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Hana Goda ready to for senior debut

Published in Table Tennis
Tuesday, 11 February 2020 10:40

Egypt will compete in the second division and understandably Hana Goda, one of the most travelled junior players in the world, always accompanied by her mother, is relishing the opportunity.

“I’m very happy that I will be part of the Egyptian senior team to Korea. It wasn’t really a surprise as there was a qualification tournament and I came first in the competition.

I feel very excited and I’m looking forward for the challenge in Korea. I’m very honoured to be in the team alongside Dina Meshref and I will do my best to help team Egypt to do well.

It means a lot to me to be one of the youngest players at the World Team Table Tennis Championships. I believe this kind of experience will help me to achieve my dream of making it to the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, France.

My target this year is to keep being number one in cadet and to have better ranking in junior. I am also hoping that I can emerge as the champion at the World Cadet Challenge this year.

Education is also very important to me because when I travel anywhere I take my books with me in order to study.” Hana Goda

A highly competitive tournament, a fact of which Omar Assar, who emerged victorious at the 2018 ITTF Africa Top 16 tournament and won last year in Lagos at the 2019 ITTF-Africa Cup, in well aware.

“The ITTF Africa Top 16 Cup is a special event because it has only the current top players in Africa and they compete together to qualify for the ITTF World Cup! It is a tough challenge for me because all the players are in a good form.

I agree that there is a clear improvement in the level of the African players however I believe more can be done by managing the players in the professional way.

I am practising in preparation for the tournament as I need to be in a good form mentally and physically because the matches will be tough from the start.

The tournament has always seen surprises, players unexpectedly reaching the semi-finals by performing very well. Ibrahima Diaw of Senegal is very good.

Tunisia has a long history of table tennis that makes playing there always very special beside that I love the City of Tunis as I have won several titles in my career there at junior level. I am looking forward for the Tunisian fans.” Omar Assar

CrowdStrike Racing Expands Motorsports Program

Published in Racing
Tuesday, 11 February 2020 10:20

SUNNYVALE, Calif. – CrowdStrike Racing has confirmed its motorsports program for SRO America competition, with an expanded effort planned for this year.

George Kurtz and Colin Braun will partner together in GT World Challenge America for the second straight year in their No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS Mercedes-AMG GT3. They will drive together in the 13-round professional sports car championship with DXDT Racing beginning March 6-8 at Circuit of The Americas.

The Kurtz/Braun pairing acclimated themselves in their first season together as part of SRO America’s top championship with a fifth-place GT championship finish and two podium results in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 – runners-up at VIR and third at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park.

“I’m very excited to team again with Colin Braun in the 2020 GT World Challenge America Powered by AWS,” Kurtz said. “We learned a lot during the past year. We are both eager to compete again for race wins and championships together in the CrowdStrike/AWS Mercedes-AMG GT3. This stands to be the most notable season yet for CrowdStrike Racing with our involvement on the competition and commercial sides. As always, we strive to make a maximum impact for our team, our partners and our guests.”

The Mercedes-AMG GT3 has been updated this year to enhance its performance for customer teams. It weighs just over 2,800 pounds, features a six-speed sequential transmission with ABS and traction control, and is powered by a 6.3-liter V8 engine.

Kurtz begins his fourth season in the series formerly known as World Challenge. Kurtz is a past series champion, is a three-time class winner at the 25 Hours of Thunderhill and has experience with a wide array of manufacturers.

In Braun, CrowdStrike Racing returns one of America’s leading young sports car talents. Braun is coming off a second career victory at the prestigious Daytona 24 Hours in prototype competition, and he has finished on the podium at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in a GT car.

“I’m excited to be returning to CrowdStrike Racing in 2020,” Braun said. “George and I have great chemistry and I am looking forward to co-driving with him again. As a team, we learned a lot last year, and I think in our second year with DXDT and the Mercedes-AMG GT3 we will be in a great position to compete for wins and a championship especially with the update Mercedes brings to the car. We have an excellent team and I’m looking forward to getting the season started.”

New for this season is CrowdStrike Racing’s entry into TC America. The exciting addition is the No. 04 CrowdStrike/AWS Honda Civic Type R TCR for C.J. Moses. Moving over to DXDT brings the two programs into the same operation. Entering his second season of top-level road racing, Moses will contest a majority of the TC America season starting at Circuit of the Americas.

