PALMETTO, Fla. – Following the lead in safety enhancements set forth by IndyCar, Andersen Promotions has announced that all three levels of the Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires will be required to employ a Cockpit Frontal Protection device for the 2020 season.

Additional enhancements are expected in the coming years.

Andersen Promotions has finalized the installation update for teams with Dallara for the IL-15 in Indy Lights presented by Cooper Tires and with Tatuus for the PM-18 and USF-17 in Indy Pro 2000 presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship.

Designed to deflect debris away from the driver, the CFP will be positioned along the chassis centerline in front of the cockpit.

Installations will begin immediately with a mandate for the 2020 season.

“This is expected to be the initial phase of cockpit safety updates,” said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “We are closely following the evolution of the IndyCar aeroscreen, which is expected to drive the direction for the future.

“Safety is the highest priority and we appreciate both Dallara and Tatuus’ willingness to help us advance in this area.”

Andersen Promotions recently announced chassis extensions for all three ladder series with the Indy Lights IL-15 remaining in competition through at least 2022 and the Indy Pro 2000 PM-18 and USF2000 USF-17 through at least 2024.

The success of revitalization of the entire Road to Indy with new chassis introductions over the past few years was again apparent in the recent Chris Griffis Memorial Open Test at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course, where many of the 44 drivers in attendance comfortably graduated to the next step on the ladder.

“The transition to this car felt seamless, but that’s what it’s designed to be,” said USF2000 champion Braden Eves in his first outings with the Indy Pro 2000 PM-18. “Everything feels similar – the same steering wheel, the same pedals – you just have to get on the brakes more. The car is very similar mechanically but the braking and high-speed corners are different: you can go a lot harder. It’s really fun to drive, in the way that driving harder gets more time out of it.”

“I love this car: it’s faster, with more grip than the USF2000 car and it just clicked with me straight away,” added USF2000 runner-up Hunter McElrea. “There’s a lot more mechanical and aerodynamic grip, and more power, but that all exponentially goes up together. It’s the same (Tatuus) chassis, so I have my same steering wheel and seat so that makes the learning process shorter. The Road to Indy does a great job of making the steps in the right amount.”

“It’s more of a transition from the PM-18 to the IL-15 than it was from the USF-17 to the PM-18, but it wasn’t a huge step,” noted Danial Frost, a race winner in Indy Pro 2000 who turned his first laps in an Indy Lights car. “I’ve gained a lot of experience and race craft this season in the PM-18 – that developed me as a driver and helped with the transition.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – With the entry process already under way for the 2020 season, IMSA has released the sporting regulations and standard supplementary regulations for the WeatherTech SportsCar Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge and Prototype Challenge.

At the same time, updated technical regulations also were released for all three series.

Notable changes for the 2020 WeatherTech Championship season are as follows:

• Adjustments to LMP2 driver combinations:
  • A Bronze-rated driver will be required for all LMP2 class entries.
  • At Daytona – A maximum of one Platinum-rated driver is permitted.
  • For all other LMP2 races Platinum drivers are prohibited.
• As previously announced for the LMP2 class, the Rolex 24 At Daytona will not count toward overall WeatherTech Championship points but will count toward IMSA Michelin Endurance Cup points.
• Also announced previously for the GT Daytona (GTD) class, the Long Beach event has been added, now serving as the season opener for the IMSA WeatherTech Sprint Cup.
• The eight-race Sprint Cup season also includes Detroit as a Sprint Cup-only event.
• IMSA has introduced a Premium Entry package for GTD teams committing to compete in the full, eight-race Sprint Cup season.
• All WeatherTech Championship teams may use pit lane fuel rigs for all sessions.
• Teams now have the choice of lining their cars up at pit out during qualifying or any session stoppage or go to their assigned pit boxes before being released by race control.
• Base drive-time has been eliminated for 2020. Instead, all drivers must meet minimum drive times as designated for their class in the supplementary regulations for each race.

Key changes for the WeatherTech Championship, Michelin Pilot Challenge and IMSA Prototype Challenge in 2020 include:

• If a race is red-flagged after 50 percent has been completed and the race is not restarted, final race results will be determined as of the last completed green-flag lap, as though the checkered flag was displayed to the overall leader and remaining cars at the conclusion of that lap.
• Michelin RFID readers will be solely used to identify qualifying tires, eliminating the requirement to be physically marked for identification purposes. All cars still must start on qualifying tires.

