Detroit Pistons forward Blake Griffin has been cleared to participate in all basketball-related activities, putting him on track for a return to game action, the team announced Thursday.

Griffin has yet to play this season because of what the team is calling left hamstring and posterior knee soreness.

The Pistons are calling him day-to-day.

A six-time All-Star, Griffin appeared in 75 games last season for Detroit, his most since 2013-14. He averaged a career-high 25.5 points to go with 7.5 rebounds. He had arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in the offseason.

Also Thursday, the Pistons said Derrick Rose (hamstring strain) continues to receive treatment and rehab his hamstring strain. He is day to day. Rose hasn't played since Nov. 1.

Tim Frazier (shoulder strain) also is day to day, while Reggie Jackson (stress reaction in lower back) remains out, the team said.

Runners can race for their country in the global competition, with Ennis-Hill, Bolt and Wayde van Niekerk announced as team captains

Runners have the opportunity to race for their country as part of national teams captained by athletics greats Usain Bolt, Jessica Ennis-Hill and Wayde van Niekerk.

A global and free-to-enter virtual running competition – the Vitality Running World Cup – will take place in March and April, with the initiative aiming to positively change people’s behaviour when it comes to physical activity.

Open to all, participants who log a 3km run in under 30 minutes on a smartphone or fitness device can contribute towards their country’s total, with sign-up now open at www.runningworldcup.com.

Jamaican sprint star Bolt, British Olympic and world heptathlon gold medalist Ennis-Hill and South Africa’s Olympic 400m champion Van Niekerk will lead teams from their respective nations, while other captains are set to be announced soon.

“It’s a real honour to be holding the position of captain for the UK in this competition,” said Ennis-Hill.

“By taking part, millions of people will now have the chance to run for their country, which is a fantastic opportunity.

“I have always got so much out of sport and with this event being 3km or more, I believe it will appeal to so many people. Whether you’ve never run before, or are an experienced runner, I hope you’ll all come together with me and start clocking up those runs next year.”

Bolt said: “Nothing made me prouder in my career than running for my country – and this event is giving everyone the chance to do the same, no matter their level.

“I hope by being part of this and leading my country, I can help inspire people across the world to get involved. Good luck to all the countries taking part – especially Jamaica!”

Also commenting on the Vitality Running World Cup, Discovery Group chief executive and founder of Vitality, Adrian Gore, said: “Vitality has successfully been incentivising people to move more for over 20 years, and the Vitality Running World Cup is an exciting new initiative linked directly to our bold commitment to help make 100 million people 20% more active by 2025. We invite everyone to join and become part of our global movement.”

To participate, runners register at www.runningworldcup.com and every run logged via a smartphone or fitness device which is at least 3km within 30 minutes contributes towards their country’s total. As the weeks go by, countries with the highest number of kilometres run relative to their country size and device penetration will progress to the knockout stages.

Each person who completes their first qualifying run (3km in 30 minutes) will receive a digital goody bag with over $100 of vouchers and discounts for brands and services. Even if a country is knocked out of the competition, participants can still accumulate kilometres as part of a weekly Vitality goal and be rewarded for it.

Scotland’s double European indoor champion eyes Maria Mutola’s mark at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix

Laura Muir heads to the Müller Indoor Grand Prix Glasgow on February 15 with her eye on Maria Mutola’s world 1000m record.

The four-time European indoor gold medallist currently sits second on the global all-time rankings with her European record of 2:31.93 set in 2017 and now she hopes to improve on the 2:30.94 recorded by Mutola in Stockholm in 1999.

Venue for the Grand Prix – the Emirates Arena – is not only where Muir claimed two of her European indoor titles earlier this year but it also serves as the British 1500m record-holder’s indoor training base and she’s keen for another strong performance in front of home fans.

“I can’t think of a better way to begin 2020 and Olympic year than with a world record attempt in my home city and in front of a home crowd at the Müller Indoor Grand Prix Glasgow,” said the 26-year-old.

“Through the hard sessions this winter, knowing that I’ll be stepping back out on to the track in Glasgow will be absolutely huge motivation, as will the opportunity to attack what is a really tough and long-standing world record.

“With that said, I feel that going quicker that 2:30.94 is a real possibility, and I can’t think of a better place to go for the record than in Glasgow and at such a world-class event.”

Tickets for the event are available in limited supply via theticketfactory.com/british-athletics/online

BECHTELSVILLE, Pa. – The annual free-to-the-public practice session will kick off the 58th consecutive season of stock car racing at Grandview Speedway on Saturday, March 28.

That practice, which starts at noon, is open to all forms of racing competition.

Once again the third-mile banked clay track will be operated by the Rogers family and will again carry a NASCAR sanction.

