CLERMONT, Ind. – If things go according to plan, Sam Mayer will head into Saturday night’s Herr’s Potato Chips 200 at Lucas Oil Raceway as a champion.

Mayer will make his eighth appearance of the ARCA Menards Series season at the .686-mile oval located about 10 minutes to the west of the famed Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Mayer will be racing at Lucas Oil Raceway the day after he hopes to lock up his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East championship on the demanding one-mile Dover Int’l Speedway.

Mayer has three victories in eleven K&N Pro Series East starts this season, and has a comfortable 30-point lead heading into the season finale. Once the checkered flag waves on Friday afternoon in Delaware, Mayer will make the trek to Indianapolis and attempt to earn his first career ARCA Menards Series victory.

The 16-year-old Franklin, Wis., native has been close on several occasions in 2019, finishing second to points leader Michael Self at Salem Speedway in April and leading on the last lap while battling Ty Gibbs for the win at World Wide Technology Raceway before settling for third.

A win at Lucas Oil Raceway would be a great way for Mayer to close the season.

“We have had so much success this year, but always came short from a win in the ARCA Menards Series,” Mayer said. “I hope that the momentum we have now, and hopefully after Dover that can rocket us into victory lane Saturday. Mardy (Lindley, crew chief) and I have been working really hard to get better and better and we both are confident in what we will bring to the racetrack to close out our ARCA season.”

Mayer’s performances in the ARCA Menards Series have been strong from the start. In seven previous starts, he’s finished in the top five six times. In fact, the only time he’s failed to finish in the top five was in his first start of the season which was cut short due to mechanical failure.

Despite his youth, which is only surprassed by his even more youthful looks, Mayer has been a constant threat in any race he’s been in throughout 2019.

He’d like to carry that momentum on as he makes his second visit to Lucas Oil Raceway, where he finished seventh last year. Mayer adapted quickly to the tricky layout that has the racing groove next to the outside wall. Going back to a track he has previous experience gives him even more confidence.

“Coming back to a place I’ve been to always helps me as a driver,” Mayer said. “I don’t have to go through an entire learning curve at the track again. The team and I tested at Lucas Oil Raceway a few weeks ago and had a really solid Chevy Accessories Chevrolet. I feel like we have an amazing shot to go get a win.”

MIAMI – The world’s first dedicated esports racing arena will be built by Millennial Esports Corp in Miami with the state-of-the-facility scheduled to open in 2020.

The new facility is part of Millennial Esports’ push to professionalise global esports racing competition. The new 12,000 square-foot arena will be located in the prominent entertainment district of Wynwood in Miami — known for restaurants, breweries, retail areas, and outdoor murals. Millennial has secured 2.8 million in private construction financing to complete the build out of the facility.

The esports arena will feature 30 racing simulators which can be raced on individually, linked with the other racing rigs in the building or globally networked to compete against drivers from all over the world.

Professional drivers can also take the next step with the installation of a full-size full-motion simulator — the same type as used by major professional race teams around the world.

The arena build is a continuation of plans hatched by Millennial Esports with its controlling stake in specialist racing simulator constructor, Allinsports in August. Founded in 2008 by ex-Formula One engineer Anton Stipinovich, Allinsports not only manufacture high-end racing simulator systems used by leading race teams across the globe, but also produce the eRacer esports simulator rigs that will be used in Millennial Esports’s upcoming World’s Fastest Gamer competition.

“Creating our first arena is an important step in Millennial Esports’ goal of taking esports racing to an entirely new level,” Millennial Esports President and CEO, Darren Cox said.

“Allinsports already have a driver training simulator facility in Miami, but our new arena will take esports racing to an entirely new level. Esports is the fastest growing sport in the world, but the racing genre of esports is ready to take a massive leap.

“Our goals are for this arena to be the first of many located around the world. These centers will hold major local and international competitions, be used for both amateur and professional driver training and also stage major corporate events.

“Nobody has built anything like this at this level — we want this to be the Formula One of racing esports facilities — and the people of Miami will be the first to enjoy this opportunity to develop their skills.”

Allinsports was founded by South African-born ex-Formula One engineer Anton Stipinovich. His Formula One career included stints at Ferrari, McLaren, and Red Bull — scoring multiple F-1 world championships and more than 80 race wins.

