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CHICO, Calif. – Justin Sanders completed the two night sweep of the sprint car doubleheader weekend at Silver Dollar Speedway by winning the Dave Bradway Jr. Classic Saturday night.
Sanders drove his yellow No. 121 North County Plastering/Andy’s Construction/Yuba-Sutter Aviation sponsored car to a $4,000 plus lap money victory in the Fujitsu King of the West by NARC Series 40-lap contest.
Just like the previous night, Shane Golobic was the runner up in the Wood’s Motorsports NOS Energy Drink No. 17w, with Tim Kaeding rounding out the podium.
Kaeding and Sean Becker brought the 24-car starting field to the green with Kaeding getting the early lead. The race would only go three laps before Sean Watts tagged the front stretch wall, blowing a right rear tire. The black No. 98 would pit, along with Ryan Bernal, in the infield for a replacement tire and rejoined the tail of the field. The race would restart but would only go another lap before the two cars caused another yellow with an issue in the first turn. Watts’ race ended but Bernal would pit yet again and returned to action.
With Kaeding leading, Becker picked the high groove while Sanders joined in, making for an exciting three way battle. The race would slow again on lap seven when Tim Estenson spun off the fourth turn banking. On the restart, Becker started to challenge Kaeding but a miscue while in lapped traffic sent him off the first turn to bring out a lap 15 caution. Cole Macedo would pit and both cars would tag the rear of the field. The race would restart but quickly went back to yellow for Kenny Allen who stopped in the third turn.
The race would now be a battle between Kaeding and Sanders while Golobic was slowing advancing to the front after starting deep in the pack. Kyle Offill and Chase Johnson collided exciting the fourth turn with Offill stopping on the track in the first turn with a flat right rear to bring out a lap 19 caution. He rejoined the field after pitting.
Once the race resumed Sanders would get around Kaeding after gouging his way through heavy lapped traffic. The rim riding Becker would cause his second caution on lap 30 with a slow spin in the middle of the third and fourth turns. Officials decided to red flag the race for a fuel stop making for a 10 lap shootout.
Dominic Scelzi, the current KWS series points leader, failed to re-fire, knocking him out of the event. Twice his pit crew went under the car’s hood but couldn’t resolve the problem and he retired with an electrical issue.
With Sanders leading, it was Kaeding’s turn to try the top of the track but that move proved costly as Golobic would pass him low. The race’s final caution came out when Offill spun in the fourth turn on lap 33. This made for a two car battle between Sanders and Golobic with both cars choosing to run low on the track. Just as he did the night before, Golobic would pressure Sanders waiting for him to make a mistake, which didn’t happen and the two cars crossed the finish line close together.
The finish:
Justin Sanders, Shane Golobic, Tim Kaeding, D J Netto, Bud Kaeding, Geoff Ensign, Mitchell Faccinto, Colby Copeland, Ryan Bernal, Nathan Rolfe, Blake Carrick, Chase Johnson, Willie Croft, Stephen Ingraham, Kenny Allen, Gary Paulson, Tim Estenson, Justyn Cox, Kyle Offill, Dominic Scelzi, Sean Becker, Richard Brace, Jr., Cole Macedo, Sean Watts.
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JEREZ, Spain – Marc Marquez becomes first repeat MotoGP winner of the season after storming to victory Sunday at Circuito de Jerez.
Marc Marquez stormed off the line to lead the 23-rider field through the opening corners. He slowly began to build a gap and by lap eight he was pulling away from his closest pursuers.
The dominant ride saw the reigning MotoGP champion cross the line 1.654 seconds ahead of Suzuki’s Alex Rins to secure his second victory of the season.
“This race was a mental race, more than a physical one,” Marquez said. “After the mistake in Austin it wasn’t easy to lead the race like that from beginning to end, but I knew I had the pace to do it and the bike to do it. I wanted to do a race like in Argentina and at the start in Austin to prove it was a mistake there. I felt good all weekend, smooth, comfortable and able to ride how I want. Thanks to the Repsol Honda Team, they’ve done an amazing job over the last few weeks and here this weekend. It’s great to be leading the championship again.”
Maverick Vinales finished third for Monster Energy Yamaha, followed by Ducati’s Andrea Dovizioso and Danilo Petrucci.
Valentino Rossi, Franco Morbidelli, Cal Crutchlow, Takaaki Nakagami and Stefan Bradl completed the top-10.