He already has gotten a taste of TCR action at the SRO Motorsports America Winter Invitational with two recent victories at Thermal Club in southern California. The Honda Civic Type R TCR features a sequential gearbox and a turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine.

The move to TCR and full-time competition is one for which Moses is well-prepared. He has been racing since 2005 with multiple Sports Car Club of America (SCCA) titles as both driver and crew chief; that experience bodes well for learning the ins and outs of the Honda Civic Type R.

“I’m really looking forward to the TC America season with the CrowdStrike/AWS Honda Civic Type R TCR,” Moses said. “Racing the Honda TCR car feels like coming home since I’ve driven Touring cars for most of my racing career. The car is a joy to drive and shows great potential for the season. This will be a great way to expand and showcase the CrowdStrike and AWS brands as leaders both on the racetrack and professionally with our hospitality and activation programs.”

He competed with CrowdStrike Racing in four events as part of the Pirelli GT4 America series last year with a pair of podium finishes, highlighted by second place at Virginia Int’l Raceway. He will make a return to GT4 competition with a special CrowdStrike/AWS Audi GT4 LMS entry fielded by GMG Racing, in the GT4 SprintX round at the Long Beach Grand Prix Powered by AWS.

Both CrowdStrike/AWS full-season racing entries will be fielded by Utah-based DXDT Racing, which enters the second year of a technical alliance with CrowdStrike Racing.

“I’m really looking forward to another season with CrowdStrike Racing, George Kurtz and Colin Braun,” said DXDT team principal David Askew. “George is coming off a great 2019 season and I know he’s ready to pick up where he left off. He’s been busy in the off-season running some of the international 24-hour races, basically keeping sharp and getting additional seat time in the Mercedes-AMG GT3. He and Colin are serious and determined racers, and this makes the team want to give them everything we have. I’m also looking forward to running the CrowdStrike/AWS Honda TCR. This is a new program for us and we are really excited to support CJ Moses in his first full season in TCR.”

Monster Energy Cup Heading To SoCal

Published in Racing
Tuesday, 11 February 2020 10:29

CARSON, Calif. – The Monster Energy Cup, Supercross’ Million Dollar All-Star Race, will be moving from Las Vegas to Southern California next year.

The event, which has been held in Las Vegas since 2011, will be held inside Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif. on Oct. 10.

The world’s top two-wheeled athletes will return to Southern California to lay it all on the line for a shot at the off-season prize of the largest purse in motorcycle racing at the 10th annual Monster Energy Cup race.

The Monster Energy Cup is an annual showcase of the world’s top Supercross athletes in a one-night-only head-to-head battle for the Monster Energy Cup trophy and the shot at winning $1 million.  The Monster Energy Cup challenges racers in their fight for victory with three 10-lap main events on a custom-designed track, inspired by five-time Monster Energy Supercross champion Ricky Carmichael. The Monster Energy Cup posts a $250,000 purse, with the winner guaranteed to walk away with a $100,000 check, and any rider who wins all three main events will take home $1 million.

Unlike any other race in the world with a unique format giving the sport’s biggest names a chance to battle it out for the Monster Million, which has only been achieved three times since the event’s inception, last win in 2018 with Monster Energy Kawasaki’s Eli Tomac becoming only the third athlete in the history of the event to take the top prize. Last year in 2019, Adam Cianciarulo grabbed the trophy to win $100,000 in his 450SX class debut.

Marking one of the first ever motorsports events to be held at the Digital Health Sports Park complex (formerly the StubHub Center) based on the campus of California State University, Dominguez Hills, the Monster Energy Cup will be turning the home field of the LA Galaxy, Major League Soccer’s five-time champions, into a man-made dirt battleground with more than 1.5 million pounds of dirt covering the soccer field for this epic all-day racing event.

Fans will be able to enjoy a full day of entertainment at the Monster Energy Cup FanFest from 12 p.m, to 6 p.m., including rider autograph sessions, live music and additional interactive experiences.  FanFest passes are $20 each and can be purchased in advance through AXS.com or fans get free access by recycling an empty can of Monster Energy.

