MESA, Ariz. -- Oakland Athletics starter Mike Fiers got a warm reception from the crowd at the A's spring training home before taking the mound for his first start since blowing the lid on the Houston Astros' sign-stealing scandal this past winter.

Considering he wasn't coming to the plate to hit, due to the designated hitter, the only chance for the crowd to hear Fiers' name was when it was announced as part of the starting lineup. He got a louder ovation than any of the nine A's starters announced before him -- but that wasn't a surprise to Fiers.

"Oakland is going to support us no matter what," Fiers said after pitching two scoreless innings with one strikeout in his Sunday outing.

Fiers, 34, threw two scoreless innings against the San Francisco Giants in a first attempt to move on from his headline-making offseason. "I try to put it behind me," he said. "We have to focus on 2020. Our season is coming up pretty quick."

Fiers was peppered with questions, alternating between how his spring is going on the mound to how he's dealing with all the attention. He deflected as much as possible.

"It's all about going out there and playing baseball for everybody," Fiers stated. "The rest will take care of itself."

He was also asked what he thought of those who have been critical of him for coming forward, such so former great David Ortiz.

"Everyone is going to have a comment, but I'm not worried about that," Fiers responded. "I'm worried about playing baseball and pitching for this team."

Fiers' revelations led to an investigation and the eventual suspension and firings of Astros manager A.J Hinch and general manager Jeff Luhnow. It also cost Carlos Beltran and Alex Cora their respective managerial jobs.

LAS VEGAS – Fresh off Kyle Busch’s seventh NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series win in a row Friday night at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a bounty has been placed on the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion.

Longtime Busch rival Kevin Harvick and Marcus Lemonis, the chairman of series entitlement sponsor Gander RV & Outdoors, have each pledged $50,000 to any NASCAR Cup Series driver who can come into the Truck Series and beat Busch at his own game.

The rules are simple. Busch must be beaten by a full-time Cup Series driver in any of the four remaining Truck Series events that he’s entered in this year for said driver to collect the cash.

Busch will be back in the Truck Series field at Atlanta (Ga.) Motor Speedway on March 14, Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway on March 20, Texas Motor Speedway on March 27, and Kansas Speedway on May 30.

The challenge was sparked on Twitter Saturday, while the Cup Series was waiting out the rain in hopes of qualifying at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

I like this so let’s make this fun. I’ll put up a $50,000 bounty for any full time cup driver who races a truck and can beat @KyleBusch in his next 4 races. #gameon https://t.co/BRjLCTxFJQ

— Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) February 22, 2020

Sounds good to me!!! $100,000 grand boys!!! #gameon https://t.co/YtlsMWx5ka

— Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) February 22, 2020

The catch? It has to be clean. For a driver to cash in, they can’t wreck Busch for the win.

Gotta be fair and square. First FULL TIME CUP driver to beat him. Can’t wreck him, and everything has to be fair as in any other race. Good friendly fun!!! https://t.co/SgO2MabpJK

— Kevin Harvick (@KevinHarvick) February 22, 2020

Told about the bounty when he came into the media center after NASCAR Cup Series qualifying was washed out Saturday afternoon, Busch was less than impressed.

“Well, there just better be an asterisk on it because if somebody crashes me, it doesn’t count,” Busch said. “Put money on a bounty on somebody and then bad things tend to happen. I don’t know. Make it whatever y’all want. It don’t matter to me.

“I’ve got great stuff (and) I’m a good driver. Bring it.”

If no one can beat Busch over his next four races, the $100,000 bounty will be donated to the Bundle of Joy Fund, Kyle and Samantha’s charitable organization which helps couples in need of fertility treatments in order to conceive, much like they needed themselves.

Now this is a plan! We will be expecting that donation because no one is going to beat our guy @KyleBusch. Please send a check this time because pennies are a chocking hazard to the babies. @KevinHarvick @marcuslemonis @FS1 @NASCARONFOX https://t.co/LutVeyAyN6

— The Bundle of Joy Fund (@bundleofjoyfund) February 22, 2020

Multiple Cup Series regulars have already expressed interest in the challenge, including Denny Hamlin, Austin Dillon and current Truck Series owner/driver Timmy Hill.

