DODGE CITY, Kan. – Donny Schatz knows his way away around the three-eighths-mile Dodge City Raceway Park clay oval.

That fact was apparent during Friday’s opening leg of the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series Boot Hill Showdown, as the 10-time series champion from Fargo, N.D., dominated the field in the 25-lapper for his ninth series win of the year.

Aboard the Tony Stewart Racing/Curb-Agajanian Racing Ford Performance/Toco Warranty No. 15, Schatz led all but one lap of the main event and beat David Gravel to the finish line following a six-lap sprint set up by a late caution flag.

“The track went away a little quicker than I thought that it would,” Schatz commented. “I like that; we were really able to move around and the guys had the car working flawlessly.”

After posting a heat race win, Schatz drew the one pill for the Dash and outlasted fellow front row starter Gravel to secure the pole position for the feature.

Schatz got the better of Gravel at the drop of the green and the start of the feature, though Gravel used a nifty turn-four crossover to lead the opening lap before Schatz retook command. From there, Schatz kept the JJR No. 41 and third-starter Logan Schuchart at bay, though traffic came into play in short order.

After opening up nearly a half straightaway lead, Schatz’s lead began to evaporate as the laps ticked off, with Gravel closing the gap.

A caution with six laps to go gave Schatz a clear track, and he used it to cruise on to the stripe ahead of Gravel, with Schuchart filling out the podium in the Shark Racing No. 1s.

Track record holder Ian Madsen held fourth throughout the race, with past Boot Hill Showdown winner Kraig Kinser rounding out the top five.

Sheldon Haudenschld was sixth ahead of Daryn Pittman, Carson Macedo, Brad Sweet and Shane Stewart.

Schatz also increased his points lead over Sweet, who finished ninth after struggling to find his way forward. Schatz now leads Sweet by 28 points.

“It’s not the year you’ve had when you’ve won 20 plus a year, but, hey, it’s a very competitive deal at the moment,” Schatz noted. “I mean, look at all of the cars that have run good. We’re in a position to try and run for a championship and that’s all you can ask for when you start the year.”

While Schatz scored his fifth Boot Hill Showdown triumph at DCRP and third in a row, Blaine Walt made it two wins in a row in the companion IMCA Sport Modified feature.

In the 15-lap Sport Mod main event, Walt battled past Brian May on the sixth round en route to his second consecutive DCRP triumph.

Walt took the checkered flag ahead of track champion Jeff Kaup, who climbed up to second in the closing rounds. May, Mitch Beusel and Kyle Wiens rounded out the top five.

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DUNDEE, N.Y. — Since the driver change just over three months ago, Skyline Motorsports has turned its season around with veteran pilot Shane Clanton behind the wheel of the No. 25 Capital Race Car.

Outrunning the record-chasing Brandon Sheppard for the third time this season, Clanton kept his cool on a restart with three laps to go and drove away from the Rocket1 Racing driver to claim his fourth World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series victory of the season Friday at Outlaw Speedway.

“We’ve been working really hard to get what we’ve got tonight,” Clanton said. “Hopefully, we can carry this momentum through the rest of the year.”

“The Georgia Bulldog” made it look easy, taking a clean sweep of the night by setting quick time in Qualifying, winning his Drydene Heat Race and redrawing the outside pole before taking off on the first lap and opening up a sizeable advantage over Sheppard.

Clanton’s quick lap times and Outlaw’s quarter-mile size allowed him to catch the rear of the field within the first 10 laps. He made quick work of the first several lapped cars in line while still maintaining his 2.5-second advantage out front.

“I could go wherever I wanted to. The top, the bottom, it didn’t matter. Wherever they were at, I was able to go where they weren’t,” Clanton said. “That’s what it takes to get through traffic. Our car is really balanced right now, hopefully we can keep it up.”

