INDIANAPOLIS – A pairing between a championship-winning driver and team will greet the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series as it enters the 2020 season.

Logan Seavey has partnered up with Reinbold-Underwood Motorsports for a full-time run with the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series in 2020, pursuing the series title.

Seavey, of Sutter, Calif. captured the 2018 NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series championship and finished as the runner-up to Tyler Courtney during this year’s campaign, with three victories and the Indiana Midget Week crown under his belt.

The 22-year-old driver joins Reinbold/Underwood Motorsports, which snagged the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car owner championship with driver C.J. Leary.

Last week, Leary announced his plans to race for Gene Gile Racing in 2020.

In turn, Seavey steps into the championship-ready seat as the new driver for the team, although he has plenty of previous experience with the Arizona-based operation.

In 2019, Seavey’s eight starts all came in a second Reinbold/Underwood car, resulting in his first USAC National Sprint Car victory during the second night of Sprint Car Smackdown VIII at Kokomo (Ind.) Speedway in August, where he led all 30 laps.

Seavey was fifth the following night during the Smackdown finale and was the fastest qualifier during the Western World Championships at Arizona Speedway in November.

He was also victorious in USAC Sands Chevrolet Southwest Sprint Car Series competition with Reinbold/Underwood in April at Arizona Speedway.

Through a bevy of offseason shuffling, Seavey and Reinbold/Underwood feel their previous experience will allow them to hit the ground running to start 2020 in pursuit of the title.

“Our team chemistry is good,” Seavey said. “I’ve been racing with the team for a little over a year and we’ve run 20 or so races together, so that’s a big start. I’ve already run a couple of USAC seasons, so I’ve been to a lot of the racetracks we’re going to and raced against pretty much every guy we’re going to be racing against next year. We’re definitely not starting from scratch by any means.

“I think we’ll come out of the gate good and compete for a championship.”

Seavey’s made just 21 career AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series starts, but has been impressive in limited appearances. His efforts in 2018 resulted in being named the series co-Rookie of the Year along with Timmy Buckwalter.

It’s those intangibles that Seavey possesses which team co-owner Andy Reinbold sought to put in the seat of his No. 19az.

“He brings a lot of qualities, but the best is the car control that he has,” Reinbold said of Seavey. “He understands what it takes to win a championship, but our primary goal is to win races. We ran limited sprint car races together in the grand scheme of things, compared to what I have back west with other people, myself, with C.J. and Davey Jones. That experience is what it takes to win titles, and we’re both like-minded in wanting to win races. That’s our primary goal. Every race, we want to be there to compete.”

“We’re thrilled to provide Logan his first opportunity to chase a USAC National Sprint Car championship. We’re into the development of race car drivers, and can’t wait to see first-hand how Logan develops throughout this coming season.”

COLUMBUS, Ind. – England’s Tom Harris has joined Keith Kunz-Curb Agajanian Motorsports to complete the team’s Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Midget Nationals roster.

Harris, from Manchester, England, will drive the J. Davidson Scrap/Toyota Racing No. 97K during the event in Tulsa, Okla., on Jan. 13-18.

“To receive the opportunity to join Keith Kunz Motorsports for the Chili Bowl is simply unbelievable,” said Harris. “I never thought I’d get the chance to compete alongside a top tier team like KKM. I’ll definitely be in the best equipment possible and I’ll be doing everything I can to put it in the show on Saturday night.”

Harris has attempted five straight events, with his most successful showing coming in 2018. A hard-charging 13th-to-fourth preliminary bid saw him only trail Kyle Larson, Brad Sweet and Tyler Courtney to the stripe. From there, a strong Saturday performance followed. He transferred out of the B-Main and qualified for his first Chili Bowl main event, finishing 16th.

“We’re excited to have Tom with us for Chili Bowl, he definitely adds a unique touch to our group,” said team owner Keith Kunz. “This deal kind of came together last minute, but we’ve seen his speed in Tulsa before and I know he’ll be a threat in our equipment next month.”

Harris will be part of an eight-car stable from the KKM squad during the Chili Bowl alongside two-time Chili Bowl champ Rico Abreu, Zeb Wise, Cannon McIntosh, Buddy Kofoid, Tucker Klaasmeyer, Holley Hollan and Presley Truedson.