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During its zenith, the Grateful Dead attracted legions of fans who arrived at sold-out concert venues without a ticket. The attraction of experiencing the magic inside the gates of a Grateful Dead show was so great, these thousands of fans would come anyway just hoping for a miracle.
As lore has it, occasionally a fan with an extra ticket would bestow the “the miracle” to a needy fan, free of charge.
Like the Grateful Dead, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the Indianapolis 500 have generations of die-hard fans. They come from all over the world. For these Indy fans, unlike Dead fans however, getting a ticket into the massive speedway has never been an issue. A general admission ticket allows fans to roam from turn one to turn three and everywhere in between — except for one magical place.
The famed garage area at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway is known as Gasoline Alley. It’s there the magic happens during the month of May. Crews work long, hard hours preparing the cars for The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. It’s where the drivers go to meet with engineers, sponsors and the media. Former drivers, dignitaries and celebrities also mingle in Gasoline Alley.
The attraction to walk through the gates and under the Gasoline Alley sign remains. Fans want to peer into the garages to see the cars, watch the crews work and rub elbows with motorsports elite.
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This content is accessible to subscribers only. To read the rest of this article, please login, or if you are not a subscriber, signup here and explore our subscription options starting at just $19.95 per year. Subscribers have access to all premium content including SPEED SPORT Magazine features and editorial and exclusive programs and features on SPEEDSPORT.tv. Don't miss out on this tremendous value!For decades, not just anyone was allowed in Gasoline Alley during the month of May. If you didn’t belong in the garages, you were not getting in. Yet, just like Grateful Dead fans, people would line the fences and clog the gates of Gasoline Alley, hoping for the miracle of getting in.
That all changed in 1991.
When the speedway re-opened in 1946 after being closed during WWII, it issued two general types of credentials — a Bronze Badge and a Silver Badge — for the Indianapolis 500. Both badges offered gate admission and access to Gasoline Alley for the entire month. The only difference in the two was that a Silver Badge also allowed access to the pit area.
In 1991, Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials agreed to start allowing limited access to Gasoline Alley to the general public by selling Bronze Badges. The program was immediately popular and remains so today.
The Bronze Badge provides gate admission and Gasoline Alley access every day IMS is open during May, including the IndyCar Grand Prix. The badge is not good on race days for either event.
This year, a Bronze Badge could be purchased at IMS.com/BronzeBadge for $135 before March 31. The price increased to $150 on April 1. Because a legal waiver must be signed when purchased, each Bronze Badge holder must be 18 or older.
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INDIANAPOLIS – Juncos Racing has confirmed they will field an entry for Kyle Kaiser in an attempt to qualify for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500.
The American will pilot the No. 32 Juncos Racing Chevrolet entry for the second consecutive year. The 2017 Indy Lights champion started 17th in the 2018 Indianapolis 500 and finished 29th.
“I am incredibly happy to have the opportunity to qualify for the 103rd Running of the Indy 500,” said Kaiser. “The team and myself have been working very hard to make this happen, so I’m extremely grateful to everyone who has helped make this possible. It will be great to build off what we accomplished last year, having qualified 17th as a single car effort was incredible. With this knowledge and experience I am confident we will have another strong showing. I can’t wait to get back on track and get back to work preparing the No. 32 Chevrolet for the biggest race of the year.”
Kaiser made his first start in the NTT IndyCar Series this year at the Circuit of the Americas, finishing 18th.
“We are happy that Kyle (Kaiser) will be back in the No. 32 car this May,” said team owner Ricardo Juncos. “We had a lot of success in qualifying last year as a single car entry, so we are ready to build on what we learned and carry that momentum with us to the speedway. We have a lot of history with Kyle. He has been with this team for six years and has gone through our major transitions from Pro Mazda, to winning the Indy Lights Championship and moving up to IndyCar and even in our new IMSA program. We are excited to have the opportunity to continue our work with him for one of the biggest events of the year and look forward to a great month at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.”
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LEXINGTON, Ohio – For the third time in four Porsche GT3 Cup Challenge USA by Yokohama races, 18-year-old Canadian Roman De Angelis is a race winner in the No. 79 Kelly-Moss Road and Race Porsche 911 GT3 Cup car.
This win at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course was a bit tougher than De Angelis’ first two – which both came in pole-to-checkered flag runs last month at Barber Motorsports Park. This time, De Angelis had to fight his way past fellow Canadian Parker Thompson in the No. 3 JDX Racing Porsche, who celebrated his first series victory Saturday afternoon in the first race of the weekend doubleheader at Mid-Ohio.
