Top Ad
I DIG Radio
www.idigradio.com
Listen live to the best music from around the world!
I DIG Style
www.idigstyle.com
Learn about the latest fashion styles and more...
I Dig Sports

I Dig Sports

Schuchart Rules BeFour The Crowns Showdown

Published in Racing
Friday, 27 September 2019 23:49

ROSSBURG, Ohio – Logan Schuchart told World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series pit reporter Blake Anderson prior to Friday night’s feature that he was “tired of finishing second” at Eldora Speedway.

Schuchart did something about that weariness by leading all 30 laps to win the BeFour The Crowns Showdown at the Tony Stewart-owned half-mile dirt track, doing so in commanding fashion.

The Hanover, Pa., native swept the night en route to his eighth World of Outlaws win of the season, setting the overall fast time in qualifying, winning his Drydene heat race, topping the DIRTvision Fast Pass Dash and then going from wire to wire to reign victorious come feature time.

That feature actually finished up during the early hours of Saturday morning, after a rain delay following the conclusion of hot laps slowed up the proceedings for two and a half hours before racing resumed.

None of that was of any consequence to Schuchart, however. His Shark Racing-prepared No. 1s was bullet-quick all night long, and the driver inside was wheeling it with a bit of a chip on his shoulder.

“Man, we just came here with the attitude that this place owed us one,” said Schuchart, who finished second to Brad Sweet in July’s Kings Royal before tasting victory this time around. “It was kind of rough watching those videos (on the track big-screen TV) earlier. I walked up and was talking to guys … my mom (Dana), Bill (Klingbeil, Schuchart’s father-in-law) and everybody and it just stung to watch that video over and over again. It’s not like I haven’t watched it enough the last few months.

“That loss is still going to sting for a while, but we definitely came back hungry. This car was a rocket ship tonight.”

Schuchart’s victory, the second of his career at Eldora, tied him with David Gravel for the third-most on the World of Outlaws tour this season. It’s a career year that still has Schuchart in disbelief, himself.

“This Drydene Performance Products race team and everybody that’s part of it has done amazing things this year. It’s just awesome to see it all,” he noted. “To have a year like this and to win races with the World of Outlaws is very, very tough. So to win eight of them and get another one here at Eldora doesn’t just mean a lot to me, it’s a testament to my hard-working crew and I know it means a lot to them also.”

The roll of Schuchart’s No. 1s was only slowed by a handful of incidents during the 30-lap feature, and after two hard flips – one by Wayne Johnson on the initial start and a second by Brady Bacon with two laps scored – the decision was made to go to single-file restarts for the remainder of the program.

That allowed Schuchart to assert his dominance even more, as he raced away from the majority of his pursuers while Aaron Reutzel fought forward from fourth to become Schuchart’s closest competition.

Reutzel took second from Carson Macedo on the lap-three restart and dogged Schuchart for the rest of the night, cutting the gap down from nearly two second on the seventh revolution to just a half-second by lap 11 as Schuchart found himself pinned in heavy lap traffic.

At halfway, Schuchart led Reutzel, Sheldon Haudenschild, Macedo and Kerry Madsen, but as the race wore into its second half, Schuchart’s car got better and better.

Though Reutzel tried to stay with Schuchart, the driver of the Baughman Reutzel Motorsports No. 87 could only watch helplessly as Schuchart picked off slower cars with virtual ease and pushed the gap back out to 1.174 seconds by the time the twin checkered flags waved over the field Friday night.

Behind Schuchart and Reutzel, Haudenschild hung on to complete the podium, followed by Madsen and Macedo.

Brad Sweet crossed sixth and reclaimed the World of Outlaws point lead by four markers over Donny Schatz, who had to race his way in through the Last Chance Showdown, finished a distant 17th and lost 22 points in the season-long battle for supremacy.

Schatz led by 18 points coming into the Eldora event.

To view complete race results, advance to the next page.

Sri Lanka T20I captain Chamari Atapattu will encourage her team to take a positive approach against Australia and not be overawed by the challenge of facing such a powerful side on their home turf.

The three-match series begins at North Sydney Oval on Sunday with the form book suggesting that the matches will be one-sided affairs with Australia pulling away at the top of tree in the women's game after a 12-month period that has seen them win the T20 World Cup, beat New Zealand, retain the Ashes convincingly and, most recently, go unbeaten in the Caribbean.

But Atapattu has a simple message for her players: "I always told my girls, play freely, play positive."

"We all know Australia are the best team in the world, they've beaten England in the Ashes and West Indies in their home," she pointed out. "We will try to play to our potential and play our normal game. Our preparation has been really good in Sri Lanka, we have good players, some experience and some new players. If we play our normal, free game we have a chance."

There is a bigger picture, too, for Sri Lanka with this tour offering valuable preparation ahead of next year's T20 World Cup in Australia. Sri Lanka are in a tough group for that tournament alongside the hosts, India, New Zealand and Bangladesh.

"This tour is very important for us because of the T20 World Cup in February so it's good preparation, playing the best team in the world in their home conditions," Atapattu said. "We have brought a couple of players to try before the T20 World Cup so it's a good opportunity for us."

Atapattu, along with the experienced Shashikala Siriwardene, who takes over the captaincy for the ODIs which follow in Brisbane, will be key in the batting with Atapattu also picking out 21-year-old Harshitha Madavi as a batsman to watch. "The T20 format is very open. We have a good batting unit. I've played KSL, Big Bash and IPL overseas in this format so have good experience so I share my knowledge with our batters," Atapattu added.

The last time these two sides met was during the 2017 World Cup in England when Atapattu scored a brilliant 178 - an innings which she said "changed my life" - and this is only the second bilateral series between the teams following Australia's 2016 tour.

Australia's vice-captain Rachael Haynes admitted that there is an element of the unknown that they have to deal with. "We don't play a lot of cricket against Sri Lanka so to have a standalone series is unique in its own respect," she said. "The last time we played them was a couple of years ago at the World Cup where Atapattu got a pretty decent hundred against us, so we won't be underestimating them at all."

There is a strong chance that every player in Australia's squad will be given an outing during the three matches with an eye on next year's T20 World Cup. That would mean a debut for Heather Graham, who took 3 for 17 for the Cricket Australia XI in Sri Lanka's warm-up match on Friday which the Sri Lankans won in a Super Over.

"The team showed their hand a little with that in series gone by [against West Indies] and it's good to see players like Erin Burns get an opportunity," Haynes said. "Heather Graham was unlucky to miss out in the Caribbean. Given there is a World Cup coming up, without getting too far ahead of ourselves potentially there will be opportunities for players to play different roles at different stages. That's exciting for our team."

The 12 teams that can make the College Football Playoff

Published in Breaking News
Thursday, 26 September 2019 07:36

Many outside Notre Dame's program were expecting the Irish to make a statement one way or another in last Saturday's prime-time game at Georgia. Coach Brian Kelly said Monday, though, that this is when his team will truly set its course for the rest of the season -- when it faces No. 18 Virginia on Saturday a week after suffering a devastating 23-17 loss to the Bulldogs.

"I think our team will define who they are this week because they're coming off of a game where they were disappointed in their performance," Kelly said, "so they have a chance to do something about it.

"I have a good feeling that they're going to respond in the right way. Again, it's closer to defining who you are after coming back from a loss than it is any time after a win."

The Irish need to win.

Notre Dame is one of 12 teams with at least a 1% chance to finish in the top four, according to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, which aims to answer the question: Who will make the playoff on Selection Day? While undefeated teams such as Penn State and Florida aren't stealing any playoff headlines now, they could validate consideration with more impressive victories later. The percentages reflect each team's status heading into Week 5, so the numbers will change continuously with the season.

