BRASELTON, Ga. – Eighteen-year-old Canadian driver Roman De Angelis capped a phenomenal season of Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama competition with his 11th victory in a close battle Friday at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta.

Driving the No. 79 Kelly-Moss Road and Race Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machine, De Angelis took the lead in turn one on the opening lap of the 45-minute race from polesitter and Thursday’s race winner Riley Dickinson. However, De Angelis would spend the next 45 minutes keeping Dickinson’s No. 53 Moorespeed Porsche in his mirrors.

Dickinson got particularly close in the final few laps of the race, but De Angelis managed to hold him off to win by 0.536 seconds. It was De Angelis’ 15th podium result in the 16-race season. He wrapped up the Platinum Cup class title for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars built between 2017 and 2019 in Thursday’s race at Michelin Raceway. Last month, he won the Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge Canada by Yokohama Platinum Cup championship also.

“With the role that I’ve had with Kelly-Moss, coming into the second season with them and my third season in Porsche Cup, it was pretty evident that we were looking to win a championship that we weren’t able to get last year,” De Angelis said. “Everything kind of aligned this year and I felt really comfortable in the Porsche Cup car, so I’m looking forward to see what’s up next.

“Today was a difficult race. I didn’t really have the pace for Riley. He was hounding me the whole time, but I guess I was able to push a bit harder than he was and come away with it.”

The back-to-back podium results by Dickinson were his sixth and seventh podiums of the year and moved him up to third in the final Platinum Cup standings to finish out his rookie GT3 Cup Challenge USA campaign. Max Root finished third in the No. 7 Wright Racing Porsche to wrap up second place in the Platinum Cup standings.

In the Platinum Masters class for drivers 45 years of age and older, Alan Metni secured his second consecutive championship with his eighth victory of the season in the No. 99 AM Motorsports/Kelly-Moss Porsche. Whereas it took until the season-ending weekend at Michelin Raceway for Metni to get the Platinum Masters lead in 2018, this year, he took it with a victory in April’s season-opening race at Barber Motorsports Park and never relinquished it for the remainder of the year.

“I enjoyed getting to celebrate it with my family,” Metni said. “My wife and daughter came and watched me race and I was happy to see them. They surprised me. I didn’t know they were coming until I saw my daughter this morning. Look, the team did great. I like to say we’re one of the hardest-working teams in motorsports. I always think the race is won in the training and we trained our (tails) off.”

Fred Poordad finished second in both the Platinum Masters race and the season championship in the No. 20 Wright Motorsports Porsche. Vernon McClure followed suit in the No. 36 TPC Racing Porsche, finishing third in the Platinum Masters race Friday morning as well as the season championship.

In the Gold Cup class for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup machines built between 2014 and 2016, Sebastian Carazo topped off a dream season with his 12th victory. Like De Angelis, Carazo also clinched his title on Thursday, but he maintained his perfect record of podium finishes in every race with his 16th trophy of the season.

“Today’s race was mostly about just getting a good gap in the first couple of laps and then conserving the car and the tire towards the end of the race,” Carazo said. “I expected to do a good season this year, but I didn’t expect it to be that great.”

Rob Ferriol finished second in the No. 5 Moorespeed Porsche, followed by Curt Swearingin in the No. 17 ACI Motorsports Porsche. Ferriol also took second in the final Gold Cup season standings, while Swearingin was third in Gold Cup.

ROME — Five-time European Tour winner Matthew Fitzpatrick took a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Italian Open on Friday, while local favorite Francesco Molinari missed the cut.

Fitzpatrick, an Englishman, moved to 10-under par with seven birdies and one bogey for a round of 65 at Olgiata Country Club.

''Been a little while - Germany, which was back in June, last time I was challenging. When you're in these kind of positions, it's always exciting,'' Fitzpatrick said. ''That's why you play the game, and look forward to the weekend.''

Fitzpatrick is sixth in the Race to Dubai rankings and is looking to regain his spot in Europe's Ryder Cup team after missing out on the competition last year.

Joachim Hansen of Denmark moved into second at 9 under with a 66 as he looks to improve on his fourth-place finish in last weekend's Spanish Open.

Former U.S. Open winners Justin Rose (69) and Graeme McDowell (66) were tied with three other players - Shubhankar Sharma (69), Rory Sabbatini (70) and Andrew Johnston (68) - for third at 7 under.