Tiger Woods can envision a world with bifurcation, but he doesn't expect it to become a reality anytime soon.

Woods spoke to the media Tuesday in advance of the Genesis Invitational, and one of the first questions asked was an attempt to gauge Woods' reaction to last week's distance report from the USGA and R&A which found that increasing length has become "detrimental to the game."

Woods has had a front-row seat for the distance evolution over the last two-plus decades, noting that his first PGA Tour win in 1996 came in a playoff against an opponent (Davis Love III) who was using a persimmon driver. While the report findings have led to increased discussion over a potential rollback of equipment, Woods remains open to another possible solution: the concept of bifurcation, in which touring professionals play by a separate set of rules than everyday amateurs.

"It's on the table, whether we bifurcate or not. It's only 1 percent of guys or women that are going to be using that type of equipment. But we want to keep the game enjoyable, we want to keep having more kids want to come play it," Woods told reporters. "Part of the discussion going forward is do we bifurcate or not. That's, you know, it's not going to be probably even well after my career and playing days, that we will figure that out."

At age 44, Woods approaches the distance issue both as a competitor and a course designer. With multiple courses already opened and several more currently in development, he views the strain that increased distance gains have put on course architecture as an important one.

"We're running out of property to try and design golf courses that are, from the back, 7,800 to 8,000 yards. It's difficult," Woods said. "But on top of that, we want to keep the game enjoyable and we're trying to get more participation. And having larger heads, more forgiving clubs, it adds to the enjoyment of the game. So there's a very delicate balancing act where we're trying to keep the game at, but also as we've all recognized, the players have changed over the years, too."

Tom Abell, Brydon Carse and Tom Kohler-Cadmore will remain with the England Lions in Australia for their upcoming red-ball matches to cover for players departing for, or already on, England duty.

None of the three were in the Lions' original red-ball squad named to tour Australia but all were part of the one-day squad which went undefeated in three completed matches against a Cricket Australia XI and New South Wales XI.

Abell and Kohler-Cadmore will act as batting cover for Dom Sibley, Zak Crawley and Keaton Jennings, who were all named on Tuesday in England's Test squad for next month's tour of Sri Lanka and will leave after the Lions' second red-ball match, against Australia A at the MCG from February 22-25.

Spinner Dom Bess and captain Lewis Gregory also will also leave Australia after the match in Melbourne with Bess also travelling to Sri Lanka for the Test series and Gregory joining Peshawar Zalmi in the Pakistan Super League. Gregory claimed two wickets and scored a half-century to lead the Lions to a 52-run victory against a NSW XI in the final one-day match of the tour this week.

ALSO READ: Foakes, Jennings recalled for Sri Lanka, Moeen unavailable

Carse was retained to cover for Saqib Mahmood, whose involvement in the three-match T20I series against South Africa starting on Wednesday will determine his availability for the final two matches of the Lions tour.

The Lions play a four-day match against a Cricket Australia XI in Hobart starting on Friday night UK time (Saturday Australian time), followed by the day/night fixture with Australia A in Melbourne and a match against a NSW XI in Wollongong in early March.

England begin their tour of Sri Lanka with two warm-up matches from March 7 ahead of the first Test starting in Galle on March 19, followed by the second and final Test in Colombo from March 27.

Ex-top recruit Anoma dismissed from 2nd school

Published in Breaking News
Tuesday, 11 February 2020 10:07

Houston linebacker Eyabi Anoma has been dismissed from the program for an unspecified violation of team rules, the school announced on Tuesday.

Anoma, the No. 3 overall prospect in the 2018 ESPN 300, spent a year at Alabama before transferring to Houston. He appeared in six games in for Alabama, recording nine tackles.

Anoma sat out the 2019 season, per NCAA transfer rules. He leaves without having played a game for Houston.

Last August, Alabama coach Nick Saban said Anoma was dismissed from the school. Anoma arrived at Houston later that month, and the Cougars were anticipating him being an impact player in 2020. He drew strong reviews from Houston coaches and teammates for his physical ability while practicing with the scout team during the 2019 season.