They could change drastically this weekend if Virginia upends Notre Dame, Penn State loses at Maryland on Friday night, or Clemson stumbles at North Carolina. It's a borderline elimination game for the loser of Washington-USC, each of which already has one loss and didn't make the cut for this list.

The calculations can't factor in the human element of the 13-member selection committee, but each of the past 20 playoff semifinalists have common traits: tough schedules, wins against ranked opponents, Heisman hopefuls, top-15 scoring margins and top-15 rankings in offensive or defensive efficiency, just to name a few.

Here's how these top contenders stack up to the trends of past semifinalists. Trends courtesy of ESPN Stats & Information research:

1. Clemson Tigers

Chance to make playoff: 76.6%
Chance to win title: 24.5%
Trends in their favor: Playoff experience, the No. 2 ranking in defensive efficiency and a Heisman hopeful quarterback in Trevor Lawrence. The Tigers are going to need all three of those things to finish undefeated and overcome an otherwise weak conference schedule. Clemson could claim two victories against SEC teams, though, if it can punctuate its résumé with a road win at rival South Carolina to go along with its defeat of Texas A&M.

2. Alabama Crimson Tide

Chance to make playoff: 70.4%
Chance to win title: 28.4%
Trends in their favor: Nick Saban and Tua Tagovailoa, for starters. Alabama is also No. 2 in offensive efficiency and No. 3 in defensive efficiency. Though the stats have been padded against unranked competition to this point, strength of schedule will improve with games against Texas A&M, LSU and Auburn.

3. Ohio State Buckeyes

Chance to make playoff: 59.1%
Chance to win title: 14.7%
Trends in their favor: The Buckeyes have star power with Justin Fields and J.K. Dobbins, and strength of schedule is also an asset. Their remaining lineup of opponents is ranked No. 10 in the country and includes four ranked teams. Like other past semifinalists, Ohio State has been dominant on both sides, ranking in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. As elite as Ohio State has been through the first four weeks, it has come mainly at home against unranked competition, but Saturday's trip to Nebraska probably won't be easy. The first real opportunity to make a playoff statement will be Oct. 26 against Wisconsin, the most difficult remaining game on the schedule, according to FPI.

4. Georgia Bulldogs

Chance to make playoff: 46.9%
Chance to win title: 10%
Trends in their favor: Previous playoff experience, the SEC crossover schedule coupled with a victory over Notre Dame, and top-10 rankings in both offense and defense. The Bulldogs pass the eye test, but they also face Auburn and Texas A&M to help compensate for an otherwise weak SEC East lineup. Remember, Georgia was considered by some selection committee members last season as a two-loss team that didn't win the SEC. The Bulldogs have some margin for error, thanks to their win over Notre Dame.

5. Oklahoma Sooners

Chance to make playoff: 36.9%
Chance to win title: 5.3%
Trends in their favor: Previous playoff experience and once again the No. 1 ranking in offensive efficiency, this time under transfer quarterback Jalen Hurts. Last season, OU needed its potent offense to offset its No. 92 defensive efficiency ranking, but this season, the Sooners have shown improvement under first-year coordinator Alex Grinch and are No. 26 defensively through three games. The Sooners need the rest of the Big 12 to step up, as No. 11 Texas and No. 24 Kansas State are their only ranked remaining opponents at this point.

6. LSU Tigers

Chance to make playoff: 33.5%
Chance to win title: 7.1%
Trends in their favor: The road win at Texas gave LSU a head start, as all 20 of the past semifinal participants entered bowl season with at least two victories over AP-ranked opponents. The Tigers still have four ranked opponents remaining, giving them the seventh-most-difficult remaining schedule in the country. Quarterback Joe Burrow is No. 3 in this week's Heisman Watch, and 16 of the past 20 playoff participants have seen a player finish in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting. LSU is also No. 3 in the country in offensive efficiency, and leads the nation with an average of 57 points per game.

7. Wisconsin Badgers

Chance to make playoff: 19.5%
Chance to win title: 2.4%
Trends in their favor: The Badgers have star power in running back Jonathan Taylor, who is No. 4 in this week's Heisman Watch, and they're in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency. What they're missing is a nonconference win against a Power 5 opponent (South Florida, Central Michigan and Kent State), so they need the rest of the Big Ten to produce some ranked opponents, and to take advantage of home field against Michigan State and Iowa. If the Badgers' only loss ends up being on the road to the Buckeyes, they could have a chance to redeem themselves by beating Ohio State for the Big Ten title.

8. Notre Dame Fighting Irish

Chance to make playoff: 17.9%
Chance to win title: 2.3%
Trends in their favor: There won't be any if the Irish can't beat Virginia this weekend. With wins against Louisville and New Mexico, Notre Dame can't check many boxes right now, aside from having a defense ranked No. 8 in efficiency. ESPN's FPI projects the Irish to win every remaining game, but Notre Dame needs Virginia, USC and Michigan to stay ranked. Last season, undefeated Notre Dame finished No. 4 in ESPN's Strength of Record, which is one of the most statistically accurate correlations to finishing in the committee's top four. Right now, Notre Dame is No. 22 in SOR.

9. Auburn Tigers

Chance to make playoff: 15%
Chance to win title: 2.1%
Trends in their favor: Schedule, schedule, schedule. If the committee were meeting today, it probably would have Auburn in its top four because of victories against No. 13 Oregon and No. 23 Texas A&M. The Tigers are No. 1 in Strength of Record heading into Saturday's home game against Mississippi State. Auburn needs to capitalize on home games against teams it is expected to beat, because ESPN's FPI gives the Tigers less than a 50% chance to win against Florida, LSU, Georgia and Alabama.

10. Penn State Nittany Lions

Chance to make playoff: 7.3%
Chance to win title: 0.7%
Trends in their favor: The Nittany Lions have a nonconference win against a Power 5 opponent (unranked Pitt), and they also have the coaching pedigree, as 17 of the past 20 semifinalists had a head coach that had previously won a conference title. James Franklin's team won the Big Ten in 2016 -- but was outside the top four because of losses to Pitt and Michigan. PSU has a tricky Friday night game at Maryland, and it's going to have to win on the road this season to crack the top four. The Nittany Lions also travel to No. 14 Iowa, No. 25 Michigan State and No. 5 Ohio State.

11. Oregon Ducks

Chance to make playoff: 7%
Chance to win title: 0.6%
Trends in their favor: Oregon leads the Pac-12 and is No. 14 in the country in scoring margin (28 points per game), and 18 of the past 20 semifinalists entered bowl season ranked among the top 15 nationally in average scoring margin. Most of those points, though, came in a 77-6 win over Nevada and a 35-3 victory against Montana. The Ducks are also No. 11 in defensive efficiency, but they probably have to win out (including the Pac-12 title game) to have a shot at the top four. They have a bye week to prepare for the Oct. 5 home game against undefeated Cal. ESPN's FPI favors Oregon to win each of its remaining games. If the Ducks can do that, they'll be right in the mix in spite of the loss to Auburn.

12. Florida Gators

Chance to make playoff: 6.6%
Chance to win title: 0.8%
Trends in their favor: The undefeated Gators haven't earned much, if any, playoff talk, and have been deservedly overshadowed by Georgia in the SEC East, but as far as playoff trends go, they're in better shape than Notre Dame and Penn State. The Gators have the nonconference Power 5 win over Miami in the season opener and are No. 4 in the Strength of Record metric. Florida is also No. 14 in defensive efficiency and No. 12 in remaining strength of schedule.

Just missed the cut: Washington Huskies (0.9%)

Back in June, I shared one of my favorite ways of framing any sort of title race (national, conference, division, Commander-in-Chief's Trophy, etc.): by counting "ifs." How many conditional clauses do you need to turn a team into a contender? The fewer the better.