Molinari, the tournament's poster boy, struggled to a 76 and missed the cut by five strokes. Molinari was playing in his home country for the first time since winning last year's British Open and leading Europe to the Ryder Cup trophy with a 5-0 record.

''It's something I've got to accept and I'm ready to move on,'' Molinari said. ''I'm just sorry this has happened here - at the Italian Open. My level of play was mediocre at best. Nothing was working.''

Also missing the weekend was Ian Poulter, a two-time Italian Open champion like Molinari and the winner at Olgiata way back in 2002 when the tournament was last held in Rome. Poulter (71) and British Open champion Shane Lowry (71) each missed the cut by one stroke.

Italian fans can now put their support behind Andrea Pavan (67), who grew up playing at Olgiata, and is in contention at 6 under; and Guido Migliozzi (66), who is at 4-under.

With a $7 million purse in the Rolex Series, the Italian Open is back in Rome after 17 years as the local federation attempts to boost interest ahead of the 2022 Ryder Cup at the nearby Marco Simone club .

PHILADELPHIA -- Eagles linebacker Zach Brown was not complimentary of former teammate Kirk Cousins when assessing Sunday's matchup between Philadelphia and the Minnesota Vikings.

"Cousins, I think every defense is going to want that guy to throw the ball," Brown said after Friday's practice. "For me, that's probably the weakest part of their offense is him. Everything else is good. They've got a good running game, probably one of the best in the league. They have real good receivers. You just want them to pass the ball. You want Kirk Cousins to get it in his hands."

Brown and Cousins played together for the Washington Redskins in 2017 before Cousins signed a three-year, $84 million deal with Minnesota in free agency. Cousins threw 27 touchdowns to 13 interceptions with seven fumbles that season as Washington finished 7-9.

"I realized when I was in Washington, he was kind of careless with the ball. But at the same time, hey, you make the bed you sleep in," Brown said.

"I was at the Redskins with him so I know about him. That's my viewpoint on him."

Cousins has often been at his best against the Eagles. He is 5-3 lifetime against Philadelphia with a career-high 17 touchdowns to five interceptions and a quarterback rating of 101.2.

The Vikings have found most of their success on the ground this season. They enter Sunday's game ranked third in rushing (166 yards per game) compared to 29th in passing (191 YPG). The Eagles, meanwhile, boast the top-rated rush defense (63 yards per game) but are 27th against the pass (271 YPG).

"Make him frustrated back there," Brown said of Cousins. "First we have to stop the run, and then make him frustrated back there. Our main concern is stopping the run because if they can run the ball, they're going to win."

Coco Gauff has reached the semi-finals of a WTA Tour event for the first time as her run continued at the Linz Open.

The American, 15, beat top seed and world number eight Kiki Bertens, of the Netherlands, 7-6 (7-1) 6-4 in Austria.

It was Gauff's first win over a top-10 player, at an event in which she only came into the draw as a lucky loser.

"I'm really happy and proud of myself," said Gauff, who will face Germany's Andrea Petkovic in the semi-finals on Saturday.

She becomes the youngest player to reach a semi-final on the WTA Tour since the Czech Republic's Nicole Vaidisova won in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, in 2004.

After a tight first set, Gauff came through the tie-break convincingly. She then grabbed the only break of serve at 1-1 in the second set and held her nerve for a memorable win.

It continues the breakthrough year in Gauff's fledgling career after she reached the last 16 at Wimbledon, which included a win over five-time former champion Venus Williams, and got to the third round at the US Open.

SANDUSKY, Ohio – ThorSport Racing has announced that GoFish, along with its cleaning-companion brand DishFish, will sponsor Ben Rhodes’ No. 99 Ford F-150.

GoFish is designed specifically for automotive and other large, sensitive surfaces to safely remove oxidation, tar, grease, bugs and more without scratching the paint or finish. DishFish uses PowerCell Technology and a flexible, ergonomic shape to deliver superior cleaning.

“ThorSport Racing is an established leader in NASCAR racing. We’re thrilled to partner with such an iconic name in the sport and support Ben, their talented driver,” said GoFish/DishFish founder Jim Kordenbrock. “For us, it’s a perfect match – a high-performance crew on the racetrack needs a high-performance cleaning tool that will keep up with their speed and power. We look forward to interacting with enthusiastic NASCAR fans and being part of a winning team.”