But soon, Sheppard began to crack the whip a little harder, making up almost a full second by the time the race’s first caution flag flew on lap 29. This erased Clanton’s lead and put “The Rocket Shepp” right on his rear bumper for the first restart, which he expertly handled.

Four more yellow flags were thrown before the end of the race, which gave Sheppard, still vying for his record-breaking 19th Morton Buildings Feature win of the year, several chances to swipe at the lead. But Clanton was simply not going to be denied, and he only received a few looks to his inside for the lead. Including one from Chase Junghans, who had a strong first restart and grabbed the second spot from Sheppard before relinquishing on a restart six laps later.

“I restarted on the outside of Sheppard and got by him, and thought ‘heck, I should do that again.’” Junghans said. “But on the next one, he got back by me.”

Sheppard shot around Junghans’ outside to take the runner-up spot back, which he held through the final stage of the race to collect his 33rd top-five finish in 35 races.

Overall, a solid night for the Rocket Chassis team, but Sheppard felt like he needed a few more long stretches of green-flag laps in order to catch Clanton and have a shot at the lead.

“I could make up time on that last long run, but when we got a yellow with three to go, it took me a few laps to get rolling,” Sheppard said. “I needed Shane to get away from me a little bit so I could get some clean air and get my rhythm back.”

He ran most of the race in the bottom lane, where he was able to make up ground after the restarts.

“That one groove we were in was the fastest way around,” Sheppard said. “You could move all over in lapped traffic, but the line we were in at the end looked to be the fastest.”

While leader Clanton was dealing with the pressure from behind him, Sheppard was keeping a conscious eye towards staying in his groove to avoid rapid tire wear, which some other teams struggled with over the course of 50 laps. That also factored into his decision to stay on the bottom.

“I was definitely trying not to wheelspin too hard, but whenever you get up into the cushion, that’s all you can do it wheelspin. It was just one of those deals where you’ve got to hope it doesn’t happen to you,” Sheppard said.

As for Junghans’ night, he and the ShopQuik team are very proud of their podium finish.

“I think we’re going in the right direction. We’ve been struggling a little bit in the past four or five races. But we never give up, so hopefully we can carry the momentum over into tomorrow and finish the weekend strong,” Junghans said.

The finish:

Feature (50 Laps) 1. 25-Shane Clanton [2][$10,000]; 2. 1-Brandon Sheppard [1][$5,000]; 3. 18-Chase Junghans [4][$3,000]; 4. 97-Cade Dillard [3][$2,500]; 5. 28-Dennis Erb [10][$2,000]; 6. 29-Darrell Lanigan [5][$1,700]; 7. 1x-Chub Frank [7][$1,400]; 8. 94-Bryce Davis [9][$1,300]; 9. O-Rick Eckert [11][$1,200]; 10. 99B-Boom Briggs [12][$1,100]; 11. B1-Brent Larson [15][$1,050]; 12. 119-Bryan Bernheisel [13][$1,000]; 13. 42-Jim Yoder [17][$950]; 14. 96-Michael Smith [20][$900]; 15. 22-Gregg Satterlee [8][$850]; 16. Os-Ryan Scott [18][$800]; 17. 93j-Sean Beardsley [19][$770]; 18. 76-Brad Smith [23][$750]; 19. 7-Ricky Weiss [6][$730]; 20. 72-Jason Covert [14][$700]; 21. 171-James Bernheisel [21][$700]; 22. 19-Bob Dorman [16][$700]; 23. 24-Dylan Yoder [22][$700] Hard Charger: 96-Michael Smith[+6]

ALCANIZ, Spain – Repsol Honda’s Marc Marquez edged out Petronas Yamaha SRT’s Fabio Quartararo to secure the pole for the Michelin Grand Prix of Aragon during qualifying on Saturday morning at Motorland Aragón.

Marquez turned a lap around the 3.155-mile, 16-turn circuit in 1:47.009, .327 seconds better than Quartararo’s best time of 1:47.336 in the final round of qualifying.

