Monday's Champions League round-of-16 draw could see some stellar ties with the seedings confirmed following the completion of the group stage.

Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Real Madrid and Tottenham Hotspur all finished as runners-up in their group. They will all be drawn against one of the group winners, and that means the likes of Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Manchester City and Paris Saint-Germain lie in wait.

The draw will take place at 11 a.m. UK, 6 a.m. ET.

The first legs will be played on Feb. 18, 19, 25 and 26, with group winners away from home. Second leg ties will be played on March 10, 11, 17 and 18.

Group winners: Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Juventus, Liverpool, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, RB Leipzig, Valencia

Runners-up:Atalanta, Atletico Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Chelsea, Lyon, Napoli, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur

Possible round-of-16 ties for selected clubs:

CHELSEA
Barcelona
Bayern Munich
Juventus
Paris Saint-Germain
RB Leipzig

LIVERPOOL
Atalanta
Atletico Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Lyon
Real Madrid

MANCHESTER CITY
Atletico Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Lyon
Napoli
Real Madrid

TOTTENHAM
Barcelona
Juventus
Paris Saint-Germain
RB Leipzig
Valencia

BARCELONA
Atalanta
Chelsea
Lyon
Napoli
Tottenham Hotspur

REAL MADRID
Bayern Munich
Juventus
Liverpool
Manchester City
RB Leipzig

ATLETICO MADRID
Bayern Munich
Liverpool
Manchester City
RB Leipzig
Paris Saint-Germain

BAYERN MUNICH
Atalanta
Atletico Madrid
Chelsea
Lyon
Napoli
Real Madrid

BORUSSIA DORTMUND
Juventus
Liverpool
Manchester City
Paris Saint-Germain
Valencia

JUVENTUS
Borussia Dortmund
Chelsea
Lyon
Real Madrid
Tottenham Hotspur

PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN
Atalanta
Atletico Madrid
Borussia Dortmund
Chelsea
Napoli
Tottenham Hotspur

Moeen Ali insists that his time away from the England set-up could prolong his Test career rather than spell an early end to it, after responding to criticism of his decision to sit out the forthcoming tour of South Africa.

Writing in his column in The Guardian, Moeen acknowledged that he had been tempted to make an early return to the Test squad for the four-Test series that gets underway at Centurion on Boxing Day, having had conversations with the England management in the wake of their 1-0 series loss in New Zealand.

Ultimately, however, he decided that the tour, for which England depart from Heathrow on Friday, "just felt too soon".

Moeen added that his time away from international action - which has included stints in the Mzansi Super League in South Africa and the Abu Dhabi T10, and will continue in the new year when he joins Multan Sultans in the Pakistan Super League - has felt "quite liberating", and had given him chance to take stock after an intense five years of England cricket in which he has played as an allrounder in all three formats of the game.

"Representing England has always been a privilege and my decision to take a break from Test cricket at the end of the home summer was made to ensure that, hopefully, I can do it for a lot longer," Moeen wrote.

"The past few years have been so full-on and the plan behind my break from Test cricket was to freshen up, enjoy some new environments and get my game back in good order," he added. "That is something that people perhaps don't realise is hard to do when you play all three international formats and particularly so when you are an allrounder."

ALSO READ: 'I don't want to be pigeon-holed' - Parkinson on Test hopes

Moeen's decision to step away from Test cricket, even if temporarily, attracted stern judgment from a number of former England captains, including Nasser Hussain and Michael Vaughan, who wrote in the Daily Telegraph that "England must cut Test ties with Moeen for good".

Moeen, however, described the media reaction as "slightly strange" and defended both his overall Test record of 181 wickets and five centuries in 60 matches, as well as his performances in a 2019 summer from which he emerged with a World Cup winner's medal, but was dropped for the latter stages of that competition as well as the bulk of England's subsequent Ashes campaign.

"As well as becoming a dad for the second time, I look back on the past 12 months in cricket with a huge amount of pride and satisfaction," he wrote.