GoFish and DishFish will first be represented on Rhodes’ Ford truck this weekend at Talladega Superspeedway and at Martinsville Speedway on Oct. 26, as an associate sponsor. Full sponsor activation will be in place on Nov. 8 at ISM Raceway and the season finale race, Nov. 15, at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

“I’m proud to represent the GoFish/DishFish colors on and off of the track. They make an exceptional product that I know our fans will love – just as I do. It’s pretty exciting to have a new partner going into the last two races of the year. Hopefully we can give them two great finishes and wipe the competition away,” said Ben Rhodes.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – The International Motor Sports Ass’n has announced further expanded initiatives for its IMSA Green Racing program.

In the on-going effort to pursue Green Racing Protocols, these initiatives include the continuing expansion of the sanctioning body’s own IMSA Green program. This includes increased involvement in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s SmartWay Program, discovery and implementation of solar energy within its paddocks and progress in the current move to electric and hybrid technologies in the mobility field.

IMSA announced earlier this year it became an affiliate of the EPA’s SmartWay program. This vital initiative assists companies in using more efficient transport modes, equipment and operational strategies. IMSA’s new trailers and nine Mack Anthem tractors use SmartWay technology to improve fuel efficiency, reduce emissions and save money within the transport sector.

There are several ways IMSA is serving as a high-profile Affiliate. They include using Michelin fuel-efficient truck tires, aerodynamic features on the tractors and trailers and the tractors use of the MY engine.

Michelin SmartWay verified tires have been determined by the U.S. EPA to provide an estimated fuel savings of three percent or greater, relative to the best-selling new tires for line haul trucks, when used on all three axles. These fuel-efficient truck tires offer low rolling resistance and can be used with lower-weight aluminum wheels to further improve fuel savings.

Tractor aerodynamics include an aero profile and aerodynamic bumpers and mirrors. The MY engine features significant improvements in fuel efficiency, power and productivity while reducing greenhouse gas emissions. A SmartWay tractor and trailer annually save 2,000 to 4,000 gallons of fuel and reduce CO2 emissions by up to 20 percent as compared to similar trucks on the road.

The EPA recently bestowed a 2019 SmartWay Excellence Award on Michelin for outstanding environmental performance and leadership. IMSA’s “Official Tire Supplier” was one of 17 shipper and logistics companies – and the only tire company – to receive this distinction. The award is the EPA’s highest recognition and acknowledges the best environmental performers among SmartWay’s 3,700 partners.

IMSA has shared these improvements with its partners with the hope they will incorporate these technologies and protocols.

“These EPA SmartWay initiatives are an important component of the ever-evolving IMSA Green Racing Program,” IMSA President Scott Atherton said. “It is easy to see the monetary savings SmartWay provides and by adding in the reduction to our environmental footprint makes this something every team in our paddock should be exploring for their use.”

With the mobility landscape moving swiftly to electric and hybrid technology, IMSA has already announced the next generation of its top racing class – Daytona Prototype international (DPi) 2022 – will have a hybrid powertrain. The sanctioning body also continues to explore the possible adoption of ETCR (fully electric TCR) and ePrototype platforms in the future.

Discoveries in the areas of off-track solarization and electrification are evolving for IMSA as new technologies become available.

IMSA has been working closely with a number of companies to explore the use of available technologies to transform energy into opportunities. By implementing these technologies, IMSA Green can continue to develop its sustainability and innovation strategy.

The goal of these collaborations is for IMSA to have electric production vehicles from its manufacturer partners serve as hot lap and pace cars at its events. Today this technology is on display at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with the 455 horsepower Porsche Cayenne S E-Hybrid, a plug-in hybrid SUV up to the task of serving as the safety car for this year’s Motul Petit Le Mans. IMSA foresees using solar-powered stations to charge these vehicles in the future. This technology could be used in the IMSA paddock to charge generators or possibly have a racecar use this plug-in feature.

The performance of this vehicle was on display earlier today at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta with it being driven for a demonstration lap on full electric power by Atherton along with passenger, Karl Simon, the EPA’s Director, Transportation and Climate Division.

“It is no secret the mobility field is focused on alternative forms of energy with most of these efforts revolving around electric and hybrid technologies,” Atherton added. “IMSA’s conversations with top companies in this sector have led to more innovations on how we can better utilize these advancements throughout our paddock.”