That was enough for the defending champion to secure his ninth MotoGP pole of the season and the 61st of his premier class career.

“I feel really good this weekend, much better than (I did) in Misano,” noted Marquez, who is seeking his eighth MotoGP win of the year on Sunday. “Pole position was important, but it’s true that the fastest lap of the weekend was in FP1! I expected more from the second run, but I made a couple of mistakes. I knew I had to control the risk a little bit as the wind direction had changed today and it was more disturbing than yesterday.

“In FP4 I had a strong rhythm, and this is the most important point,” Marquez continued. “The Yamaha riders aren’t far (behind) and we have to keep an eye on the weather, so still … there is a lot that could happen (on Sunday).”

Maverick Vinales will roll off from the outside of the front row on his factory Yamaha bike, qualifying third at 1:47.472, while Pramac Ducati’s Jack Miller and Aprilia Racing Team Gresini’s Aleix Espargaró made it four different constructors inside the top five.

Valentino Rossi was sixth on the second factory Yamaha, ahead of independent Cal Crutchlow, Franco Morbidelli, Joan Mir and Andrea Dovizioso.

Red Bull KTM Factory Racing’s Pol Espargaro crashed in FP4 and suffered a fractured left wrist. As a result, the rider of the No. 44 will miss the rest of his home Grand Prix.

Race fans from across the country will gather at Wisconsin’s La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway next month for the 50th running of Oktoberfest, one of America’s premier short-track events.

“I initially went to Oktoberfest in the ’70s as a fan,” recalled John Close, a longtime journalist and author who wrote about Wisconsin short-track racing before turning his focus to NASCAR. “Then in the ’80s, I started working it and went there seven or eight years in a row from let’s say ’86 to ’93 before I came to North Carolina.

“The thing that always impressed me about Oktoberfest was that it is as much of an event off the track, socially, as it is on the track,” Close continued. “You always had really great racing from the time I first went there as a fan when you had Dick Trickle and Tom Reffner, guys like Larry Detjens, Jim Sauter, Marv Marzofka, Dave Watson, all of the great Wisconsin stars raced there in the 1970s.

“Then in the ’80s, it morphed more into a national event because all of a sudden you had Mark Martin, Junior Hanley, Butch Miller and guys like that coming in and winning that race. Later in the decade, you had Ted Musgrave, Rich Bickle and other guys that eventually came to NASCAR who won it. During that time, it continually grew. They kept adding divisions to the point where now it’s a multi-division, four-day show.

“Regardless of any of that, it was always the camaraderie off the track. The camping there is fantastic. The fan experience has always been among the best I’ve ever experienced,” Close added. “People would start coming into the speedway campground early in the week and a lot of drivers stayed there, too. You would see all your favorite guys on the race track during the day and then that night you would sit around the campfire and bench race with them. It was great. There was this connection between the fans and drivers there that I didn’t experience at other events. The racing was great, but the nights were bonfire- and beer-filled, bratwurst-fueled parties – there were some hangovers.”

Chuck Deery, a second-generation promoter who has operated La Crosse Fairgrounds Speedway and organized Oktoberfest since 1987, echoes Close’s sentiments.

“It is a family reunion for race fans and competitors,” Deery told SPEED SPORT. “It has a lot of things going for it. Certainly, the time of year; where we are located here is very beautiful that time of year. The leaves are turning. It has typically been the last race of the season. It’s a multi-day event, ease of camping, some nice buildings to have after-race parties, the social aspect of it, different events going on, different divisions. For Joe Race Fan in the upper Midwest, or across the nation for that matter, it’s an excellent destination to get a good dose of different racing – excellent racing – socialize, have some fun, and just enjoy life and the sport of auto racing.

“We tie in as much as we can with the campers with a pet costume parade, then we have some camper games, the memorabilia show on Sunday and the      4-H members do the awesome pancake breakfast on Sunday morning,” Deery continued. “Of course, there are the after-race parties. On Thursday night, we celebrate our local champions because that’s our last points night.