"To be part of a World Cup winning squad was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. There was no resentment or sadness from missing the later games. The tournament became seamer-heavy in terms of conditions and I had full faith that Eoin Morgan was picking the right team to win. He always explained his decisions to me. So this was anything but a hard time."

He acknowledged that his solitary appearance in the Ashes - a 251-run defeat at Edgbaston - had been "disappointing", but pointed out that in the 12 months prior to that match he had been the leading Test wicket-taker in the world, claiming 45 wickets at 23.13 in nine matches, including a nine-wicket display against India at Southampton, and 18 wickets in England's 3-0 series win in Sri Lanka.

"In the past week I have read that I don't take wickets overseas, when I felt I was making progress in this department," he wrote. "Sometimes it can feel like my bad days in Test cricket get amplified or singled out more than other players, while my good ones can fly under the radar. I'm not making excuses but over time this can get to you a little bit.

"The time away has felt quite liberating. Since my international debut in 2014 the miles on the clock have probably crept up and Test cricket is the level where the pressure and scrutiny are greatest. Combining it all had become a bit draining and rushing back now might have seen nothing change in this regard.

"I have put no timeframe on things. I just want to get that buzz back - a feeling of making my debut again - and ultimately become a better player for it."

Colorado State has hired former Boston College and Temple coach Steve Addazio as its new head coach, the school announced Wednesday.

"I would like to thank president Joyce McConnell and director of athletics Joe Parker for the opportunity to lead this football program," Addazio said in a statement. "Colorado State University is a world-class institution, and Fort Collins is an incredible city to live in and to be able to recruit to. Our program will be one built on toughness and passion, and we will work tirelessly to develop men of character to return championship-level football back to Colorado State."

Addazio, fired Dec. 1 after seven seasons at Boston College, replaces Mike Bobo at Colorado State. The school also considered Alabama analyst Butch Jones and Ohio State offensive coordinator Kevin Wilson for the job.

Sources said former Ohio State coach Urban Meyer assisted Colorado State with its search and had a role in selecting candidates. Meyer, a Colorado State assistant from 1990 to 1995, is close with Addazio and had Addazio on his staff at Florida from 2005 to 2010.

Addazio, 60, went 44-44 at Boston College and has a 57-55 overall record as an FBS head coach.

"Throughout his career, coach Addazio has been committed to the holistic development of student-athletes and of the programs he has led," Parker said in a statement. "He has focused on crafting cultures where his students thrive on the field and in the classroom. We look forward to coach Addazio leading our football team as we strive to be the preeminent program in the Mountain West."

Florida Atlantic is finalizing an agreement to hire Willie Taggart as its next coach, sources told ESPN.

Taggart was fired last month at Florida State after only 21 games as Seminoles coach. He replaces Lane Kiffin, who left Saturday to become head coach at Ole Miss. Kiffin guided Florida Atlantic to a Conference USA championship this past season, as well as another league title in 2017.

Taggart, 43, will begin his fifth FBS head-coaching job after previous stops at Western Kentucky, South Florida, Oregon and Florida State. He is 56-62 overall with a 10-win season at South Florida in 2016. Taggart went 7-5 in his only season at Oregon and 9-12 at Florida State, which fired him following a home loss to Miami.

Stadium first reported Taggart's hiring at FAU.

A native of Bradenton, Florida, Taggart had been mentioned as a candidate for the coaching vacancy at South Florida, which ultimately went to Clemson co-offensive coordinator Jeff Scott.

TORONTO -- FOR THE franchise's entire lifetime, the Toronto Raptors had seen these moments go against them: buzzer-beaters to defeat them, shots that came up short to end their seasons. They'd lost heartbreaking seven-game series and embarrassing four-game sweeps.

Matt Devlin had called all those playoff moments, but never one like the end of Game 7 against the Philadelphia 76ers.