IMSA’s partnership with the EPA and SAE International has been invaluable for these evolving initiatives. The United States Department of Energy has been involved in IMSA Green, and the sanctioning body continues to have discussions with the agency for its return as an affiliate in 2020. The EPA has a display area here at the Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta Midway this week as part of the Motul Petit Le Mans festivities.

Earlier this summer, IMSA announced it was focusing on ways to return to the Green Challenge Level. It hopes to become the first racing series to attain Green Racing Cup status, which is the highest level of environmentally responsible racing. IMSA continues to seek ways to implement innovative engine and fuel technologies to help obtain this status.

“There are new ideas in this space daily and IMSA is keeping track of these advancements,” he added. “The collaboration between the EPA and SAE International has been instrumental in being able to make these announcements today. The anticipated return of the U.S. DOE can only help us advance the IMSA Green Racing program further ahead.”

BRASELTON, Ga. – While Mike Skeen was driving his race of the year in IMSA Prototype Challenge, Rodrigo Pflucker and Austin McCusker were calmly maneuvering their way to the series championship.

Skeen recovered from a lap-three spin, charging from 18th place to win Friday morning in the final Prototype Challenge race of the season. Pflucker and McCusker, meanwhile, only needed to start the race at Michelin Raceway Road Atlanta to clinch the driver and team titles. A steady if unspectacular drive to sixth place wrapped up the crowns for the Forty 7 Motorsports duo.

“This season was a lot tougher, the competition was a lot tougher,” said McCusker, a 21-year-old New Yorker who finished second in the driver and team standings in 2018, driving the same No. 47 entry. “Look at us, we only got one win this year but we were very consistent. I think we had three podiums, four top-fives.

“I finished second in the championship last year, so one better is where we wanted to be. We accomplished that goal and I’m happy.”

Pflucker drove a sister Forty 7 Motorsports car last season before being paired with McCusker in 2019. Their lone win came at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park in July, but they added second-place finishes to kick off the six-race season at Daytona International Speedway and Sebring International Raceway.

“We came knowing this year that the points system in IMSA is close from each other,” said Pflucker, the 23-year-old from Lima, Peru. “It’s really important to get the points every race, be consistent.”

The No. 47 Norma M30 ran as high as second place on Friday, but a pit-speed violation during the lone stop forced a drive-through penalty that knocked it out of podium contention. It couldn’t diminish the joy of the championship, however.

“I’m really happy,” Pflucker said. “It was our main goal since last year (to win the championship). Austin was my teammate in 2018 and we got together (this year) to achieve this goal. We are happy, of course.”

Skeen, meanwhile, thought his race was all but over in the No. 23 Gilbert/Korthoff Motorsports Norma when he spun while battling Matthew Bell for second place early into the one-hour, 45-minute race.

“We ran side by side and he kind of pushed me over to the right between (turns) 10A and B and made it really tight. It was just a racing incident,” said Skeen, the 32-year-old Virginian whose 6-foot-3 frame towers over most drivers. “I’m so tight in that car that it’s really hard for me to correct oversteer. Cold tires, spun it, just kind of a dumb thing. I thought it was kind of over at that point as far as the win. I thought we might be able to eke out a podium if we were lucky.”

Falling all the way to 18th place, Skeen raced faster and longer than most anyone for the first stint, taking the lead for five laps before making his mandatory pit stop on lap 39, nearly an hour into the race. He emerged in second place after the pit cycle, trailing only pole sitter Stevan McAleer.

After a restart following the last of four full-course cautions, Skeen dove inside McAleer heading into the esses with five minutes remaining. McAleer slid into the grass before correcting and getting back on track, but Skeen was long gone.

“It was awesome,” said Skeen, who collected his first win of the season in just his third race. “We were both still kind of on cold tires after the restart and he just got a little bit deep into turn three. He was running an awesome race up to that point.

“He just let a small window open, I got a little pushy with no contact but had to make an aggressive move. I knew he was going to close the door if I didn’t go for it. I had to take a chance when it opened up and it worked out.”

Skeen pulled away to win by 2.928 seconds over Bell in the No. 64. The victory followed a second-place finish for Skeen in the previous series race at Virginia Int’l Raceway in August.

“We only did a partial season with this Gilbert Motorsports car,” Skeen said. “To do just a couple races and be up front, be on the podium (at VIR) and finish it off with a win is just good.”