As far as the national title race was concerned, Alabama and Clemson had the fewest ifs, while other teams with decent title odds (via Las Vegas) required far more. Let's walk back through my summer ifs list, assess how each team has addressed its conditionals and see what it has to tell us about the national title race as a whole.

Acing the test

Alabama (4-0)
Current FPI title odds: 28.5% (preseason: 27.6%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... the secondary cuts down on the glitches
If ... Steve Sarkisian can make a difference in the red zone

Alabama has ridden its proven passing game to four easy wins and 50 points per game. The questions we had for Nick Saban's Crimson Tide were more peripheral, and so far the answers we've seen are favorable, if incomplete. New offensive coordinator Sarkisian's red zone offense has been fine, but he won't really have a chance to prove himself until Bama encounters a close game (which might not happen for a while). The secondary, too, has been mostly fine, if slightly conservative.

A new "if" has emerged, however: Due to injury, the front seven is one of the youngest in the country. Freshman linebackers Shane Lee and Christian Harris are each among Bama's six leading tacklers, and four freshman linemen are also contributing. Granted, they're all blue-chippers, but can they avoid the typical young-player glitches when the games really count?

Clemson (4-0)
Current FPI title odds: 24.1% (preseason: 37.1%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... there's no hangover
If ... young defensive linemen get up to speed quickly

Clemson put hangover concerns to rest by beating Texas A&M and Syracuse by a combined 65-16. The Tigers ranked third in defensive SP+ last season, lost a ton of ultra-talented contributors up front and currently rank ... second. The rich get richer.

So why have the Tigers' title odds fallen? First, the field has gotten deeper, with Ohio State looking like a major contender. Second, the offense hasn't quite cleared the high bar we set. The run game is ultra-efficient, but the passing game has sputtered: 75th in passing success rate, 63rd in completion rate. Trevor Lawrence has already thrown more interceptions this season (five) than he did in 2018 (four).

So maybe there has been a bit of a hangover on one side of the ball. But the ACC might be even weaker than it was last season, and Lawrence has plenty of time to work out the kinks.

Ohio State (4-0)
Current FPI title odds: 14.9% (preseason: 0.4%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... Justin Fields lives up to blue-chip hype ... and doesn't get hurt
If ... the Ohio State run game becomes the Ohio State run game again
If ... the defense suffers fewer catastrophes

With a new head coach and quarterback, it was justifiable to wonder if Ohio State would be full-on Ohio State in 2019. It didn't take us long to find our answer. Fields is very much living up to the hype, the run game is excellent and the defense, so strangely glitchy last season, ranks fifth in defensive SP+, up from 26th in 2018 (the horror!).

On top of all that, the three remaining regular-season opponents in the current SP+ top 25 all have to visit Columbus. All is well.

Really, the only "if" without a complete answer is the "Fields doesn't get hurt" part. He's been running the ball quite a bit -- 28 non-sack carries in four games despite blowouts -- and he's taken six sacks, which isn't a ton but is more than you'd hope from the level of competition.

Wisconsin (4-0)
Current FPI title odds: 7.2% (preseason: 0%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... there is at least steadiness at QB
If ... a new offensive line is the same old Wisconsin offensive line
If ... the run defense comes back, too, for that matter
If ... third-and-medium is Wisconsin's friend
If ... the pass rush comes back

Wisconsin had a steep hill to climb to become a true contender. So far, so good. Of the five ifs above, the Badgers get three resounding A-plus grades. Quarterback Jack Coan is completing 77% of his passes and is seventh in Total QBR. The new offensive line has struggled a bit in pass-rush situations but has been good enough in the ground game to rarely face any. And on defense, Wisconsin ranks first in rushing success rate.

The other two ifs could still bite the Badgers in tighter games. They are still just 58th in third-and-medium success rate (better than last season's 110th, at least), and the defense is 46th in sack rate and 106th in blitz-downs sack rate. The secondary has made sure that doesn't matter in the least, but that could change against better passing teams.


Strong passing grades

Georgia (4-0)
Current FPI title odds: 10.7% (preseason: 8.2%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... James Coley can make a difference in the red zone
If ... Dan Lanning can dial up pressure
If ... the defensive front is a little less flexible

Georgia handled three lesser opponents by huge margins, then survived a nice home test from Notre Dame 23-17. The Bulldogs' title odds have improved a bit; it would be silly to nitpick too much.

We're going to anyway! We've gotten only resounding, positive answers to one of three ifs: Georgia has been excellent near the goal line.

The defense still has questions to answer. The Dawgs are preventing big plays as well as anyone and are good in the red zone (eighth in points allowed per scoring opportunity) and 10th in overall defensive SP+. But they're still only 52nd in sack rate and 34th in overall havoc rate (total tackles for loss, passes defensed and forced fumbles divided by total plays). Within just the front seven, they are 86th. This is an excellent reactive defense, but can the Dawgs make disruptive plays when they need to?

LSU (4-0)
Current FPI title odds: 7.0% (preseason: 6.4%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... Joe Burrow's late-season growth was real
If ... the LSU run game becomes the LSU run game again
If ... Kristian Fulton and Kary Vincent Jr. can get greedy

LSU nearly made the "acing the test" list, but defensive concerns are holding the Tigers back a smidge.

From the original Ifs list: "Linebacker Devin White's production can probably be mostly accounted for by simply keeping sophomores Micah Baskerville and K'Lavon Chaisson healthy." Baskerville and Chaisson have missed two games each, and that appears to be making a difference. LSU is just 38th in defensive SP+ and has allowed seven gains of 30-plus yards (70th in FBS). There are more glitches than expected, even as the cornerbacks (namely Fulton and freshman Derek Stingley Jr.) have combined for 13 passes defensed.

That said, the offense has wiped away most of these concerns. LSU is second in offensive SP+, and it's safe to say that Burrow's late-season growth was very real. Plus, the success of the passing game has created opportunities for LSU runners to thrive.

Oklahoma (3-0)
Current FPI title odds: 5.4% (preseason: 4.2%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... the secondary gets more aggressive
If ... the defensive front gets more disruptive
If ... Jalen Hurts shows he can go off script occasionally

Two outta three ain't bad.

OU is creating explosive plays as well as ever. Hurts is averaging 18 yards per completion and 10.8 yards per carry (!), and a trio of running backs is averaging 8.6 yards per carry. Ridiculous.

It's still a mixed bag for the defense, though. Despite a current SP+ strength of schedule ranking of 117th, OU ranks just 48th in success rate allowed and 49th in defensive SP+. That's an improvement over last season, but there are much better offenses to come on the schedule.

The defensive front has indeed been more disruptive -- OU ranks 18th in defensive line havoc rate and 28th in sack rate -- but the secondary is still passive. OU is allowing a 64% completion rate (95th in FBS) and ranks 101st in defensive-back havoc rate. There are probably plenty of high-scoring games on the horizon for the Sooners.

Notre Dame (2-1)
Current FPI title odds: 2.4% (preseason: 3.6%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... the red zone offense improves, run game or no run game
If ... the front seven finds a new playmaker
If ... losing WR Miles Boykin doesn't mean losing big pass plays
If ... the run game improves, perhaps dramatically

The Irish offense is outstanding in the red zone (currently 13th in points per scoring opportunity), and the defensive front seven has the playmakers it needs. Check and check.

Sophomore linebackers Drew White and Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah combined for just 5.0 tackles last season; this season, they have already combined for 9.5 tackles for loss. And we saw just how well this unit tackles in last week's game at Georgia.