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- The Buffalo Sabres have assigned underperforming second-year center Casey Mittelstadt to the minors.

The demotion to Rochester of the AHL was made Sunday, a day after a 3-2 overtime loss at the New York Islanders in which Mittelstadt was a healthy scratch for the third time in four games.

The 21-year-old has four goals and five assists in 31 games this season, and has been limited to just a goal and an assist in his past 21. Buffalo selected the playmaking center with the eighth pick in the 2017 draft following his senior year in high school.

He then signed with Buffalo and jumped directly to the NHL in making his Sabres debut immediately following his freshman college season at Minnesota.

Mittelstadt has failed to play up to early projections of developing into Buffalo's second-line center. He has 17 goals and 22 assists for 39 points in 114 career NHL games.

WINTER GARDEN, Fla. – The two most significant putts of Korn Ferry Tour Q-School’s final stage were struck within moments of each other, on two different holes, on two separate courses.

As Curtis Thompson drained a closing 25-foot birdie putt Sunday afternoon on Orange County National’s Crooked Cat course to tie Braden Thornberry for medalist honors and fully exempt status for the 2020 season, over on the Panther Lake course’s par-5 18^th hole, Zach Zaback had just sank a 5-footer for birdie to shake things up further down the leaderboard.

When Zaback arrived on the final green, a man from the gallery shouted, “You just need par!” Zaback was in the day’s final threesome and part of a 13-way tie for 40^th, so par would have assured him at least eight guaranteed starts next season for finishing among the top 40 and ties.

But the 25-year-old Connecticut product, who has just two career KFT starts to his credit, wanted to finish strong.

“That almost gave me a little more motivation to make birdie,” Zaback said. “It definitely felt good to make it.”

Zaback’s birdie bumped 12 players, including Chip McDaniel, Bobby Bai, Harrison Endycott and Duke senior Chandler Eaton, to T-41, which is good for only conditional status next season.

“Nothing I could do. I did the best I could,” said Eaton, who is undecided whether he will return to school this spring. “I know I’ll still have good status, so if I can get quite a few starts guaranteed, then I probably will go pro.”

A year ago, Thornberry was in a similar position as Eaton. After earning conditional status as an amateur at final stage, the 2017 NCAA individual champion opted to forego his final semester at Ole Miss and ended up making 14 starts last season, finishing No. 101 on the money list and booking a return ticket to Q-School.

“This year I didn’t have a fallback plan like I did last year, but I think it was easier because this year there was no alternative,” Thornberry said. “My focus was totally here. If I finished last, I’m a pro and I have to deal with it, take conditional status and do Mondays.”

Luckily for Thornberry, he won’t have to worry about Plan B. The 22-year-old from Olive Branch, Mississippi, fired three rounds of 65 this week, including a 7-under 65 Sunday at Crooked Cat that included a front-nine, 7-under 29.

Neither will Thompson, whose birdie at the par-4 finishing hole earned him full playing privileges. The 27-year-old former LSU standout played three straight seasons with 20 or more starts on the KFT after leaving school early, but he didn’t make a single start this past season as he grinded on the mini-tours and spent time earlier this year caddying for his sister, Lexi Thompson, on the LPGA.

"After first Stage last year, I shot 14 under and missed, and I was ready to be done," Thompson said.

Now, he's anything but done.

“I thought there was a playoff,” Thompson said. “But I’ll take it, I don’t mind sharing the full status. That’s huge. You don’t have to worry about much and you can go free-wheel it.”

While even players with conditional membership can secure a handful of starts early and turn those opportunities into better priority status, it’s not ideal. Thornberry knows firsthand because last season he made just four starts before June, then tied for fifth in Springfield, Illinois, and next thing he knew he was wrapping up the season in Portland playing his 10^th straight week.

“At the time I didn’t think I was that tired, but I was hitting just uncharacteristically bad shots – chunking shots, not even bad shots, just horrible,” said Thornberry, who missed three of his last four cuts. “I realized it was just like mentally fatiguing, not even so much physical but more of just the drain of going through the motions. … Being on the road, having to do laundry over and over. It will be nice now to plan my schedule out, play three or four in a row and then take a little breather. I think it will be a lot better for my golf game.”

