Sunday's World Cup final, the first England international on free-to-air UK television since the 2005 Ashes, attracted a peak viewership of 8.3 million.

The game was simulcast on several channels: Sky showed it on Sky One, Main Event, and their Cricket channel, while Channel 4 split their coverage between their main channel and More 4 during the British Grand Prix.

The peak audience was only marginally below that recorded during the 2005 Ashes, when 8.4 million people watched the culmination of England's win at Trent Bridge on Channel 4. By contrast, the first Test of the 2015 Ashes, shown only on Sky, attracted a peak viewership of 467,000.

The World Cup final had to compete for attention with the men's singles final at Wimbledon between Novak Djokovic and Roger Federer, as well as the British Grand Prix at Silverstone.

Cricket will return to free-to-air TV in the UK from next summer, after the BBC agreed a deal in 2017 to show ten men's and eight women's matches from The Hundred per year, as well as two men's T20Is and one women's T20I.

Liam Plunkett, the fast bowler who took three wickets in England's win, had previously voiced support for the final to be broadcast free-to-air.

"Playing for England, you're the pride of the country and you want people to be able to access that and watch that," he said after the group stage win against New Zealand. "I'm not sure it's going to happen but for the guys, you want as many people to watch it as possible."

Sunday's final was a sell-out, with unofficial resale platforms offering tickets priced at several thousand pounds. As well as the millions watching on TV, thousands of fans gathered in the fanzone in Trafalgar Square, first to watch and then to celebrate England's win.

There was widespread support for Sky's decision to allow the game to be shown on free-to-air TV, a move that the ECB encouraged but did not demand. But Ashley Giles, the director of cricket for England's men's teams, suggested that England might not have been able to win the World Cup without Sky's investment.

When asked by BBC Radio 4 if it would have been impossible, Giles said: "Quite possibly, yes. The investment in the game from grassroots to professional has allowed us to do what we've done.

"Sky took the game on and have been fantastic supporters since. Thank you to them for allowing it on Channel 4."

Channel 4's chief executive Alex Mahon said it was "wonderful that the whole nation can come together to share these momentous British sporting events".

"Yeah, in a heartbeat," Kane Williamson said when asked if he'd swap his Player of the Series trophy for one extra run at the end of the greatest World Cup final in history. He might have to keep that line handy again as the ICC announced another individual milestone for the New Zealand captain.

Williamson hit a career-high 799 points on the ODI batsmen's rankings after the semi-final against India and is currently at No. 6 on the table. Scoring only 30 runs against England, though, has brought his tally down to 796, but he remains one of only two New Zealanders in the top ten, Ross Taylor above him with 817 points.

Ben Stokes, the Player of the Final, rose five places to No. 20 after not one but two amazing innings - first to keep England's chase alive on a remarkably tough pitch and later to lift them in the Super Over while virtually running on empty.

ALSO READ: The Monga-Kimber World Cup 2019 XI is here

There was another allrounder who made a giant leap on the batsmen's rankings too. Ravindra Jadeja, who was nearly unstoppable in the semi-final against New Zealand, has leapt 24 places to occupy the 108th spot.

Chris Woakes, whose opening spells were vital to England's title run, has gone up to No. 7 in the bowler's rankings. He took seven wickets in the first Powerplay at the World Cup - the joint second-highest - while the topper of that list, Matt Henry, also broke into the top ten. Jofra Archer, playing his first World Cup, finished not only as England's highest wicket-taker but also one of the ICC's top 30 bowlers in the world.

England remain the top-ranked team in the world, while India are at No. 2 and New Zealand at No. 3. Shakib Al Hasan, who produced the most remarkable all-round show ever seen in a World Cup, retains dominance in the allrounders' ratings.

Houston Texans linebacker Jadeveon Clowney will not get a long-term deal done by Monday's 4 p.m. ET deadline to sign players who have been franchised, sources told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

No trade is in the works for him either, the sources said.

Clowney is expected to miss most, if not all, of training camp, as he still hasn't signed his franchise tender, which is worth $15.967 million for the 2019 season.

The Texans tagged Clowney as a linebacker ($15.443 million) rather than as a defensive end ($17.128 million). However, since players get the higher amount between the tag value or 120 percent of last year's salary, Clowney is poised to get an additional $524,000 this season. He made $13.306 million, including a $1 million bonus, while playing on his fifth-year option in 2018.