The two other ifs, however, remain unknown. Notre Dame ran the ball well for a while against Louisville but hasn't since, and while Ian Book is averaging a vastly improved 14.3 yards per completion so far, I can't give the Irish full credit here because against a fellow contender in Georgia, Book averaged just 9.5 yards per completion. So these four ifs have produced two resoundingly positive check marks but two areas for lingering concern.

Texas (3-1)
Current FPI title odds: less than 0.1% (preseason: same)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... Texas can figure out how to run the ball without getting Sam Ehlinger hit so much
If ... big-play blue-chippers can actually make big plays
If ... a super-young secondary is ready to not only hold the fort, but improve
If ... a Tom Herman team can play every game as an underdog

Early developments have been mostly positive for a Texas team that voters liked a lot more than analytics. Longhorns running backs are generating efficiency, and they're benefitting even further from the emergence of a ridiculously efficient receiver in Devin Duvernay (87% catch rate, 67% success rate). UT is also getting a massive big-play boost from sophomore wideout Brennan Eagles (10 catches, 276 yards, four TDs). This has created a far greater level of offensive consistency, and it has helped Texas to play well as a favorite as well as an underdog.

The bad news: That young secondary is getting obliterated by injury. Safeties Caden Sterns and B.J. Foster are both out indefinitely, as are three other defensive backs. The Longhorns are on a bye this week, thankfully, and take on a less-than-amazing West Virginia passing game in Week 6, but Oklahoma looms on the schedule.


Not great, not terrible

Auburn (4-0)
Current FPI title odds: 2.0% (preseason: 0.7%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... a reconstructed receiving corps holds up
If ... a freshman quarterback doesn't play like a freshman
If ... the offensive line takes a mulligan
If ... the pass rush gets home

The Tigers have survived two strong tests away from home, beating Oregon by six and Texas A&M by eight. The defense is as unforgiving as ever, and the offense has moved the ball when it absolutely needs to. The receiving corps has produced as hoped.

Unfortunately, the other ifs above don't have particularly positive answers. Freshman Bo Nix has shown an ability to raise his game in key moments, but Auburn still ranks 114th in completion rate and 85th in passing success rate. The offensive line is clearly better but has lots of room for growth. And on defense, the pass rush still lacks: The Tigers are 95th in blitz downs sack rate, and, consequently, 111th in third-and-long success rate allowed.

The Tigers still rank 10th in SP+, but the remaining schedule features four games against teams ranked even higher than that.

Oregon (3-1)
Current FPI title odds: 0.7% (preseason: 1.2%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... a young pass rush becomes a good pass rush
If ... Oregon learns to handle success
If ... Justin Herbert turns flashes of brilliance into an actually brilliant season
If ... Oregon starts making an Oregon level of big plays again

What a hire defensive coordinator Andy Avalos has been for Mario Cristobal and the Ducks. Oregon currently ranks fourth in defensive SP+, playing solidly against the run and mostly dominating the pass. Oregon ranks 21st in overall sack rate -- 10th on blitz downs -- despite leaning mostly on young pass-rushers.

The other ifs remain unanswered at best. Oregon responded to a great start against Auburn (up 21-6 after 36 minutes) with a collapse. Herbert has been great against lesser Nevada, Montana and Stanford teams but couldn't make plays late against the Tigers. (He's currently 19th in Total QBR, up only slightly from last season's No. 24 ranking.) The run game isn't producing, and the big-play total is average. The defense is better than anyone could have hoped, but the offense lacks. Can the Ducks find a better rhythm before big games against Cal (Week 6) and Washington (Week 8)?

Florida (4-0)
Current FPI title odds: 0.7% (preseason: 1.2%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... late-2018 Feleipe Franks is the permanent Feleipe Franks
If ... Franks has a go-to weapon
If ... the offensive line doesn't regress too much
If ... Todd Grantham's defense tamps down the recklessness a hair

Florida became the only presumed contender to lose its starting quarterback to injury. The Gators have since rallied around Kyle Trask (who's almost perfectly replicating Franks' numbers), but this could still catch up to them. And the offensive line indeed appears to have regressed: Florida ranks 106th in stuff rate, 127th in opportunity rate and 50th in sack rate.

The Gators are still 4-0, though. Van Jefferson has emerged as a nice go-to weapon (16 catches, 232 yards, one touchdown), and a deep, experienced receiving corps is producing. Grantham's ultra-aggressive defensive approach is working, too: UF is eighth in defensive SP+ and sixth in blitz-downs sack rate. There's a lot to like here but also a lot to be wary of. Florida's right where it was at the start of the season, in other words.

Washington (3-1)
Current FPI title odds: 0.1% (preseason: 0.3%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... Jacob Eason has developed behind the scenes
If ... UW is no longer atrocious at finishing drives
If ... a new secondary clears a high bar
If ... Chris Petersen finds where he misplaced his close-game karma

The Huskies have won three games by an average score of 48-18 and just trounced a BYU team that was coming off a victory over USC. They are ninth in SP+, and they remain a favorite in the Pac-12 race.

They also managed to lose their only close game, a second consecutive defeat to Cal. In that game, they showed an alarming lack of efficiency. They destroy you if you fall behind schedule, but they can't force you off schedule nearly as well (98th in standard-downs success rate).

Eason also sputtered in the loss. He's completing 73% of his passes and ranks 15th in Total QBR (ahead of Oregon's Herbert), but he took three sacks and threw a bad pick against Cal. If he and Washington play well in the coming games against USC, Oregon and Utah, the Cal loss probably won't matter. But it means everything for now.


See me after class

Michigan (2-1)
Current FPI title odds: less than 0.1% (preseason: 6.8%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... Josh Gattis brings some pep and unpredictability to Ann Arbor
If ... Shea Patterson finds a No. 1 receiver
If ... blitz downs are a bit less all-or-nothing
If ... the Big House does its part

The offense has not been pretty. The Josh Gattis Experiment has failed to work so far, while Patterson has leaned primarily on three players: Ronnie Bell, Tarik Black and tight end Nick Eubanks. They've responded with a 50% catch rate and a ghastly 41% success rate.

Don Brown's defense ranks first in blitz-downs success rate allowed and big-play rate allowed and third in blitz-downs sack rate. The problem has come on all other downs. Michigan is just 72nd in overall success rate allowed. The Wolverines got absolutely carved up by Wisconsin and, to say the least, the offense hasn't picked up the slack.

Texas A&M (2-2)
Current FPI title odds: less than 0.1% (preseason: 0.4%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... the newbies provide immediate, quality depth
If ... the passing game produces more easy points
If ... the Crew stops getting Wrecked
If ... a new front seven doesn't mean a loss of havoc

Freshman running back Isaiah Spiller is averaging 7.5 yards per carry but averaged only 2.5 against Clemson and Auburn. There are some freshman receivers and defenders in the rotation, but this freshman class probably isn't contributing quite enough. QB Kellen Mond, meanwhile, has gone from averaging 13.1 yards per completion last season to 11.5 this season.

On defense, despite having already played two top-10 teams, A&M has allowed just eight gains of 20-plus yards, eighth in FBS. The Aggies rank just 96th in front-seven havoc rate. Consequently, they are struggling to finish drives when they have the chance; they're 72nd in passing-downs success rate and 85th in points allowed per scoring opportunity.

Nebraska (3-1)
Current FPI title ods: 0.0% (preseason less than 0.1%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... the Scott Frost Second-Year Miracle Leap happens twice
If ... Adrian Martinez pulls a McKenzie Milton-style sophomore leap
If ... new go-tos emerge in the skill corps
If ... the run defense goes from outright atrocious to good
If ... a pass rush emerges
If ... the secondary improves dramatically despite losing last season's top three tacklers

Nebraska had top-15 title odds, per Caesars, for the entire offseason, and that was ridiculous and detrimental to any attempt to set more rational expectations.

