again in the women’s team class 2-5 event, combining with Carlotta Ragazzini to see off Croatia’s Andela Muzinic and Helena Dretar in the final.
Mima Ito
Having to wait until the 12th stop to land women’s singles gold on the 2019 ITTF World Tour, Mima Ito has been much quicker to the mark this time out with the Japanese teenager emerging victorious in Budapest. Relatively untroubled on her way to the final top seed Ito displayed nerves of steel in the all-important title decider against Cheng I-Ching, showing an incredible level of maturity to recover from 2-3 down on games and 2-7 on points to snatch victory from the jaws of defeat.
Qiu Dang
Another German making the list of nominations, February was a special month for Qiu Dang as he celebrated his first-ever men’s singles title success on the international stage. Seeded 20th at the 2020 ITTF Challenge Plus Portugal Open, Qiu survived four full distance thrillers, including his meeting with Ukraine’s Yevhen Pryshchepa in the final itself, to stand atop the medals podium in Lisbon.
Petrissa Solja
Defending her women’s singles crown at the CCB 2020 Europe Top 16 Cup, Germany’s Petrissa Solja once again emerged queen of the crop in Montreux as she lifted the trophy for the second year running. Battling past Natalia Partyka, Elizabeta Samara and Margaryta Pesotska, Solja secured gold with victory over Britt Eerland at the final hurdle. Solja, who was seeded second for the event, has now appeared in the final on three of the past four editions of the tournament!
Robert Gardos
Austrian stalwart Robert Gardos enjoyed a terrific month on the international scene with notable outings in Montreux and Budapest. Going one further than fellow countryman Daniel Habesohn achieved in 2019, Gardos toppled 2018 bronze medallist Jonathan Groth, top seed Mattias Falck and Croatia’s Tomislav Pucar on his way to a bronze medal finish in Montreux, his first ever podium finish at the prestigious tournament. The following week in Budapest, Gardos reached the men’s singles quarter-finals having eliminated Hong Kong China’s Wong Chun Ting in round one.
Hend Zaza
At just 11 years old, Syria’s Hend Zaza turned heads at the West Asia Olympic Qualification tournament, defying the odds with her women’s singles title win in Amman. Zaza’s incredible feat carried further significance as she became the first Syrian table tennis player to qualify for the Olympic Games! New heights for Zaza and Syrian table tennis as a whole and undoubtedly a bright future ahead for both.
Who is your pick for player of the month?
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