"That happened right here," the Raptors play-by-play man says, standing near the right corner where Kawhi Leonard put the Raptors into the Eastern Conference finals. "4.2 seconds on the clock, Kawhi turns the corner, Ben Simmons passes him off to Joel Embiid and Kawhi puts up that high arcing shot that bounces four times and ultimately goes in.

"That shot has never been made in franchise history. That shot has never been made in NBA history. And you need those moments in a title run."

The Toronto Raptors welcome Leonard to Scotiabank Arena tonight (7 p.m. ET on ESPN and the ESPN App) for the first time since he helmed their improbable run through the playoffs this past spring, culminating in the franchise's first NBA title.

Leonard's shot might be the indelible moment for many, but for Leonard's former teammates, the memories are more personal.

KYLE LOWRY SPENT the first 20 years of his life in Philadelphia. He's a loud, proud Eagles fan. And he plays with an Allen Iverson-sized chip on his shoulder.

So eliminating the 76ers meant something extra.

"That was home," Lowry said with a smile. "That was very special."

Lowry remembers how difficult the series was -- Toronto trailed 2 games to 1, almost went down 3-1 and avoided a Game 7 overtime only because those four bounces on Leonard's shot went the Raptors' way.

"That was the toughest thing I've ever done, mentally and physically ... and it was awesome."

Marc Gasol, on winning the NBA title

"They were built for a championship, and built for the long haul," he said of the 76ers. "The Milwaukee [series], we knew we could do it. ... Milwaukee was fun. But the Philly series was the toughest."

Lowry brought the Larry O'Brien Trophy back to Philadelphia this summer, and had a big celebration to honor the occasion.

"Me going home, and the fans talking s---, because of a lot of that goes into it. ... That was the series you're like, 'Damn, that's f------- awesome.'"

FOR MOST OF the 2019 playoffs, Fred VanVleet went cold. Through his first 15 games of the postseason, VanVleet was an abysmal 8-for-41 from 3-point range.

But on the off day between Games 3 and 4 of the East finals, VanVleet went back home to Rockford, Illinois, for the birth of his second child, Fred Jr.

"I was never looking back after that," VanVleet said. "Just trying to stay in that pocket."

Over the final nine games of Toronto's run, VanVleet shot an absurd 30-for-57 from 3-point range -- including a 7-for-9 performance in Game 5 in Milwaukee to give Toronto a chance to advance to the NBA Finals in Game 6.

This season VanVleet leads the league in minutes per game (37.8) while averaging career highs in points (18.7), assists (7.3) and steals (2.0). According to ESPN's Bobby Marks, he's in line for a nine-figure contract when he becomes a free agent this summer.

Three years ago, VanVleet -- whose motto is "Bet on yourself" -- was an undrafted rookie biding most of his time in the G League. NBA teams had dismissed the 6-foot point guard as too slow and too small, fueling him.

"You think about that, and it's like 'Damn.' It's crazy how none of that stuff matters at all," he said. "It's about can you play or not, and are you in a good situation?"

Whatever his next situation is, VanVleet will always have fond memories of last spring, from the birth of his son to his hot shooting streak to the culmination of the Raptors' championship run.

"It's all like a blur," he said with a smile. "Those last three weeks lasted forever."

WHEN HE ARRIVED in Toronto in 2017, Serge Ibaka wondered if his championship moment had passed him by.

Ibaka had been one of the cornerstones of an Oklahoma City Thunder team with Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and James Harden. That team reached the NBA Finals in 2012 but lost to the Miami Heat in five games. In all, OKC reached the conference finals four times, the last coming in 2016, when they took a 3-1 lead over the 73-win Warriors, only to have it all unravel.

"After seven years of trying, trying, trying, we get so close, and then the seventh year we were so close and Golden State knocked us down," he said. "That was the moment [to win it]."

Ibaka, though, wound up getting another moment, this time in the 2019 Finals against that same Golden State franchise.

The big man saved his best in the 2019 playoffs for last, averaging 16.7 points on 66% shooting in Games 4-6 of the Finals. Although he'd been used off the bench for the entire postseason, he was on the court when the final buzzer sounded at Oracle Arena, with the Raptors officially cementing their title.