Among the group finishing in the top 10 and earning 12 guaranteed starts were former Illinois star Nick Hardy (T-5), Liberty alum Mickey DeMorat (T-5) and Lipscomb product Dawson Armstrong, who played his last five holes in 5 under to shoot 7-under 65 and tie for seventh.

The top-40 group included former Open low amateur Jordan Niebrugge (T-13), Australia’s Ryan Ruffels (T-21), Vanderbilt grad Theo Humphrey (T-27), Florida State product Jack Maguire (T-27) and Vince India (T-30), who advanced on the number after double-bogeying his 72^nd hole in Portland earlier this year to miss out on Korn Ferry Tour Finals.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored twice to set yet another goal-scoring landmark and help Juventus to a 3-1 home win over Udinese on Sunday that sent them back to the top of Serie A.

In-form Ronaldo, who has five goals in his last four games, took his tally for the season to 11 in 19 appearances, becoming the only player in Europe's top five leagues to hit double figures in all competitions in each of the last 15 seasons.

He struck twice in the first half before Leonardo Bonucci headed in Juve's third on the brink of half-time.

Ignacio Pussetto netted a consolation for the visitors late in the game.

"The most important thing was to win," Ronaldo told Sky Sport Italia.

"This is how we should play, with confidence. Individual performances aren't what matters, but the collective effort."

Juventus suffered their first defeat of the season at Lazio last weekend to surrender the lead to Inter Milan, but the champions put pressure back on Antonio Conte's side by moving one point clear at the top with victory at the Allianz Stadium.

Maurizio Sarri's side have 39 points, but Inter can regain first place by beating Fiorentina away in the late game on Sunday.

Udinese remain in relegation trouble after falling to 17th place on 15 points, hovering just two points above the drop zone.

Gianluigi Buffon started in goal for Juventus to match Alessandro Del Piero's club record of 478 Serie A appearances, while Ronaldo was given the rare opportunity to start in an attacking trident alongside Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain.

They needed just nine minutes to find the breakthrough when Dybala's deflected shot fell into the path of Ronaldo, who fired in a low finish from the edge of the box.

After Dybala looked to have made it 2-0 with a sublime lob only for it to be ruled out for handball in the build-up, Ronaldo scored again after 37 minutes, latching on to Higuain's through ball to smash a shot into the bottom corner.

The game was over as a contest by half time after Merih Demiral rose to head a corner towards the six-yard box, where Bonucci was on hand to nod in off the crossbar.

Ronaldo came close to a hat trick in the second half when his powerful shot was palmed onto the post by Udinese goalkeeper Juan Musso.

The excellent Buffon was denied a clean sheet at the death when Pussetto prodded in from close range.

The signs, it has to be said, were translucent from the outset, from Gary Lineker's introduction of cricket's man of the moment as the "main award-winner" a full hour before the voting was due to open, to the presence at the ceremony in Aberdeen of the man himself - kept back from England's tour of South Africa on a supremely well-founded hunch.

And sure enough - cue tickertape and triumphant chords - Ben Stokes duly became cricket's fifth winner of the prestigious BBC Sports Personality of the Year Award, following in the footsteps of Jim Laker, David Steele and - rather more tellingly - each of the two other great allrounders whose feats are synonymous with an unforgettable summer of English cricket, Ian Botham in 1981 and Andrew Flintoff in 2005.

You could tell from Stokes' emotional acceptance speech that this accolade was a big deal personally. He's been to the brink and back in an extraordinary two years - a fact that he graciously addressed head-on as he thanked both his agent Neil Fairbrother for standing by him through Bristol, and for his wife Clare for being there throughout - including through some more recent tabloid moments that come with the celebrity territory that he now occupies.

But what will it mean to Stokes beyond the sportsman's initial buzz of victory? As other recent winners, Andy Murray (three times) and Lewis Hamilton (in 2014) can attest, it's one thing to win the biggest prizes that your sport has to offer, but there is something distinctly gratifying about capping all that with a public vote of acceptance - especially when, for whatever reason, your very personality has previously divided opinion.

