SASKATOON, Saskatchewan – Exclusive Autosport has added Cooper Tires USF2000 champion Braden Eves for the upcoming Indy Pro 2000 Championship season.

Thanks to his six wins and eight podium finishes that propelled him to the USF2000 title, Eves received a scholarship worth $305,600 to advance up the ladder and compete in the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 series. Eves will run the No. 1 on his Tatuus PM-18 car with Road to Indy livery as a part of the scholarship program, as well as the logos of his sponsors MDRN Livery, CCFI and Huston Insurance.

“Today’s announcement, signing Braden Eves, is one I am extremely proud of,” said Michael Duncalfe, team principal. “I am truly honored that Braden chose Exclusive Autosport as the team to bring his 2019 USF2000 Champion scholarship winnings to and compete for the 2020 Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires. I feel Braden gelled really quickly with our team, and his engineer Mirl Swan, topping the time charts in his first day with our program (at the Chris Griffis Memorial test in October). Braden is an extremely focused and highly motivated individual. He shows immense depth in his driving very early on in his career. I am optimistic about the upcoming year and our eyes are focused on one thing, competing for the 2020 championship.”

Eves, 20, got his start racing karts at the age of 6 in Ohio. Braden continued to practice and train to achieve his dream of becoming a professional race car driver, competing in assorted regional and national series. In 2012, he won his first regional championship, scoring the title in the WKA Great Lakes Sprint Series.

Braden continued to improve his skills moving up the karting ranks, winning on the ultra-competitive Superkarts! USA Pro Tour. In 2017, Eves made the jump to cars, competing in three F4 U.S. Championship race weekends, posting one win and six podiums in eight races. The Ohio driver returned in 2018, running three additional F4 events before ultimately choosing to make the jump to the Road to Indy, participating in the USF2000 season finale at Portland International Raceway.

This year was Eves’ first full season in USF2000, and he came out of the box with success, winning the first four races and ending the season with an astounding four poles, six wins and 12 top-fives, earning him the 2019 championship.

“I’m so happy to finally announce the signing,” said Eves. “Exclusive Autosport is a top-notch team with an extremely talented crew and fantastic engineers. This is the most excited I’ve ever been for a racing season. I can’t wait to show what we can do together. I also want to give a huge thank you to Dan Andersen and Chris Pantani at Cooper Tires once again for the Road to Indy scholarship system. Without it, racing at this high a level would be simply impossible. I can’t wait to get started.”

SALEM, Ind. – Champion Racing Association Powered by JEGS officials have released the schedule for the Victory Custom Trailers CRA Junior Late Models’ second season.

The Victory Custom Trailers CRA Junior Late Models launched this year to focus on a youth movement for short track stock car racing that saw 10 to 15-year-old drivers compete amongst themselves for both experience and recognition in full size late models with an economical drive train and suspension alternatives.

Some of the key components for the rule package for the Victory Custom Trailers CRA Junior Late Models will be the mandated use of the $3,900 factory sealed Chevrolet Performance 602 crate engine. Teams will also be utilizing less expensive rear ends, transmissions and springs and spec KONI Shocks. The series will also be racing on 8-inch steel wheels and utilizing 8-inch Hoosier Racing tires. The series competed on three-eighths-mile and under race tracks with most events consisting of eight-lap heat races and a 25-lap feature.

The series’ first event of the season will take place at Flat Rock Speedway in Flat Rock, Michigan on Saturday, April 25. The racy quarter mile will also host the JEGS/CRA All Stars Tour Presented by Chevrolet Performance season opener on that same day.

The series second event will be at Baer Field Motorsports Park on their quarter-mile oval on Saturday, May 9, the first of two events at that track next year.

The series third event will take place at Anderson Speedway in Anderson, Indiana on Saturday, June 13, the first of two events at that track. Anderson has hosted more CRA events than any other track since the sanctioning body started racing in 1997.

The series fourth event is tentatively scheduled for Friday, June 19 at Birch Run Speedway in Birch Run, Mich., on their quarter-mile oval, the first of two events scheduled at that track.

The series fifth race of the season will take place at the Indianapolis Speedrome in Indianapolis, Ind., on Saturday, July 11.

