Marcus Rashford is making it "easy" to draw comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo, according to Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Rashford has scored 13 goals in his past 14 games for club and country including a penalty in United's 2-1 win over champions Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium on Saturday.

Solskjaer was a player at Old Trafford as Ronaldo transformed from promising youngster into one of the best players in the world and the Norwegian said he believes Rashford is on the same upward trajectory.

"It's very easy to compare the two of them," Solskjaer said. "Both with skills, body shape, attitude, attributes -- everything.

"The boy has every chance in the world to become a top, top player. Lets hope he continues like this."

Rashford's derby goal moved him on to 10 in the Premier League and 13 in all competitions, matching his season's best tally with six months of the campaign still to play.

The 22-year-old has had most of his success as a left winger and Solskjaer said he is offering more to the team than just putting the ball in the net.

"I don't want to talk about the amount of goals," Solskjaer said. "As long as he keeps being positive and being direct and thinking about getting in front of the goal and getting chances, he'll score goals."

LONDON -- The great thing about football is that sometimes things happen that years of knowledge, observation, conversation and analysis can't explain. For the first hour of their 3-1 win over West Ham, Arsenal were absolutely desperate, heading for a 10th winless game in a row, staring down the barrel of a devilish run of fixtures over the next six weeks with only a four-point cushion to the relegation zone.

Then Gabriel Martinelli, a cross between a young Luis Suarez and an enthusiastic puppy, gave Declan Rice the slip and equalised. Nine minutes later they had scored twice more, and before too long their fans were chanting "Ole!" as their team merrily knocked the ball around to close out the game.

What happened? What changed? Who knows, really. Arsenal's interim manager Freddie Ljungberg put it down to West Ham tiring, but that seems unlikely. Whatever it was, a light seemed to turn on in the heads of the Arsenal players and suddenly swirling despair had turned into giddy optimism, the travelling support seeing a glimpse of a football team again, that something does indeed live inside this collection of players. Hope, is what they saw.

With that in mind, it almost seems churlish to point out that this win didn't really tell us anything we didn't already know about Arsenal. We have known for some time that their strength has been in attack and essentially everything else is up in the air: a team uncertain in midfield, shaky in defence.

This game was won by their exceptional collection of forwards: by Martinelli, who looks like the find of the season, this goal representing his eighth in seven starts across all competitions; by Nicolas Pepe, whose early months at Arsenal have been slow but who very clearly has talent; and by Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, who scored his 43rd Premier League goal since making his debut in February 2018 -- nobody has more in that time, only Jamie Vardy has as many.

Imagine where Arsenal would be without those guys, plus Alexandre Lacazette. If you have those attackers, you only need to put a few of them on the pitch in a vaguely coherent manner and they will dig you out of a hole every now and then. Dig them out of this hole they did, and it's worth pausing to discuss again just how abysmal they were for the first hour.

In the first half Arsenal had 65 percent possession but translated that into two efforts on goal: one was a free header that Mesut Ozil skewed way over the bar, the other came when Aubameyang briefly decided that he should probably do something about the howling incompetence around him, drove at the West Ham defence on his own and shot from outside the area, only to slice it 10 feet over the bar. It barely classified as football, and they looked like a set of broken players heading for another dispiriting loss.

In short, Arsenal would have been absolutely buried by a better team in that first half. Manuel Pellegrini said afterwards that "for 65 minutes there was just one team on the pitch," but in truth West Ham were nearly as bad as Arsenal. They took the lead through a header deflected by a player, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, who was trying to get out of the way; a goal as shambolic and incompetent as the general play. Arsenal were there for the taking, but Pellegrini's side couldn't muster a second and thus deserved everything they got after the hour mark.

"In the first half we were slow, lethargic, which comes from players who have no confidence," said Ljungberg after the game. "We saw West Ham get a bit tired, low and we sliced them open in the second half."