"I mean, it was like, 'Finally,'" Ibaka said with a smile. "I felt like something was released from my body. There was a lot of pressure. I was putting a lot of pressure on myself after waiting all of those years. I felt like a release of that pressure from my mind.

"Because it is hard when you are so close so many times and it's like, 'Man, I'm going to finish up my career like that?' It's like, 'Man, was that a waste of time?'

"Sometimes you feel like that, even if you know it's not."

THE RAPTORS ACQUIRED Marc Gasol at the trade deadline from the Memphis Grizzlies, where he'd been a franchise pillar for a decade.

"It's bittersweet," he said, of the emotions running through him when he got that phone call. "It's hard realizing you have to move on, and that the run is over. But at the same time, on the same call, the same thought, you go, 'S---. I'm going to a championship team. I'm going to have a chance to compete at the highest level.'"

While Gasol led the Grizzlies to their greatest success, his relationship with Memphis ran deeper than wins and losses. The big man had gone to high school there while his older brother Pau was starring for the Grizzlies, and he'd teamed with Zach Randolph, Tony Allen and Mike Conley Jr. to make the "Grit 'N' Grind" Grizzlies a beloved team, although one that never got over the championship hump.

So when Gasol did finally win that title with Toronto, he had "GRIT&GRIND" inscribed on his Raptors championship ring.

"Zach, TA, Mike, they go beyond what basketball means to me," he said. "We spent so much time together. Not all on the floor, but on the downsides, on the losses. You go out to dinner, and you go out and have each other's backs.

"That's what makes it bigger than basketball."

Like Leonard, Gasol played a part in Toronto's transformation into a championship team -- particularly with his defense against Joel Embiid in that epic clash with the Sixers in the second round.

By the time the playoffs were over, he was exhausted.

"That was the toughest thing I've ever done, mentally and physically," he said of winning the NBA title. "It was very challenging mentally and physically, and it was awesome. Just staying in the moment."

NICK NURSE TOOK a trip down memory lane last month. The Raptors coach and assistant Nate Bjorkgren were honored at an Iowa Energy game for winning the NBA title.

As the two native Iowans and former Energy coaches took in the game, Nurse thought about how much had changed from when he was roaming the sidelines in Des Moines.

"I used to say, one of my favorite things about coaching in the D-League was when you lost on the road, you didn't have to talk to anybody after a game," Nurse said with a smile. "You could go back to your room, get a pizza, shut the door, and set the alarm for 3:30 a.m. for the wakeup call.

"But it did [seem far away]. It seemed remote."

The same applies to most of Nurse's coaching career. He spent a decade coaching in England, had two stints with a USBL team in Oklahoma, and coached for D-League teams in Des Moines and Rio Grande, Texas, before joining Toronto as an assistant in 2013.

He took over as head coach from Dwane Casey one month before Toronto acquired Leonard.

In some ways, the challenge was similar to what he'd done many times on his journey: find a way to win with a team that had come together for one run and likely wouldn't stay intact for a second one.

"We knew this was a possibility, was that we knew it was maybe a one-shot deal," he said. "We had to believe we could go all the way, and then we had to put in the mental work to get there, and lots of other things. ... But I think we all understood that we were good enough."

WEDNESDAY WILL BE the 181st day since the Raptors won the championship, and Devlin says not a day goes by that people don't remind him of it, sharing their stories from Toronto's playoff run.

"Every single day," he said. "It's where they were when the shot happened, where they were for Game 6 against Milwaukee or Game 6 against Golden State."

As last season played out and Toronto looked like it had a chance to have a special season, he noticed something different about the way the Raptors carried themselves.

"You go back to Kawhi saying it starts in training camp, and there was that feeling," he said. "This group believed they were going to win it all. They really did. It's not just, 'Oh yeah, they believe they're gonna win.'"

It's a sentiment backed by Pascal Siakam, who earned Most Improved Player honors and established himself as a future star during Toronto's title run.