The series will return to Baer Field Motorsports Park for their sixth event of the season on Saturday, July 25. The series seventh event will be the first ever series event at Kil-Kare Raceway in Xenia, Ohio on Sunday, Aug. 2. The series eighth event will take place at Corrigan Oil Speedway located in Mason, Michigan on Sunday, Aug. 16.

The series will return to Birch Run Speedway for it’s ninth event of the season on Friday, Aug. 29. That event will be the series first playoff event.

The series 10th race of the season will be at Toledo Speedway in Toledo, Ohio on their fifth-mile short track on Saturday, Sept. 19 as part of the Glass City 200 event. That event will be the second event in the Chase for the Championship.

The series season championship event will be a return visit to Anderson Speedway on Saturday, Sept. 26.

2020 Victory Custom Trailers CRA Junior Late Models Schedule

April 25 – Flat Rock Speedway – Flat Rock, Mich.
May 9 – Baer Field Motorsports Park – Fort Wayne, Ind.
June 13 – Anderson Speedway – Anderson, Ind.
June 19 – Birch Run Speedway – Birch Run, Mich.
July 11 – Indianapolis Speedrome – Indianapolis, Ind.
July 25 – Baer Field Motorsports Park – Fort Wayne, Ind.
Aug. 2 – Kil-Kare Raceway – Xenia, Ohio
Aug. 16 – Corrigan Oil Speedway – Mason, Mich.
Sept. 19 – Toledo Speedway – Toledo, Ohio
Sept. 26 – Anderson Speedway – Anderson, Ind.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Major League Soccer on Tuesday made it official that Charlotte will be the home of the league's 30th and likely last franchise.

Carolina Panthers owner David Tepper purchased the franchise for an MLS record $325 million, sources told ESPN.

"This is the right time for our league,'' MLS commissioner Don Garber said in an interview with ESPN. "It's the right time for the sport of soccer in America and it really is the right time for the ownership group. This is likely the last expansion team in Major League Soccer.

"We wanted to really take our time in making sure that we had a passionate owner that had a commitment to the community, that was in a city that had great history and great passion for the sport, that had a terrific stadium plan and would allow us to create the tremendous momentum we have as we get ready and prepare for the World Cup in 2026.''

The official announcement came at a press conference involving Tepper, Garber and Charlotte mayor Viola Lyles.

Charlotte city council pledged $110 million to help secure the bid against other cities. The $325 million check Tepper wrote far exceeds the $200 million for the 28th and 29th expansion franchises.

"These are limited opportunities,'' Garber said in explaining the jump in cost. "As MLS moves forward of going through a process of fully expanding our league there was only one team left. Obviously, the value was going to be a part of the calculation.

"It's also important to recognize that an investment in Major League Soccer today compared to where other sports leagues are is relatively inexpensive to capture what is going to be an enormous opportunity as the country continues to change.''

New kid on the block ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/lJkOdcaOBD

— charlottemls (@CharlotteMLS) December 17, 2019

The plan is to start playing games in 2021 at Bank of America Stadium, the home of Tepper's NFL franchise on which he spent an NFL record $2.275 billion to purchase in 2018. The stadium will need renovations to make it MLS ready.

Garber said St. Louis and Sacramento, the 28th and 29th teams, will begin playing in 2022.

Tepper's ultimate goal is to have within 10 years a new state-of-the-art stadium with a retractable roof to host his NFL and MLS team, as well as host NCAA Final Fours, concerts and other major events.

"There's an opportunity to do things here, the public sector aligned with David and his vision, to make this one of the great stadiums in the world for soccer and NFL football,'' Garber said.

Tepper said it was his goal to bring professional soccer to Charlotte when he purchased the Panthers from founder Jerry Richardson. He immediately hired Tom Glick, who has worked with pro soccer in the United States and the United Kingdom, to oversee the team's day-to-day operations on the business side.

Tepper is passionate about soccer. He coached it for nine years and wanted to have a team as much for personal reasons as professional.

"Seven-plus million people within an hour and a half drive. The only city that has only two major sports. No major league summer sport in Charlotte,'' Tepper said in explaining why he wanted the MLS here. "A large Hispanic population which are not served by the other two sports.

"It's sort of a perfect storm for what is needed in the community.''

Misbah-ul-Haq, Pakistan's head coach and chief selector, has criticised fast bowlers Mohammad Amir and Wahab Riaz for the timing of their retirements from Test cricket. He revealed that the PCB was mulling a policy to ensure that players remain available to play for Pakistan across formats.