John Hunter Nemechek has committed to taking the challenge at Texas Motor Speedway, and perhaps sooner than that if the right funding is available.

I am in for the @NASCAR_Trucks @GanderRV Series at the @TXMotorSpeedway – maybe earlier to challenge. @romcoequipment | @NEMCOMotorsport | #NASCAR https://t.co/TmwKTjww4g

— John Hunter Nemechek (@JHNemechek) February 22, 2020

Regardless of whether the bounty is claimed or Busch goes undefeated, Harvick’s idea has certainly generated plenty of interest in the Truck Series for the next few weeks.

Lemonis is even trying to generate more viewership – if FOX Sports is willing to help out, that is.

If you @NASCARONFOX want to move this to @NASCARONFOX prime time then I’ll put up a much bigger purse for top 5 finishers and we will pack the stands. @NASCAR @GanderRV .. RT to help me make this happen $250k a big enough prime time purse ?? @KyleBusch @KevinHarvick @stevephelps https://t.co/BIa3QrG70u

— Marcus Lemonis (@marcuslemonis) February 23, 2020

SEBRING, Fla. – Next weekend, the Trans-Am Series presented by Pirelli will build on a proud tradition of racing at Sebring Int’l Speedway, headlining the SVRA Sebring Vintage Classic Feb. 28-March 1 for its 15th showing since the series first race in 1966.

In 1966, a new series featuring entries by Detroit’s Big Three auto manufacturers made its debut at Sebring Int’l Raceway with the running of the Governor’s Cup, the first race for the Sports Car Club of America-sanctioned Trans American Sedan Championship.

That inaugural event included the then two-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt, driving a Ford Mustang, and Alfa Romeo’s Jochen Rindt, who would win the 1970 Formula One World Championship.

Foyt led the opening 13 laps before dropping back following a long pit stop. Later in the four-hour event, tire issues, brake problems and overheating hit many of the competitors on the over-two-liter class, made up of Mustangs, Chevrolet Corvairs, Plymouth Barracudas and Dodge Darts.

Bob Tullius won the larger class in a Dart, finishing second overall. Meanwhile, Alfas dominated the under-two-liter category, led by overall winning Rindt, who recovered from a roll-over in pre-event practice. The race was held the day before the 12 Hours, attracting a 40-car field.

“That race was held at Sebring in its original form – long (5.2 miles) and bumpy,” Tullius recalled. “I was instructed by our Chrysler team manager to follow the two Barracudas, because they wanted those cars to win and I was going to be a nice guy. But they didn’t count on A.J. Foyt, who went into the lead in a Mustang. I ran around for awhile, and then decided to pick it up. I passed both of the Barracudas, and then caught Foyt and passed him for the lead. Eventually, his car bailed and I wound up winning the race.”

Trans-Am returned in 1967 as the Four-Hour International, drawing a then-record 61 entries. Jerry Titus won in a Ford Mustang, lapping the second-place Camaro Z-28 of Mark Donohue. Peter Gregg and Sam Posey took honors in the Under two-liter class, driving a Porsche.

The historic 17-turn, 3.74-mile airport-based circuit also hosted Trans-Am in 1968, running concurrently with the 12 Hours of Sebring. Mark Donohue and Craig Fisher took Trans-Am honors with a third-place overall finish, one position ahead of Roger Penske-entered Camaro teammates Joe Welch and Bob Johnson.

With the series moving to shorter races, the next Trans-Am race at Sebring was not until 1999, with a stand-alone weekend serving as the season finale. Paul Gentilozzi capped his championship season by winning in a Ford Mustang. Trans-Am ran as part of the Twelve Hours of Sebring events the following two years, as Brian Simo won the 2000 season opener in a Qvale Mangusta, while Boris Said won the following year in a Ford Mustang.