Despite being tagged as a linebacker, Clowney played most of his snaps at defensive end in 2018, according to ESPN Stats & Information. He logged 729 at defensive end, 101 at defensive tackle and 33 at linebacker last season.

Clowney, who was named to his third consecutive Pro Bowl last season, finished 2018 with 47 tackles, nine sacks, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery. He also had 16 tackles for loss, which tied for ninth in the NFL last season, and he now has 53 tackles for loss over the past three seasons, which ranks third in the league.

Clowney, 26, the first overall pick of the 2014 draft, struggled with knee injuries early in his career, missing 15 games in his first two seasons. In 2016, he played through wrist and elbow injuries, appearing in 14 games and making the Pro Bowl for the first time. Since then, he has missed just one game over two seasons.

ESPN's Sarah Barshop contributed to this report.

Pernell Whitaker, a longtime pound-for-pound king and one of the greatest boxers in history, was killed Sunday night when he was hit by a car in Virginia Beach, Virginia. He was 55.

The Virginia Beach Police Department said that the incident remains an active investigation but that Whitaker was apparently hit by a vehicle at around 10 p.m. Sunday when he was walking at an intersection.

"When officers arrived on scene they located an adult male victim who had been hit by a vehicle. The victim succumbed to his injuries on the scene," Virginia Beach Police Department spokesman L.M. Bauder said in a statement. "The driver of the vehicle remained on scene with police."

Whitaker, a southpaw from Norfolk, Virginia, was revered as perhaps the best defensive fighter in history as his slick moves confounded opponent after opponent.

Whitaker, who was inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2006, won world titles in four weight classes. He was the undisputed lightweight world champion and also won titles at junior welterweight, welterweight and junior middleweight as the one of the dominant forces in boxing for much of the 1980s and 1990s. He won a gold medal at the 1984 Olympics.

Whitaker's youngest son, Devon Whitaker, told the Virginian-Pilot newspaper that his dad was a "cool guy."

"That all I can say about him," he told the newspaper. "I can't really say how I'm feeling because I'm feeling shocked. I'm still trying to process everything that's going on. But he was a cool guy."

"I loved PW and he loved me -- there was no doubt," Main Events promoter Kathy Duva, whose company promoted Whitaker throughout his career and who remained close to him after his retirement, told ESPN. "He was this person who was only comfortable in the ring. He had demons, but when he was in the ring, that was when he was in control and when he was happy and when he was the very best at what he did, and he wanted to show that to everybody."

In our post-Finals Power Rankings, we asked whether offseason chaos was on the horizon.

Welp.

Free agency saw Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving team up in Brooklyn, D'Angelo Russell join the Splash Brothers, Jimmy Butler take his talents to South Beach and Tobias Harris and Kristaps Porzingis sign max deals with Philly and Dallas, respectively. And that was just the first 24 hours!

The league has changed seemingly overnight, and we're here to make sense of where all 30 teams stand heading into a highly anticipated 2019-20 season.

Note: These rankings are based on which teams voters think belong higher heading into the 2019-20 season, taking into account injuries and potential further player movement. Title odds for 2019-20 were provided by Caesars sportsbook. ESPN.com's Malika Andrews, Kevin Arnovitz, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Royce Young and Ohm Youngmisuk contributed the following information.

More: Post-Finals rankings | Moves for every team | Free agency news

1. Milwaukee Bucks
2018-19 record: 60-22
2020 title odds: 9-2
Previous rank: No. 1

While the fabric of the Eastern Conference has changed drastically in recent weeks, the Bucks' core has stayed largely the same. The team re-signed starters Khris Middleton and Brook Lopez as well as key reserve George Hill. What set the team apart last season was its deep bench. Will the acquisitions of Robin Lopez and Wesley Matthews be enough to make up for the departures of Malcolm Brogdon, Ersan Ilyasova, Tony Snell and Nikola Mirotic? A strong bench to support Giannis Antetokounmpo is essential for Milwaukee to make it out of the East finals. -- Malika Andrews

• Key additions: Robin Lopez, Wesley Matthews

• Key subtractions: Malcolm Brogdon, Nikola Mirotic

2. Denver Nuggets
2018-19 record: 54-28
2020 title odds: 20-1
Previous rank: No. 4

While the rest of the NBA world went wild, the Nuggets made a few moves along the edges but quietly had one of the best summers of anyone. Adding Jerami Grant is one of the most underrated moves of the offseason, and they effectively are adding 2018 No. 14 overall pick Michael Porter Jr., who sat out the entire season with back issues. Assuming progression from their young rising stars, the Nuggets are firmly a favorite in the West. -- Royce Young