Additional changes to the 2020 IMSA Prototype Challenge regulations include:

• Two drivers will be mandatory for all cars.
• Each car is required to have one Bronze-rated driver, who also must qualify and start the race.
• Once the pits are open, teams may pit during full-course caution periods.
• The mandatory pit stop time will be shorter than it was in 2019 and will be based on pit-lane distance to ensure a consistent, wheels-stopped time, regardless of the pit lane length.

The 2020 IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship gets started with the 58th running of the Rolex 24 at Daytona, Jan. 25-26.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Starting with the 2020 NASCAR Cup Series season, Go Fas Racing will enter a technical alliance with Stewart-Haas Racing.

Team owner Archie St. Hilaire has been preparing for the opportunity to take his organization to the next level since the team’s first full-time season in the NASCAR Cup Series in 2014.

“2020 will be an exciting year at GFR with the addition of SHR cars and their technical assistance,” St. Hilaire said. “I can’t thank all of the great people at SHR for the opportunity to align with them. All of this couldn’t happen without the help of our wonderful sponsors and marketing partners.

“GFR has improved every year in our six years in the NASCAR Cup Series and I believe that the best is yet to come for this little team and our great group of employees.”

Via this new alliance with SHR, GFR will be provided with chassis, data and technical support for the No. 32 Ford Mustang, in addition to their present relationships with Ford Performance and Roush Yates Engines.

“This arrangement will allow Go Fas Racing to improve its performance in 2020 and position itself for future growth,” said Greg Zipadelli, Vice President of Competition for SHR.

To date, St. Hilaire has more than 200 NASCAR Cup Series starts under his leadership, giving a wide array of drivers the opportunity to compete at NASCAR’s top level, including past champions.

The team’s 2020 driver negotiations are still ongoing.

COSTA MESA, Calif. – Indianapolis Motor Speedway has begun selling tickets to MotoAmerica Superbikes at the Brickyard.

The event, round eight of the 2020 MotoAmerica Series, will be Aug. 21-23 at IMS.

Tickets to the MotoAmerica Superbikes at the Brickyard event will be discounted starting on November 1 and will increase in price up until the event. In other words, buy early and save.

The basic ticket package options are listed below:

– Three-day admission with Sunday reserved seats range from $70 to $115 starting Nov. 1, but will go up to $100-185 on race weekend.

– Three-day general admission will be $45 starting Nov. 1 and will go up to $65 on race weekend.

– Friday general admission is $20 from now until the event.

– Saturday general admission is $25 prior to the event and $30 on the Saturday of race weekend.

Three-day parking is on a pre-sold basis and will not be sold on race weekend, with three days of parking costing $35. Friday only or Saturday only parking is $10 each day, with Sunday only parking selling for $20.

Ticket opportunities are plentiful, and more information is available through the Indianapolis Motor Speedway website. For more information and to purchase tickets, visit https://www.indianapolismotorspeedway.com/events/motoamerica/buy-tickets/.

“Our fans are excited that MotoAmerica is headed to the Brickyard next year,” said MotoAmerica President Wayne Rainey. “It’s great that they can get their tickets this early, save money, and start making their plans for what we know is going to be an incredible weekend of motorcycle racing and other fan activities. We are working hard on adding a variety of additional activities that we think will make this a unique, don’t-miss event.”

All five of MotoAmerica’s classes will compete at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Superbike, Supersport, Liqui Moly Junior Cup, Stock 1000 and Twins Cup.

AUCKLAND, New Zealand – Michael Pickens and Hayden Williams laid claim to feature victories during the opening night of action at Western Springs Speedway on Friday.

Pickens won both his heat race and the main event for winged 410 sprint cars at the quarter-mile, slightly-banked clay oval.

The Kiwi beat Jamie Larsen, Dean Brindle, Rodney Wood and Matthew Leversedge to the checkered flag in the sprint car main event.

Williams ruled the midget feature held during the Western Springs opener, finishing third behind Pickens and Michael Brunt in his heat but storming to victory in the main.

Brock Maskovich rallied to second in the midget feature after running eighth in his heat, while Pickens completed the podium.

Hayden Guptill and Michael Brunt were fourth and fifth, respectively, in the midgets.

The finishes:

410 sprint cars: Michael Pickens, Jamie Larsen, Dean Brindle, Rodney Wood, Matthew Leversedge, Kerry Brocas, Dave Witton, Keaton Dahm, Glen Torpey, Rob Vazey, Dion Kendall, Chris Kernohan, Tyler Radovan, Steve Smith, Adam Child, Brian Edwards, Daniel Eggleton.