Since 2013, Trans-Am has been a major component of the SVRA Sebring Vintage Classic, held two weekends prior to the Mobil 1 Twelve Hours. Doug Peterson scored the 2013 and 2014 overall victories in a Corvette, while Cameron Lawrence began a three-year TA2 winning streak in a Camaro. The two drivers went on to win their respective titles in both seasons. For 2020, the two drivers will team for Peterson Racing in TA2 powered by AEM, driving a pair of 3Dimensonal Services Group-sponsored entries.

“Returning to Sebring is definitely like going back home,” said Lawrence, a native of nearby Orlando. “It gives a real good shot at starting out strong with a new car and a new team. I have a good idea of what the car needs to do to win at Sebring, and if we get the setup right we should be running up front again. I’m excited to be teamed up with Doug. I’ve had a lot of respect for him for a long time, and it’s real neat to team up with him and his resources. He had a strong run at Sebring last year (fourth), and it would be great to have both of us up on the podium together.”

Sebring’s status as a Trans-Am championship-launching race is further bolstered by the record of Amy Ruman, who won the 2015 season opener on her way to becoming Trans Am’s first female champion.

For the 2020 opener, testing begins on Friday (Feb. 28) for the 60-car entry, with practice and qualifying on Saturday. Sunday includes the TA/XGT/SGT/GT feature race at 11:10 a.m., with the TA2 Race Powered by AEM at 1:25 p.m.

After watching his former college teammate Matthew Wolff break through with his first PGA Tour victory last summer, Viktor Hovland finally joined Wolff in the winner's circle.

And he did so in equally dramatic, walk-off fashion.

Wolff won the 3M Open last July on a 30-foot eagle putt from just off the green.

Hovland canned a 30-footer of his own Sunday at the Puerto Rico Open, his putt for birdie pushing him to 20 under, one shot clear of runner-up Josh Teater.

Of course, these likely won't be the last winning moments from either Oklahoma State product, who each figure to have long and successful pro careers.

Real Madrid's plan to give Brazilian Rodrygo some extra playing time in the reserves backfired badly after the forward was sent off on Sunday following an overzealous celebration and is now suspended for next week's 'Clasico' against Barcelona.

Rodrygo, 18, has been playing for both Zinedine Zidane's first team and reserve side Castilla in the third tier of Spanish soccer and was involved in farcical scenes in Sunday's 2-0 win at home to San Sebastian de los Reyes.

The teenager scored the second goal late in the game with a mesmeric run followed by an audacious chip over visiting goalkeeper Xabi Irureta, who berated the forward after the ball had nestled in the net.

Rodrygo responded by waving his arms in Irureta's face in a mock celebration and was shown his second yellow card of the game and was subsequently sent off.

The forward has scored seven goals for Real's first team this season and is the youngest player to score a hat trick in the Champions League.

Yet his suspension for next week's title showdown against La Liga leaders Barcelona adds to Real's shortage in attack after Eden Hazard fractured his ankle in Saturday's 1-0 defeat to Levante.

LONDON -- The roar of relief that greeted the final whistle in Arsenal's ramshackle 3-2 victory over Everton told its own story.

In front of the dugouts, Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta turned to embrace his coaching staff. On the pitch, his players shared tired, happy hugs with each other, their smiles reflecting both satisfaction after a hard afternoon's work and awareness of the good fortune that had enabled them to emerge with all three points.

Those who watch Arsenal closely discerned Arteta's positive impact on the team's performances right from the first match of his fledgling tenure, but having successfully turned his side into a more obdurate force -- witness the four successive Premier League draws they registered between early January and early February -- the expectation now is that those improvements will start to be reflected in their results.

Following last weekend's 4-0 win over Newcastle United and a hard-fought 1-0 success away to Olympiakos in the Europa League, Arsenal have strung together three successive wins in all competitions for the first time since September. The victory over in-form Everton took them up to ninth place in the table and with only four points now separating them from fifth place, which will provide a gateway to the Champions League if Manchester City's ban from the competition is upheld, a return to Europe's top table now feels closer than it has for months.