• Key additions: Jerami Grant

• Key subtractions: Trey Lyles

3. LA Clippers
2018-19 record: 48-34
2020 title odds: 4-1
Previous rank: No. 5

After a year of rumors of quietly recruiting Kawhi Leonard, the Clippers landed the mysterious forward after what might have been the most intrigue-filled week in free agency in recent memory. Shocking the Lakers, the Raptors and the entire NBA, the Clippers persuaded Leonard to become a Clipper by stealthily working a trade for Paul George. While the blockbuster move cost a historic haul of five first-round picks, two first-round-pick swaps and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Danilo Gallinari, the Clippers are now instant title contenders. Leonard and George should fit in seamlessly with a gritty supporting cast and budding Clipper culture built on a low-ego, team-first mentality. Doc Rivers' defense could be the nastiest in the NBA with Leonard, George and Patrick Beverley forming a perimeter wall. Rivers has the best second-unit combo in Lou Williams and Montrezl Harrell, and role players such as JaMychal Green, Maurice Harkless and Landry Shamet might make the Clippers the best team in not just Staples Center this season but perhaps in the entire league. -- Ohm Youngmisuk

• Key additions: Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, Maurice Harkless

• Key subtractions: Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Garrett Temple

4. Philadelphia 76ers
2018-19 record: 51-31
2020 title odds: 8-1
Previous rank: No. 3

After coming within four bounces of beating the Raptors in a devastating loss at the buzzer in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference semifinals, the 76ers went out and made some dramatic moves this summer: re-signing Tobias Harris to a five-year, $180 million deal; executing a sign-and-trade with the Miami Heat, sending Jimmy Butler there in exchange for Josh Richardson; and signing Al Horford away from the Boston Celtics with a four-year, $113 million contract. Now, thanks to Leonard leaving Toronto and the rest of the East contenders either standing still or taking a step backward, Philadelphia feels like it is the favorite to emerge from the East and reach the NBA Finals for the first time since Allen Iverson led the Sixers there in 2001. -- Tim Bontemps

• Key additions: Al Horford, Josh Richardson, Raul Neto

• Key subtractions: Jimmy Butler, JJ Redick, T.J. McConnell

5. Houston Rockets
2018-19 record: 53-29
2020 title odds: 8-1
Previous rank: No. 7

The Rockets rolled the dice by reuniting Russell Westbrook with James Harden, particularly considering the hefty price of the lightly protected 2024 and 2026 first-round picks they sent to Oklahoma City along with Chris Paul. "It's risky for sure, but I believe the upside is greater than with CP," a team source said. Westbrook's ball dominance and poor 3-point shooting present fit concerns, but Harden pushed hard for the trade, which the Rockets hope will allow them to be legitimate contenders through The Beard's prime, a window that was closing because of the 34-year-old Paul's physical decline. -- Tim MacMahon

• Key additions: Russell Westbrook, Tyson Chandler

• Key subtractions: Chris Paul

6. Los Angeles Lakers
2018-19 record: 37-45
2020 title odds: 3-1
Previous rank: No. 8

A chaotic offseason started with Magic Johnson resigning and putting Rob Pelinka on blast as well as a coaching search that saw negotiations with Ty Lue fall apart before the Lakers hired Frank Vogel. But once the chaos settled, the Lakers landed their highly coveted second superstar and another franchise superstar big man to build around for the foreseeable future in Anthony Davis. Pelinka paid a heavy price in having to send six players out -- including Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart -- three first-round picks, a pick swap and cash to acquire Davis and create as much cap space as possible. They then waited and failed to persuade Kawhi Leonard to come, but acted quickly in free agency by surrounding LeBron James and Davis with several experienced veterans. The Lakers believe they have addressed their mistake from a year ago by adding shooters like Danny Green, Quinn Cook, Jared Dudley and Troy Daniels. They believe they have 3-and-D guys with the additions of Green, Avery Bradley and the re-signed Kentavious Caldwell-Pope. And they added size with DeMarcus Cousins and re-signed JaVale McGee while also bolstering their backcourt depth and bringing Alex Caruso back. This is a roster built to contend for a championship, and anything short of a deep playoff run will be a disappointment. -- Youngmisuk

• Key additions: Anthony Davis, DeMarcus Cousins, Danny Green, Jared Dudley, Avery Bradley

• Key subtractions: Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Josh Hart, Tyson Chandler