“Our Miami Arena is going to be quite unique because it’s not only going to be an esports arena, it will be a driver academy and allow young racers to progress through the ranks of esports and real-world racing,” Allinsports President, Anton Stipinovich said.

“Simulators have changed the world in motorsport. Drivers have become a lot more scientific and much better prepared. You can see this in today’s Formula 1 racing where you have young drivers like Lando Norris and Max Verstappen coming up through the ranks very fast thanks to their esports experience.

“US motor racing, South American motor racing, everybody wants to come to Miami. It’s an excellent location, and there are moves to host a Formula 1 race here. It’s really just a showcase for us to show off the first of many different arenas.”

Allinsports existing esports training facility is already a popular spot for prominent races including ex-Formula One World Champion and Indy 500 champion, Emerson Fittipaldi, plus fellow Formula One aces Rubens Barrichello and Juan Pablo Montoya.

“Simulators are extremely important because technically, they are so close to driving the real thing,” said Fittipaldi

“You learn the track before you even arrive – where to brake, where to turn, even before arriving at any track in the world. And the feedback for the driver, the reaction, the reflex, the coordination, it’s a mental test and mental development for a young driver. I wish, in my time, we had simulators. My life would be much easier!”

Fittipaldi has high hopes for simulators and esports racing,

“There are so many top talents in simulators that went directly into real racing and are doing well. They are very competitive, and I’m sure a top simulator driver can be a potential world champion,” he said.

“There’s so much competition in esports racing, so many championships to enter and it’s so much fun to be an esports driver. It really is the future for our sport; in fact, it’s not the future; the future is already here.”

Alex DeBrincat has been known as a smaller player with a big game. Now he has a paycheck to match that game.

The Chicago Blackhawks announced Thursday that they have signed the 21-year-old to a three-year extension with an annual average value of $6.4 million. DeBrincat is in the final year of his entry-level contract with an AAV of $894,166.

DeBrincat is coming off a season in which he scored 41 goals and added 35 assists. He became the first Blackhawks player to score 40 or more goals at age 21 or younger since Jeremy Roenick in 1990-91.

The Cat is BACK!

Alex DeBrincat has signed a 3-year contract extension that runs through the 2022-23 season, with an AAV of $6,400,000. #Purr #Blackhawks pic.twitter.com/rF4ztP9YON

— Chicago Blackhawks (@NHLBlackhawks) October 3, 2019

During his rookie season in 2017-18, DeBrincat led the Blackhawks in goals with 28.

Despite gaudy offensive numbers in the minors -- during which he skated on the same line with Connor McDavid for a time -- DeBrincat slipped to the second round of the NHL draft because of his 5-foot-7 stature. That size hasn't stopped the Farmington, Michigan, native from becoming one of the top snipers in the NHL.

The Blackhawks open the 2019-20 season Friday in Prague, Czech Republic, against the Flyers.

Brooks Koepka is the No. 1 player in the world.

Rory McIlroy is the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year.

But there is only one man who transcends the game into pop culture.

Cardi B, one of the world’s biggest music stars, said on Instagram Live that she was going to name her next album “Tiger Woods.”

Her reasoning? “Because, remember when everybody was talking (expletive) on Tiger Woods, like ‘Oh blah blah, blah blah this, blah blah that,'” she said, “and then he (expletive) came and won that green jacket? That’s what I’m going to name my album.”

We do remember, Cardi B. We do.

Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has blasted Borussia Dortmund CEO Hans-Joachim Watzke and labelled him a "clown."

Watzke said Aubameyang left Dortmund for Arsenal in January 2018 due to financial reasons.

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The Dortmund CEO told Suddeutsche Zeitung: "Aubameyang, who plays great at Arsenal, will probably be warm-hearted when he looks at his bank account, but on Wednesdays will be saddened when he has to watch the Champions League on television."

Aubameyang responded on Wednesday and questioned Watzke for selling Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona in 2017.

Better for you I never talk about why I really left Dortmund Mr Watzke you such a clown ? I remember that time you said we never gonna sell Ousmane then you saw more than 100M you were the first to take that money ????don't talk about money please!!! Leave me alone pls ??

— Aubameyang P-E (@Aubameyang7) October 3, 2019

"Better for you I never talk about why I really left Dortmund Mr Watzke you such a clown," he said on Twitter.