- Report: Arsenal 3-2 Everton
- Arsenal ratings: Saka, Aubameyang 7/10 in thrilling win

After the game, Arteta hailed the "spirit" and "resilience" his players had shown despite being "absolutely shattered" following the midweek trip to Athens. In his pre-match programme notes, he had highlighted the importance of recognising the difference between "what you want to do and what you can do" and on that front, the victory over Everton proved a useful case in point.

In terms of their attacking football and work rate, much of what Arsenal did will have pleased Arteta, whose selection decisions paid off for the most part. His choice of 20-year-old striker Eddie Nketiah over Alexandre Lacazette, who had scored the winner at Olympiakos, was vindicated in the 27th minute when the former Leeds United loanee leapt into the air to volley in a magnificent cross from substitute Bukayo Saka (on earlier than expected for the injured Sead Kolasinac) and cancel out Dominic Calvert-Lewin's early opener.

Dani Ceballos once again impressed alongside Granit Xhaka in the deeper midfield role Arteta has earmarked for him, with one vital challenge on the dangerous Richarlison early in the second half drawing loud approval from the Emirates Stadium faithful. Arteta's faith in Shkodran Mustafi also continues to bear fruit. While Arsenal looked shaky in their defensive third at times (more on that later), the much maligned German centre-back defended stoutly and produced a number of decisive interventions.

The figurehead of Arsenal's victory, though, was Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang. His first goal, a Thierry Henry-style finish from David Luiz's brilliant through-ball, gave Arsenal the lead for the first time in the 33rd minute and his second, a centre-forward's header from Nicolas Pepe's in-swinging cross, restored the hosts' advantage after Richarlison had stabbed in an equaliser in first-half stoppage time.

With 17 goals, the Gabonese striker is now the Premier League's joint-top scorer alongside Leicester's Jamie Vardy, but it was his defensive contribution that really caught the eye. Operating wide on the left in a 4-2-3-1 formation that had morphed into a backs-to-the-wall 4-5-1 by the end, the Arsenal captain set the tone for his teammates with his tireless pressing and finished the match with a tally of tackles (three) that only Mustafi in a red shirt could equal.

"I'm so happy with him," Arteta said. "Because he's scoring very important goals for us, but as well, as a captain he's giving a great example to everybody else that a player of his calibre is able to work the way that he is working defensively.

"I had two questions: either he doesn't want to do it or he cannot do it physically. Once I found out that physically he could do it, it was just about convincing him to do it every three days. And he's showing that."

The gap between what Arteta wants to see from Arsenal and what he gets was reflected in the defensive shortcomings that allowed Everton to score two goals and pose an attacking threat throughout. Arsenal had kept clean sheets on their three previous outings, but any sense of defensive serenity vanished in the space of the 49 seconds that it took Calvert-Lewin to put Everton in front after the home side failed to deal with a Gylfi Sigurdsson free-kick.

Both Everton goals came from set-pieces, which continues to be a problem area for the Gunners: only relegation-threatened Aston Villa, with 14, have conceded more goals from dead-ball situations this season than the 12 shipped by Arsenal. Richarlison and Calvert-Lewin repeatedly exposed Arsenal's vulnerability to pace in behind their back four; had it not been for some inspired goalkeeping from Bernd Leno in the last 20 minutes, Carlo Ancelotti's men would have left north London with the point (or points) their performance deserved.

With assignments against Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool to follow, the outcome of Sunday's game represented a disappointing start to a sequence of fixtures that will test Everton's Champions League aspirations to the limit. For Arsenal, who face West Ham, Brighton, Southampton and Norwich in their next four league fixtures, the horizon looks a great deal clearer.

Temi Ojora and Niah Akintokun also set championship bests at the England Athletics indoor age-group competition

Three championship bests highlighted a superb weekend of competition at the England Athletics Indoor Age-Group Championships at the EIS Arena in Sheffield.

Lewis Byng in the shot, Temi Ojora in the triple jump and Niah Akintokun in the 200m set new figures on day two as the country’s best under-20, under-17 and under-15 athletes assembled.

Akintokun set the ball rolling with a 24.68 clocking in the under-15 girls’ 200m. That took four hundredths from the championship best and added to her 60m win in 7.62 the previous day.