Thompson started Sunday’s 45-minute race from the pole by virtue of setting the fastest lap in Saturday’s race and pulled into the lead at the drop of the green flag. De Angelis, meanwhile, started third and quickly found his way past second-place starter Riley Dickinson in the No. 53 Moorespeed Porsche and set out after Thompson.
De Angelis began applying pressure within the first 15 minutes of the race, but Thompson fought valiantly to keep the No. 79 Porsche in his mirrors. But De Angelis seemed to be just a bit faster than Thompson and found his way into the lead with just over 25 minutes remaining in the race. He led the rest of the way en route to a 5.052-second victory over Thompson.
“We pushed really, really hard,” De Angelis said. “It was really difficult because we started third. I had to get by a few cars. Parker didn’t make it really easy for me. We were driving pretty aggressive, so I had to push to get by him. Then, after that, what an amazing job. The No. 79 Racing for Children’s/Medical Properties Trust Kelly-Moss car was on rails once again.
“I just can’t thank them enough. I’d like to be four-for-four right now, but it is what it is. We’re just going to keep gathering these points and pull out as big of a lead as we can and hopefully take the championship at the end. That’s what we’re here for.”
The win allowed De Angelis to extend his lead in the Platinum Cup championship standings for 911 GT3 Cup cars built between 2017 and 2019. He now has 137 points, 10 more than Thompson heading into the next two rounds of the season next month in Montreal as part of the Formula One Canadian Grand Prix weekend.
Thompson, meanwhile, now has podium results in all four of his GT3 Cup Challenge USA starts to date. In addition to his Saturday win, he also finished third in both races at Barber. Rounding out the Platinum Cup podium was Max Root in the No. 7 Wright Motorsports Porsche with a third-place showing. Root also finished third in Saturday’s race.
The Platinum Masters class for drivers age 45 and over had its 100th race as part of the GT3 Cup Challenge USA on Sunday and fittingly had a spirited battle for the victory. Reigning class champion Alan Metni came away with the win in the No. 99 AM Motorsports/Kelly-Moss Porsche, but not without a fight that included Charlie Luck in the No. 45 Wright Motorsports Porsche and the Topp Racing machines of David Baker in the No. 56 and Bill Smith in the No. 42.
The four cars ran nose-to-tail with Luck as the leader until Metni finally found his way past with under 15 minutes to go. It was Metni’s third victory in four races this season and enabled him to extend his Platinum Masters points lead to 18 over Fred Poordad, 135-117.
“I just love it here at Mid-Ohio,” Menti said. “This was where I had my first win (in 2018) and it was nice to come back here and do well. The team gave me a great car. I also want to thank my wife and my kids for making it possible for me to be out here.
“There’s great racing in the Masters division. Those guys are wonderful to race with and learn from. Charlie and Mark (Kvamme) and David and Bill, they did a phenomenal job and I’m delighted to be able to race with them.”
Baker wound up second in Platinum Masters after an incident between Luck and Smith battling for second took Luck off the road and Smith on to pit lane for a drive-through penalty for incident responsibility. Local racer Kvamme took the third and final spot on the podium in the No. 43 JDX Racing Porsche.
It was also a nail-biter in the Gold Cup class for 911 GT3 Cup machines built between 2014 and 2016. Sebastian Carazo ended up sweeping the weekend in the No. 27 NGT Motorsport Porsche, but just barely. After leading throughout the race, Carazo had to win a drag race from the final turn to the finish line with Rob Ferriol in the No. 5 TPC Racing Porsche, which he did by a scant .052 of a second.
Like De Angelis and Metni, Carazo also picked up his third win in four races this season to extend his Gold Cup points lead. With 135 points, he is 12 points ahead of second-place Kurt Fazekas, who finished third in Sunday’s race in the No. 52 Kelly-Moss Road and Race Porsche.
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Watch: English catches good break on approach off rocks, drains long birdie
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Golf
Sunday, 05 May 2019 06:19
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Harris English wasn't having a back nine to remember Sunday at the Wells Fargo Championship. At least, not until he made it to the 18th.
With bogeys on Nos. 11 and 13, and a double bogey on the par-3 17th after hitting his tee shot in the water, English was looking for a lucky ending on the closing hole. That's exactly what he got.
Harris never really got anything going all week at Quail Hollow Club, finishing at 2 over after rounds of 71-71-72-72.
But a fortunate break off the rocks on his approach shot to the green, then a 46-footer for birdie to end his week may have lessened the sour taste after a ho-hum week.