"The whole season was up and down or whatever, but we just went through a lot of tough battles," he said. "It was fun to see how we kind of bounced back every time we fell into a hole. We always found a way to win."

That they continue to do so, with a 16-7 record even after Leonard left that takes the sting out of his departure. As does the banner hanging in the rafters at Scotiabank Arena, commemorating Canada's first NBA champion.

"[This fan base] really does stretch through the entire country," Devlin said. "To me, that's what made it so special. It really was a country behind a team. And every place you go, everybody talks about it."

SAN DIEGO -- Major League Baseball will have expanded netting in place for next season at all 30 ballparks, commissioner Rob Manfred announced on Wednesday.

The extent of the expansion will vary by ballpark, according to Manfred, but all netting will at minimum extend "substantially beyond" the far end of the dugout on both sides of the field.

"Seven clubs will have netting that extends all the way to the foul pole," Manfred said. "Fifteen additional clubs are expanding netting for the 2020 season. There is some variation in this group of 15, but, in general, they are extending netting past the end of the dugout to the elbow in the outfield where the stands begin to angle away from the field of play."

Questions about fan safety related to hard-hit foul balls reached a crescendo this season after a young girl was struck by a foul ball off the bat of the Cubs' Albert Almora Jr. at Minute Maid Park in Houston on May 29. However, concerns over the issue have existed for years and continued throughout last season after similar incidents.

On June 18, the White Sox became the first club to extend netting all the way to the foul poles. Shortly after, a poll conducted by ESPN found that the majority of fans (78 percent) were in favor of expanded netting. However, Manfred emphasized that it's not currently feasible for the netting to extend to the foul poles in every venue.

"Some of you have heard me talk about structural limitations in ballparks," Manfred said. "This is one of them. With an elbow like I've described, it's very difficult to extend netting all the way to the foul pole because you need to run cables over what would be inside the field of play. The data does show that the risk of foul balls is less when you get out past these elbows. And, again, the stands begin to angle way from the field of play.

"The remaining eight clubs have installed netting that extends substantially beyond the far end of the dugout, and obviously they will continue in that mode for next year."

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – For the past 13 years, the NASCAR Pinty’s Series has competed on short tracks, road courses and street courses across Canada.

In 2020, you can add a dirt track to the list.

NASCAR announced next year’s Pinty’s Series schedule on Wednesday, highlighted by an Aug. 18 trip to Ohsweken Speedway – the first dirt race to be held in series history.

In addition, the series will visit two familiar tracks, as Sunset Speedway and Circuit ICAR return to the schedule after four and three years absence, respectively.

“We believe the 2020 season will be one of the best we’ve seen for our fans and competitors,” said Gene Stefanyshyn, NASCAR Senior Vice President and Chief International Officer. “The NASCAR Pinty’s Series continues to grow as Canada’s national motorsport series; we’ve seen an increase in competition level over the years and NASCAR fans in Canada have truly embraced the series as their own.”

The Tuesday, Aug. 18 race at Ohsweken instantly becomes one of the most anticipated events in series history. D.J. Kennington and reigning champion Andrew Ranger tested at the .6-km track for NASCAR on Oct. 29 to ensure the series could put on an exciting race.

Sunset Speedway in Innisfil, Ontario will host the fourth race of the season (July 4). Alex Tagliani won both previous Pinty’s Series races at the 0.53-km oval.

The series will return to Circuit ICAR for the season’s penultimate race on Sept. 12. The 3.4-km road course at Montréal-Mirabel Int’l Airport has previously hosted seven Pinty’s Series races, five of which were won by Ranger.

For the ninth consecutive season, the season will open at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in Bowmanville, Ontario as part of the track’s Victoria Day weekend celebration on May 16. The season will conclude with the Pinty’s Fall Brawl at Jukasa Motor Speedway on Sept. 26.