Byng, who represented Britain at the European U20 Championships last year, added 12cm in the junior men’s shot with 18.69m as he won by more than a metre.

The 18-year-old had started his season by breaking the British under-20 indoor shot put record with a throw of 19.18m in Loughborough earlier this month.

READ MORE: Strong start bodes well for Lewis Byng

Meanwhile, Ojora went three centimetres beyond the existing mark in the under-20 triple jump as she went out to 12.92m in the third round. That was just seven centimetres below the UK junior age best indoors.

Other top performances on the track included Fabian Powell in the under-15 boys’ 300m (36.64), Jaiden Dean in the under-15 60m hurdles (8.23) and Dean Patterson in the under-15 200m (22.58).

Particularly shining in the field were Daniel Falode in the under-20 triple jump (15.77m), Kelechi Aguocha in the high jump (2.17m) and Serena Vincent in the under-20 women’s shot (15.47m).

Hosts Yale fall to Princeton
By CSA Reporters

On day two of the CSA Women’s Team National Championships, top-seeded Harvard ran away with an 8-1 victory over Trinity to clinch a spot in the Howe Cup finals for the 12th consecutive season. Number two seeds Princeton await them in the final after beating tournament hosts Yale 6-3.

Harvard opened up strongly against the Bantams, posting three quick wins at the second, fifth and eighth positions. The first point of the day came by way of co-captain Amelia Henley, who shutout her opponent at the second pairing. Eleonore Evans and Evie Coxon added victories to push the Crimson lead to 3-0.

At the third position, Hana Moataz posted a stellar 3-0 victory, outscoring her Bantam opponent 33-16 in the process.

First-year Charlotte Orcutt clinched the match for the Crimson at the ninth position, overcoming a third-set tiebreaker loss to win her match 3-1. Orcutt’s win gave the Crimson a 5-0 lead and a spot in the championship round.

Gina Kennedy, Hannah Craig and Maddie Chai all added wins to bring the Harvard total to eight on the afternoon.

The second day of the 2020 CSA National Collegiate Women’s Team Championships featured semi-final matches across five divisions and two venues on Saturday. All division finals will be played at Yale University today (Sunday).

Howe Cup
A jam-packed Brady Squash Center welcomed the Howe Cup semi-finalists on the second day of competition and the players did not disappoint.

The marquee match-up was the meeting of longtime rivals, Princeton and Yale, who were seeded second and third, respectively.

With the partisan home crowd behind them, Yale jumped out to a 2-1 lead after the first wave of matches. When the second group of matches stepped on court, however, the tide changed in Princeton’s favor.

The Tigers won the next three matches – and the following two after Yale senior captain Lucy Beecroft tried to the stem the tide with a win of her own – to capture the win 6-3.

Princeton earned the rematch they were looking for, as Harvard took the other semi-final against Trinity, 8-1. Trinity put up a strong fight, sending five different matches to four games, but ultimately, they could not overcome a deep and experienced Harvard squad.

The Howe Division consolation semis produced their fair share of drama as well. Both contests finished with very close 5-4 scorelines, as they did during the regular season.

In the end, both Stanford and Columbia reversed their results from the regular season against Drexel and Penn, respectively, and will meet with the fifth place position on the line.

Kurtz Cup
Like in the Howe Division, the top four seeds met for two spots in the final, and the results went the way of the higher-ranked teams. In the 1-versus-4 Dartmouth-Brown match, all three first-wave matches went the distance, with Dartmouth prevailing in all three. Those results set the tone for the rest of the match, as Dartmouth won the next three matches on the way to an 8-1 win.

In the other semi-final, second seed Virginia faced a stiff contest from third-seeded Cornell, but emerged with a 6-3 win in the end. UVA went 2-1 in each wave of matches to keep the Big Red at bay and clinch their berth in the final against Dartmouth.