Amir gave up Tests in July, in order to manage his workload and extend his white-ball career, for Pakistan as well as in T20 leagues around the world. Wahab followed suit in September, taking an "indefinite break" from red-ball cricket, including the Quaid-e-Azam Trophy, Pakistan's domestic first-class tournament.

While Wahab was 34 when he made his decision, Amir was only 27.

The loss of the two experienced left-arm quicks has left Pakistan in a situation where they have been forced to rebuild their pace attack with young and inexperienced options including three teenagers in Shaheen Shah Afridi, Naseem Shah and Muhammad Musa.

"We are thinking deeply on these lines, and we will make a policy on this very soon," Misbah said, referring to the loss of experience from Pakistan's pace stocks. "Going forward this might become a problem for Pakistan, because when you invest so much in the players, on their development, and expect them to give back, they leave the game and it's not the right way to go about it. Your resources are consumed for their development and we need a certain policy to make sure players should be available for Pakistan first."

Amir's case stands out in particular, both for his age and the fact that he enjoyed immense support from the board and the team management during his reintegration following a five-year ban for spot-fixing. He ended his Test career with 119 wickets in 36 Tests at an average of 30.47. His Test career was split into two parts. From his debut as a 17-year-old in July 2009 to the start of his five-year ban, he played 14 Tests, picking up 51 wickets at 29.09. After his return in July 2016, he played 22 Tests, taking 68 wickets at 31.51.

ESPNcricinfo understands that there were discussions ahead of Pakistan's recent tour of Australia about asking Amir to reconsider his Test retirement, but the plan didn't go through.

Pakistan are currently sixth on the World Test Championship table with 20 points, earned from the drawn Rawalpindi Test against Sri Lanka. Before that, they lost 2-0 in Australia, in the first Test series under Misbah's management.

It has not been the smoothest start to Misbah's time as coach-cum-selector, but he identified a few positives to have emerged nonetheless.

"The biggest plus for us is Babar Azam and our batting, the way we responded in Australia overall," Misbah said. "His hundred in Rawalpindi and his overall shift from white-ball cricket to red is an important positive for Pakistan at this stage. And at the same time we've got a younger bowling attack. The way Shaheen and Naseem are bowling, consistently hitting 140-plus [kph] in good areas. They have ample time in their careers to develop into match-winners. They have played very little cricket so far, but will improve with every passing day."

The convention of a new batsman going to the non-striker's end if the dismissal involves the batting pair crossing will be done away with for the Hundred, the ECB has confirmed, part of a raft of playing conditions that have been agreed on for next year's domestic programme, including the reinstatement of the toss in all Championship games and a change to over-rate penalties in the shorter formats.

The Hundred is set to make its debut next summer, with eight new teams playing 100-ball innings that do away with traditional overs. Several other details have now been revealed, including one experimented with at the 2018 trial days - that a new batsman will be on strike even if the wicket came via a catch and the batsmen crossed while running (except at the change of ends).

Trent Woodhill, who worked with the ECB as a consultant on the project, explained the thinking at Trent Bridge last year. "The bowler has created an advantage by taking a wicket," he said. "There's got to be a reward for that, and he gets to take advantage by being able to bowl at the new batsman."

The use of strategic timeouts had been previously signposted, but the mechanics have now been ironed out. One break of two-and-a-half minutes will be allowed per innings, called by the fielding side at any point after the initial 25-ball Powerplay. Even if it is not used by the team fielding first, the timeout will remain an option for the team fielding second - although there may be a provision for the umpires to rule out further delays if rain is imminent.

Another innovation comes in the way slow over rates will be dealt with in the Hundred, T20 Blast and Royal London Cup from next season. Instead of a penalty of six runs per over not completed before the cut-off, the fielding side will be allowed one fewer player outside the 30-yard circle for however many deliveries remain after the time limit is up.

In the Championship, the ECB has decided to revert to the toss being employed at the start of all games, as previously reported by ESPNcricinfo. It is hoped that changes to the seam of the Dukes ball used in 2019, as well as the prospect of tougher pitch penalties, will encourage a better balance between bat and ball - although the board has not ruled out the use of uncontested tosses in future. There are currently no plans to use the Kookaburra ball in Championship cricket, although a white Dukes could be tested in the 50-over competition.