The question now is what this means for Arsenal. Perhaps in May we'll look back on this as the nine minutes that turned their season around, a spark to ignite dormant confidence that will now flood through the team and inspire them to greater things.

"Of course you always hope," said Ljungberg, when this was put to him. "But I try not to get carried away, because I still feel there are things we need to work on. We're not near where I want us to be. But I hope the happiness the players feel, that spirit, the belief in themselves -- they can pass the ball with more tempo, play with one and two touches, a lot quicker, and that can have a positive effect."

It was exactly the sort of thing a sensible manager would say, trying not to get ahead of himself, avoiding hubris. But on this occasion it also happens to be true: a good half an hour against a bad side can help with a little self-belief, but the problems that were there at 1-0 down were still present at 3-1 ahead.

Ljungberg said there were still things to work on, but the question is whether he will be allowed to work on them. "I've been told to work on a game-to-game basis," he said, "then it's up to [the club] to do what they do. It's the club I love and I will try to help them as much as I can."

Time is a question too. Arsenal have another game on Thursday, one more on Sunday, and then we're into the madness of English football over the festive season. Ljungberg will barely have a chance to watch the video of this game, let alone spend the time he wants on the training ground to try to fix as much of this as he can.

The final third of this game was exhilarating for a team pretty short on exhilarating moments of late. They will enjoy that, and rightly so, but let's remember that it hasn't solved any problems for Arsenal. Yet.

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- The San Francisco 49ers' wild win against the New Orleans Saints on Sunday came with a hefty price.

Starting center Weston Richburg suffered a torn right patellar tendon early in the third quarter of the Niners' 48-46 win in New Orleans, coach Kyle Shanahan announced Monday afternoon.

The injury ends a strong season for Richburg, who will miss the final three games and postseason and have to undergo surgery and the accompanying rehab. Richburg's injury was the most serious but the Niners also had a pair of shorter-term injuries to key players as cornerback Richard Sherman and defensive end Dee Ford are expected to miss some time with hamstring injuries.

Shanahan said Sherman would likely miss "a couple of weeks" with his right hamstring strain and Ford, who aggravated a previous right hamstring injury, would be expected to miss "at least" three weeks. Nickel cornerback K'Waun Williams is in concussion protocol and defensive tackle D.J. Jones is dealing with a sprained ankle.

"It's tough," Shanahan said. "It was a huge win and we enjoyed that a ton obviously but some mixed feelings today with some of these injuries, which is tough, especially losing Richburg for the year. The other guys got some serious ones, too, hopefully we can keep playing well so we can give them a chance to come back and help us if we can make our season longer than three games."

Emmanuel Moseley figures to step in for Sherman opposite Ahkello Witherspoon while the Niners have already been using Ford in limited snaps because of hamstring, knee and quadriceps injuries. Shanahan said he anticipates some roster movement coming, although any moves have yet to be decided.

Richburg's injury happened on third-and-1 when running back Tevin Coleman was stopped for a 3-yard loss. On the play, Richburg was driven back at the same time as guard Mike Person, with Person's left leg crashing into the back of Richburg's right leg.

Almost immediately, Richburg crumpled to the ground and grabbed for the injured leg. In the Superdome press box, the injury was announced as ankle and knee issues, and Richburg left the locker room on crutches as his teammates lamented losing one of their most important and underrated offensive players.

"Losing Weston is big," left tackle Joe Staley said. "He's the center position on our offensive line. He's one of the captains for our group and you don't want to see him go down at all."

After the game, Shanahan indicated the injuries were serious, although further testing was needed to determine the extent. That testing confirmed the Niners' fears on Monday and they will now be without Richburg for the rest of the season.

The patellar injury comes a year after Richburg played 12 games of the 2018 season with what turned out to be torn left quadriceps. Richburg believed that injury to be a knee sprain, so he played through it before doctors told him it was much worse at the end of the season.