"I remember that time you said we never gonna sell Ousmane then you saw more than 100M you were the first to take that money. Don't talk about money please!!! Leave me alone pls."

Dortmund initially rejected a bid from Barcelona in the region of €100 million for Dembele, but later accepted an initial fee worth €105m.

Aubameyang scored 141 goals during a five-year period at Dortmund and won the DFL Pokal Cup in 2017.

The Gabon international has enjoyed a fine start to the new season, having scored eight goals for Arsenal in competitions so far.

Ajax defender Sergino Dest has said he rejected the opportunity to join up with the United States and Netherlands national teams in order to concentrate on his international future.

Dest, 18, has dual nationality and did not feature in the U.S. 26-man team for the upcoming CONCACAF Nations League matches later this month.

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The teenager was also not called up to the Dutch squad and said he made himself unavailable for selection.

"I don't want to talk about that [the whole subject] yet at this moment," he told Fox Sports Netherlands. "I definitely have not chosen. But I still need to think longer about both options.

"I just said that I don't know it yet and that's why I overlooked both. It is a decision I have to make for the rest of my life and I want to handle that carefully.

"That is why I've let it pass this time and next month you will hear more. Hopefully next month if I've made up my mind, but if I need longer I will take more time."

Dest made two friendly appearances for the U.S. senior team but an appearance in the Nations League would tie him to Gregg Berhalter's side permanently.

The defender helped Ajax to the top of their Champions League group with a 3-0 win away at Valencia on Wednesday.

The David Moyes era at Manchester United didn't last long and yet, it just ended.

You know the details by now. Sir Alex Ferguson retires as the most successful British manager of all time. He hand-picks his successor before he leaves, tipping his fellow Scotsman to be the club's next longtime steward. After taking Everton from relegation-fighter to Champions League qualifier, Moyes makes the move to United and brings Marouane Fellaini along with him.

Moyes bans fish and chips from the Carrington. Fans unfurl a banner for their new coach with the words: "The Chosen One" but he turns out to not be Ferguson because no-one is, nor ever will be. The team finishes seventh a year after finishing first. By the spring, the banner turns into: "The Wrong One." Moyes gets fired before the season ends and his ensuing managerial career resembles a two-dimensional video game character bouncing down a gigantic staircase, a series of thudding, often-comic and exponential disappointments.

Moyes hasn't coached since 2018, but his initial deal with United expired just three months ago. His contract was set to be for six years, running through June 30, 2019, and despite getting rid of him, United haven't made any real on-field progress since. In Moyes's one season with the club, they reached the Champions League quarterfinals, won 19 games and finished outside the top four. In what could've also been Moyes's last year with the club in an alternate universe, they reached they reached the Champions League quarterfinals, won 19 games and finished outside the top four.

Revenues keep growing, the players keep changing, the managerial chairs keep getting shuffled and the team's performance remains the same. So what if Manchester United had never fired David Moyes and instead allowed him to see his six-year contract through to the end? It couldn't be any worse, right?

Among the six post-Ferguson seasons, Moyes's one year with United ranks last in points (64), but that's perhaps slightly unkind. That team scored more goals (64) than all but two of the others and allowed more (43) than all but one. Their goal differential (plus-21) was the fourth-best of the post-Fergie years. They may have even been slightly unfortunate to finish where they did. Injuries limited Robin van Persie, who'd scored 56 goals in the previous two Premier League seasons, to just 1,579 minutes. And according to TruMedia data, United's expected-goal differential under Moyes was fifth-best in the Premier League in 2013-14.

It's true that "but our underlying statistics suggested we were the fifth-best team in the league!" would be a pathetic rallying cry, especially for one of the three richest clubs on the planet. To judge the success of a manager, then, the consultancy 21st Club looks at two things: Did a team's performance level improve under that coach (based on 21st Club's World Soccer League ratings)? And how did the team's performance compare to what we'd expect based on their resources?

The context is important because if you coached Real Madrid and Pep Guardiola coached, say, Oxford United, well, your team would likely win more points, but that wouldn't make you a more effective manager. Some of the names that grade out best according to this method: Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, Julian Nagelsmann and Jurgen Klopp.