7. Boston Celtics
2018-19 record: 49-33
2020 title odds: 25-1
Previous rank: No. 9

Nothing went the way it was supposed to last season for the Celtics, who entered the season as the favorites to top the East -- only to be drummed out of the playoffs in five games (including four straight losses) by the Bucks. The already bitter taste in the mouths of Celtics fans was made worse after Kyrie Irving and Al Horford chose to leave for Brooklyn and Philadelphia, respectively, in free agency. Irving was replaced by All-Star Kemba Walker, which some might see as an upgrade. It will be much more difficult to make up for losing Horford. Enes Kanter will likely be Boston's starting center, with second-year big man Robert Williams, Frenchman Vincent Poirier and German Daniel Theis behind him. They will give Boston a few ways to play, but not nearly at the same level of skill and poise that Horford, one of the league's most versatile bigs, did. That, in turn, puts a ceiling on just how good Boston can be -- regardless of how much growth the Celtics get from young wings Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown. -- Bontemps

• Key additions: Kemba Walker, Enes Kanter, Romeo Langford

• Key subtractions: Kyrie Irving, Al Horford, Marcus Morris, Aron Baynes

8. Portland Trail Blazers
2018-19 record: 53-29
2020 title odds: 25-1
Previous rank: No. 10

The Trail Blazers lightly reshuffled their rotation, with a few critical role players moving elsewhere. The Blazers have the core elements back, but any progression this season will come in two main ways: 1) Jusuf Nurkic getting healthy and returning to form, and 2) Hassan Whiteside fitting in and adding rim protection plus a significant new wrinkle to the pick-and-roll game. -- Young

• Key additions: Hassan Whiteside, Anthony Tolliver, Kent Bazemore, Mario Hezonja

• Key subtractions: Evan Turner, Maurice Harkless, Al-Farouq Aminu, Enes Kanter

9. Utah Jazz
2018-19 record: 50-32
2020 title odds: 14-1
Previous rank: No. 13

The Jazz might be equally as good offensively and defensively, which would make Utah a bona fide contender. Poor shooting prevented the Jazz from making their playoff series against the Rockets competitive, as Utah went 26-of-110 (23.6 percent) on wide-open 3s, as defined by NBA.com as no defender within 6 feet. That won't be a problem after they traded for Mike Conley and signed Bojan Bogdanovic, who should take pressure off Donovan Mitchell to create offense and open up the floor when the young star guard has the ball in his hands. It's up to Rudy Gobert, the two-time Defensive Player of the Year, to make sure the Jazz remain elite on that end of the floor. -- MacMahon

• Key additions: Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, Jeff Green, Ed Davis

• Key subtractions: Jae Crowder, Ricky Rubio, Derrick Favors, Kyle Korver

10. Toronto Raptors
2018-19 record: 58-24
2020 title odds: 50-1
Previous rank: No. 2

The Raptors didn't have long to celebrate their stunning run to the franchise's first title, thanks to Kawhi Leonard's decision to leave his throne as King of the North to take up residence at Staples Center with the LA Clippers. Still, while the Raptors don't have a championship ceiling anymore, they have a good enough roster -- built around emerging young forward Pascal Siakam, the winner of this season's Most Improved Player award -- to remain a factor in the East. The Raptors do have several large expiring contracts belonging to Kyle Lowry, Marc Gasol and Serge Ibaka that it could flip at the deadline for assets -- or they could go into next summer with oodles of cap space to chase players who can remake their roster. Don't expect anyone north of the border to be upset, though. They'll be spending the season deservedly celebrating their hard-won title. -- Bontemps

• Key additions: Stanley Johnson

• Key subtractions: Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green

11. Golden State Warriors
2018-19 record: 57-25
2020 title odds: 14-1
Previous rank: No. 6

Not long after losing a physically and emotionally devastating NBA Finals to the Toronto Raptors, the Warriors watched Kevin Durant head East to join forces with Kyrie Irving in Brooklyn. But the Warriors did their best to recover by adding rising All-Star guard D'Angelo Russell to help Stephen Curry with the scoring load until Klay Thompson returns from his knee injury. Willie Cauley-Stein is still only 25 and will have every opportunity to show what he can do as Golden State's new center with DeMarcus Cousins in Los Angeles. Steve Kerr will also try to incorporate new Warriors Alec Burks and Glenn Robinson III. While Golden State's stranglehold on the Western Conference is over, the Warriors still have Curry and Draymond Green -- two proud All-Stars motivated to show that any idea of Golden State's demise is premature. -- Youngmisuk