LSU-Florida St. to kick off 2022, 2023 seasons

Published in Breaking News
Tuesday, 11 February 2020 10:11

LSU and Florida State announced a marquee nonconference matchup to kick off the 2022 and 2023 seasons on Labor Day weekend.

The two teams, which will be meeting for the first time since 1991, will play on Sept. 4, 2022, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans and on Sept. 3, 2023, at Camping World Stadium in Orlando, Florida.

"I'm excited about this series," new Florida State coach Mike Norvell said Tuesday. "This series matches two of the iconic brands in college football, and I know our fans will have a great time in New Orleans and Orlando."

Florida State is 8-2 at the Superdome, including winning a national championship against Michael Vick and Virginia Tech in the 2000 Sugar Bowl. The Seminoles are 9-2 in neutral-site season openers.

LSU is coming off a College Football Playoff National Championship in New Orleans last month.

"To play a traditional power like Florida State is a challenge that excites our team," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said. "We look forward to playing anyone, anywhere at any time."

The series adds another big-name opponent for LSU, which is playing Texas this season in Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Clemson in 2025-26; and Oklahoma in 2027-28. Florida State, meanwhile, has its annual nonconference rivalry game with Florida but also opens the 2021 season at home against Notre Dame.

Gregor Townsend knows that as Scotland coach he cannot get into the bear-pit with Finn Russell, can't slug it out in public with his former fly-half, trading blow for blow for our delectation. He can't, won't and doesn't want to.

He does wish to talk about it, though. Or as much of it as he can. He rejects pretty much every line of what Russell, now exiled from the Scotland squad, said in the Sunday Times and, no doubt, Russell will reject pretty much every line that Townsend utters here. There are two sides to this story and in almost every detail they are diametrically opposed.

The coach says he's not angry, but disappointed. He seems perplexed by parts of Russell's view of things and saddened by other parts. He sings the praises of the player and says he'd like to have him back in the squad, but will not cave in on what he, and his senior players, see as non-negotiable standards of behaviour.

You're not backing down? "Not at all," he replies. You will not bend? "No."

Townsend was planning to speak to Russell again this week, either face-to-face in Paris or over the telephone, but that may not happen now. The fly-half made his position abundantly clear on Sunday. Now Townsend has his say.

Tom English: You had no awareness that this interview was coming?

Gregor Townsend: No, I got a message about 11 on Saturday night that something was coming out the following day. It was disappointing. I'd actually been messaging Finn on Friday to set up a meeting the following week.

TE: You spoke to him?

GT: I spoke to him on the Sunday night after the Ireland game just to inform him that we'd be going with the same squad but that we would reassess after the first two games. And then on the Friday before the England game I messaged him on WhatsApp to arrange a time to either to meet, which would have been Paris, or to talk on the phone.

TE: And what did he say?

GT: He said Tuesday or Wednesday this week would work best and I said I'd get back to him after the game.

TE: And no sign in that exchange that he was going to go public?

GT: No, no. He said good luck (in the game) tomorrow.

TE: So you pick up your Sunday Times, what did you think?

GT: It was disappointing, the timing of it and the issues within it, especially as we were hoping to sit down and have a further conversation. The last time we sat down and had a conversation it was on the Monday after he had chosen to leave camp. He didn't come in on the Monday morning, which was very disappointing, but the conversation we had that night was a really positive one and I was hoping - and this was included in my message to him last week - that if we could have a similar conversation after the England game then that would be something I'd look forward to.

TE: Let's go through a few things he has said. He's basically saying it's you or him, isn't he? He's laying it down that he isn't coming back while you're Scotland coach...

GT: What we say to any player that has the ability to make a Scotland squad is that they have to align to certain team standards and values that the rest of the group are living by. That's what we want to see from any player. If they come into the group they have to be trusted to live those standards.

TE: Do you feel a betrayal?

GT: No, just disappointment that I'm not coaching Finn. I've coached him for over seven years and he has been very coachable, he's been great to work with, it's great to see how he has evolved from an academy player.

'Those views don't ring true'

TE: Gregor, his portrayal of you is that of a controlling, joyless character. He says that despite being coached by you for many years he has no relationship with you. It's a devastating critique...