But what about what we've seen at United, post-Ferguson? The club has not once exceeded -- let alone met -- their spend-related expectations and none of their managers have left the club with a higher rating than when they arrived. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has now been in the job for longer than Moyes and the team has declined since he took over, too.

"Relative to all other managers, Jose Mourinho oversaw the largest increase in quality: his peak being in the early months of the 2017-18 campaign," said AJ Swoboda, managing director for the Americas at 21st Club. "But compared to Moyes or Louis van Gaal, Mourinho ultimately left the club in a worse-off position relative to when he started."

Before arriving at United, Moyes oversaw an improvement in performance and an over-performance at Everton: that's why he got the job. After leaving Old Trafford, his Real Sociedad team declined in performance but outperformed their resources. At Sunderland, neither indicator was positive and the team was relegated but at West Ham, the team did improve, although not enough to match their wages. There are a select few managers who improve performance, another select group who hurt performance, while the majority don't have much of a long-term impact on a team's fortunes at all. Moyes probably falls into that big group in the middle.

"You could argue Moyes was a roughly average manager among 'Big 5' managers," Swoboda said. "And so you would have expected him to have as good of results as United's front office 'would have allowed' had he not been sacked."

That front office is, of course, led by Ed Woodward, a former investment banker who helped the Glazer family buy the club and has no previous experience running a soccer team. He's grown the sponsors list to an absurd degree; the club has an Official Global Lubricant Partner, an Official Transformation Partner and an Official Denim Partner. (If you really support Manchester United, you must wear True Religion jeans.) Except not one of the club's major signings from the Woodward Era has been an unmitigated success: five of the 15 most expensive transfers no longer player for the club and most of the ones who've stayed have struggled to even maintain a starting spot.

With Woodward seemingly still leading the way, United still doesn't have the kind of modern front office structure that have helped enable the rise of their major rivals, Liverpool and Manchester City. While Liverpool have invested in analytical decision making, United still don't even have a Director of Football.

"In United's case, there is a pretty big question of what is really driving inefficiency -- i.e. the coach or front office operations?" Swoboda said. "I'd be inclined to argue the latter given all the coaches that have come through since."

The transition from Ferguson's incredible tenure was bound to be complicated. He's arguably the most successful manager in the history of the sport and he turned United into a powerhouse at the tail end of an era when the word "manager" still meant something different than it does now. You weren't just the coach; you managed all of the club's affairs. On top of that, he handed off a team that seemed bound for regression (they scored 86 goals on 78.65 xG in 2012-13) and was relying on an aging core, with stalwarts like Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Patrice Evra,\ and van Persie all soon aging into their 30s and out of their peaks.

However, United have been in the top four of global revenue in every year since SAF stepped down, and they've spent at least £77 million on transfer fees -- to go along with higher salaries than just about any other club -- in every season since he left. Despite the continued financial advantages, five of the six most recent seasons have produced point totals that were lower than any of the club's 21 Premier League campaigns under Ferguson. Given their resources, the expectations for United are "one of the three or four best teams in the world". Instead, right now, they might not even be one of three or four best teams in their own country.

Barring some kind of self-sabotage or large-scale internal mutiny, it's hard to envision a team with Manchester United's money being any worse than they've been since 2013.

Would a more patient approach with Moyes have prevented that decline? Maybe the club would've continued to invest in proven Premier League performers like Marouane Fellaini and Juan Mata, rather than chasing big names like Falcao and Angel Di Maria whom they quickly got rid of. Maybe Adnan Januzaj would've become the star he looked like at times during the 2013-14 campaign. Hell, maybe the team would've even crested during the strange 15-16 season when it only took 81 points to win the Premier League.

The most probable outcome, though, is that Moyes, like van Gaal, Mourinho, and Solskjaer, would've piloted the team to the same level they're at right now.

Another arrest has been made in the Karnataka Premier League (KPL) betting controversy with the police taking into custody Bhavesh Bafna, who played the drums at the grounds during matches in the tournament. Bafna was arrested in Bengaluru this week by the crime branch of Karnataka Police after his name was revealed by Asfak Ali Thara, the Belagavi Panthers owner whom the police arrested last month on charges of alleged betting in the T20 league.