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Quickfire headed goals from Ruben Loftus-Cheek and David Luiz, both set up by Eden Hazard early in the second half, helped Chelsea to a 3-0 home victory against spirited Watford in the Premier League on Sunday.
Argentine marksman Gonzalo Higuain added a third with a cool finish in the 75th minute to move Chelsea closer to their target of a top-four finish and Champions League qualification.
The win moved Chelsea into third place on 71 points, a point clear of Tottenham Hotspur in fourth and five ahead of Arsenal, who play Brighton and Hove Albion later on Sunday.
After a frenzied first half during which Watford had the better chances with Troy Deeney, Gerard Deulofeu and Jose Holebas all lively, Chelsea, booed off at the break, came out flying.
Loftus-Cheek found the net in the 48th minute after a Hazard short corner and one two with Pedro. Hazard lifted the ball to the far post and the tall midfielder nodded it home.
Moments later Brazilian defender Luiz headed Chelsea's second, straight from a Hazard corner before Chelsea improved their goal difference with the third from Higuain via a Pedro assist.
Both teams have preoccupations away from the league, with Chelsea facing Eintracht Frankfurt in the second leg of their Europa League semifinal on Thursday and Watford meeting Manchester City in the FA Cup final on May 18.
"The schedule is tough, but when you have fantastic players, more than just 11, we can rotate and have the same quality," Luiz said. "We have that. It's tough but it's tough for everybody.
"We did well to get the three points but we have to still fight until the end."
Players and their families ran a lap of honour after their last home league game of the season, with club captain Gary Cahill -- who had earlier hit out at boss Maurizio Sarri for lacking respect -- leading the players out as he prepares to leave Chelsea after six and a half years with the club.
The former England defender won two Premier League titles, two FA Cups, a League Cup, a Champions League and a Europa League trophy with the club, but fell out of favour this season.
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HUDDERSFIELD, England -- Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has hinted some his squad have made their last appearance for Manchester United while insisting the Europa League is the "right place" for his team after a 1-1 draw at Huddersfield ended any hope of a top four finish.
The result at the John Smith's Stadium means United will not play in the Champions League next season and could even have a Europa League second qualifying round first leg on July 25 if they finish sixth and Watford beat Manchester City in the FA Cup final.
"There is the chance you have seen the last of players but I wouldn't say that about any individual," Solskjaer, who is set to embark on an overhaul of his squad in the summer.
"We gave ourselves a chance to be in the Champions League, something we didn't think was possible.
Man Utd player ratings: Mata lone bright spot in dreadful draw
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"We had so many opportunities to grab third or fourth. We didn't and it is probably the right place for us to be next year, the Europa League."
United are scheduled to play a preseason friendly against Tottenham in Shanghai on July 25 but there remains a possibility their Europa League campaign could now start on the same date. It would complicate Solskjaer's summer plans and the Norwegian admitted he will cheering on City at Wembley if they finish sixth.
"It is not what we want," said Solskjaer. "Let's see what happens next week and with Arsenal and in the final with City. That is the reality. The kids will get chances to play games."
United started well against Huddersfield and took an early lead through Scott McTominay.
Isaac Mbenza scored the equaliser in the second half to earn a deserve point for Huddersfield, who began the game having lost 22 of their last 24 games in all competitions.
"Effort and attitude was not the problem," said Solskjaer. "The players were running and trying. We just weren't good enough.
"That is the problem. We could have, should have, played better.
"In the first half an hour they weren't close to our box once. Today we had good periods and very bad periods. It has just caught up with us. It is a fair reflection, being sixth."
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Mata the only United player to shine as top-4 hopes end
Published in
Soccer
Sunday, 05 May 2019 10:00
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HUDDERSFIELD, England -- Manchester United's hopes of a top-four finish are over after a tame 1-1 draw at already relegated Huddersfield.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side extended their winless run to five games after Isaac Mbenza's second half equaliser cancelled out Scott McTominay's early opener. The result, coupled with Chelsea's victory over Watford at Stamford Bridge, condemned United to place in the Europa League for the third time in six years since Sir Alex Ferguson's retirement in 2013.
Prior to kick-off, Huddersfield had lost 22 of their last 24 games in all competitions but they managed to sign off in the Premier League at the John Smith's Stadium with a well-deserved point. It had looked like McTominay's second goal of the season after eight minutes would keep United's slim hopes of Champions League football alive until the final day of the season until Mbenza grabbed an equaliser on 60 minutes just 13 seconds after a United corner at the other end.