It has also been confirmed that players drafted for the Hundred will not be available for the group stages of the Royal London Cup. For the loaning of players between counties, there will now be a minimum loan period of 21 days. All of the playing conditions for 2020 have been approved by the ECB board, after recommendations from the ECB's cricket committee.

Tyson Fury has accepted an offer to spar with Anthony Joshua in an effort to help win his rematch with Deontay Wilder.

Joshua dominated Andy Ruiz Jr. in a rematch earlier this month to reclaim three heavyweight title belts and had offered to spar with Fury to help his compatriot in his upcoming bout with Wilder, reasoning that he is the more likely of the two to accept a unification fight.

Lineal heavyweight champion Fury faces Wilder, who holds the WBC world heavyweight title, in a rematch on Feb. 22, 2020, after the British fighter got up from a hard 12th-round knockdown to draw on points when the pair first fought in December 2018.

"I've just seen the video of Joshua saying he'd love to come and help me in camp and that I'd fight him quicker than Wilder, that's for sure," Fury said via an Instagram post Tuesday. "When I beat Wilder I will fight you A.J., no problem.

"I would love to have you in camp, really, really love to have in camp to work out for this fight and give Deontay Wilder a proper beating. I hope you mean it, because I'd love to have you in training camp with me."

Joshua (23-1, 21 KOs), 30, had offered his support to help fight Fury in his upcoming rematch earlier Tuesday, as well as predicting that Fury will become a world heavyweight champion for a second time.

"I think Tyson Fury would fight me quicker than Wilder would. If that's the case, I want Fury to win, because I just want to fight," Joshua told Sky Sports. "To have that fight here on British soil? Man, can you imagine that?

"Fury, if you need me for sparring, we're going to fight one day. I've sparred Tyson Fury when we were kids anyway. I would go out to America and spar Tyson Fury and get him ready for this Wilder fight.

"Honestly, I think [Fury] might beat Wilder next time they're out. That's just my opinion."

Joshua has previously said that he is ready to face Wilder in a unification fight but has been unable to agree terms to a bout.

Fury (29-0-1, 20 KOs), 31, split with his trainer on Ben Davidson on Sunday, with the British boxer later confirming that he would be trained instead by Javan "Sugar" Hill.

Top Rank chairman Bob Arum, Fury's co-promoter with Frank Warren, said last month that Fury's rematch with Wilder (42-0-1, 41 KOs), 34, will be a joint pay-per-view between ESPN, with whom Top Rank has an exclusive deal, and Fox, which has a deal with Premier Boxing Champions, where Wilder fights.

Jessica Whittington travelled to Verona to experience a marathon weekend in Italy’s city of love

Verona is Italy’s city of love, famous for providing the setting for Shakespeare’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’. But it was running, rather than romance, which primarily attracted thousands to the UNESCO World Heritage Site on November 17.

The Verona Marathon returned for its 18th edition last month, with the ZeroWind Cangrande Half Marathon and Bridgestone Last 10k taking place alongside the main race and a range of other events also held across the weekend.

Each race takes participants on a different scenic tour of the historic city and surrounding area, which is located 70 miles west of Venice at the foot of the Lessini Mountains on the Adige river.

Starting and finishing next to the impressively preserved Roman amphitheatre in Piazza Brà, where the city’s annual summer opera festival takes place, the marathon route takes runners out of the city centre and along the river on two different loops, while the half-marathon course also goes out along the river before a return to the picturesque piazza. The 10km winds through the city’s streets and lanes.

An international entry record was set this year, with over 1000 runners travelling from overseas for the series of races.

Verona and its marathon

Sitting between Milan and Venice in northern Italy’s Veneto region, Verona is not only popular for its Shakespearean associations, but also its impressive architecture and historical monuments.

With an airport just 10km southwest of the city, it is easily accessible from the UK and, once there, nothing is too far away.

The Verona Marathon is understandably proud of its home and history, with the GAAC 2007 amateur sports association behind the event organisation. The association’s story started in the 1960s when a group of friends, fans of mountain hiking, decided to branch out into other areas of athletics.

“They went to the flat, down from the mountains, and they set up a very important athletic group in which there was a very important runner – Gelindo Bordin – the winner of the Seoul Olympic marathon gold medal,” explains Verona Marathon president Matteo Bortolaso. “It is a very big reference for us.”