Midgets: Hayden Williams, Brock Maskovich, Michael Pickens, Hayden Guptill, Michael Brunt, Aaron Hodgson, Nathan Howard, Jayden Worthington, Kayne Buck, Travis Buckley, Craig Jeffries, Kent Palmer, James Cossey, Matthew McCutcheon.

Two Italian senators have said they will bring forward a debate in the senate to reassure fans of Serie A's "impartiality" following two controversial penalty decisions in games involving Napoli and Juventus.

In Wednesday's early match, with Napoli leading Atalanta 2-1, Fernando Llorente had a strong penalty appeal turned down in the dying moments of the match before La Dea broke down the other end and equalised.

While, later on, Juve were being held 1-1 by Genoa before Cristiano Ronaldo earned what looked like a soft spot-kick before dispatching the penalty himself to earn all three points.

Gianni Pittella, of the centre-left party PD, wrote that he and Gaetano Quagliariello, of the centre-right Identity and Action and Identity party, alongside other politicians will present the debate in the Senate.

In a lengthy Facebook post, he wrote that in the 85th minute, referee Piero Giacomelli "failed to award a blatant penalty" in Napoli's match against Atalanta and that "two hours later, during Juventus-Genoa, the home side was awarded a penalty which was much less obvious."

He also questioned why Giacomelli refused to take a look at the VAR monitor on the side of the pitch, as is the custom in Serie A.

Pittella also pointed out that Napoli boss Carlo Ancelotti "considered among the best in the world for league titles and Champions League trophies won in Italy, France, England, Spain and Germany said afterwards: 'I feel disappointed and offended in my profession.'"

He also referenced quotes by Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis who, after the match said he had "had enough" and that without them [club presidents], referees would be "peeling potatoes."

Former Manchester United left-back Alexander Buttner has joined with the New England Revolution, the club announced on Friday.

Buttner, 30, was signed with targeted Allocation Money after spending the past 12 seasons in his native Netherlands, Russia, Belgium and England.

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"Alexander brings experience at the game's most competitive levels, and his skill and pedigree will make him an important asset for the club on and off the field," said Revolution head coach and sporting director Bruce Arena in a team release.

Buttner had been without a club since July, but had spent the past two seasons with Dutch Eredvisie side Vitesse after being on the books at Dinamo Moscow.

The Dutch youth international spent two seasons with Manchester United, from 2012-2014, making just 28 appearances in that time.

Buttner, who can play in central defense or on the left-flank, began his youth career at Ajax.

Indianapolis Colts wide receiver T.Y. Hilton will not play Sunday against the Pittsburgh Steelers, because of a calf injury that could keep him out multiple weeks, according to coach Frank Reich.

Reich said the noncontact injury occurred in practice Wednesday, and that the injury generally keeps a player out three to four weeks. The coach said he did not believe Hilton would need surgery.

The Colts are 0-5 without Hilton since he entered the NFL in 2012. Hilton missed the Colts' Week 4 loss to the Oakland Raiders because of a quad injury.

Watch the trailer for a new inov-8 film which follows the British ultra-runner’s attempt to become the notorious event’s first-ever female finisher

The Barkley Marathons is among the world’s toughest ultra-distance races. Only 15 runners have completed the full 100-plus miles since it was first staged in 1986. This year saw the UK’s Nicky Spinks attempt to become the first-ever female finisher.

Made famous by a 2014 Netflix documentary, the Barkley Marathons sees runners self-navigate their way around an unmarked course, tearing pages from hidden books as they go and returning them to enigmatic event organiser, Laz Lake.

Staged in Frozen Head State Park, Tennessee, USA, the course features five laps, each involving around 10,000ft of brutally-steep, obstacle-laden, muddy mountain ascent through thick woodland and viscous undergrowth.

A new film by inov-8 – Last Women Standing: The Barkley Marathons 2019 – follows Spinks as the 52-year-old ultra-running record-holder and breast cancer survivor tackles one of the world’s most notorious and secretive sporting events.

“The Barkleys is a relentless race of ups, downs and where the hells!” – Nicky Spinks

During the film, Spinks – who earlier this year became the first person to complete a 122-mile Double Paddy Buckley Round in the Welsh mountains – forms an allegiance with fellow female ultra-runner Stephanie Case, from Canada. Can the two women beat the Barkley Marathons?

The film will have its online international premiere on Tuesday November 19. Fans can sign up at inov-8.com/last-women-standing to find out how to be among the first to watch it.