“The neat part of it is you go through the campgrounds and everyone pretty much knows everyone and people’s spirits are so positive. You can have the worst weather conditions and people are still smiling.”

Gregg McKarns, another second-generation promoter who owns Madison Int’l Speedway and organizes the ARCA Midwest Tour, is Deery’s business partner. He also believes the social aspects of Oktoberfest play a major role in the ongoing success of the annual racing extravaganza.

“I ran the garbage truck for years and years,” McKarns said. “You go through the campground and you see people who only see each other once a year and it’s at Fest. They sit around the campfire, talk, share stories and the racing almost becomes secondary to the social aspect of the event. Between the legendary after-race parties and the pancake breakfast on Sunday morning, the facility lends itself to doing more than just having racing and allows that social aspect to blossom.”

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VIRGINIA WATER, England – Rory McIlroy called it.

Asked on Friday after making the cut on the number at the BMW PGA Championship what it would take on Day 3 to move back into contention he figured a 7-under 65 would do it.

Thanks to a fast start, three birdies through his first four holes, and an eagle at the par-5 12^th hole the Northern Irishman finished at that mark and was tied for 13^th place and five shots off the lead when he completed his round.

“It feels good. I wish I had holed that putt [for birdie] at the last for 64,” McIlroy said. “I did what I could. I played much better than I did the first couple days, just feels good to hit some better shots and roll in a few putts.”

The leaders were just starting their rounds as McIlroy was finishing up and depending on the afternoon conditions at Wentworth anything within seven or eight strokes of the lead would give the Ulsterman a chance on Sunday.

In 2014 at the European Tour’s flagship event McIlroy began the final round seven strokes behind front-runner Thomas Bjorn and closed with a 66 to beat Shane Lowry by a stroke.

“I'm a realist and I know I won from seven back a few years ago, and I feel like that's something that happens maybe once in your career. Maybe try to make it twice,” McIlroy said. “At least I'm moving in the right direction, which is the main thing.”

VIRGINIA WATER, England – Ross Fisher thought he’d pulled his 4-iron second shot into Wentworth’s par-5 18^th green and with water looming left of the putting surface there were a few tense moments.

“I hit it and I thought I had pulled it. Thankfully the wind was off the left, so I sort of looked away. Obviously dead center,” Fisher smiled.

Fisher’s shot bounced on the green and rolled into the hole for an albatross that lifted the Englishman into a tie for ninth at the BMW PGA Championship and a third-round 66. The rewards didn’t stop there. Fisher also won a BMW i8 Roadster worth about $165,000 thanks to his “pulled” 4-iron from 225 yards at the last.

“The crowd's reaction told the story, the massive roars and cheers, to know it's gone in, and to win the BMW i8, still a bit shocking,” he said.

Fisher was born in Ascot, which is about three miles from Wentworth, and still lives in the area which made his finish on Saturday that much more special with his friends and family in attendance.

“Obviously an [albatross] on 18 is a pretty special way to finish off, and especially with [wife] Jo and [son and daughter] Harry and Eve and the family, friends,” Fisher said. “What an experience, to see me play that and hole a second shot, albatross. There will be a few celebrations tonight, but I'll have to come back and try and do it again tomorrow.”

Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane has said he is not bothered by rumours linking Jose Mourinho with his job.

Sources have told ESPN FC that the Frenchman is under pressure after Madrid suffered a disappointing defeat by Paris Saint-Germain in their Champions League opener.

Madrid were up against an under-strength PSG side on Wednesday missing Neymar, Edinson Cavani and Kylian Mbappe but produced a pitiful display, failing to register a shot on target in a Champions League game for the first time in 16 years.

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"I'm not interested in what is said outside the club, the day I pay attention to what's in the press is the day I leave," Zidane told a news conference on Saturday ahead of Real's visit to early La Liga leaders Sevilla on Sunday.