Richburg had surgery in the offseason and didn't return to practice until just before the start of the season. In his absence, Ben Garland will step into the starting role. Garland, who filled in for Richburg in training camp and the preseason, earned positive reviews for how he played in Richburg's place against New Orleans.

"Ben came in and I think we have a deep group," Staley said. "I think we've seen that all year. Guys just step in and I think that just talks to the urgency that everybody has and the way that they understand the next man up and how special this team is."

LSU quarterback Joe Burrow, Oklahoma quarterback Jalen Hurts and Ohio State teammates quarterback Justin Fields and defensive end Chase Young are headed to New York this weekend as finalists for the Heisman Trophy.

The 85th edition of the award for the most outstanding college football player will be announced Saturday in a ceremony televised on ESPN beginning at 8 p.m. ET.

Burrow, who spent the first three years of his career at Ohio State, is the heavy favorite to win after throwing for an SEC-record 48 touchdown passes and 4,715 yards, while leading the Tigers to the conference title.

"In my opinion, he should win it," LSU coach Ed Orgeron said Saturday. "In my opinion, he's going to win it. The best thing about Joe is he's a team player. All he wants to do is win this game. Individual awards are not high on his list. That's what makes him such a great team player."

Burrow and LSU received the top seed in the College Football Playoff and will take on Hurts and No. 4 Oklahoma in a semifinal at the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Dec. 28. Burrow would be just the second player in school history to win the award, joining running back Billy Cannon, who won it in 1959.

Hurts transferred to Oklahoma after spending his first three seasons at Alabama and is the third different Sooners quarterback in as many years to make the trip. Both Baker Mayfield (2017) and Kyler Murray (2018) won the award before going on to become the No. 1 overall picks in the NFL draft.

Since the Heisman Trophy began inviting finalists to New York City in 1981, Oklahoma is the first school to have a quarterback invited to the ceremony in four straight years, and the first to have different quarterbacks invited in three straight years.

In 13 games, Hurts threw for 3,634 yards with 32 touchdowns and seven interceptions and rushed for 1,255 yards and 18 scores. No school has ever had three straight winners.

Fields, who transferred to Ohio State after spending his freshman season at Georgia in 2018, seamlessly replaced Dwayne Haskins, who finished third in the Heisman voting a year ago. The sophomore threw for 2,953 yards with 40 touchdown passes to just one interception and added 471 yards rushing and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Young is the is just the fourth defensive lineman to be named a finalist in the award's history, joining Washington's Steve Emtman (1991), Miami's Warren Sapp (1994) and Nebraska's Ndamukong Suh (2009). None of those three finished higher than fourth in the voting. Young led the nation with 16.5 sacks and in tackles for loss per game (1.9).

Ohio State is the seventh school to have multiple players invited to the Heisman ceremony in the same year, but the first to have both an offensive player and a defensive player.

Young is the first Ohio State defensive player to finish in the top four in Heisman voting, and the first defensive player from the Big Ten to do so since Michigan's Charles Woodson won the award in 1997.

No. 2 Ohio State will play No. 3 Clemson in the other semifinal in the PlayStation Fiesta Bowl, also on Dec. 28.

ESPN Stats & Information contributed to this report.

EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Eli Manning is the New York Giants' starting quarterback, at least for now. He will start Monday against the Philadelphia Eagles (8:15 p.m. ET, ESPN) and until Daniel Jones' ankle heals, at which point Manning will return to his post as two-time Super Bowl-winning caddie for the 2019 first-round pick.

Aside from this impromptu mini farewell tour, the next time Manning surfaces on the field in an NFL game, he could be in a different uniform. He's in the final year of his current deal and seemingly resigned to the fact that his Giants career will be over at the end of the season.

Those close to Manning believe he wants to continue playing and think his competitive juices will have him looking for a starting gig this offseason.

"You miss being a part of the action and practicing and all that," said Manning, who had been relegated to the scout team for the past 10 weeks. "Felt good to get out there [Wednesday] and throw it around and compete a little bit."