The annual Western swing including three races at two tracks. The series will visit Edmonton Int’l Raceway on July 25 followed by a visit to Wyant Group Raceway in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan for two 125-lap features as part of a doubleheader on July 29.

Two fan-favorite races on the streets of Toronto and Trois-Rivières. The Pinty’s Series will headline Friday of the Honda Toronto weekend at Exhibition Place, racing on July 10.

Then, as previously announced, the annual Grand Prix de Trois-Rivières on Aug. 9 will grow from 50 to 60 laps in 2020, introducing more strategy for teams, including live pit stops.

The complete broadcast and streaming schedule will be released at a later date.

2020 NASCAR Pinty’s Series Schedule

May 17 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Bowmanville, Ont.
June 6 – Jukasa Motor Speedway – Hagersville, Ont.
June 27 – Autodrome Chaudière – Vallée-Jonction, Que.
July 4 – Sunset Speedway – Innisfil, Ont.
July 10 – Exhibition Place – Toronto, Ont.
July 25 – Edmonton Int’l Raceway – Wetaskiwin, Alb.
July 29 – Wyant Group Raceway* – Saskatoon, Sask.
Aug. 9 – Circuit Trois-Rivières – Trois-Rivières, Que.
Aug. 18 – Ohsweken Speedway – Ohsweken, Ont.
Sept. 6 – Canadian Tire Motorsport Park – Bowmanville, Ont.
Sept. 12 – Circuit ICAR – Mirabel, Que.
Sept. 26 – Jukasa Motor Speedway – Hagersville, Ont.

VALENCIA, Spain – In a historic moment for both Lewis Hamilton and Valentino Rossi, as well as their respective sports, the pair completed an unprecedented track day by swapping machinery at Circuit Ricardo Tormo.

Rossi drove the Mercedes-AMG F1 W08 EQ Power+, the same car that won the 2017 FIA Formula One World Championship with Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport at the hands of Hamilton, while Hamilton rode the 2019 Monster Energy Yamaha MotoGP YZR-M1 bike that only weeks earlier was piloted by Rossi at the same circuit.

The significance of the occasion was not lost on either Lewis or Valentino who have made no secret of their admiration and respect for each other in recent years.

Acting as a mentor for the other, the pair were able to complete multiple runs on each other‘s machinery and share insight, learn about each other‘s craft and enjoy a unique experience.

“It‘s so awesome to see a legend like Valentino in the car,” said Hamilton. “I‘m excited for him for discovering the car for the first time. Reminds me of my first time in a F-1 car. When you see all the team around you, it‘s just a different animal.”

Of his time out on track riding the Yamaha YZR-M1 with Rossi, Hamilton added, “It was so cool to be out on track and see Valentino ahead of me on the same bike.”

Rossi’s enthusiasm at the experience was equally high after completing the track day.

“I was already a big fan of Lewis before, but now even more. We had a fantastic day, where the two top classes of motorsports not only met, but worked together,” said Rossi. “Trying the W08 was a spectacular opportunity for me. I have tried an F-1 car before, but much has changed since then. Sincerely, I was impressed with the car and its handling, as well as with the Mercedes-AMG Petronas Motorsport team, who were great to work with. They were very welcoming and made it easy for me to get familiar with the car.

“At first you get an amazing sensation of speed. The G-forces were not so bad, but it takes some getting used to. Once I got into the rhythm I could really push. It was a great pleasure,” Rossi continued. “I felt like a real F-1 driver for a day. I didn’t want the day to end! I also rode the YZR-M1 on track with Lewis. It was a proud moment for the team to share our passion with him. Technically, Valencia is a hard track, and it was windy, so at one point I thought it could be difficult for Lewis, but he was brilliant on the bike and his position on the M1 was great.

“I really enjoyed sharing this experience with him, and I think he had loads of fun too, demonstrated by how reluctant he was to stop riding! I sincerely hope we will get to have many more experiences like this in the future.”

Lin Jarvis, the managing director for Yamaha Motor Racing, was simply happy and honored to have been able to oversee the experience for both legendary drivers.