So much so that a letter of thanks from Bordin to former president of GAAC 2007, Dario Bergamini, hangs proudly in the Verona Marathon ‘Hub’, a sports shop and meeting place in the city.

On what attracts people to the city and to the marathon, Bortolaso says: “Verona is the city of love, Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare made a lot for us, even if we don’t know if it actually exists!

“It is spreading, the knowledge of our event, connected to Verona, which is very well known,” adds Bortolaso, with GAAC 2007 also organising another event, the Gensan Giulietta & Romeo Half Marathon, around Valentine’s Day each year. “We are in a small town but we succeeded in finding interest from Italy and from abroad.”

Event weekend

This year’s event programme included a three-day expo, sightseeing run, young runner races and a jazz concert, as well as the marathon, half-marathon and 10km.

I ran the 10km and my three-day trip was ideal in giving me enough time to explore and enjoy what the event and city had to offer.

You don’t have to travel far to find good coffee, food and Prosecco (only for a post-race celebratory drink, of course!) and so given the wet but mild weather when I arrived on Friday afternoon, a caffeine hit was my first stop before a walk into the city centre.

I loved the buzz of the bustling lanes and piazzas and, had I been running the marathon, might have been more conscious of the amount of time I spent on my feet as it is easy to wander and wander while taking everything in.

My Saturday started with the sightseeing run, which is free to all runners entered for the following day’s marathon, half-marathon
or 10km. After meeting at the Hub, where introductions were made in both Italian and English, we headed out for our sunny 6km jog around the city. It was welcoming and a great opportunity to chat with fellow runners, with plenty of photo stops on the way.

After a quick change I started the 25-minute walk over to the expo to collect my race number. Located in the AGSM Forum, next to the Stadio Marc’Antonio Bentegodi which is the home of Hellas Verona Football Club, the expo was small but offered all the essentials, plus merchandise and event stands.

Number collection was quick and easy, with 10km entrants receiving a race T-shirt (available in a range of sizes – they even had XS!). Marathon and half-marathon runners got a backpack and also received a medal after the race.

A recent rule change in Italy means runners no longer need a medical certificate to be able to take part, which also removes some of the pre-race stress and expense.

Sunday was race day! The early rain started to clear just as I left my hotel and there was a great atmosphere at Piazza Brà as runners gathered ahead of the 9am start. The marathon and half-marathon went off first, before the 10km – both competitive and non-competitive – 10 minutes later, and I got goosebumps listening to the Italian national anthem before we were set on our way.

Leaving Piazza Brà, we ran under the imposing arches of the Portoni della Brà before looping around the city, crossing the Adige river four times, and heading back to the piazza, where drinks and cakes were waiting. If you wished you could even eat cake on the way around, as the well-stocked on-route refreshment stands also offered baked goods as well as water!

The route was mostly flat and the wet weather didn’t cause me any problems, I was just a little more cautious when running on the cobbled sections.

During the sightseeing run I met a fellow UK runner, Neil Williams of Orpington Road Runners, who was taking on the marathon and reflecting after his 3:25:36 run, he said: “The pre-race start stress was minimal. The bag drop was clearly marked in start number order and I didn’t experience any queue or last minute panic. The usual event toilets were provided. I didn’t see too many of them but perhaps that’s because I managed to find an unofficial ‘club class’ loo in a restaurant! The starting pens were well marked and well managed by stewards with pre-race announcements unsurprisingly in Italian with the odd intermission in English.

“The first few miles took us along some pretty wide roads out of Verona, so no hold-ups. I positioned myself along with one of the pacing teams which meant I didn’t have to think about too many race pace calculations! The route then took us along the river and at around mile 8 or 9 we were treated to the view of some snow-topped mountains in the distance.

“As the miles ticked by, the support diminished, while the aid stations provided water and energy drinks in the earlier stages and in the latter part of the race they also sported apples, bananas and jelly. A couple of the stations also supplied gels.

“The final four miles took us back toward the historic city centre again. The finish, back in Piazza Brà, was a welcome sight – emerging in such a beautiful scene with enthusiastic finish line congratulating was quite emotional!”

England hold off Wales as Creed makes Willstrop work for win
By HOWARD HARDING – Squash Mad International Correspondent

It was a day of upsets in the WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship in Washington DC where Spain, Kuwait and Scotland outplayed higher-seeded opposition to boost their chances of better-than-predicted finishes in the biennial World Squash Federation event taking place in the USA for the first time.