According to Sandeep Patil, the joint commissioner (crime) of Karnataka Police, Bafna, along with another bookie named Sanyam, allegedly approached a player from Bellary Tuskers to "fix" games during this KPL. "In a major breakthrough in the ongoing investigation in KPL match-fixing scandal, [an] FIR [has been] registered against two bookies Bhavesh Bafna and Sanyam, for trying to fix matches," Patil said. "They approached a Bellary Tuskers bowler to give more than ten runs per over, but the bowler refused."

Patil said the police are on the lookout for Sanyam, who is allegedly Delhi-based. Bafna's alleged involvement would be closely monitored by the BCCI's anti-corruption unit, too, since he played drums during the IPL at the home matches of Royal Challengers Bangalore.

Thara revealed the alleged involvement of Bafna and Sanyan after he was arrested. Thara has been released on bail but would need to be present for questioning as and when the police need to interrogate him further.

Earlier this week the KSCA suspended Thara as well as the Panthers franchise until the police arrived at a final conclusion in the case.

Featuring in the Women's Big Bash League (WBBL) is going to be "a fantastic opportunity" for Nida Dar after she became the first Pakistan women's player to be signed for the league, by Sydney Thunder. The opportunity, she says, will help her raise her game as the Women's T20 World Cup is less than six months away.

Dar, 32, has played 96 T20Is and 71 ODIs, her last series being the T20I matches in South Africa where she finished with five wickets and scored 192 runs in five matches. Her T20I strike rate of 96.27 is the highest for a Pakistan women's player among those who have batted at least five times in the format.

"This is a great honour to represent Pakistan in a league where all top cricketers are playing in Australia," Dar told ESPNcricinfo. "Being a first Pakistani to be there is wonderful for me and for the country. It's a fantastic opportunity for me and I will the make best out of it. This is not only going to help me raise my game personally but I will be learning a lot…game plans, thought process and all my experience is going to help my [Pakistan] team-mates.

"The basics of cricket are the same everywhere but it's the standard and the competition level that makes a difference. Big Bash is an amazing league and playing in it with all the top players in the world in one place is what any player dreams of. The standard indeed is one step ahead of us in Pakistan so with this opportunity I know I have to play hard and after the season I will bring back a lot of experience which is going to help everyone here."

The door opened for Dar after India's T20I captain Harmanpreet Kaur didn't renew her ties with the Thunder as India's month-long tour of the Caribbean is going to clash with the WBBL, and the Indian players, including Smriti Mandhana and Jemimah Rodrigues, wanted to manage their workload before the T20 World Cup early next year. Harmanpreet had been a key player in the Thunder line-up since the 2016-17 season.

"I have a great regard for Harmanpreet Kaur…she is a top player and someone I look up to," Dar said. "I know I am going to replace her in the squad and I understand the level of expectations from me. I have worked so hard over the years and I'm in my prime form. The balance between my batting and bowling is very important. I do enjoy my batting but it's more about the role what I am asked to play. I adapt quickly. Harmanpreet is a wonderful player with sound technique and her power-hitting is amazing. I know the challenge and filling in for her will be a great responsibility and I will try not to make them miss her.

"The grounds [in Australia] are a lot bigger and one has to adapt to that. But the ball skids very fast there too, with the bounce and that is ideal [for batting]. You don't need to push hard while batting, it is about technique and timing the ball. I am prepared for the challenge."

Dar is one of Pakistan's most experienced players, having made her international debut in 2010, and has been one of their main players in the last decade. No Pakistan woman has taken more T20I wickets than her 88, and she ranks fourth in ODIs with 66 wickets after Sana Mir, Sadia Yousuf and Asmavia Iqbal.

"I am in the 30s now but with the kind of exposure I have, I am more sensible and in control of my game," she said. "It's not about age actually, it's about the passion and fitness required for the game and the guidance by my coaching staff. That is pushing me in the right direction. Fitness has become a top priority these days and no matter what age you are, you have to be fit.

"Fitness is going to dictate how long you can play. I have lost weight recently, I was 62.5kgs and I have lost almost 6.5kgs in one week and now I am more active than ever."

Pakistan women's next assignment is against Bangladesh - from October 26 to November 4 - and the PCB has exempted Dar from the series so that she gets T20 exposure with international players in the WBBL ahead of the T20 World Cup in 2020.