“It was an exceptional day. To have Lewis together with us and Valentino, two icons of sport at the same time and place, was really amazing. I’m really happy that I could be there to witness it and to enjoy it,” Jarvis noted. “I was very impressed by Lewis’ performance, because how many four-wheel champions could come here and get on an M1, go out there, and do themselves proud? It’s very difficult to ride a motorcycle fast on track, and even more challenging and demanding to ride a factory MotoGP bike.

“What stood out to me the most was the moment when he and Valentino were out, really close together, side by side on their M1s. Lewis has said that he’s been a fan of MotoGP and Valentino for years. It was his wish to ride on track together with Valentino and to have the experience one day to ride an M1, and he got both wishes at the same time!” Jarvis added. “It was fantastic to see that even a six-time Formula 1 world champion, who has already achieved so many things, can still realize a dream at a special occasion like this.

“We are also very pleased for Valentino, who had another chance to test himself in an F-1 car. He clearly thoroughly enjoyed himself, and we heard very positive feedback from the Mercedes team as well. All in all, I think it was a great, unique event.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – DGR-Crosley announced a manufacturer change Wednesday, joining forces with the Ford Performance family, effective immediately.

The David Gilliland-led driver development program will field Ford entries across multiple racing series, including late models, the ARCA Menards Series and NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series.

The multi-year manufacturer agreement will help further develop Ford’s pipeline of young talent to support their successful efforts in NASCAR’s top series.

“We’re very excited to have DGR-Crosley come to Ford as part of our long-term efforts to develop drivers for NASCAR,” said Mark Rushbrook, global director, Ford Performance Motorsports. “We have just scratched the surface of what is possible in developing the next generation of Ford drivers with people like Chase Briscoe, and we believe a coordinated effort with a team like DGR-Crosley will help move that process forward successfully.

“David Gilliland was a trusted and valued Ford driver in NASCAR for many years, and we look forward to renewing that relationship with him in this new effort.”

The partnership will also provide DGR-Crosley and their drivers with assets that will help elevate their program to a championship caliber organization across multiple racing series.

While Ford is new to the driver development program that was established in 2017, Gilliland has a long-standing relationship with the manufacturer. The veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver was a part of the Ford family for nearly 10 years in his full-time racing days.

“I’m super excited about the partnership with Ford and how things are lining up for 2020,” said team co-owner Gilliland. “I spent a lot of time racing Fords throughout my career, and it’s really special to now be able to bring them into our race shop. A lot of time and consideration was spent on this decision, and internally we know that this is the move that we needed to make in order to advance our program to the top level.

“We have a great group of hard-working, talented people at DGR-Crosley, and with Ford coming on board, our future is really bright. We’re excited for all the things ahead.”

A lineup of DGR-Crosley drivers that will join the Ford Performance team in 2020 will be released in the coming days.

Gabriel Jesus scored a hat trick as Manchester City finished off Champions League group stage action on a high note with a 4-1 win at Dinamo Zagreb on Wednesday.

The English side had already won Group C and secured passage to the round of 16 of the competition coming in the match, but hosts Dinamo needed the three points to advance.

Instead, Jesus' three-goal night left the Croatian club without European competition as group runners-up Atalanta beat Shakhtar Donetsk, the latter dropping into the Europa League.

Dinamo scored first on the night when Spain international Dani Olmos's volley blistered past City keeper Claudio Bravo in the 10th minute.

But the visitors answered back in force as Jesus equalised on a cross from Riyad Mahrez in the 34th minute, a goal not with controversy as a Dinamo player appeared to go down with an injury in the run-up.

Brazil international Jesus made it two on the night -- and 100 goals for club and country -- in the 50th minute with a nifty move and shot past keeper Dominik Livakovic. Four minutes later, Benjamin Mendy set up Jesus on a close-range shot for the third goal.

England youngster Phil Foden gave City their fourth with a tap-in goal in front of the net thanks to Bernardo Silva's run and cut-back pass.