"I feel in a strong position and I never give up. I will keep trying until the last minute and as long as the club will give me the chance to continue. I don't feel questioned at all."

Spanish media have reported that Real president Florentino Perez would be keen to recruit former coach Mourinho should Zidane be relieved of his duties.

"I'm not bothered by the Mourinho speculation," he added. "This is how the situation is, and whenever the team has a bad result the impression is that everything needs to change. It's difficult but it's the reality."

Real have taken eight points from four La Liga games while Sevilla top the standings with 10 after making a flying start under coach Julen Lopegetui, who was named as Zidane's successor at Real last year but was sacked in October.

Lopetegui, however, said he harboured no ill feelings towards Real and was treating Sunday's game like any other.

"Three points are up for grabs tomorrow and that should be motivation enough for us even though we know what it means to face Real Madrid," he said.

"I have a very good memory of every club I've been at and always try to remember the positive things. I try to be responsible and ambitious and tomorrow will be no exception."

Real will be able to count on captain Sergio Ramos against Sevilla after he missed the PSG defeat due to suspension, although Marcelo is a doubt and Luka Modric is still injured.

Manchester United are keen to sit down with Paul Pogba's agent Mino Raiola to discuss a contract extension in the coming weeks, sources have told ESPN FC.

Pogba still has two years left on his deal with an option for a third season, which can be triggered by the club only.

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Nevertheless, United want to tie the 2018 World Cup winner to a new long term contract and want to begin talks soon.

After agreeing new terms with David De Gea and giving an extension to centre-back Victor Lindelof, they are now ready to turn their attention to Pogba, who moved to United for a then world record £89.3 million in 2016.

It could prove tough, though. The former Juventus star expressed publicly that he wanted to leave in the summer. His desire was to move to Real Madrid but the offer never came, despite Zinedine Zidane making him his priority, and he ended up staying.

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United will have to convince the midfielder he would do the right thing by committing his long term future to the club. Raiola has a good relationship with executive vice chairman Ed Woodward, and sources have told ESPN FC that while Pogba would like to move to Madrid, he has not ruled out signing a new contract at United.

The Old Trafford outfit see the 26-year-old, who will miss Sunday's Premier League clash with West Ham with an ankle injury, as a key part of their project both on and off the pitch, notably including his status as the most important asset in the club's marketing strategy.

Manchester City put their Norwich nightmare firmly behind them as they blew away Watford with a blistering performance at the Etihad. The revitalised hosts stormed into a 5-0 lead with just 18 minutes on the clock and never looked back, as Pep Guardiola's side cruised to an 8-0 win and recorded their biggest ever Premier League victory.

Positives

What a difference a week makes. The Premier League champions produced a dazzling performance in the Manchester sunshine with Kevin De Bruyne, Sergio Aguero, Bernardo Silva and Riyad Mahrez all unplayable. The hosts also recorded a vital clean sheet that will help to instil some much-needed confidence in their rejigged back four. Make no mistake about it, this was a real statement of intent to City's title rivals.

Negatives

It was an attacking masterclass from City, but there were still glimpses of defensive frailties at the back. Benjamin Mendy looked far from match fit and Guardiola will be hopeful that the left-back will recover quickly with the club's defensive options already stretched.

Manager rating (out of 10)

9 -- Guardiola got his changes spot on. He was left with a selection dilemma as to who would partner Nicolas Otamendi at centre-back but opted for Fernandinho over his youthful defensive options. The Brazilian midfielder put in a commanding performance in the heart of City's defence, while Mahrez threatened to run riot early on having being brought in for Raheem Sterling in attack. Guardiola also recalled De Bruyne following a display lacking in creativity at Norwich, and the classy midfielder produced another breathtaking performance as City romped to victory.

Player ratings (1-10; 10 = best, players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)

GK Ederson, 5 -- A quiet afternoon for the City goalkeeper. Perhaps a little fortunate not to lose his clean sheet when Roberto Pereyra managed to jink past him, but was rescued by Otamendi.