While the drama of those two matches were unfolding, 6-seed George Washington and 7-seed Middlebury had a battle of their own going. GW’s strength at the top of the ladder contrasted with Middlebury’s depth to create a 4-4 scoreline through eight matches. It came down to the Number 6 players, and GW’s Vedika Arunachlam clinched the win the Colonials with a 3-0 triumph. GW will face Williams in the consolation final tomorrow afternoon.

Walker Division
As expected, the action on court was intense starting with the open matches of the day between Walker Division teams. The notable match of the morning session involved the second and third seeds, Franklin & Marshall and Tufts. The back-and-forth affair could have gone either way and culminated with two matches on court with Tufts leading 4-3. In quick succession, however, F&M’s No. 1 Audrey Berling and No. 7 Zoe Qualye each captured exhausting five-game victories to turn the tides and clinch the team win for the Diplomats.

The other Walker Cup semifinal went decisively to Amherst College, who swept their fourth-seeded opponent, Wesleyan, 9-0. The final between Amherst and F&M will be the first meeting between the two teams this season. In the consolation bracket, 7-seed Dickinson upset sixth-seeded William Smith, 6-3, and Bowdoin earned their third victory of the season over Hamilton.

Epps Division
The top two seeds of the Epps Division, Connecticut College and St. Lawrence University, moved on to tomorrow’s final in decisive fashion. St. Lawrence had a comfortable 8-1 win over upstarts Georgetown, and top seed Conn College handled the challenge from Colby in a 6-3 victory. The Conn-Colby match was close at the beginning, including an early 2-2 team score, but Conn gradually pulled away to secure the win.

In consolation play, fifth seeded Haverford played Bucknell for the third time this season and overcame that mental hurdle with an 8-1 win. They will meet Boston College in tomorrow’s consolation final thanks to a 7-2 result against Mount Holyoke.

E Division
With 11 teams in E Division play, the quarterfinals only started on Saturday morning, this time at Hopkins School in New Haven. The top three seeds – Vassar College, Northeastern University, and Denison University – cruised to semifinal berths with strong victories, but the quarterfinal of the day was a rematch between Wellesley College and Boston University. Early in February, Wellesley edged BU 5-4 to earn the higher seed, but Boston turned the tables with a 5-4 victory of their own this time around.

In the afternoon semifinal rounds, the seeds held true to form with Vassar and Northeastern moving on to Sunday morning’s final at Yale. BU and Denison will meet in the 3/4 playoff. Wellesley, Washington University in St. Louis, Bard, and Rochester all earned wins in the E Division consolation matches.

Harvard Highlights
Harvard has now won a CSA-record 82 consecutive matches dating back to 2014-15.
Amelia Henley extends her win streak to a team-best 51 matches.
Harvard has earned a spot in the Howe Cup finals for the 12th season in a row.
Hannah Craig and Eleonore Evans both keep their perfect seasons alive, posting 16-0 records thus far in 2019-20.
The Crimson remain undefeated at the top three positions in the line-up this year, posting a 48-0 record in 16 matches.
The Crimson is 19-8 all-time in the Howe Cup championship match.
This will be the first meeting between the two Ivy League foes in the national championship since 2009.
Harvard has won nine-straight matches against Princeton, including two in Howe Cup play.

Pictures by MICHAEL BELLOE courtesy of College Squash Association

LAS VEGAS – Roush Fenway Racing President Steve Newmark revealed in a statement Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that Ryan Newman suffered a head injury during the violent crash on the last lap of the Daytona 500.

Newmark read a statement from Newman, who was not present Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where Newman confirmed that he didn’t suffer any additional injuries besides the the head injury, which he continues to be treated for.

“I was fortunate to avoid any internal organ damage or broken bones,” Newman said in his statement. “I did sustain a head injury for which I am currently being treated. The doctors have been pleased with my progression over the last few days.”

In his statement, Newman would also thank the NASCAR community for the support following the incident as well as those involved in his care at the race track and at Halifax Medical Center, where he was treated following the crash. He left the hospital on Wednesday.

Lastly, Newman said he plans to be back in the No. 6 car as soon as doctors clear him to return.

“I’ve spoken with Jack Roush and he has assured me that the No. 6 car will be waiting and ready for my return,” Newman said. “I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel and battling for another race win in the Roush Fenway Ford.”