Twenty three nations are competing in the 26th edition of the championships, hosted by US Squash, at Squash On Fire, the new state-of-the-art eight-court facility in the US capital.

Scotland claimed the biggest scalp when the ninth seeds overcame former runners-up New Zealand, the event’s original fifth seeds who earlier had lodged a successful appeal to upgrade their seeding to four.

Competing in the championships for the 19th time in a row since 1981, Scotland took an early lead when Edinburgh-based world No.124 Rory Stewart beat Kiwi Evan Williams, ranked 31 places higher, 11-3, 10-12, 12-10, 11-1 in 61 minutes. Stewart had only faced his opponent once before – exactly three years ago – and lost in straight games.

“I bet he doesn’t even remember that match,” said the jubilant Scot afterwards. “But I do, as it was the very first match I played on the PSA Tour, and I was determined to get my revenge!”

It was a similar story in the second match when the second-ranked Scot Alan Clyne took on Campbell Grayson, a 33-year-old from Auckland whose recent run of form earned him a career-high world No.25 ranking this month.

Clyne, the world No.39, was looking for his first win over Grayson after three defeats and opened up a 2/0 lead. But Grayson soon drew level as the Scottish momentum seemed to have waned. Clyne was far from done, however, and dropped just four points in the decider to claim the 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 10-12, 11-4 victory after 84 minutes which gave Scotland the shock outcome.

There was consolation for New Zealand in the third match when Paul Coll beat Scottish number one Greg Lobban 3/0.

“We know that the guys perform well when they play for Scotland,” said coach Paul Bell afterwards. “When we saw the draw, we were very happy with it. We knew we had a chance. We should be confident – and we are confident playing most of the teams here. The three-man team format is really good – it works well for us.

“We knew that if we could get off to a good start with Rory, which we were confident about, that might turn it in our favour with Cliney going on next. He’s been with us for a month of training in Edinburgh. It’s not often you get the chance for something like that, we took advantage of it – and it seems to have paid off!”

It was on the all-glass showcourt at Squash on Fire that eighth seeds Spain produced their breakthrough result – beating Germany, the fifth seeds, for the first time since 1989.

The opening match came to an unfortunate conclusion midway through the fourth game when an ankle injury forced German Rudi Rohrmuller to concede the match – handing a 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, 4-2 (ret.) win to Spaniard Carlos Cornes.

According to the rankings and previous form, Germany’s Raphael Kandra was expected to draw level. But, despite only one previous win over his opponent in six meetings since 2013, Spaniard Iker Pajares Bernabeu battled hard for 64 minutes to claim an impressive 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7 upset to ensure Spain a place in the top 12 play-offs.

It was the turn of the two teams’ legendary top strings to take to the court next – German Simon Rösner celebrating the pair’s 20th meeting over the past 14 years by beating Borja Golan 11-3, 11-6, 11-9.

Pajares was delighted with his win: “It was a very good win for the team and for me as well. I felt very confident and very sharp on court. But we still have one more match tomorrow against Argentina.

“I wasn’t calm, we had to win this match and I made it. We had Carlos in a very good shape as well, he won a tournament a few weeks ago. We are all playing our best squash I think and we want to have a good tournament, we’ve trained very hard for it, so hopefully we can make it this year.”

Spanish coach Jonas Gornerup pointed out the significance of his players playing for their country, rather than for themselves as in the regular Tour events: “Iker has only beaten Rafa once – and it was in a team event, the Europeans, when he was wearing the Spanish shirt.

“The atmosphere in our team is unbelievable. I’ve been with these guys now for four years – and it’s like being on holiday in Barbados! The team spirit is so good. Our team is led by Borja, who’s the most modest guy in the world, and they all look up to him – it’s been like that for a few years. When he plays well, they play well – it motivates them.

“We’ve got a strong group of players – the four we’ve got here and Bernat (Jaume) who’s back at home.

“We still have to beat Argentina tomorrow to become top of the group – and then everything is by draw so let’s see who we get!”

Pool F provided the key interest later in the day when Kuwait, the 21st seeds, 17th seeds Jamaica. Underdogs Kuwait, who 24 hours earlier took seventh seeds Australia the full distance, romped to victory – Ali Alramezi and left-hander Abdullah Al Muzayen earning straight games wins in the first two matches to assure the upset win over Jamaica.