DF Kyle Walker, 6 -- Barely had anything to do in the first-half. Fizzed a long-range shot just wide after the break and played a sensational cross-field ball before departing for Joao Cancelo in the 54th minute.

DF Fernandinho, 7 -- Put in a solid performance playing out of his natural position. Read the game superbly and never looked out of his depth.

DF Nicolas Otamendi 6 -- Naively went to ground too easily as Watford almost levelled the scores at 1-0. But he more than redeemed himself by sliding in at the back post to make it 5-0. Replaced by Eric Garcia in the 63rd minute.

DF Benjamin Mendy, 5 -- Looked off the pace, but it's been a busy week for the full-back after a lengthy absence. Replaced by Angelino at half-time.

MF Kevin De Bruyne, 10 -- It's De Bruyne's world and we're all just living in it. It took the Belgium midfielder just 63 seconds to unlock Watford's back four in another phenomenal outing. Tricked us into thinking he was human when he sliced an ambitious effort well wide, before hammering City's home City's eighth in style.

MF Rodri, 7 -- A vital cog in a frightening City midfield. Another positive display in what's shaping up to be an impressive debut Premier League season.

MF David Silva, 7 -- Opened the scoring with just a minute on the clock. The Premier League will be a worse place without him next season if he departs.

MF Bernardo Silva, 10 -- Doesn't seem to have an off button. Produced another tireless, industrious display and was excellent value for his hat trick.

MF Riyad Mahrez, 8 -- Caused the Watford defence countless problems from the first whistle. Did brilliantly to nick the ball away from Ben Foster and win his side a penalty, then got the goal he deserved through a deflected free-kick and was unlucky to see a header rattle the crossbar after the break.

FW Sergio Aguero, 9 -- Didn't get the rewards his fantastic performance deserved. Could have easily added another four or five goals to his already record-breaking tally.

Substitutes

DF Angelino, 5 -- Came on for Mendy in the 45th minute. Looked comfortable on the left but didn't really have to break a sweat in the Lancashire sun.

DF Joao Cancelo, 5 -- Came on for Walker in the 54th minute. Enjoyed a quiet afternoon as City ran riot

DF Eric GarcIa 5 -- Came on for Otamendi in the 63rd minute. Barely touched the ball, but enjoyed an afternoon to remember on his Premier League debut.

Toss Bangladesh chose to bowl v Afghanistan

Bangladesh captain Shakib Al Hasan chose to bowl against Afghanistan in the last league game of the tri-series. Both sides made it to the final to be played on September 24, although Afghanistan's 13-match winning streak was broken yesterday when Zimbabwe beat them by seven wickets.

Bangladesh made one change, bringing back Sabbir Rahman in place of newcomer Aminul Islam who hurt his hand in the previous game, needing three stitches. Afghanistan brought in Karim Janat and handed a debut to 19-year-old quick bowler Naveen-ul-Haq, in place of Fazal Niazai and Dawlat Zadran. Naveen has played two ODIs, both against Bangladesh in 2016, and took one wicket in each of them.

Bangladesh: 1 Liton Das, 2 Najmul Hossain, 3 Shakib Al Hasan (capt), 4 Mushfiqur Rahim (wk), 5 Mahmudullah, 6 Sabbir Rahman, 7 Mosaddek Hossain, 8 Afif Hossain, 9 Mohammad Saifuddin, 10 Shafiul Islam, 11 Mustafizur Rahman

Afghanistan: 1 Hazratullah Zazai, 2 Rahmanullah Gurbaz (wk), 3 Shafiqullah, 4 Asghar Afghan, 5 Mohammad Nabi, 6 Najibullah Zadran, 7 Gulbadin Naib, 8 Rashid Khan (capt), 9 Karim Janat, 10 Naveen-ul-Haq, 11 Mujeeb Ur Rahman