But, for the rest of us - especially regular sports-fans who get their kicks from on-field antics and aren't especially enamoured by SPOTY's focus on X-Factor-style "journeys" - why should we care about this show, especially now, 65 years after inception, that it has begun to resemble less a review of the year than an annual festival of diminishing broadcasting rights?

It's a question that Stokes' team-mates weren't especially forthcoming in answering either, as they gathered round in their team-room in Johannesburg to watch the crowning moment. Leaning back on a beanbag at the front of the room, Sam Curran's near-perfect impression of a performing seal epitomised the "yeah! But meh…" vibe that SPOTY generally exudes.

Curran and his team-mates were quietly delighted, for sure, but jump-around-the-room-high-fiving-like-a-Jamie-Vardy-title-party delighted? Not so much. It's safe to say that the actual feats with which Stokes secured this festive bauble - at Lord's in July and at Headingley a month later - were rather more rapturously received.

However, a standing camera in the corner of Tom Harrison's living room might have captured rather more dramatic #scenes.

Because, for Harrison, the ECB's chief executive, this moment of populist palanquin-ery arguably represents the most complete moment of triumph of an extraordinarily golden sporting summer.

The return of cricket to front-and-centre billing on the BBC - and not just through Stokes himself, but through a trilogy of triumphs, Team of the Year and Sporting Moment of the Year too - is the final leg-up that the sport needed before its emotional return to the nation's bosom in 2020, the final pep-talk-before-the-hot-date that a desperately needy sport was angling for, as it dares to dream that it can be loved again by more people than just its die-hard supporters.

For cricket will be back on the BBC next summer - albeit in the guise of ten Hundred matches, a brace of T20 internationals and a raft of women's fixtures - which is not exactly the type of banquet that will fill a SPOTY montage by the time next year's ceremony comes around. In fact, it was revealing that, having at least forked out for some of the key highlights this year (2013, I'm looking at you…) the producers opted to pad out Stokes' moment with footage from a Red Bull advert. The cupboard really is bare these days.

But at least this evening's ceremony was ultimate proof that people care - arguably even more proof than was gleaned from the 4.5 million viewers who flipped over to Channel 4 at the completion of the Wimbledon final this summer. It's one thing to channel-surf and have an event thrumming along in the background, it's quite another to go to the effort of finding your BBC login and actually placing a vote. Just ask Lab … actually, let's not go there.

Either way, it is easy to sneer about the relevance of SPOTY - and cricket's fans have done so on an annual basis for the past 14 years of free-to-air banishment. But at the end of a summer that simply couldn't have gone better for England's administrators (yes, the team could have won the Ashes, but any marketeer worth his salt would have traded a routine win for the sort of timeless jeopardy that Stokes served up at Headingley) the sport's main man, and more than a few of the supporting cast too, have been handed another prime-time, free-to-air moment of triumph.

And let's not under-estimate the importance of household names in sport. In 2014, thanks to the BBC's coverage of the Winter Olympics, Lizzy Yarnold earned a nomination for sliding down a mountain on a tea-tray (for all that she slid exceptionally well). Whereas Moeen Ali, squirrelled away behind Sky's paywall, did not, despite spinning England to victory in a come-from-behind Test series against India.

ALSO READ: From the bank clerk to Botham - cricket's previous SPOTY winners

Similarly Formula 1, golf (through The Open), show-jumping and darts have all been better represented on the SPOTY podium that cricket since Flintoff's win in 2005. Ian Bell (2013) and James Anderson (2018) have both been nominated in recent years, but without any expectation of harvesting anything close to enough votes.

But now cricket's back, and therefore all fans of the sport are obliged to leave their SPOTY cynicism to one side, and sing the ceremony to the rafters. Yes, we really are that fickle, but it's been a long and fruitless wait in the shadows.

And while it does seem random that that famous TV-camera trophy has been claimed by more racing drivers than even footballers down the years, it's rare that the winner has not been responsible for an indelible moment that makes his or her chosen sport proud.

Leaving aside Steele's victory in 1975, which was Jack Leach-esque in its everyman attributes, it's fair to say that Laker's match in 1956, Botham's Ashes in 1981, Flintoff's Ashes in 2005, and Stokes' summer of 2019 all share a shorthand that will echo down the ages.