The first racing event of the new season will be the 3rd Annual Bruce Rogers Memorial offering $7,500 to the winner of the 50-lapper that has the Small Block Modifieds going up against the Big Block talents. The race is set for Saturday, April 4 and is run in memory of the man who was instrumental in building the track and making it the huge success it has become.

The inaugural Rogers Memorial was won by NASCAR Camping World Series and dirt modified standout Stewart Friesen while the 2019 race went to another top modified talent, Matt Sheppard.

Te biggest race of the season, the 50th annual Freedom 76, which paid more than $25,000 to winner Duane Howard back in September, is on the schedule for Saturday, Sept. 19 with a Sept. 26 rain date.

A complete schedule is being finalized and will be released shortly.

WHEATLAND, Mo. – Lucas Oil Speedway has released its tentative schedule and it includes something for everyone, with motorsports events planned on three different venues at the complex.

Along with the 13-week Weekly Racing Series, which General Manager Danny Lorton calls “the backbone of our schedule,” there’s at least one special event per month from April through October.

Included is the return of the Lucas Oil Off Road Racing Series for the Off Road Shootout, Aug. 21-23, and the 28th annual Show-Me 100 Presented by ProtecttheHarvest.com, May 21-23. Storm damage forced cancellation of those marquee events in 2019.

Drag Boat action also makes its return for the first time since 2018 with three events on Lake Lucas.

“We’re excited that the 2020 schedule again has lots of variety,” Lorton said. “We’ll have the big Late Model specials, the Open-Wheel shows, Drag Boats, Monster Trucks, Pro Pulling and the Lucas Oil Off Road Series on the off road track.”

There are some special additions within the Weekly Racing Series. Pure Stocks, which ran twice in 2019, have been added on April 18 and June 20 with Mod Lites, for the first time, joining the July 11 program. The Show-Me Vintage Racers return for a third straight year, on Aug. 8.

“It’s sure to be an exciting season as I know people missed seeing the Drag Boats and the Off Road Series last year,” Lorton said. “Plus, it’ll be great to have the Show-Me 100 Presented by ProtecttheHarvest.com back after the unfortunate situation last spring.”

The Lucas Oil Show-Me 100, featuring the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Seriesand Lucas Oil MLRA Late Model Series, was cancelled due to the severe storm that hit Wheatland a few days before Memorial Day Weekend. The 2020 Show-Me 100 will kick off May 21 with the seventh annual Cowboy Classic and continues May 22 with the Tribute to Don and Billie Gibson. Drivers will accumulate points both nights to help set the field for the 28th annual Show-Me 100 on May 23.

Engines will fire for the first time in 2020 on March 28 with an Open Test & Tune. The Weekly Racing Series opener is set for April 4 with the first special, the seventh annual MLRA Spring Nationals Presented by RacingJunk.com, April 10-11.

May starts off big with open-wheel action on May 2 for the eighth annual Impact Signs, Awnings & Wraps Open Wheel Showdown featuring the ASCS Sprints, POWRi Midgets and WAR Sprints.

Boat racing debuts May 15-17 as the Southern Drag Boat Ass’n and Kentucky Drag Boat Association combine. Other events on Lake Lucas are June 13-14 and on Labor Day Weekend Sept. 5-6 for the Diamond Drag Boat Nationals.

June will conclude with something other than motor sports. The Lucas Oil Invitational Pro Bull Ride Presented by ProtecttheHarvest.com is set for June 26-27 at the dirt track. A July highlight is the 14th annual CMH Diamond Nationals with the return of the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series and MLRA on July 18.

August starts with the 11th annual USMTS Slick Mist Show-Me Shootout Presented by Foley Equipment on Aug. 1. One of the biggest weekends of the year is set for Aug. 21-23 with the Off Road Shootout running in the day time, sandwiched around the Rempfer Memorial Season Championship Night Presented by Bill Roberts Chevrolet-Buick on Aug. 22. Track champions will be crowned in the four weekly classes.

The autumn months feature several special events, starting Labor Day Weekend with the Diamond Drag Boat Nationals Sept. 5-6, plus the Lucas Oil MLRA Ron Jenkins Memorial Presented by Rugged Radios on Sept. 5. One of open-wheel’s crown jewels returns Sept. 17-19 with the 10th annual ASCS/WAR Jesse Hockett/Daniel McMillin Memorial.

The Lucas Oil Pro Pulling Nationals roll into the speedway on Sept. 25-26. Street Stocks get the spotlight Oct. 1-3 with the seventh annual Big Buck 50 Presented by Whitetail Trophy Hunt before the 7th annual Lucas Oil MLRA Fall Nationals and B-Mod Class of Champions Oct. 8-10.