GT: Those views don't ring true with what I've experienced, with this group of players and with coaching Finn for all these years. My approach to coaching evolves from campaign to campaign and from what I learn from different organisations but the fundamentals are there and have always been there. Finn, like any player, has the ability to express how he feels. The door is always open. Players have freedom to play within a structure. In terms of our environment, joy and fun is a big part of what we do during the week, but this is high performance sport. We have very high standards because the teams we are playing against operate at the highest level.

TE: You would reject the portrayal of you as too controlling...

GT: Players have opinions on a coach, but I work in collaboration with players and coaches and that's always been the case. I've particular empathy with people who play stand-off because I played in that position, I understand the pressures and expectations of playing 10.

TE: I'm pushing you to respond to each comment he has made but I know you don't want to get into a tit-for-tat, right?

GT: What stands out here is that players are invited to play for Scotland and there are huge responsibilities that go with that.

TE: So he hasn't been a team player?

GT: He chose to leave the team environment, he chose not to be there on the Monday. There has to be consequences for that and a recognition that it won't happen again.

TE: Tell me about the meeting you had on the Monday after the drinking episode on the Sunday. A positive meeting?

GT: Hugely positive.

TE: Did you think that the issue had been resolved at that point?

GT: I thought it was on its way to being resolved. We talked about a number of things - life and rugby, but also the events of the night before and that day and how that was unacceptable. It's unacceptable for a player to walk out on a group. He accepted that. He wanted to apologise to the group. He knew that he wouldn't be playing against Ireland. We can't cut corners on things like this. He was positive about that and how he would help Adam (Hastings). And we left positive. We were talking about gameplans.

TE: What happens on Tuesday?

GT: We had full training and I had told him you won't be here on Tuesday and that was the consequences of what you did. But we have Thursday and Friday training. He was going to be there. I phoned him on the Tuesday evening before flying to London for the Six Nations launch and, unfortunately, it wasn't the same conversation as the night before. There was definitely a change in direction and he wanted to go back to Racing that weekend which meant he wouldn't be able to speak to the players on Thursday and Friday, which was disappointing.

TE: Was that a frosty conversation?

GT: I was really deflated. I'd been so positive about the night before.

TE: What happened?

GT: I don't know. Twenty four hours after our conversation and things had moved on from his point of view and they have not gone back in the last couple of weeks.

'I knew I had to improve as a coach'

TE: He says you have not really had much of a relationship and that the difficulties go back a year or more. I'm quoting now. "...the current environment, I don't think I want to play in that, I don't think it's good for me as a person or a player, I have felt like this for more than a year". What's it like to hear that?

GT: We have built in lots of opportunities for players to feed back at any time during the season. We have sit-downs and one-on-ones with players. We talk about their rugby and their lives and anything that is changing, we talk about any issues they might have. After the World Cup we asked every player for feedback. I knew I had to improve as a coach. It wasn't good enough. Some wrote back to me, some I sat down with and that helped create changes in the environment now.

TE: Are you saying that he had opportunities to raise any problems he had with you and he didn't take them?

GT: Well, any player...

TE: Let's just deal with Finn...

GT: I'm dealing with any player in our environment. They have opportunities. The opportunities are there while we are in camp and the opportunities are there when we, as coaches, go and meet them in their home clubs. I was in Paris in December and caught up with Finn. So there are opportunities to talk through any issues in camp and out of camp.

TE: You went to Paris in December?

GT: Yes. That meeting was around hearing his thoughts on the World Cup because he had chosen not to feed back (before then).

TE: Why hadn't he given feedback?

GT: I don't know, but I thought it was worth me going out to Paris to discuss things, and see if they were any issues but also to talk about where we believe he could get to. There is a phrase in coaching called Feed Forward rather than Feed Back, you picture where you want to be in two years and how you plan to get there. We talked around that. After Christmas there was a follow up with phone calls and Finn said, 'OK, there are things I would like to change' and we set up to have a meeting in camp which was initially going to be in Paris, but that didn't work out for different reasons, so that meeting ended up on the Monday night.

TE: He says he had all these negative feelings for more than a year. When did you become aware that this was a serious problem?