Details on exactly what type of head injury Newman suffered in the crash were not revealed in the statement or by Newmark. Newmark also confirmed there is currently no timetable for Newman’s return to the No. 6 Ford Mustang at Roush Fenway Racing.

“We don’t have a timetable for Ryan’s return,” Newmark confirmed. “I can tell you what his timetable would like to be, which is as soon as possible, but there are some other hoops he has to jump through before that happens.”

Following the reading of Newman’s statement, Newmark answered questions from the media and confirmed that Ross Chastain, who is driving in place of Newman this weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, has been made available to the team until Newman is able to return.

“When we were at the hospital that evening there was actually no discussion (about who would drive the No. 6) at that point because that wasn’t the focus,” Newmark said. “You were 100 percent trying to support the family and all of us were concerned about Ryan at that point.

“Once we had learned his status through his dad from the doctors, there was a group of us, Jack Roush, Kevin Kidd, Tommy Wheeler, Scott Graves, myself and Mark Rushbrook from Ford, had a conversation about what was the right direction to go. The first call that Kevin Kidd and I made was to Ross Chastain the next morning, along with with Jim (Campbell of Chevrolet) and Chip (Ganassi).

“At this point I would say it’s open ended,” Newmark said of Chastain’s roll in the No. 6. “Right now we’re just taking it one race at a time. Right now our arrangement with Ross is that if we need him, he should be available.”

Despite being injured and unable to compete, Newman has remained involved with the race team, albeit from a distance.

“He was on the phone Scott Graves, his crew chief, calling him because I think he was watching practice. I believe he has talked to Ross,” Newmark said. “So he has been very active in trying to be involved in the direction of the team.”

For now Chastain is expected to remain in the No. 6 Ford Mustang, but Newmark noted that Newman is determined to return and reclaim his seat as quickly as possible.

“I know his objective is to get back as quickly as he can to get in the car,” Newmark said.

Below is Ryan Newman’s full statement that was read by Newmark Sunday afternoon:

“I’m sorry that I can’t be at the track in person, but I asked Steve to take a moment to express my sincere appreciation and gratitude for all the support that was shown last week to both me and my family. The outpouring of emotion from not only the NASCAR community, but across the country has been truly humbling.

“I want to personally thank everyone, including the man upstairs, for their support, encouragement and the numerous offers of assistance.  We always say that the NASCAR community is one big family and never has that been more evident to me than after seeing this family rally together and provide the comfort and support that has been shown to my family and me over the past few days.  The calls and visits from the NASCAR executives and my friends and competitors has been truly uplifting.

“I want to thank everyone involved in my care, especially the staff at Halifax Medical Center, where I am convinced I received the best care available.  I’m confident the efforts of each of those trained professionals played a major role in where I’m sitting today.  And to the entire NASCAR organization, led by Jim France, thanks for being by my side the entire time.  You truly stepped up to support me unconditionally when it mattered most.

“Most importantly, I have to thank the guys back at the Roush Fenway Racing shop that built me a car not only fast enough to lead the final seconds of the Daytona 500, but strong enough to do its job under great distress, allowing me to survive such an accident.  I am truly indebted to each of you and it is unlikely I will ever be able to properly express to you how much the diligent effort with which you conduct your craftsmanship has affected me and my family.  I hope you took pride in the photograph of me walking out of the hospital hand-in-hand with my daughters on Wednesday.  Thank you.  I can’t wait to get back in your race car.

“I was fortunate to avoid any internal organ damage or broken bones.  I did sustain a head injury for which I’m currently being treated.  The doctors have been pleased with my progression over the last few days.

“Again, I want to thank each of you, from my partners, teammates and competitors and each and every fan across the country. Thank you everyone for the unparalleled concern and unwavering support.  And to the media, who has acted with such respect and class during this time.

“I have spoken with Jack Roush and he has assured me that the number six car will be waiting and ready for my return. I’m looking forward to getting behind the wheel and battling for another race win in the Roush Fenway Ford.”