The season will conclude with what’s become the annual finish, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Outlaw Monster Truck Show on Oct. 24.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. — After a full season of watching racing, here are just a few of the things I think I know:

– This year’s battle for the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series championship between 10-time champion Donny Schatz and Brad Sweet has been one of the best. It will likely go down to the final race of the season Nov. 9 at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

– Gimmicks will bring fans to the track once; great racing will bring them back time after time.

– Watching the NTT IndyCar Series finale from California’s WeatherTech Raceway at Laguna Seca left me wanting more. Watching Josef Newgarden claim the championship while riding around mid-pack seemed somewhat unsatisfying.

– Gio Scelzi and Buddy Kofoid are likely to be the next open-wheel drivers to follow the Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell path toward a future in stock car racing.

– John Force never gets old. He may have turned 70, but he’s just as much fun to watch as he was 30 years ago.

– With the emergence of young stars — Charles Leclerc and Max Verstappen — with aggressive racing styles, Formula One races are worth watching.

– Jason Sides will win a lot of races as a World of Outlaws team owner.

– Midget racing is more popular than it’s been in a very long time.

– I’d sure like to see Gio Scelzi, Tyler Courtney or Logan Seavey get a shot to drive a top-notch Indy car.

– Asphalt racers spend entirely too much time practicing and qualifying.

– The National Sprint Car Rankings produced by Gary Spaid and published weekly on SPEED­SPORT.com have been very interesting to follow.

– With NTT IndyCar Series (Josef Newgarden) and IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (Dane Cameron and Juan Pablo Montoya) titles already in the bag, Team Penske could make it a single-season hat trick if Ryan Blaney or Joey Logano can bring home the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series crown.

– Aaron Reutzel needs to be on the World of Outlaws tour full time.

– All races at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway should be sanctioned by the National Demolition Derby Ass’n.

– World Racing Group’s addition of the Xtreme DIRTcar Series in the Southeast and special events at New Mexico’s Vado Speedway Park and Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park in January is all about creating live events for DIRTVision.com and the potential revenue those events could generate.

– It will be interesting to see if Christopher Bell, who won the Oct. 13 World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series race at Indiana’s Tri-State Speedway in his own No. 21 sprint car, will put another driver in the car for select events next season.

– We would advise against playing drinking games with the word “aeroscreen” during NBC broadcasts of NTT IndyCar Series events.

– Ralph Sheheen is doing some damn interesting interviews on his podcast, “The Ralph Sheheen Show,” available on SPEEDSPORT.com and from iHeartRadio, Spotify, iTunes and other outlets.

– Longtime Mazda North America Motorsports director John Doonan is an ideal choice to replace the retiring Scott Atherton as president of IMSA. Doonan’s knowledge of how automakers operate should pay huge dividends for the sports car community.

– With the Daytona 200 struggling in recent years, it seems officials made an interesting decision to pair it with the American Flat Track season-opening Daytona TT on March 14, giving bike fans two events in a single day at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

It might be a last-gasp situation for the once prestigious superbike race.

With the Presidents Cup a little over a month away, this week the rosters for both teams will be finalized with four captain’s picks each. International captain Ernie Els made his picks on Wednesday, while U.S. skipper Tiger Woods will announce his selections on Thursday.

We’ve already examined the candidates for Els, so let’s take a look at the roster of potential picks at Woods’ disposal. First, a reminder of the eight players who have already qualified for his U.S. team at Royal Melbourne (Note: an asterisk(*) denotes a Presidents Cup rookie):

Brooks Koepka, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Patrick Cantlay*, Xander Schauffele*, Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar, Bryson DeChambeau*

Now a look at the candidates for Woods, starting with…

The Lock

Tiger Woods: The captain has all the reason in the world to draw his own name out of the proverbial hat. While his momentum slowed this summer following his watershed win at the Masters, he reminded everyone last month at the Zozo Championship that he still has plenty of game. Woods’ analytical style could blossom on a course like Royal Melbourne, and his stable of assistants will allow him to split his focus between playing and leading without missing a beat. Expect a busy week from the PGA Tour’s new wins co-leader.

The Contenders

Gary Woodland: It’s tough to leave a reigning major champ at home, but Woodland’s U.S. Open triumph wasn’t enough to snag one of the eight automatic qualifying berths. His recent play, however, has moved him back to the top of the short list with a T-3 finish in Korea followed by a fifth-place showing in Japan (where he played the final two rounds alongside Woods). Woodland hasn’t represented the U.S. in a team competition before, but with the tantalizing prospect of pairing him with another long hitter like Koepka or Johnson in a team format, that could change next month.