GT: That conversation after Christmas. We had a telephone chat and I thought, 'Right, we need to have a face-to-face meeting'. I'd rather not get into what we discussed. I believe that players have to feel safe to express how they feel. I know how difficult it is for a player to speak to a head coach about what they are feeling and that kind of environment is one we always want to create. So that conversation I had with him on Monday was like that and I felt a real privilege to have that. To have a player open up and talk to you - it would be great to have more of those discussions. Unfortunately it's not been the case since that Monday night.

TE: He says, "I believe we we need change, we are tracking down a road and it's not been working for us and it's especially not been working for me." A direct challenge. What are you going to do about this?

GT: Any player who doesn't want to be involved, then that's their choice. If a player states publicly that he doesn't want to be involved then that is absolutely their choice. The pride and responsibility you have when you wear that thistle, you must be totally committed.

TE: You must be hurt by this. You might not want to admit it but you have to be...

GT: No, things move on quickly in sport.

TE: Scotland fans will say how the hell did it come to this, why did nobody solve this earlier. What do you say to them?

GT: It'll be disappointing for the supporters not to have everyone available. I totally understand that, but there has to be standards of behaviour that people align to and we can't change those for one person. If people are not able to live by the standards of the group then they won't play for Scotland, it's as simple as that.

TE: Not every player is the same, though. Cristiano Ronaldo at Juventus is not treated the same as everybody else. The manager will see him as the star and make allowances. Shouldn't you make allowances for your star player?

GT: Everybody is different and they are treated differently but they have to be treated fairly as well. What is important is what the team requires. Listen, I love differences. Different personalities are great. People are allowed to be themselves.

'It hasn't been a distraction to the players'

TE: What do the players make of it all.

GT: I don't know.

TE: You must have asked the senior players? 'Are we doing the right thing here'?

GT: Yeah, all I can say is that it hasn't been a distraction. They've absolutely been excellent.

TE: Have you spoken to the players since Finn had his say?

GT: Yeah, I speak to the senior players a lot.

TE: Are they backing you?

GT: It's not an area you'll get me going into. What is important is that the leadership are committed to team values and whoever comes in has to align themselves to those standards of behaviour.

TE: Do they agree that Finn has let himself down?

GT: I don't want to speak on their behalf.

TE: I'm trying to get the mood in the camp here...

GT: You're interviewing me, not the players.

TE: Finn talks about the negative environment...

GT: This environment is a new one. It's not the same environment as the World Cup or the last Six Nations because there are new players and new leaders and new coaches. We have changed a lot of things. Everything evolves.

TE: You asked Finn to see a psychologist. What was that about?

GT: I'd rather not talk about that. I know Finn mentioned it in the article, but there is a duty of care in any coach when they feel support could be required for any issues a player might have. A psychologist is similar to an assistant coach in some ways.

TE: He mentioned his own health in the piece "for my rugby and my health I don't think I can do it..." What's he getting at?

GT: You'd have to ask him.

TE: Will he play for you again?

GT: I hope so. He's a terrific player.

TE: But you're not backing down?

GT: Not at all.

TE: You won't bend?

GT: No. I was hoping that Finn and I could have a similar discussion like the one we had on the Monday night in camp and we'd be in a situation where he could come back, but things look like they've changed with what he has said in the media.

TE: Can you talk to him?

GT: Yes, but it doesn't look like there will be any change to align himself to the agreed standards of behaviour.

TE: Any intention of picking up the phone?

GT: We'll see. The plan was to chat this week but I'll digest what's happened.

TE: Has he got a future under you?

GT: I would hope so. Finn has played 49 times for Scotland. I've coached him for a lot of years. If he comes back and is willing to agree to what we are living by then, of course, he can play a part in the future.

Veteran Racer & Driver Coach Peter Argetsinger, 69

Published in Racing
Tuesday, 11 February 2020 08:47
Peter Argetsinger

WATKINS GLEN, N.Y. – Peter O. Argetsinger, a member of the International Motor Racing Research Center’s Governing Council and an international racing champion and respected driving coach, died Feb 6. after a battle with cancer.

He was 69 years old.

As the son of Jean and Cameron Argetsinger, who was the founder and organizer of the first races in Watkins Glen, motorsport was an important part of his life from early on. Maintaining a home in Watkins Glen, as well as Sebring, Fla., Argetsinger was involved with the IMRRC since it opened. He joined the Governing Council in 2018.