Martinez is on his way to a good, but not Milton-esque, season. The skill corps is improving, and the defense is better, if still not where it needs to be. Nebraska is up from 39th to 35th in SP+ and is on pace for about seven wins. In a rational universe, that is a solid second season for Frost. But the Huskers should never, for a single second, have been treated like a national title contender.

Miami (2-2)
Current FPI title odds: 0.0% (preseason: less than 0.1%)

Preseason Ifs ...
If ... there's explosive growth at the QB position
If ... the offensive line plays its part this time
If ... the defensive line unearths a new playmaker or two
If ... the punting improves

Miami's defensive line definitely has the playmakers it needs, and the punting has indeed improved. The Hurricanes have clear potential at the quarterback position, too, where Jarren Williams is completing 73% of his passes. But he's been responsible for a lot of negative plays, too, and Miami's rebuilt offensive line has been a train wreck. Miami ranks 128th in sack rate allowed and 127th in stuff rate allowed.

Once behind schedule, the Canes are toast. They are 124th in passing-downs success rate. The negative plays have cost them a game they should have won against North Carolina (and nearly cost them a second against lowly Central Michigan). The future appears pretty bright, but the present is scattered and frustrating.


Week 5 playlist

Here are 10 games -- at least one from each weekend time slot -- that you should pay attention to if you want to get the absolute most out of the weekend, from both an information and entertainment perspective.

All times Eastern

Friday
No. 12 Penn State at Maryland (8 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
Penn State has looked like both a top-10 and barely-top-40 team at times, and Maryland followed up on two out-of-this-world offensive performances against Howard and Syracuse by scoring 17 at Temple. What's the real version of either of these teams?

Arizona State at No. 15 Cal (10:30 p.m., ESPN)
Look, if you enjoy things like "points" and "general offensive competence," this isn't the game for you. But Cal is unbeaten, and linebacker Evan Weaver (40 solo tackles in four games) is must-see-TV. I'm only slightly exaggerating when I say that Weaver makes every single tackle for Cal.

Early Saturday
Texas Tech at No. 6 Oklahoma (12 p.m., Fox)
You know all the OU storylines, but I'm ready to learn more about Tech, too. The Red Raiders are playing better defense than they have in years, but the offense let them down in a road loss to Arizona. What do they have to offer against the Big 12's kingpin?

Saturday afternoon
Keep an eye on Clemson-North Carolina (3:30 p.m. ABC) just in case Mack Brown's addiction to drama translates against top teams. Assuming it doesn't, here are the three games to flip to instead:

No. 18 Virginia at No. 10 Notre Dame (3:30 p.m., NBC)
Virginia didn't lose to Old Dominion last week, but the Cavaliers thought hard about it. They have the defense to bother Ian Book and Notre Dame, but do they have any sort of offensive hope beyond quarterback Bryce Perkins running 30 times?

No. 21 USC at No. 17 Washington (3:30 p.m., Fox)
At the rate the Trojans are going through quarterbacks, you, dear reader, might get a tryout soon. That said, after last week's physical, exciting victory over Utah, the Trojans head up to Seattle to face a Washington team that just humiliated the BYU team that beat USC a week prior.

Coastal Carolina at Appalachian State (3:30 p.m., ESPN+)
Deep Cut No. 1. Under first-year coach Eliah Drinkwitz, App State is more explosive on offense and much worse on defense. Coastal Carolina, meanwhile, put up a combined 108 points on Norfolk State and UMass. App State's defense is better than those, but this is an influential Sun Belt battle and could get pretty high-scoring.

And if that's not enough to convince you, check out these amazing App State helmets:

Saturday evening
Keep an eye on Ohio State-Nebraska (8:30 p.m., ABC) just in case it isn't the blowout the numbers suggest. But it probably will be, so ...

Mississippi State at No. 7 Auburn (7 p.m., ESPN)
MSU's defense has regressed after losing NFL-caliber playmakers, and the offense has been up and down, first with QB Tommy Stevens, then with freshman Garrett Shrader. Last week's team (which walloped Kentucky) can challenge Auburn; the team from two weeks ago (which lost to Kansas State) gets blown out.

No. 24 Kansas State at Oklahoma State (7 p.m., ESPN+)
Oklahoma State proved its top-30 bona fides in losing by only six points to Texas, and K-State is coming off the Mississippi State victory and a bye. The race for the non-OU spot in the Big 12 title game is going to be immensely exciting, and this game could play a role in it. (It also might eliminate the Pokes from the competition.)

Southern at Arkansas-Pine Bluff (7 p.m., ESPN3)
Deep Cut No. 2. Recently moribund, Arkansas-Pine Bluff frustrated TCU for two-plus quarters to start the season and has since averaged 47 points per game. Missouri transfer Harry Ballard III has looked fantastic. Southern's always solid, though, and if the Southwestern Athletic Conference is going to have a first-time Celebration Bowl participant this season, it might be the winner of this one.

Late Saturday
Washington State at No. 19 Utah (10 p.m., Fox Sports 1)
Last week, Wazzu blew a giant lead to UCLA, and Utah blew scoring chances in a loss at USC. One team will get immediate redemption. It would be just like a Mike Leach team to collapse and then immediately wallop a much better team, but the Utes will probably respond well to last week's missed opportunity.

Notably, Yang Yechan beat Japan’s Sora Matsushima (13-15, 5-11, 11-5, 11-7, 11-9), Wu Che-An accounted for Singapore’s Izaac Quek Yong (7-11,11-4, 8-11, 11-2). Defeats but the only defeats for Sora Matsushima and Izaac Quek Yong; thus second place in the group was the outcome and progress to the main draw.

Success against the leading name in the group; it was the very same for Japan’s Kazuki Yoshiyama, he accounted for Baldwin Chan Ho Wah (11-8, 11-7, 11-5). Alas for the young man from Hong Kong it was not the best of days; he finished in fourth position, farewell was the order of the day.

Impressive form Kazuki Yoshiyama, further down the order it was the same from colleague Yu Kayama; alongside Chinese Taipei’s Wang Guan-Ru, Huang Chang-Yu and Ho Jui-Lin, all secured first places in the their respective groups as did Korea Republic’s Kim Hyunso.

Problems for prominent names in the initial phase of action; for Chinese Taipei’s Li Hsin-Yu, the top name on duty, there were no such difficulties. He reserved first position in his group, a situation that applied also to Chinese Taipei’s Peng Chih, Japan’s Hayate Suzuki and Korea Republic’s Woo Hyenggyu.

Top seed, tops group

Likewise, in the opening phase of the junior girls’ singles event, a competition in which all players were involved, Japan’s Kaho Akae, the top seed, duly secured first place in her group as did the next in the order of merit, Chinese Taipei’s Yu Hsiu-Ting alongside Hong Kong’s Lee Ka Yee and Chau Wing Sze.

However, further down the order there were surprise first places; the leading name in the group experiencing defeat, as Japan experienced differing fortunes. Miwa Harimoto lost to Chinese Taipei’s Lee Wan-Hsuan (9-11, 12-10, 11-8, 11-3); conversely Reina Aso overcame Anna Hursey of Wales (11-6, 11-7, 11-2). Lee Wan-Hsuan and Reina Aso remained unbeaten to reserve top spots, for Miwa Harimoto and Anna Hursey it was second place and progress to the main draw.

Unexpected top spots in the junior girls’ singles event, it was the same for Chinese Taipei’s Kao Ming and Hung Ke-Shuan as it was for Japan’s Hikari Okubo; all excelled expectations.