Tony Finau: At No. 14 in the world, Finau is the highest-ranked American not already on the team and coming off a 2-1-0 Ryder Cup debut last year where he was one of only four Americans to leave Paris with a winning record. Finau recorded another winless but consistent season, notching six top-10 finishes including three over his final five starts. He started the new campaign with a T-9 finish in Las Vegas and, after narrowly missing out on automatic qualification, he’ll be tough to pass up.

Patrick Reed: Captain America had a Ryder Cup to forget last year while pairing alongside the current captain, but his overall match-play prowess speaks for itself. Reed has played in each of the last two Presidents Cups, including a 3-1-1 stint at Liberty National two years ago, and he captured a playoff event there in August. He’s come on strong in recent weeks, with top-20 results in his last four worldwide starts, and dating back to June he’s finished outside the top 25 just once in 13 events. It’s difficult to envision his fiery persona watching from home instead of shushing from inside the ropes.

Rickie Fowler: Fowler has been on every U.S. team since 2014, including a pair of Presidents Cups, and he seemed like a lock to make the squad after a spring that included a win in Phoenix and a runner-up at PGA National. But since then he’s fallen from seventh to 21^st in the world rankings, and while he finished T-6 at Royal Portrush he has played only three events since and none since a middling finish at the Tour Championship. He’s had other things on his mind in that span (like getting married), but it remains to be seen if his past pedigree in team settings will be enough to warrant a pick over players who have put up more recent results.

Kevin Kisner: Kisner was undefeated two years ago in his Presidents Cup debut, memorably pairing with Phil Mickelson, and he cruised to a WGC-Match Play win this spring in Austin. He hasn’t cracked the top 5 since, and two starts in Asia didn’t produce noteworthy results, but Kisner still finished T-9 in the season-ending Tour Championship and would undoubtedly help keep the team room loose.

The Wild Card

Jordan Spieth: Somehow Spieth has tumbled to 42^nd in the world rankings, and when Presidents Cup qualification ended he was sandwiched between Jason Kokrak and J.T. Poston in the U.S. standings. It was a season to forget for the three-time major champ, and any gains he appeared to make at the CJ Cup (T-8) last month didn’t transfer to his next two starts in Asia. It may seem like a longshot, but there are few players who can match Spieth’s game when he’s firing on all cylinders, and the match-play format could be especially conducive to a player who tends to make both birdies and bogeys in abundance.

Lexi Thompson is back in action this week, looking to use a swing change to play her way out of a late-season swoon.

She’s teeing it up at the Toto Japan Classic, a most hospitable setting for the 24-year-old American. She won a Japan LPGA Tour major in 2016, taking the Salonpas Cup.

Asia has been kind to Thompson over the years, with four of her 13 worldwide titles coming in the Far East. She also has won in South Korea, Thailand and Malaysia.

Thompson has missed the cut in her last two starts and three of her last five. The missed cuts at the Indy Women in Tech Championship and the Cambia Portland Classic marked the first time she has missed back-to-back cuts since her rookie year in 2012. She hasn’t played in five weeks, taking time away to train and work on a swing change.

“I’ve been practicing and training harder than I ever have in my life,” Thompson said. “I struggled my last few events. I knew [there was] a swing change that I needed to make. I feel good about it. It’s been hard work.”

Thompson said she also needed rest in time away from tournament play.

“I’ve made sure to have that really relaxing down time,” she said.

The missed cuts and time off affected Thompson’s world ranking. She lost her spot as the top American in the Rolex Women’s World Rankings. Nelly Korda moved past Thompson this week, with Korda ascending five spots to No. 3 in the world after winning the Taiwan Swinging Skirts last weekend. Thompson has slipped to No. 8.

What’s the swing change? Thompson said it has to do with her trademark tippy-toe lunge at impact.

“It’s just trying to get everything more in control,” she said. “I’m not obviously jumping as much. That’s always going to be a part of my golf swing, but I’ve realized I need to tame it down, to get more consistent with my golf swing and my shots. I’m thinking about not jumping as much. It’s kind of another move. It’s hard to describe.”

Thompson is eager to see where the swing change is at, before heading to the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship, which she won a year ago.

“It’s important for me right now, just with the swing changes I’ve made, to have a little test run and put it under the gun and in competition,” Thompson said. 

This week’s field includes a strong Japanese contingent, with Nasa Hataoka looking to defend her title and claim her fourth worldwide title this year. She won the LPGA’s Kia Classic in the spring and claimed a pair of Japanese women’s major championships this fall. Fellow Japanese star Hinako Shibuno is also in this week’s field. Shibuno is among 35 JLPGA members with standing in the field.