The opportunity to start will not exist in the future with the Giants (2-10), the only professional team he has known. The Giants are fully invested in Jones, the No. 6 pick, and Manning isn't likely to return as his backup -- a role that hasn't seemed to suit him.

That will leave Manning in a position he has never been in before -- as a free agent trying to sell his services.

To be fair, he isn't your everyday free agent. Manning will be 39 years old in January and doesn't need to chase a ring. He has two and a pair of Super Bowl MVP trophies. He also has a family with four young children entrenched in New Jersey, which they have made their permanent home.

These will all be factors early next year when Manning pursues a new job. If an opportunity doesn't present itself, Manning will likely retire by default rather than of his own volition. He's not going anywhere where he's not the starter or doesn't at least have a legitimate shot to compete for the starting job.

But the conversation hasn't gotten this far yet. There are still too many unpredictable unknowns.

Perhaps something like the situations with the Chicago Bears or Tennessee Titans would make sense. They are teams that are close but might need a steady veteran quarterback to get them to the next level -- as older brother Peyton Manning did for the Denver Broncos, winning a Super Bowl in the final year of his career.

It all depends on the preference and evaluation of the teams looking for a quarterback, as Manning will undoubtedly face competition. Will he be viewed as a better option than Andy Dalton, Ryan Tannehill, Marcus Mariota or potentially Philip Rivers? It likely depends on prospective candidates' salary cap and the draft.

Manning's spot in the market could also depend on how he plays Monday night and in the final games of the Giants' season. If he performs well, it could convince a team he has something left. Otherwise, it might be a tough proposition to guarantee him (or even allow him to compete for) a starting position well past his prime. He hasn't exactly played well the past few seasons, compiling an 8-25 record as a starter over the past three years.

That said, Manning is in position to be somewhat picky. The situation would have to be ideal for him to move elsewhere or step aside graciously. He's not going to go to Cincinnati or Miami to join a rebuilding team to grab one last paycheck. Remember, this is the player with the highest career earnings ($252 million) in NFL history.

For now, he's concentrating on the Eagles. Then he will finish out the season, whether or not it plays out with him as the starter until the end. It seems likely the Giants will be cautious with Jones and thus Manning will get to start at home next week against the Miami Dolphins in a farewell of sorts.

But Manning isn't thinking about any of this now. Even the difficult conversations about his future have been put off until next month.

"Again, just take it one game at a time," Manning said. "You never want to try to make decisions about your future while you're still living in the present and don't know the circumstances of what could happen.

"Just have to go out there and try to get a win for the Giants if I'm asked to do that. I'll analyze everything else after the season."

Moments after Michael Brantley swung through the last strike of the 2019 World Series, the reticent Stephen Strasburg struggled to hold back tears as he absorbed the Washington Nationals' standing as baseball champions, and in the handful of words he mustered, the pitcher referred to Washington, D.C., as home.

This was no small matter for a native of San Diego, for someone who would, within mere hours, opt out of the last years of his contract with the Nationals. Strasburg is serious, earnest and private -- which is why Gerardo Parra and Anibal Sanchez targeted him for their dugout hugs -- and so it made sense all along that Strasburg would work out a deal with the Nationals, where he can go about his business without having to worry about pleasing a new franchise, a new set of employers, a new fan base. He knows the Nationals and their fans, and they know and appreciate him, and now he and his family will be entrenched in Washington for the rest of his baseball life, at least.

Strasburg is home, and the dominoes of his decision will fall all over the place.

Experienced Wales prop Amy Evans has called time on her international career to focus more on her family and her business.

Last season's Ospreys women player of the year won 36 caps since making her debut against England in 2015.

But after taking over a gym and recently getting engaged, the 29-year-old admits her priorities have changed.

"I don't feel I've been able to give the shirt everything it deserves," Evans said.