Biggest surprise

Surprise first places but the biggest came in the came in the cadet boys’ singles and cadet girls’ singles events, young players from the host association causing major upsets. In the former, Singapore’s Izaac Quek Yang, the top seed, lost to Zhang Huan-Qi (3-11, 11-7, 6-11, 12-10, 11-4); in the latter Japan’s Kaho Akae, the no.2 seed and runner up earlier this month at the 2019 Asian Junior and Cadet Championships, was beaten Chinese Taipei’s Chen Yu-Chih (12-10, 11-4, 11-6). Zhang Huan-Qi and Chen Yu-Chih duly remained unbeaten to secure first places; for Izaac Quek Yong and Kaho Akae it was their only defeat, thus second place and a main draw reservation.

Meanwhile, in the cadet boys’ singles event Hong Kong’s Yiu Kwan To and Yu Nok, the respective second and third seeds, ended the day in first positions in their respective groups but for their colleague Baldwin Ho Wah Chan, the no.4 seed, he had to settle for third place behind Chinese Taipei’s Wu Chiou-Shin and Japan’s Kenta Takahashi. A surprise first place for Wu Chiou-Shin, it was the same for colleague Liang Chen-Wei and for Korea Republic’s Park Changgeon.

First places secured

Likewise, in the cadet girls’ singles first stage, where also all players competed, leading names Miwa Harimoto and Chinese Taipei’s Tsai Yun-En duly secured first places in their respective groups.

Somewhat differently for Anna Hursey, she had to settle for runners up spot. She was beaten by Korea Republic’s Kim Taemin (11-7, 11-6, 11-5); impressively Kim Taemin remained unbeaten to top the group.

First place contrary to predictions for Kim Taemin, in the cadet girls’ singles first stage, it was the same for colleague Park Solbin as it was for Japan’s Hina Higashikawa alongside the Chinese Taipei duo of Wong Hsia-Hsin and Po Chi-Hua.

Play continues on Saturday 28th September, the finals of the singles events will be played on Sunday 29th September.

Please follow and like us:

Titles decided, Brazil joins European nations on podium

Published in Table Tennis
Friday, 27 September 2019 21:54

Impressively, the top step of the podium was the order of the day in both the junior girls’ team and cadet girls’ team events.

Elizabeta Abraamian, Olga Vishniakova and Natalia Malinina combined to secure the junior girls’ team title. After recording a 3-2 win against the French outfit formed by Isa Cok, Chloe Chomis and Clemence Chévallier, a 3-1 success was recorded in the final in opposition to colleagues Liubov Tentser, Arina Slautina and Vlada Voronina.

Notably, the player to cause the champions elect problems in the penultimate round was Isa Cok; she accounted for both Natalia Malinina (11-8, 11-6, 12-14, 11-5), prior to overcoming Elizabet Abraamian (11-8, 11-4, 11-3).

Team effort

A team effort secured victory; it was very much the same in the final. Elizabet Abraamian beat Liubov Tentser (11-5, 11-9, 2-11, 11-4), before Irina Slautina accounted for Olga Vishniakova (7-11, 11-6, 8-11, 11-8, 11-9) to level matters. The outcome in the balance, Natalia Malinina overcame Vlada Voronina (11-8, 11-4, 11-5), prior to Olga Vishniakova prevailing against Liubov Tentser (11-5, 11-6, 12-10) to end proceedings.

In the opposite half of the draw the semi-final stage, Liubov Tentser, Arina Slautina and Vlada Voronina had recorded a 3-0 win against the combination of Romania’s Irina Rus, Hungary’s Helga Dari and Bulgaria’s Kalina Hristova.

Similar situation

Russia in unity, it was no different in the cadet boys’ team competition. Following a 3-1 semi-final win in opposition to the partnership formed by Kazakhstan’s Alan Kurmangaliyev and the Czech Republic’s Matyas Lebeda, a full distance 3-2 margin of victory was posted in opposition to Thailand’s Napat Thanmathikom and Tanapat Thanmathikom.

Backbone if the victory in the final was Miron Vasilev. He beat both Napat Thanmathikom (11-7, 14-12, 3-11, 11-4) and Tanapat Thanmathikom (10-12, 13-11, 15-13, 11-9) whilst teaming with Ilia Koniukov to secure the doubles (11-6, 8-11, 11-9, 14-12).

Title for Czech Republic

The top step of the podium in the junior girls’ team and cadet boys’ team events for Russia; in the junior boys’ team and cadet girls’ team competitions the colour was bronze.

Represented by Ondrej Kveton, Tomas Martinko and Radek Skala, the Czech Republic secured junior boys’ team gold. After recording a 3-2 win against the outfit formed by India’s Raegen Albuquerque and Yasahansh Malik, who lined up alongside Lode Hulshof of the Netherlands, a 3-1 margin of victory secured the title at the final expense of Brazil’s Kenzo Carmo, Guilherme Teodoro and Eduard Tomoike.

Man of the moment in the penultimate round was Radek Skala, he accounted for both Raegan Albuquerque (9-11, 14-12, 11-9, 6-11, 11-6) and Lode Hulshof (11-7, 11-7, 11-9). Conversely in the final, he was the one player to experience defeat. He lost to Guilherme Teodoro in the opening match of the fixture (11-2, 11-7, 13-11).

Determined Tomas Martinko came to the rescue. He levelled matters, he recovered from a two games to nil deficit to beat Eduardo Tomoike by the narrowest of margins (6-11, 8-11, 11-7, 11-9, 12-10), before Ondrej Kveton gave his team the lead. He beat Kenzo Carmo (8-11, 16-14, 11-9, 5-11, 11-7). Immediately following Tomas Martinko returned to the table, he overcame Guilherme Teodoro (11-5, 9-11, 11-6, 11-9) to seal the victory.

In the counterpart semi-final, the Brazilians had recorded a 3-0 win in opposition to Russia’s Ruslan Cherkes, Damir Akhmetsafin and Maksim Bokov.

Giulia Takahashi and Laura Watanabe

Silver for Brazil, in the cadet girls’ team event it was gold; Giulia Takahashi and Laura Watanabe claimed the title at the final expense of Germany’s Jele Stortz and Mia Griesel; a 3-1 victory margin was the outcome, the same has had been realised at the semi-final stage in opposition to Russia’s Karina Iusupova, Sofia Umantes and Mariia Bordiugovskaia.

Earlier in the adjacent penultimate round fixture, the German duo had recorded a 3-2 win against Kazakhstan’s Alexandra Smirnova and Sarvinoz Mirkadirova.

Play concludes on Saturday 28th August when the titles will be decided in the individual events in the cadet age group.

Please follow and like us:

Stenhouse Breaks Silence After Roush Departure

Published in Racing
Friday, 27 September 2019 17:53

CONCORD, N.C. – Ricky Stenhouse Jr. spoke publicly Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway for the first time since finding out he would not return to Roush Fenway Racing in 2020.

Roush Fenway Racing announced earlier this week that Stenhouse, the driver of the No. 17 Ford Mustang for the last seven years, would be replaced by Chris Buescher next season.

Stenhouse’s departure ends an 11-year relationship with Roush Fenway Racing that saw the Mississippi native earn two NASCAR Xfinity Series championships and two Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series victories for the team.

“It was unfortunate, for sure,” Stenhouse said Friday afternoon. “Definitely tough timing for myself and my group to try to find another option, but, all in all, I’ve got to look back on the 11 years that I had with Jack and winning races and championships and getting my first Cup win and being competitive – not as consistent as what we wanted, but the end of it all I’m very thankful that Jack took a chance on a dirt racer from Mississippi to come drive his car.