• Key additions: D'Angelo Russell, Willie Cauley-Stein, Glenn Robinson III, Alec Burks, Shabazz Napier

• Key subtractions: Kevin Durant, Andre Iguodala, DeMarcus Cousins, Shaun Livingston

12. Brooklyn Nets
2018-19 record: 42-40
2020 title odds: 20-1
Previous rank: No. 12

Brooklyn completed its remarkable turnaround over the past few years by signing Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan in the opening hours of free agency, lifting a franchise that had been left for dead in the wake of trading four first-round picks to the Celtics back in 2013. If Durant were healthy, the Nets would likely be the favorites in the East. But he is not, having torn his Achilles during the NBA Finals, and will miss -- at a minimum -- most of next season. In the mean time, the Nets will hope that things go differently for Irving than they did in Boston last year, when he and the team's young players struggled to mesh and the Celtics disappointed. Brooklyn's roster has a similar composition, including emerging wing Caris LeVert, that will try to push the Nets along until Durant can return -- whether that's sometime late next season or in 2020-21. -- Bontemps

• Key additions: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, DeAndre Jordan, Taurean Prince

• Key subtractions: D'Angelo Russell, Jared Dudley, Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, Allen Crabbe

13. San Antonio Spurs
2018-19 record: 48-34
2020 title odds: 40-1
Previous rank: No. 15

The Spurs were snakebitten by Marcus Morris changing course and signing with the Knicks, because they not only lost him but also traded Davis Bertans to clear the way. They made a few minor moves, but getting Dejounte Murray healthy has been the primary offseason objective. The Spurs are the Spurs, so therefore they will be good, but as the West reloaded, nothing sizable enough changed that will boost San Antonio up the standings. -- Young

• Key additions: DeMarre Carroll, Trey Lyles

• Key subtractions: Davis Bertans

14. Miami Heat
2018-19 record: 39-43
2020 title odds: 40-1
Previous rank: No. 22

The Heat in recent seasons have generally been better than the sum of their parts, and for the first time in a while, they'll feature an NBA star in his prime: Jimmy Butler. The union of the intense, workaholic Butler and the intense, workaholic Heat organization would seem to be an NBA match made in heaven. Miami will feature its typically stingy, well-prepared defensive schemes and likely cobble together some clever, unorthodox looks on offense to compensate for any lack of shooting. -- Kevin Arnovitz

• Key additions: Jimmy Butler, Tyler Herro, Meyers Leonard

• Key subtractions: Hassan Whiteside, Josh Richardson, Dwyane Wade

15. Indiana Pacers
2018-19 record: 48-34
2020 title odds: 40-1
Previous rank: No. 14

The Pacers' splashiest free-agency acquisition was former Rookie of the Year Malcolm Brogdon, who signed a lucrative three-year, $85 million contract with Indiana. Until Victor Oladipo returns from the quad injury that ended his 2018-19 season, much of the Pacers' offense will likely run through Brogdon. The Pacers were the No. 4 seed in the 2019 playoffs. For them to be ranked that high again, Domantas Sabonis must continue to evolve. Most importantly, when and how Oladipo returns will heavily influence Indiana's chances. -- Andrews

• Key additions: Malcolm Brogdon, Jeremy Lamb, T.J. Warren

• Key subtractions: Bojan Bogdanovic, Darren Collison, Wesley Matthews, Thaddeus Young, Cory Joseph, Tyreke Evans

16. Detroit Pistons
2018-19 record: 41-41
2020 title odds: 250-1
Previous rank: No. 19

Despite being strapped for cap room, the Pistons added two proven guards to their roster in free agency: Derrick Rose and Markieff Morris. The No. 8-seeded Pistons were swept in the 2019 playoffs largely because the No. 1-seeded Bucks' depth allowed for their starters to stay fresh. The Pistons, on the other hand, struggled to put out a seven-man rotation. In the playoffs, head coach Dwane Casey relied on heavy minutes from Andre Drummond and the injured Blake Griffin. Morris is another big body who will help ease the load of Griffin and Drummond, and Rose has the talent and experience to lead Detroit's second unit. If Griffin can stay healthy, the Pistons have a strong chance of making another playoff push. -- Andrews