Having also represented Wales at weightlifting, Evans took up rugby aged 24 and her first game against England in the 2015 Six Nations opener in Swansea remains a career highlight.

"I came off the bench to replace the legendary Catrin Edwards," she recalls.

"Catrin taught me so much and not only did I get on the field, you can't really get much better than beating England at home on your international debut."

Other highlights include scoring two tries against France in the 2017 Six Nations and facing New Zealand in the World Cup the same year.

"I feel I've fulfilled most of my rugby goals... and yes I could have gone on to play at the next World Cup in New Zealand, but it just feels right to step away now and have a complete break.

"My happiness lies with my family at the moment. You're here for a good time not a long time and I want to be more available to spend quality time with my fiancée and stepchildren."

Evans lives with type 1 diabetes and admits it has given her "extra motivation" to achieve.

"I've always managed it well and want to show diabetes doesn't have to stop you doing anything," she said.

"No two days the same and every day is full of decisions from how much do I eat, how much do I train to what time I go to bed, what time I get up and are there jelly babies available?"

And now she is hanging up her international boots, Evans believes Wales are heading in the right direction.

"We've made huge progress and part of me would love to stick around to be part of the next few years," she said.

"We're certainly not the finished article, we're at the start of an exciting journey and I feel women's rugby in Wales will go from strength to strength over the next four-year cycle.

"Even though I won't be playing, I will always feel part of the team and will continue to support the girls."

PENSACOLA, Fla. – Gio Bromante may be gearing up for his first start in the Snowball Derby, but that’s not all he’s been talking about in the hours leading up to race time at Five Flags Speedway.

The Long Island teenager is already looking ahead to 2020, when he’ll contest the full ARCA Menards Series East schedule with New York-based Visconti Motorsports.

Bromante will pilot John Visconti’s now-familiar No. 74 Reichert Group Chevrolet for the full seven-race East slate, hoping to back up his recent Blizzard Series title at Five Flags with a touring crown next year.

It’s an opportunity that Bromante is relishing, considering his career was nearly halted last year after a back fracture suffered in a dirt-bike accident that could have easily paralyzed the young prospect.

“Last year here at the Derby, being in the back brace and having to watch while everyone else was racing was tough, but we came back in a big way,” Bromante told SPEED SPORT. “The Rattler win this year and the success we’ve had was really cool, and I can’t wait to carry that momentum into 2020 with Visconti Motorsports as we take a run at the ARCA Menards Series East championship.

“I’m super excited for next season,” continued Bromante. “Most of all, I’m just extremely thankful to have the ability to move up in my career and to get closer to the top levels of the sport. The Visconti team has already proven to be a championship-caliber team and I’m really looking forward to working with them. I love learning a new type of car and I’m always up for a new challenge, so it will be great having their experience on my side next season.”

Bromante won two Southern Super Series super late model events in 2019, including the prestigious Rattler 250 at South Alabama Speedway, to go along with his Blizzard Series championship.

He was quick to note that he feels his experience gained racing for points this season will only help him as he pursues his biggest racing challenge to date.

“It definitely just got me used to racing for points and built my confidence that I could do it,” said Bromante. “We’re intending to go all the way. It’s not intended to be a year of getting my feet wet. This team is capable and I believe that together, we can go out and take the fight to these guys right away.

“The biggest challenge will be getting used to the car,” he added. “It’s just a different animal and a different driving style than a super late model, but I know the team will give me every opportunity to learn and succeed.”

Visconti told SPEED SPORT on Sunday that he’s not only looking forward to what Bromante brings to the table, but he’s excited to work with a younger driver and build on the foundation that Brandon McReynolds helped him to build over two part-time seasons of competition in 2018 and 2019.