The goal also stretched United's wait for a clean sheet to 14 games -- their worst run since a 16-game streak in 1970.
Positives
Juan Mata's future is still up in the air, but he made his case for a new contract on Sunday. The Spaniard found little bits of space between Huddersfield's defence and midfield to work his way into the middle of everything positive United did going forward in the first half. Solskjaer might not see him as a regular starter but his vision and passing offers something different, particularly against teams happy to keep men behind the ball.
Negatives
Alexis Sanchez was given a rare chance to impress but it was another missed opportunity. Gary Neville said before kick off the Chilean has "nothing left" and it was hard to argue after watching the 30-year-old struggle for 55 minutes against a team long since relegated. There was nothing from Sanchez's display against Huddersfield that hinted at the player he was at Barcelona or Arsenal. It was a blessing for Solskjaer that an ankle injury ended his afternoon early in the second half.
Manager Rating out of 10
-- 6
The United manager made three changes, brining in McTominay, Phil Jones and Alexis Sanchez for Ander Herrera, Eric Bailly and Romelu Lukaku. The game followed a familiar recent pattern as United started well before tiring in the second half and failing to create anything meaningful. Solskjaer needs the season to end and start again over the summer.
Player ratings (1-10; 10=best. Players introduced after 70 minutes get no rating)
GK David De Gea, 7 -- Made a good save with his feet when Karlan Grant was sent clean through and another from Grant in the final few minutes.
DF Ashley Young, 6 -- His delivery from set-pieces was dangerous but struggled to get forward during open play.
DF Luke Shaw, 5 -- He was doing all right before completely missing Jonas Lossl's long boot upfield, which allowed Mbenza the chance to run through and score the equaliser.
DF Phil Jones, 5 -- In the team with Chris Smalling only fit enough for a place on the bench. Did well in the air but made too many mistakes on the ball that gifted Huddersfield chances.
DF Victor Lindelof, 6 -- Back on the ground where he had a nightmare last season. Did well to outmuscle Mbenza at the near post in the first half. Went off injured.
MF Nemanja Matic, 6 -- Broke up play in midfield and tried to pass the ball forward whenever he could. Replaced with Ander Herrera early in the second half.
MF Scott McTominay, 7 -- Starting for the first time since Barcelona, he was clattered in midfield then seconds later smacked in a left foot shot that squirmed under Lossl.
MF Paul Pogba, 6 -- Hit the crossbar twice, first with a header and again in the closing stages with a curling effort from the edge of the box.
FW Juan Mata, 7 -- Kept his place after scoring against Chelsea. One of the only United players to emerge with any credit after a positive first half.
FW Alexis Sanchez, 5 -- Handed his first start since March 2 and turned in another performance that makes you wonder what has gone wrong. Afternoon was ended by an ankle injury.
FW Marcus Rashford, 6 -- Had a golden chance to put United back in front but stabbed his shot wide from Mata's cross. Made a lot of runs, but nothing came off.
Substitutes
MF Ander Herrera, 6 (for Nemanja Matic, 54) -- Battled in midfield.
FW Tahith Chong, 6 (for Alexis Sanchez, 54) -- Added pace and energy.
DF Victor Lindelof, 6 (for Diogo Dalot, 83) -- No time to make an impression.
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Arsenal's hopes of a top-four finish are all but over after their 1-1 draw against Brighton at the Emirates on Sunday.
While Unai Emery's could still equal Tottenham's points tally of 70 on the final day with a victory at Burnley and defeat for their north London rivals at home to Everton, they would still require an eight-goal swing, which is highly unlikely.
Brighton came into this match on a high after Cardiff's defeat at home to Crystal Palace ensured they would remain in the Premier League and were able to play without pressure.
However, they were behind on nine minutes thanks to a Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang penalty after Brighton's Alireza Jahanbakhsh had fouled Nacho Monreal.
But, Arsenal failed to add a second and conceded a penalty of their own 61 minutes when Granit Xhaka brought down Solly March -- and Glenn Murray made no mistake from 12 yards.
The home side piled on the pressure after Brighton's equaliser and Aubameyang in particular was guilty of a shocking miss -- while Brighton's Pascal Gross blazed over when it appeared easier to score.
Arsenal still have the chance to play Champions League football next season, as success in the Europa League would mean a place in Europe's premier competition.
Brighton stay 17th, but will be playing Premier League football for a third consecutive campaign.
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