• Key additions: Derrick Rose, Markieff Morris, Tony Snell, Tim Frazier

• Key subtractions: Wayne Ellington, Ish Smith

17. New Orleans Pelicans
2018-19 record: 33-49
2020 title odds: 75-1
Previous rank: No. 24

The Pelicans can be competitive this season and a contender in the future thanks to some lottery luck and great work by new executive VP David Griffin. No. 1 overall pick Zion Williamson and the haul of high-profile young talent and draft picks the Lakers gave up for Anthony Davis represent the promise of a bright future in the Big Easy. Adding big man Derrick Favors and knockdown shooter JJ Redick -- and keeping terrific two-way guard Jrue Holiday -- provide hope of winning now. -- MacMahon

• Key additions: Zion Williamson, JJ Redick, Derrick Favors, Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Jaxson Hayes, Josh Hart

• Key subtractions: Anthony Davis, Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton

18. Dallas Mavericks
2018-19 record: 33-49
2020 title odds: 100-1
Previous rank: No. 17

The Mavs failed to add a proven starter in free agency despite entering the summer with almost $30 million in salary-cap space. Guards Seth Curry and Delon Wright, who have been quality reserves, came to Dallas as consolation prizes. Over the past 13 months, the Mavs have managed to add two potential long-term superstar pillars in Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis, but the goal of making a major leap into the playoffs this season appears quite ambitious in the loaded West. -- MacMahon

• Key additions: Seth Curry, Boban Marjanovic, Delon Wright

• Key subtractions: Dirk Nowitzki

19. Orlando Magic
2018-19 record: 42-40
2020 title odds: 125-1
Previous rank: No. 20

Will the Magic take the next big step forward after their first playoff appearance in seven years, or will 2019-20 be a consolidation season? Orlando is loaded up front, with power forwards and centers in deep supply (and that was the case before they signed Al-Farouq Aminu and drafting Chuma Okeke, who is recovering from an ACL injury). The Magic's fortunes rest on their capacity to get more out of their guards, with the highest ceiling belonging to Markelle Fultz. The Magic are cautiously optimistic the former No. 1 overall pick could give them some of the perimeter shot creation they desperately need. -- Arnovitz

• Key additions: Al-Farouq Aminu

• Key subtractions: Timofey Mozgov

20. Sacramento Kings
2018-19 record: 39-43
2020 title odds: 150-1
Previous rank: No. 16

Luke Walton was hired to help develop De'Aaron Fox, Marvin Bagley III and Buddy Hield. But Vlade Divac spent money in free agency to keep and add some veterans around Sacramento's promising young core. They kept Harrison Barnes with a four-year, $85 million deal. The Kings replaced Willie Cauley-Stein with Dewayne Dedmon on a three-year, $40 million deal and added veterans such as Trevor Ariza and Cory Joseph. Walton should have a mix of young up-and-coming players to go with veterans who can help stretch the floor. Unfortunately, they reside in a division that has two of the most formidable pairings in the NBA in LA's Kawhi Leonard and Paul George and Los Angeles' LeBron James and Anthony Davis, plus the Warriors. -- Youngmisuk

• Key additions: Trevor Ariza, Dewayne Dedmon, Cory Joseph

• Key subtractions: Willie Cauley-Stein, Alec Burks, Frank Mason III

21. Minnesota Timberwolves
2018-19 record: 36-46
2020 title odds: 500-1
Previous rank: No. 23

For a minute there, it appeared the Wolves would be making a major addition in D'Angelo Russell, and who knows, maybe they still will at some point. But it hasn't been a great summer so far, as they decided not to match on Tyus Jones and didn't make any significant upgrades elsewhere. There are roster-building roadblocks, such as Andrew Wiggins and his contract, but there is still a young core worth adding to, or eventually it will lead to another reboot. -- Young

• Key additions: Noah Vonleh, Jordan Bell, Jarrett Culver

• Key subtractions: Derrick Rose, Taj Gibson, Dario Saric

22. Atlanta Hawks
2018-19 record: 29-53
2020 title odds: 200-1
Previous rank: No. 21

There's a lot of shine to the Hawks' rebuilding project, and even whispers that the upstart Hawks could sniff the postseason next spring in a conference where 80 percent of success is just showing up. Joining the existing young core led by Trae Young and John Collins will be a pair of rookie forwards drafted in the top 10, a couple of functional veterans on the perimeter and a reclamation project in Jabari Parker. The biggest challenge ahead for Atlanta will be crafting a defense that can compete with the grownups if and when those games in March and April carry playoff implications. -- Arnovitz