“We’ve been watching Gio. We both come from the same area of New York, and as an owner, I’ve been looking for talent that’s been undiscovered in the big leagues,” Visconti said. “He’s been on our radar for quite a while, and it just happened to be that a mutual friend of John Bromante and myself kind of introduced us. It took off from there. We felt like we were family right from the beginning. It’s important that we come from the same mold, because we’re looking to progress in future seasons.

“We’ve already tested at Motor Mile with Gio, and the first time that he was in that type of car, he got under the track record and really showed us a lot,” Visconti added. “We spent an entire day there. It was all positive. Now we’re excited for the prospect of the 2020 season in the ARCA East Series with him.”

Visconti also tipped that plans are in place for Bromante to run several ARCA Showdown Series short-track events in 2020 as well, with the possibility of either running for the Showdown title in addition to the East title or adding some NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series races to the mix in the second half of the year depending on how Bromante performs during the first portion of the season.

“We want to get him into a few Truck races,” Visconti noted. “But if we start doing really well in the first five Showdown races, then we’re going to have to make a decision whether we go to the balance of those races and run for the (Showdown) championship or put him into the truck.

“Regardless, we have a longstanding relationship and we’re very excited for the Bromante family and for the Visconti family, and I really feel that next season people are going to really see some great things out of our team.”

Industry veteran Bruce Cook will serve as Bromante’s team manager and crew chief, while JR Motorsports late model driver Josh Berry will be the teenager’s driver coach for the upcoming year.

It’s a mix that all adds up to success, according to Bromante, who couldn’t be more excited.

“If we could get going tomorrow, I’d be ready to go,” he said with a smile. “All the pieces are there for us to perform. The waiting is the hardest part.”

CONCORD, N.C. – Iowa’s legendary Boone Speedway is known for huge events, but the inaugural Hawkeye 100 on May 1-2 featuring the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series will be the richest in track history.

The new two-day event includes preliminary features on Friday with a 100-lap, $30,000-to-win, $1,000-to-start main event on Saturday. The overall purse makes the Hawkeye 100 one of the most lucrative races on the 2020 tour, which includes 51 points races over 56 dates in 16 states.

“There’s so much history and tradition at Boone, it’s one of those tracks everybody immediately knows,” World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series Director Casey Shuman said. “We’re looking forward to adding a new chapter to Boone’s history by creating this unique event. We’ve found Friday qualifying events lead to exciting racing for the fans, and set the stage for Saturday night thrillers.”

The Battle at the Border, Jan. 2-5 at New Mexico’s Vado Speedway Park, launches the campaign. Vado and Boone are just two of eight tracks never before seen by the Outlaws, joining five additional tracks that will be returning to the schedule after at least a one-year absence.

“It’s always a challenge trying to build a fun and exciting schedule for the fans while trying to keep the logistics feasible for our teams,” Shuman said. “We were able to work with some great promoters in 2019, and I think we have added to that in 2020 with some exciting new venues and events. I look forward to getting the season started in January.”

After the 49th annual DIRTcar Nationals presented by Bozard Ford on Feb. 12-15 at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park, the Outlaws will continue their first Southeastern swing of the season with a return to Tennessee’s Duck River Raceway Park on Friday, March 6 and then the Tennessee Tipoff on Saturday, March 7, at Smoky Mountain Speedway. The month wraps up on Friday, March 27, at Volunteer Speedway in Bulls Gap, Tenn. — hosting its first World of Outlaws race since 2018 — and Saturday, March 28, at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, S.C.

The historic Illini 100 at Farmer City Raceway in Illinois kicks off springtime racing on April 3-4, followed by a visit to a brand-new track to the Series – Kentucky’s Richmond Raceway on April 24. This will mark the first Outlaws race in the Bluegrass State since May 2015, when 2011 series champion Rick Eckert went to victory lane at Ponderosa Speedway. The next night, April 25, Brushcreek Motorsports Complex in Peebles, Ohio, makes a return to the Series for the first time since 2006.