It was the second upset win in two days for Al Muzayen, the gifted former world No.33 (pictured in action above) who currently languishes at 512 in the rankings after limited activity due the sporting unrest back in his country.

“Abdullah is a great talent – he’s our ‘Messi’!” said Kuwait physio/coach Ahmed El Said. “He’s a great fighter and he’s come back to get two great results – it’s awesome what he’s done.

“We’ve had a three-year stop back in Kuwait, and that was very, very bad for us – our players were not able to compete in international competition. We are now back and we want to get our players back in the rankings.”

Second seeds England were given a fright by British rivals Wales when the 11th seeds’ second string Peter Creed fought back from 0/2 down to level the second match against James Willstrop. England captain Daryl Selby had already put the former champions in the driving seat with a 3/0 win over Welsh event first-timer Owain Taylor.

But the experienced Willstrop, a former world No.1, regained control of the match to win 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-4 in 54 minutes to ensure a second successive Pool B win for England.

Meanwhile a crunch tie was taking place in Pool F between seventh seeds Australia and Hong Kong – the sixth seeds who were expected to gain their first ever win over the record eight-time champions.

The two teams were level at one-all when the top strings Leo Au and Ryan Cuskelly took to the court – Yip Tsz Fung having put Hong Kong ahead after beating Rex Hedrick, before seasoned campaigner Cameron Pilley levelled for Australia after beating opponent Max Lee.

With so much riding on the outcome, the decider was fiercely contested – left-hander Cuskelly putting the Aussies ahead before Au gained the upperhand to draw level.

But at one-all in the third game, Cuskelly was forced to concede the match as the result of a triceps strain in his left arm.

“I’m happy to be at the top of the pool at the moment, but we didn’t want to win in this way,” said Hong Kong coach Faheem Khan. “I feel really sorry for Ryan that he couldn’t finish the match.

“But we had confidence that we could win tonight – we knew we had a chance. But we didn’t expect to do it this way!” 

WSF World Team Squash Championship, Squash On Fire, Washington DC, USA.

Second qualifying round – Pool A:
[1] EGYPT bt [15] SWITZERLAND 3/0
Mohamed Abouelghar bt Cédric Kuchen 11-8, 11-0, 11-4 (22m)
Tarek Momen bt Robin Gadola 11-6, 11-7, 11-3 (24m)
Ali Farag bt Dimitri Steinmann 9-11, 11-8, 11-7, 13-11 (43m)

Pool B:
[2] ENGLAND bt [11] WALES 3/0
Daryl Selby bt Owain Taylor 11-6, 11-7, 13-11 (37m)
James Willstrop bt Peter Creed 11-5, 11-7, 9-11, 9-11, 11-4 (54m)
Adrian Waller bt Joel Makin 11-9, 11-9, 9-11, 11-8 (56m)
[14] CANADA bt [23] NIGERIA 3/0
David Baillargeon bt Adewale Amao 11-9, 12-10, 11-3 (38m)
Nick Sachvie bt Sodiq Taiwo 11-7, 11-2, 11-7 (27m)
Shawn Delierre bt Babatunde Ajagbe 14-12, 6-11, 8-11, 11-5, 11-9 (59m)

Pool C:
[3] FRANCE bt [10] MALAYSIA 3/0
Mathieu Castagnet bt Addeen Idrakie 11-4, 11-2, 11-4 (26m)
Gregory Gaultier bt Ivan Yuen 11-8, 11-7, 11-6 (38m)
Gregoire Marche bt Eain Yow Ng 11-8, 6-11, 11-1, 11-7 (46m)
[13] COLOMBIA bt [22] REPUBLIC OF KOREA 3/0
Erick Herrera bt Joong-Won Hwang 7-11, 11-3, 9-11, 11-8, 11-6 (59m)
Ronald Palomino bt Se Hyun Lee 7-11, 5-11, 11-7, 14-12, 12-10 (58m)
Juan Camilo Vargas bt Ko Youngjo 7-11, 11-6, 11-9, 11-7 (40m)