“Peter was an incredible racer and beloved racing instructor, but most importantly he was a good friend,” John Saunders, senior advisor at NASCAR and chairman of the IMRRC Governing Council, said. “The world of motorsports is richer for his dedication to developing young talent and growing the sport’s future. Pete will always be considered family to the International Motor Racing Research Center, an organization to which he devoted much wisdom and guidance.”

Watkins Glen Int’l President Michael Printup, also a member of the IMRRC’s Governing Council, noted Argetsinger’s dedication to the sport and Watkins Glen.

“Peter was an important part in carrying on the legacy and tradition that his father, Cameron, and family started here in Watkins Glen,” Printup said. “He will be remembered for his passion for auto racing and his continued desire to make this community a worldwide staple as an international racing destination.”

“I met Peter this past summer in between his coaching sessions at Watkins Glen International. It was a real pleasure to meet him,” said Dan DeRusha, who was appointed IMRRC executive director last June. “Peter was a constant advocate of the Center, sharing our mission with other racers and carrying on the legacy of Cameron and Jean, who was one of the driving forces behind the creation of the IMRRC.”

Argetsinger pursued a 47-year career as a professional road racing driver until his health failed last fall. He was a member of the Road Racing Drivers Club and had successes on the world’s major courses, initially in Europe and then in the U.S. and South America.

Watkins Glen Int’l was naturally on the list of tracks at which he raced, and in 2011 Argetsinger was inducted into the Watkins Glen Drivers Walk of Fame, a project of the IMRRC. He was introduced by his brother Michael Argetsinger, an award-winning motorsports author. Michael died in 2015.

Argetsinger was named German Rookie of the Year Formula Ford 1974 and set the series’ fastest lap at the famous Hockenheimring, helping his Team Royale clinch the European FF Title. After moving to England, he captured the 1980 British Formula Ford Championship and was voted British Driver of the Year. Competition in Formula Three, sports cars, sedans, as well as IMSA and Daytona prototypes, followed.

Argetsinger coached many successful professional drivers at the start of their careers, including 1996 Formula One World Champion Damon Hill, Indy 500 winners Juan Pablo Montoya, Ryan Hunter-Reay and Alexander Rossi and others including James Hinchcliffe, Graham Rahal and Gabby Chaves.

Additionally, he instructed at the Skip Barber racing school, tutored private clients and was chief instructor of the Formula BMW young drivers’ series in the U.S. and in Europe. The U.S. State Department’s Anti-Terrorist Division also used his talents.

Up until his final days, he was sought after for the 2020 season as a driver and coach, family members said.

Argetsinger is survived by Sjoukje Schipstra, his beloved wife of 45 years, and his children Kimberley Argetsinger of New York City and J.C.G. Argetsinger of Los Angeles.

The family will receive friends from 5-8 p.m. on Feb. 14 at the Vedder-Scott-Zinger Funeral Home, 122 N. Genesee St., Montour Falls, New York.

A funeral mass will be conducted at St. Mary’s of The Lake Church, 905 N. Decatur St., Watkins Glen, on Saturday, Feb. 15 at 11 a.m.

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EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPlans to stage a LaLiga match in Miami have been put on hold for no...

Fans prefer new stadium over Old Trafford refurb

Fans prefer new stadium over Old Trafford refurb

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsManchester United fans are in favour of building a new stadium rath...

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UEFA

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Basketball

Power Rankings: Edwards and Jokic hit early-season struggles while Cavs climb

Power Rankings: Edwards and Jokic hit early-season struggles while Cavs climb

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe first couple of weeks of the 2024-25 NBA season have been anyth...

George has 15 points in 'rusty' debut for Sixers

George has 15 points in 'rusty' debut for Sixers

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPHOENIX -- Paul George is back, this time with the Philadelphia 76e...

Baseball

Braves RP Jiménez out 8-12 months after surgery

Braves RP Jiménez out 8-12 months after surgery

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsATLANTA -- Braves reliever Joe Jiménez is expected to sit out much...

Peralta picks up option with Padres, Kim declines

Peralta picks up option with Padres, Kim declines

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsSAN ANTONIO -- Left-hander Wandy Peralta exercised his $4.25 millio...

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