And, moreover, this latest addition to the annals will ripple into next summer too. Suddenly, Northern Superchargers versus Manchester Originals won't seem quite so lacking in context to the casual sporting public. Especially once Stokes, Eoin Morgan, Jason Roy and Jofra Archer (last seen lolling on Jonathan Ross's sofa) have done a few more of the BBC's light-entertainment rounds to build on this World Cup win among sports PR triumphs.

CINCINNATI -- Bengals coach Zac Taylor wasn't thrilled with how Cincinnati's wide receivers fared against the New England Patriots in a 34-13 loss Sunday. And at least one of those receivers wasn't necessarily happy with Taylor.

After Cincinnati quarterback Andy Dalton threw four interceptions in the blowout defeat, Taylor placed the bulk of the blame on the wideouts.

"Three of them were against man-to-man coverage, one-on-ones," Taylor said. "And we got bullied. We did. Guys could go compete, knock the ball down, go get a one-on-one [ball]."

In turn, Bengals receiver Tyler Boyd, who was targeted on two of those interceptions, was critical of the game plan and scheme against New England. Boyd, who finished with three catches for 26 yards, said the method of attack wasn't "top-notch" like it normally is. When asked to elaborate, Boyd was blunt.

"What did it look like out there?" Boyd said. "Did it look like anything was working?"

The comments aren't necessarily out of character for Taylor or Boyd during Cincinnati's 1-13 season. Taylor has lamented the inability for the receivers to create separation throughout the season. Boyd stumped for more targets during rookie Ryan Finley's three-game stint as the starting quarterback. And both men were understandably frustrated after what was a close game in the first half turned into a rout.

After Sunday's game, Boyd said he should have received more than his team-high seven targets despite being covered by New England's Stephon Gilmore, who had two interceptions, including one returned for a touchdown. Boyd gave Gilmore credit for the two turnovers but said he felt he came open on roughly 70 percent of his routes on Sunday.

"If you want to justify that he shut me down on those two plays, that's cool," said Boyd, the Bengals' leading receiver this season. "It's whatever. But if you go watch the tape, you'll see."

Taylor said Boyd and Alex Erickson could have done a better job of fighting for the ball and causing incompletions at the very least. On Gilmore's 64-yard interception return for a touchdown in the third quarter, Boyd said he would have preferred a slant route instead of one toward the sideline, where Gilmore had the edge.

But Boyd and Taylor softened on their criticism the longer they talked Sunday. While Boyd was unhappy with his role, he said he didn't want to cause a stir, especially this late in the season.

"Two more games left, I mean, I ain't tripping," Boyd said. "I ain't stressing over it. I would like to win, absolutely. But I'm not going to go cause any trouble. They did a great job this whole year of scheming me up, getting me open and getting me the ball. But today just wasn't that."

Taylor was also asked about his criticism of the receivers as a whole throughout the season. His tone softened as he talked about a season that has been rough for the entire franchise.

"It's a group that this is important to them," Taylor said. "And they're trying to do everything we're asking them to do and go make plays for us. Today was just a tough day in that area."

The NFL officiating department stepped in Sunday to reverse the team set for the second-half kickoff in Sunday's game between the Los Angeles Rams and Dallas Cowboys, an unusual move that corrected a mistake during the pregame coin toss.

After the Cowboys won the toss, quarterback Dak Prescott first told referee Walt Anderson that "we want to kick it," but then followed up with: "We defer to the second half."

Anderson replied, "You're going to kick," meaning that the Cowboys had used their choice to kick off rather than to defer. The Cowboys kicked off to start the game and were set to kick off again to open the second half. At halftime, however, Anderson informed both teams that the NFL office in New York City had heard Prescott's request to "defer" and that it should be honored.

According to the NFL, the league office was authorized to step in under Rule 15, Section 3, Article 9 of its rule book. It states: "The replay official and designated members of the officiating department may consult with on-field officials, or conduct a replay review, of game administration issues, including: (a) penalty enforcement; (b) the proper down; (c) spot of a foul; and (d) the game clock."

It was not immediately clear how that definition includes the coin toss. There will be a pool report on the issue released after the game.

NEW ORLEANS -- New Orleans Pelicans guard Jrue Holiday has seen his fair share of losing streaks.