Pool D:
[9] SCOTLAND bt [4] NEW ZEALAND 2/1
Rory Stewart bt Evan Williams 11-3, 10-12, 12-10, 11-1 (61m)
Alan Clyne bt Campbell Grayson 11-8, 11-4, 7-11, 10-12, 11-4 (84m)
Greg Lobban lost to Paul Coll 5-11, 4-11, 6-11 (28m)
[18] IRELAND bt [20] SINGAPORE 3/0
Oisin Logan bt Chua Man Tong 11-3, 11-4, 11-2 (25m)
Arthur Gaskin bt Chua Man Chin 11-2, 15-13, 11-4 (34m)
Sean Conroy bt Samuel Kang 11-8, 10-12, 11-5, 11-4 (39m)

Pool E:
[8] SPAIN bt [5] GERMANY 2/1
Carlos Cornes bt Rudi Rohrmuller 7-11, 11-5, 11-4, 4-2 ret. (53m)
Iker Pajares Bernabeu bt Raphael Kandra 11-8, 9-11, 11-8, 11-7 (64m)
Borja Golan lost to Simon Rösner 3-11, 6-11, 9-11 (31m)
[16] ARGENTINA bt [19] SOUTH AFRICA 2/1
Gonzalo Miranda bt Gary Wheadon 12-10, 7-11, 11-4, 11-9 (53m)
Leandro Romiglio bt Christo Potgieter 11-4, 11-8, 11-7 (40m)
Robertino Pezzota lost to Jean-Pierre Brits 11-13, 10-12, 11-2, 11-5, 9-11 (73m)

Pool F:
[6] HONG KONG CHINA bt [7] AUSTRALIA 2/1
Yip Tsz Fung bt Rex Hedrick 11-7, 12-10, 14-12 (42m)
Max Lee lost to Cameron Pilley 3-11, 4-11, 3-11 (20m)
Leo Au bt Ryan Cuskelly 10-12, 11-9, 1-1 ret. (29m)

[21] KUWAIT bt [17] JAMAICA 2/1
Ali Alramezi bt Bruce Burrowes 11-4, 11-0, 11-2 (20m)
Abdullah Al Muzayen bt Lewis Walters 11-3, 11-7, 11-8 (27m)
Ammar Altamimi lost to Christopher Binnie 16-18, 8-11, 3-11 (37m) 

Action from the WSF Men’s World Team Squash Championship continues today (December 17) at 12 noon local time (GMT-5) with all matches shown live on the official Facebook page of the Men’s World Team Championship.

Pictures courtesy of WSF

MIDLAND, N.C. – PSR Racing has tabbed two-time Southern Modified Racing Series champion Jeremy Gerstner to pilot the team’s No. 17 tour-type modified in February’s World Series of Asphalt Stock Car Racing at New Smyrna Speedway.

The partnership was announced at the PRI Trade Show in Indianapolis.

“I’m looking forward to having the best equipment I’ve ever been there with, plus Phil’s setups, his top-notch crew and everything,” said Gerstner. “Every time I’ve been to New Smyrna in the past, I’ve tried to crew chief it and drive the thing. That just doesn’t work. Now I know I can focus on putting the car in position to win and lean on Phil’s knowledge to get the car as fast as it can be. I can’t wait to get down to the track and drive that hot rod.”

The PSR Racing team will head to New Smyrna in February with a new PSR chassis and engine, both built in-house at the team’s facility in Midland, N.C.

“Our PSR Products brand of modified chassis, parts, bodies, and components has really taken off over the last year,” said PSR Racing team owner Phil Stefanelli. “A lot of that has to do with the speed that our house cars have shown and the success that our customers have seen as well. Jeremy has been a great ambassador for PSR Products and I know he’ll do a great job behind the wheel of our car.”

For Gerstner, being able to compete at one of his home tracks, New Smyrna Speedway, with a team capable of contending for wins and the World Series championship is a dream scenario.

“Just getting a win down there would be equal to me winning the SMRS championship two years in a row,” said Gerstner. “To be able to put that car in victory lane with all my family, friends, and fans there, would be huge. It would also mean so much to be a part of all the history at New Smyrna. Hopefully I can put my name in the record books along with the legends that have won races and championships there. It’d be a dream come true.”

In addition to the five-night World Series Modified schedule at New Smyrna Speedway from Feb. 10-14, Gerstner will also pilot the PSR No. 17 in the Kickoff to Speedweeks event at Florida’s Bronson Speedway on February 8.