May begins with Boone Speedway’s new $30,000-to-win Hawkeye 100 May 1-2 before a Georgia swing at Lavonia Speedway and Cochran Motor Speedway May 8-9. Ohio takes center stage next as Moler Raceway Park in Williamsburg, Ohio, returns May 15 to the World of Outlaws schedule for the first time in just under four years, and then it’s back to Wayne County Speedway in Orrville, Ohio, on May 16. The Series then heads to the Midwest for a back-to-back showdown at two of the most popular dirt tracks in the region – Jacksonville (Ill.) Speedway on May 29, Tri-State Speedway in Haubstadt, Ind., on May 30.

Genesee Speedway’s date on June 19 is the fifth brand-new track to the Outlaws on the weekend before 14th annual Firecracker 100 June 25-27 at Lernerville Speedway.

A new Upper Midwest tour leadoff hitter has risen to the occasion in 2020 as the tour heads to Seymour, Wis, for a first-time visit to Outagamie Speedway on July 10. The Outlaws will then make their third consecutive visit to Plymouth Dirt Track the next night for the second of six races in the Badger State.

The Rumble in the Pines at Grand Rapids Speedway on July 16 marks the first stop of the year in Minnesota and the seventh brand-new track to the Series. The 31st annual Prairie Dirt Classic presented by Bank of Pontiac at Fairbury Speedway will cap off the month of July with the newly announced $50,000 winner’s share in the 100-lap finale on Saturday, Aug. 1.

For the first time since 2009, Beaver Dam Raceway in Wisconsin is back on the Outlaws tour with a midweek date set for Tuesday, Aug. 4, preceding the 32nd annual $50,000-to-win USA Nationals at Cedar Lake Speedway on Aug. 6-8.

Now under new management, Fayetteville Motor Speedway will be back with a fall date set for Sept. 4 before the return of another fast Southeastern half-mile, Lancaster Motor Speedway the next night. Pennsylvania’s Thunder Mountain Speedway on Sept. 26 will conclude the month’s action as the eighth and final new track to the tour.

Cherokee Speedway’s second annual Mike Duvall Memorial and another visit to Tennessee’s 411 Motor Speedway will round out October’s action before a champion is crowned at the Can-Am World Finals in November.

Click below to see the full World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series schedule.

HUNTERSVILLE, N.C. – Joe Gibbs Racing announced Monday that crew chief Cole Pearn has decided to leave the organization to pursue opportunities outside of the sport.

Pearn, who joined Joe Gibbs Racing following the 2018 season, led Martin Truex Jr. and the No. 19 team to a runner-up finish in the NASCAR Cup Series standings following a series-best seven wins, 15 top-five finishes and 24 top-10s. During the 2019 playoffs alone, the Pearn-led No. 19 team claimed three wins, a pair of runner-up finishes and only finished outside the top seven once in 10 races.

“This was an incredibly difficult decision,” Pearn said. “At the end of the day, I really want to spend time with my family and actually see my kids grow up. Being on the road, you are away from home so much and miss a lot of time with your family. I don’t want to miss that time anymore. I want to be there for all the things that my kids are going to experience while they are still young. I love racing and there isn’t a better place to be than Joe Gibbs Racing, but I don’t want to look back in 20 years and think about everything I missed with my wife and kids while I was gone. They are what is most important to me.”

Over the past five seasons, Pearn and Truex have enjoyed one of the most successful stretches in NASCAR history where they won the 2017 NASCAR Cup Series championship and qualified for the Championship 4 on four different occasions. The duo’s 23 wins since the start of 2016 are the best amongst all driver-crew chief combos over that time.

“I cannot say enough good things about Cole and what he has meant for my career,” Truex said. “I appreciate his hard work and dedication to our race team over the past six years going back to when he was my engineer at Furniture Row. Our friendship is what matters most to me and I’m happy that he’s doing what’s best for him and his family.”

A crew chief for the No. 19 Toyota Camry will be announced at a later date.