So when he was asked on Sunday afternoon following New Orleans' 130-119 loss to the Orlando Magic -- setting a new record for franchise futility with 12 consecutive defeats -- Holiday remembered back to some of those losses from before.

"I've been a part of losing streaks before," Holiday said. "I've been on the other side of it where coming out of it, it feels great. I just think to be able to stay positive and push through it. But I've also been a part of it where we've been on a losing streak and it's been a negative. That's even worse than what it is now. Just have to stay positive."

Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry didn't even make it to the end of Sunday's game.

With 1:46 left in the third quarter, Josh Hart was given a technical foul after staring down a referee on his way back up the court after he thought he was fouled on a layup. Gentry protested the call and picked up one of his own and after Magic point guard D.J. Augustin shot the technical free throws, Gentry picked up his second technical and was tossed.

"We just have to play better," Gentry said. "We gotta play better. The frustration boiled over for me tonight. I have to do a better job of that also."

Gentry admitted it was a bit of frustration boiling over from the entire losing streak that ended up playing into his ejection.

The Pelicans had lost 11 games in a row twice in franchise history before this streak: from Nov. 23-Dec. 14, 2004 when the team was still the New Orleans Hornets and then again between Dec.5-22, 2012 in the franchise's first year as the Pelicans.

A common thread during this current streak has been the team's defense. In the 12-game losing streak, the Pelicans, who entered Sunday 29th in the league in defensive rating and scoring defense, are giving up an average 121.4 points and losing by an average of nearly 12 points a game.

It was the sixth time in the last 12 games that the team had given up at least 127 points and the fourth time the opposing team has scored at least 130 points.

When asked if he was concerned about his job after a 6-20 start and a 12-game losing streak that is the longest of his head coaching career, Gentry said he wasn't going to worry about something he didn't "have control over."

"You'd have to ask that question to the people who control that," Gentry said. "I just know I'm going to come to work every day and do everything I can to get this turned around. That's what I do know."

The Pelicans held a six-point lead after the first quarter but were trailing by a point a halftime. Things didn't get better for the home team in the third quarter as the Magic pushed the lead to 15 before the final frame.

In the second and third quarters, Orlando outscored the Pelicans, 75-54, as New Orleans couldn't carry the first-quarter momentum any further. The Pelicans allowed 41 points in the fourth quarter, which is a league-high eighth time they've done so this season.

It's a problem that has plagued the team throughout the year and something they'll have to correct in order to win games according to Holiday.

"Play even harder. Play desperate for 48 minutes," Holiday said when asked how to turn things around. "I feel like we do it a lot of the time and then when they make they run or swing and punch us, that kind of gets is. Just play hard for 48 minutes and try and come out with a victory."

Pelicans forward Brandon Ingram said the team has to stay together in order to come up with wins. He doesn't feel like the team hasn't stayed together yet, but he knows that will help in the long run.

"I don't think anybody has wavered," Ingram said. "I think we just have to continue to push and just figure out ways to execute better and win basketball games." Holiday, who had a game-high 29 points, said it's hard on the team to continue to lose but he also knows how hard it is to win in the NBA. He continued to preach the message of positivity as a means to break the streak.

"From a personal standpoint, I feel like we're all competitors and losing isn't in our nature," Holiday said. "We're going to keep pushing and try to figure out a way to win and as soon as we find a way to win, then try to replicate the results. Being positive is the biggest part."

LIVERPOOL, N.Y. – The 2020 New York Super Stock Series schedule has been confirmed, with eight races at four different tracks in the Empire State.

The season for the traveling stock car series will kickstart at Chemung Speedrome with the Gary Marshall Memorial Race on May 2, followed by race two at Oswego (N.Y.) Speedway on June 6.

The third race of the schedule moves to the north country on July 11 at Evans Mills Raceway Park, followed by a return to the southern tier for race four at Chemung on July 24.

Race five is on Saturday, Aug. 8 back at Oswego, with race six as the Dave London Memorial Race at the Steel Palace on Sept. 4. Race seven is on Sept. 19 at Evans Mills Raceway Park.

The eighth and final race of the season will be the Sandra Vogler Memorial Race, set for Oct. 3 during the shootout at Wyoming County Int’l Speedway in Perry, N.Y.