• Key additions: Jabari Parker, Evan Turner, De'Andre Hunter, Cam Reddish

• Key subtractions: Taurean Prince, Dewayne Dedmon, Kent Bazemore

23. Chicago Bulls
2018-19 record: 22-60
2020 title odds: 125-1
Previous rank: No. 29

The Bulls drafted guard Coby White and added Thaddeus Young and Tomas Satoransky to the roster. Still, it's hard to envision Chicago finishing in the top half of the Eastern Conference. Perhaps it can squeak out a playoff appearance -- but with the Eastern Conference becoming even more competitive, it is a tall task. Expect this to be another development year for the Bulls. Their young core of Wendell Carter Jr., Zach LaVine, Otto Porter Jr. and Lauri Markkanen have some growing to do together. And if an improbable playoff run does materialize, it will require that the Bulls stay healthy. Carter's offseason abdominal surgery isn't a good start. -- Andrews

• Key additions: Coby White, Thaddeus Young, Tomas Satoransky

• Key subtractions: Robin Lopez

24. Oklahoma City Thunder
2018-19 record: 49-33
2020 title odds: 150-1
Previous rank: No. 11

With an apparent plan taking shape of disassembling the house and preparing to rebuild a new one, it would seem the Thunder will take a significant step back. But if Chris Paul decides he wants to stay with OKC -- a hefty "if" right now -- the Thunder can still be a reasonably competitive team in the West. A core of Paul, Steven Adams and Danilo Gallinari can win games, but the question is how long they might remain part of it. -- Young

• Key additions: Chris Paul, Danilo Gallinari, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Mike Muscala

• Key subtractions: Paul George, Russell Westbrook, Jerami Grant, Markieff Morris

25. Phoenix Suns
2018-19 record: 19-63
2020 title odds: 1000-1
Previous rank: No. 28

Phoenix got the hot coach in Monty Williams, but the rest of its summer has been a head scratcher. The Suns traded away T.J. Warren and his reasonable contract along with the No. 32 pick to Indiana to create cap space. They then traded a 2020 first-round pick from Milwaukee to Boston for No. 24 pick (Ty Jerome) and center Aron Baynes. They traded away former No. 4 overall pick Josh Jackson and De'Anthony Melton along with two second-round picks to Memphis. Phoenix kept Kelly Oubre Jr. for $30 million over two years and signed Ricky Rubio to a $51 million, three-year deal to become their starting point guard. But it certainly feels as if Devin Booker is staring at yet another long season.-- Youngmisuk

• Key additions: Ricky Rubio, Dario Saric, Aron Baynes, Cameron Johnson

• Key subtractions: Josh Jackson, T.J. Warren

26. Memphis Grizzlies
2018-19 record: 33-49
2020 title odds: 1000-1
Previous rank: No. 27

The Grizzlies have fully committed to rebuilding around young centerpieces Jaren Jackson Jr. and Ja Morant. Memphis' reshuffled front office has laid the foundation for the rebuilding project by collecting young talent and future first-round picks through trading all-time Grizzlies great Mike Conley and moves made possible by that deal, such as getting a pick from Golden State by using a trade exception to take Andre Iguodala, whom Memphis hopes to flip for another asset. -- MacMahon

• Key additions: Ja Morant, Andre Iguodala, Josh Jackson, Tyus Jones, Jae Crowder

• Key subtractions: Mike Conley, Avery Bradley, Delon Wright

27. Washington Wizards
2018-19 record: 32-50
2020 title odds: 500-1
Previous rank: No. 25

The Wizards are less in a rebuilding mode than a holding pattern as they navigate the future of their pricey starting backcourt -- John Wall, who is recovering from a ruptured Achilles tendon and unlikely to see much if any action in 2019-20, and Bradley Beal, one of the league's elite shooting guards, who is coveted by contenders across the league. It's likely to be a long winter in Washington while the Wizards weigh their options, develop Troy Brown and Rui Hachimura and buy time. -- Arnovitz

• Key additions: Isaiah Thomas, Rui Hachimura, Moritz Wagner, Ish Smith, CJ Miles, Davis Bertans

• Key subtractions: Trevor Ariza, Tomas Satoransky, Jeff Green, Jabari Parker, Bobby Portis