“It was fun, a little emotional with the relationship Jack and I have.  It’s the only team I’ve ever been at, so I’m looking forward to see what’s next.  Like I said, there’s a lot of work to do on that, but, all in all, I’m definitely looking forward to these last eight with the great partners that we have, everybody on the 17 team.  I’ve worked with a lot of them since my Nationwide (Xfinity Series) days, so it will be tough, but it will be a fun eight races with them.”

Stenhouse explained that he found out about Roush Fenway Racing’s decision to part ways with him Wednesday morning.

“I got a text on Tuesday night to say, ‘swing by the shop tomorrow at 11.’  I’ve gotten plenty of those texts before, so I didn’t really think anything of it and then my agent called me, I was drinking coffee at 7:30 Wednesday morning getting ready to go work out and he was like, ‘Hey, they called me to come to the shop,’” Stenhouse recalled. “So, when he said that, I was like, ‘that’s probably not very good.’  We went in the shop at 11, so I found out just soon before everybody else did.

“I didn’t really have any knowing (idea) that it was coming, but that’s part of it.  I know people get fired every day from their jobs and I can’t feel sorry for myself.  I’ve got to make sure that we look forward, like I said, to these eight races and what can we land to showcase what I’ve got for 2020.”

Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at Charlotte Motor Speedway will be Stenhouse’s 249 NASCAR Cup Series start. In his NASCAR Cup Series career he has two wins, both coming in 2017, as well as 15 top-five and 33 top-10 finishes.

However, he’s failed to finish 25 races because of crashes or crash related damage. This year he’s failed to finish on the lead lap 15 times in 28 races. His replacement, Buescher, hasn’t finished on the lead lap in 11 events this year. Buescher currently sits 20th in the NASCAR Cup Series standings while Stenhouse is 23rd.

Stenhouse admitted he felt blindsided by the team’s decision to replace him so late in the season, making it harder for him to find a competitive opportunity for 2020.

“Yeah, pretty blindsided.  Obviously, eight races left or whatever we have left is pretty late in the game,” Stenhouse said. “Halfway through the season would have been a little nicer to be able to go look for something else to do, but it’s their business and I’ve got to go with it.  Like I said, no hard feelings.  I’ve been angry at times, but, for the most part, I look back on all of it and I’m super thankful.”

As far as next year is concerned, Stenhouse has had little time to think about it. He said he’s leaving that to his management team.

“My agent has been talking to everybody. He’s trying to figure that out,” Stenhouse said.

ROVAL NOTES: McDowell Battles Kidney Stones

Published in Racing
Friday, 27 September 2019 18:25

CONCORD, N.C. – Michael McDowell’s day didn’t start off very well Friday at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

McDowell found himself in a great deal of pain prior to Friday’s first Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice. The pain was so bad, in fact, that he ended up at the hospital.

“I’m really thankful I feel as good as I do,” McDowell said. “I felt like this morning I was very close to death. Now this afternoon I feel pretty good. Unfortunate, but I’m thankful I’m at home in Charlotte and thankful I was able to get to a place where I feel pretty good.”

McDowell said he initially had no idea what was wrong with him before he was finally diagnosed with and passed a kidney stone.

“I had no idea, that was the problem,” McDowell said. “I was hurting and in pain and not feeling well and nauseous and throwing up. But what it was was just a kidney stone and fortunately I was able to pass a kidney stone and immediately felt 85 percent better. But getting up to that process was close to death.”

NASCAR Xfinity Series regular Austin Cindric practiced McDowell’s car Friday afternoon. McDowell returned to the track and was able to qualify his No. 34 Front Row Motorsports Ford 22nd for Sunday’s race.

– Ryan Blaney is the defending winner of the Bank of America ROVAL 400, a fact that hasn’t been lost on him in the lead up to Sunday’s race.

“Coming back here, it’s nice coming back to a place you’ve won at no matter how you do it,” Blaney said. “Honestly, I was kind of more excited to come back here to see the new chicane. I think that was pretty unique, a lot different from what we had last year. We’re actually talking about adding more braking markers because there are only six of them and we’re braking at like the hypothetical seven, so I think we’re gonna add a couple more.

“But yeah, it’s nice to come back. That’s kind of all I’ve heard this week was last winner and I don’t really think about that stuff too much. I kind of think about the next one coming up.”

– Kyle Larson, who led the most laps in last year’s inaugural race on the ROVAL, qualified seventh and expressed confidence that his No. 42 team was capable of competing for a win Sunday.

“I’m pretty confident,” Larson said. “We led the most laps here last year and had the best shot to win until we all drove into the wall. If it’s going to be like last year, I’m definitely confident.”

– Roush Fenway Racing co-owner Jack Roush was asked during a press conference whether he’d ever consider fielding an Indy car team.

“I believe first and foremost that race cars have doors,” Roush said.

He would go on to say that Indy car racing lacked the manufacturer identity that NASCAR has with its race cars, making it less appealing to him when compared to his NASCAR program.

“If you don’t have the prospect of tying a manufacturer to the prospect of winning on Sunday and selling on Monday, you’ve really missed an opportunity to market what you’re doing with the race car that’s hard to overcome,” Roush said. “I’ve never felt diminished nor have I missed anything by not racing Indy cars or open-wheel cars.  I drag raced full-bodied cars.  I road raced full-bodied cars, and I look forward to racing my stock cars for a long time to come.”

– After sharing his displeasure with Austin Dillon over his team radio last week at Richmond Raceway after Dillon spun him out, Alex Bowman doubled down on his displeasure with the driver of the No. 3 Chevrolet Friday afternoon.

“I was obviously frustrated with that situation but I think it hurt his day more than it hurt mine,” Bowman said. “We kind of ran where we were going to run anyway. It’s just frustrating. I got ran all the way to the inside wall down the front straightaway and then just turned. It is what it is.

Bowman noted he wasn’t remotely concerned about dealing with Dillon during Sunday’s race, saying, “You typically don’t see him at these places anyway.”

– Martin Truex Jr. is one of only a few active drivers in the NASCAR garage area to have raced with the late Mike Stefanik, who died in a plane crash on Sept. 15.

Truex remembered the late NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour champion Friday.

“Just his success over the years and how long he went winning races and championships was amazing,” Truex said. “I can remember watching him as a kid. Growing up, watching my dad race and then moving up through the ranks and getting to race with guys like Mike (Stefanik). Just an awesome competitor. A true champion, a great guy off the race track. Obviously a tough thing for especially the Modified guys, just the Northeast racing scene in general. He was a hero up there. Pretty tragic how it all happened. We were all thinking about his family.”

– Several NASCAR Xfinity Series drivers had issues during Friday’s first day of practice. Michael Annett, Noah Gragson, Cody Ware and Preston Pardus all crashed at different points during the two NASCAR Xfinity Series practice sessions.

The incidents weren’t limited to the NASCAR Xfinity Series, with Denny Hamlin and Parker Kligerman both finding the wall in Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series practice. Hamlin’s crash was bad enough to require a backup car.

Hight Heads Gateway Funny Car Field Early

Published in Racing
Friday, 27 September 2019 19:22

MADISON, Ill. – Robert Hight put on a show during qualifying on Friday, racing to the provisional No. 1 spot in Funny Car during the eighth annual AAA Insurance NHRA Midwest Nationals at World Wide Technology Raceway.

Billy Torrence (Top Fuel), Erica Enders (Pro Stock) and Steve Johnson (Pro Stock Motorcycle) are also provisional No. 1 qualifiers in their respective categories at the second of six races during the NHRA Mello Yello Countdown to the Championship playoffs.

Gateway is also the 20th of 24 events on the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series schedule.