Wayne Boyd and Naj Husain placed third Friday in the No. 30 Sean Creech Motorsports Ligier with McAleer finishing fourth. McAleer still secured second in the driver standings, tying No. 4 Ansa Motorsports drivers Leo Lamelas and Neil Alberico in points but owning the tiebreaker with a series-leading two race wins.

Kris Wilson in the No. 3 Jr III Racing Ligier JS P3 won the Bronze Cup trophy – for the highest placing Bronze driver lineup – for the second consecutive race and in just his second series start.

INDIANAPOLIS — The beat goes on — and on and on and on.

The 2020 NTT IndyCar Series schedule was recently released and it included a couple of key changes. Richmond (Va.) Raceway is in and Pennsylvania’s Pocono Raceway is out. Pocono, according to the current trend, is too dangerous for Indy cars.

Fifty years ago, championship racing — known today as Indy car racing — entered into the most enduring identity crisis in the history of motorsports. Once a sport that raced primarily on ovals — both dirt and paved — and an occasional road course, in 1971 the sport abandoned dirt racing and over the next decade began a longstanding shift toward road and street racing.

It would be easier if we forgot that inconvenient history and focused on current affairs, but the issue continues to dog Indy car racing. Factions within the sport have been fighting each other for 50 years: More ovals! No, less ovals!

Pocono was the latest high-speed oval up for debate. After a couple of serious crashes over the past few years, a growing number of drivers and team owners spoke out against returning to the giant 2.5-mile track.

The issue here is both cultural and generational. Over the past 20 years only a handful of drivers in IndyCar have come from an oval-racing background. There isn’t any question: High-speed ovals carry a higher degree of risk than road or street courses. For many young Indy car racers, fast ovals initially push them outside their comfort zone. Some racers adapt, but many never quite get comfortable with this form of competition.

Most current Indy car drivers are diplomatic about the topic, but it isn’t difficult to sense that most prefer road and street courses. That’s only natural; that’s where their roots lie. So with any dramatic crash or injury on an oval there is often quick pushback that perhaps these tracks are too fast and too dangerous.

In recent years we’ve seen at least one Indy car regular avoid ovals altogether, allowing their team to sub somebody else in for those races. This is as it should be; the people risking their neck should have the ultimate say in where they want to race. If you aren’t comfortable racing at high speed on an oval, don’t do it. There is certainly no shame in that.

How about this novel idea: Instead of changing the schedule — and walking away from ovals because contemporary Indy car drivers don’t want to race there — maybe we should change the personnel.

Let there be no doubt, there are hundreds of sprint car and midget racers in America who would leap at the opportunity to race an Indy car at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Texas Motor Speedway, Richmond, Iowa Speedway, World Wide Technology (Gateway) Raceway — and yes, Pocono.

In fact, given a couple of days for some phone calls we could easily guarantee enough candidates to fill the starting field — twice, maybe three times.

This is where the cultural divide in Indy car racing is most evident. For a great number of people within the sport, the mere mention of the words “sprint car” or “dirt” can trigger hysterical screaming, seizures and gnashing of teeth.

Here is the elephant in the room, the topic nobody wants to acknowledge. The fastest track on the IndyCar Series schedule is the beloved Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It’s only a matter of time before it is suggested that the Ind­ian­ap­olis 500 is “too fast,” because contemporary drivers are not comfortable with 230-plus mph. When that happens, the debate will rage with renewed vigor. And the stakes — for the entire sport — will be vital.

It isn’t polite or comfortable to point out that likelihood, but it is likely, nonetheless.

After decades of struggle and division, IndyCar has made great strides in recent years to stabilize its schedule, its teams and the overall series. Some of the races have been very competitive and entertaining and there is a growing and positive momentum surrounding the series.

However, the recent debate about Pocono has exposed the divide that continues to haunt Indy car racing. A faction within the sport believes a modern Indy car has no place on a high-speed oval and belongs on a road or street course. Shorter ovals — such as Richmond, which is a three-quarter-mile track — are grudgingly accepted. Based on the outcome, this faction got its wish as Pocono disappeared from the schedule.

The debate will go on … and on and on and on.

But always remember: Every weekend at short tracks across the nation there are hundreds of American racers who dream of racing an Indy car — on every type of course — at high speed. All they ask is for a chance.