Returning to the site where he broke his collarbone during a crash just past the finish line in the final round a year ago, Hight put together an outstanding run of 3.877-seconds at 334.90 mph in his AAA Missouri Chevrolet Camaro SS on Friday.

The defending event champion, Hight is racing for his ninth No. 1 qualifier of 2019 and 69th in his standout career as he looks to regain the points lead in St. Louis.

Bob Tasca III is currently in the second spot thanks to his run of 3.904 at 324.98, while John Force is a spot back after going 3.911 at 329.18.

Points leader Jack Beckman is in fourth with a run of 3.916 at 329.99.

“We had high hopes,” Hight said. “We made four really good runs testing, and (crew chief) Jimmy Prock was not going to let this thing slow down. That’s not how you’re going to win a championship and it’s not what you need in the Countdown. It was pretty exciting and to do it in AAA country and at my sponsor’s race, that’s a good way to shine and show off. We need to keep gathering up those little qualifying points.

“That’s going to put us back in the ballgame.”

Top Fuel’s Billy Torrence put together a blistering pass of 3.699 at 321.88 in his Capco Contractors dragster to move into the top spot. It would be Torrence’s second No. 1 qualifier this season and third in his career if it holds.

A spot behind sits his son, Steve, who is the defending race winner and world champion.

The younger Torrence, who won eight races in the regular season, went 3.711 at 325.85, while Top Fuel rookie Austin Prock’s 3.726 at 328.94 has him third.

Points leader Doug Kalitta is fifth after his run of 3.743 at 323.58.

In Pro Stock, Enders continued her impressive performance in qualifying during the Countdown to the Championship, going 6.580 at 207.15 in her Melling Performance/Elite Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro.

Enders is aiming for her second straight No. 1 qualifier and 21st of her career. The two-time world champ is also after her first win of the year.

Deric Kramer is second with a run of 6.585 at 209.20 and Bo Butner is third with his 6.586 at 208.17. Points leader Jason Line sits sixth with a 6.593 at 209.14.

Pro Stock Motorcycle veteran Johnson raced to the top spot on his Slick 50 Suzuki, going 6.838 at 196.02 to set a commanding statement to open the weekend. It would be Johnson’s first No. 1 qualifier since 2013 if it holds, and the fourth in his career.

Johnson also put considerable distance between his next competitor, as Andrew Hines is currently qualified second with a 6.879 at 195.85. Eddie Krawiec is a spot back with a 6.884 at 196.70.

Points leader Jerry Savoie is seventh after going 6.908 at 196.62.

National Open Tune-Up Goes To Dewease

Published in Racing
Friday, 27 September 2019 22:17

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Lance Dewease scored his 98th-career Williams Grove Speedway sprint car win on Friday night in the World of Outlaws tune up race for 410 sprint cars.

Dewease took home $8,000 for his fifth win of the year at the track, after overtaking Freddie Rahmer for the win.

The initial start of the 30-lap outlaws tune up race was red flagged for a vicious crash just before the first lap could be completed, when Tyler Reeser and Cody Keller tangled just as they exited turn four.

Reeser’s car was destroyed, with the front end of the mount totally torn away.

The restart saw polesitter Rahmer jet into the lead over second starter Brian Montieth, with Dewease racing third at that point.

The only caution flag of the race unfurled with four laps complete, regrouping the field.

Dewease began challenging Montieth for second on the restart, and took the low lane underneath him in the first and second turns to net the second spot on the sixth loop.

Rahmer began working traffic with 20 laps to go, and by the halfway point, both he and Dewease seemed to be struggling to work through the field.

At times Rahmer would slip over the third turn cushion, while Dewease would burst off of the second turn but then slide around in the third and fourth corner.

Dewease took his first swipe at the lead with 11 laps to go in the first turn, when he caught Rahmer as he came up on a backmarker.

Dewease took the opportunity to go three wide through the turns, racing in the middle groove and drawing even with Rahmer, who was to his outside.

However, Rahmer pulled ahead onto the backstretch and Dewease regrouped.

With six laps to go, Dewease had again run up on Rahmer in traffic, and he bolted underneath him in the third turn to drive up across the track, catch the cushion and take control. However, Rahmer turned his car off of the cushion and reclaimed the top spot at the line, although the naked eye had trouble seeing who got to the line first.

Dewease then mashed the brakes and turned the car from the outside lane to the inside as he and Rahmer set their cars into the first turn.

As Rahmer swept across the cushion Dewease throttled his No. 69K across the bottom to bite fast low in the second turn and take the point.

Once in front, Dewease threaded his way through traffic to get the win by 1.281 seconds.

“I think we need to be better than that,” said Dewease about his chances against the outlaws in the National Open next week, comparing his just-completed run to the win against the competition he’ll face in the Open.

“The track was tricky tonight.”

Rahmer was second followed by Brian Montieth, who won the 2019 Diamond Series title by taking the podium spot.

Brian Brown rode home fourth and Matt Campbell was fifth in the Westbrook No. 1W.

Sixth through 10th went to Danny Dietrich, T.J. Stutts, Ryan Smith, Cory Haas and Anthony Macri.

In the 358 sprint feature, Doug Hammaker put an exclamation point on his 2019 track title in the division by claiming the final race of the year.

Hammaker led all 20 laps of the 358 sprint main to claim his third feature win of the season at the track and ninth of his career at the Mechanicsburg oval.

Rich Eichelberger trailed Hammaker for the win the entire distance, with Kyle Denmyer, Matt Findley and Troy Wagaman Jr. completing the top five in that division.

The finish:

1. Lance Dewease, 2. Freddie Rahmer, 3. Brian Montieth, 4. Brian Brown, 5. Matt Campbell, 6. Danny Dietrich, 7. TJ Stutts, 8. Ryan Smith, 9. Cory Haas, 10. Anthony Macri, 11. Chad Trout, 12. Alan Krimes, 13. Lucas Wolfe, 14. Kyle Moody, 15. Dylan Cisney, 16. Jared Esh, 17. Jeff Halligan, 18. Nicole Bower, 19. Brett Michalski, 20. Troy Fraker, 21. Mark Smith, 22. Todd Zinn, 23. Cody Keller, 24. Tyler Reeser.

Soccer

Argentina GK Martínez handed 2-game WCQ ban

Argentina GK Martínez handed 2-game WCQ ban

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsArgentina goalkeeper Emiliano "Dibu" Martínez has been suspended by...

Pep: Arteta should explain inside info comments

Pep: Arteta should explain inside info comments

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsPep Guardiola has hit back at Mikel Arteta's claim that he has insi...

LaLiga chief targets game in Miami next season

LaLiga chief targets game in Miami next season

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsLaLiga president Javier Tebas has said he is targeting playing a co...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

Foot tendon strain to sideline Hornets' Williams

Foot tendon strain to sideline Hornets' Williams

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsCharlotte Hornets center Mark Williams will sit out training camp a...

Sources: Knicks nearing deal to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns

Sources: Knicks nearing deal to acquire Karl-Anthony Towns

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe New York Knicks and Minnesota Timberwolves are working through...

Baseball

Ohtani's 54th HR follows 57th steal to pass Ichiro

Ohtani's 54th HR follows 57th steal to pass Ichiro

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDENVER -- Los Angeles Dodgers designated hitter Shohei Ohtani hit h...

121 losses?! The numbers behind the White Sox's season of shame

121 losses?! The numbers behind the White Sox's season of shame

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsThe 2024 Chicago White Sox now stand alone in baseball's hall of fu...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

About Us

I Dig® is a leading global brand that makes it more enjoyable to surf the internet, conduct transactions and access, share, and create information.  Today I Dig® attracts millions of users every month.r

 

Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: www.idig.com
Email: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Affiliated