28. New York Knicks
2018-19 record: 17-65
2020 title odds: 200-1
Previous rank: No. 18

This summer was expected to be triumphant -- finally -- for the Knicks. Instead, all they could do was watch as Irving and Durant chose to go across the East River and join the rival Nets. The fact the Knicks followed that up by signing a series of solid but unspectacular players -- Julius Randle, Bobby Portis, Marcus Morris, Elfrid Payton and Wayne Ellington -- to short-term deals did little to erase the bitter feelings their fans were left with after the front office traded Kristaps Porzingis and then struck out on stars in free agency. Now the Knicks will struggle once again, while the Nets are the exciting team within the five boroughs. There will at least be one difference between last year and this one at Madison Square Garden, however: the presence of No. 3 overall pick R.J. Barrett, plus last year's picks -- first-rounder Kevin Knox and second-rounder Mitchell Robinson. -- Bontemps

• Key additions: RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Elfrid Payton, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, Marcus Morris, Wayne Ellington

• Key subtractions: Emmanuel Mudiay, Noah Vonleh, DeAndre Jordan

29. Charlotte Hornets
2018-19 record: 39-43
2020 title odds: 1000-1
Previous rank: No. 26

The Hornets will enter the 2019-20 season absent their top two win-shares leaders from last season, and largely the same nucleus of league-replacement frontcourt talent whose contracts, one day, will expire. Depending on your appraisal of Terry Rozier, the bees either have a respectable young replacement for Kemba Walker at point guard or have once again forked over a contract of excessive value and length to a player without the body of work to justify it. Perhaps Charlotte can get a breakout season from one of its prospects: the tantalizing and sometimes confounding Malik Monk, or the promising forwards plucked in the past two drafts: Miles Bridges and PJ Washington. -- Arnovitz

• Key additions: Terry Rozier, PJ Washington

• Key subtractions: Kemba Walker, Jeremy Lamb, Tony Parker

30. Cleveland Cavaliers
2018-19 record: 19-63
2020 title odds: 1000-1
Previous rank: No. 30

The youngster development continues in Cleveland. Watching Collin Sexton and Cedi Osman take their next steps could be entertaining, but a 2020 playoff run seems far-fetched for the Cavaliers. While top-tier Eastern teams such as the Nets, Bucks, Celtics, Pacers added big names to their rosters, the Cavs stayed relatively quiet in free agency. Cleveland continued to add to young talent, drafting Darius Garland with the No. 5 pick. It'll also be adjusting to first-year coach John Beilein. Realistically, this year will be about chemistry-building, not pursuing a playoff spot. -- Andrews

• Key additions: Darius Garland

• Key subtractions: Channing Frye

Amar Sylla, ranked No. 23 in the ESPN 2020 mock draft, has signed a three-year contract containing NBA out clauses with Belgian league champions BC Oostende, his agent Arturo Ortega told ESPN.

"I think this is the best step for me at this stage of my career," Sylla told ESPN. "I've been told that Oostende's coach, Dario Gjergja, is very highly regarded, and that this club has a strong reputation in Europe. This is an opportunity to get playing time in a good first division league in Europe, as well as the FIBA Champions league, something that is not possible in Spain."

Sylla, 17, who was born in Dakar, Senegal, has been developing in Spain with Real Madrid since 2016. He was recruited by the Euroleague powerhouse as a 14-year-old despite having only played a few weeks of organized basketball at SEED Academy in Thies.

He has since established himself as one of the top international prospects in his age category in a number of different settings, winning three straight Spanish junior championships at the under-16 and under-18 levels and the Euroleague's Adidas Next Generation Tournament (ANGT) in May. He has represented his home country at the FIBA level the past two summers at the U18 FIBA Afrobasket Championship, and the U19 World Cup.

Sylla averaged 12.4 points, 8.1 rebounds, 3.1 blocks and 1.5 assists in just 21 minutes per game in the ANGT, shooting 61% from the field and 85% from the free throw line.

Sylla measured 6-foot-9 with a 7-3 wingspan and 9-1 standing reach at the NBA Basketball Without Borders Global Camp in Charlotte during All-Star weekend in February, putting himself on the radar with NBA teams with his ability to cover ground fluidly defensively and get off his feet exceptional quickness.

He shows promising touch on his jump shot, the ability to handle the ball in the open court, and can make highlight-reel caliber plays around the basket with his length and verticality. Scouts will want to see him add bulk to his lean frame, continue to polish his skill level in the half court and improve his decision-making on both ends of the floor.

Sylla will spend next season playing for a team that has won the past eight championships in Belgium, and he will compete in the pan-European FIBA Champions League against teams from Spain, Italy, France, Turkey and Israel. Gjergja said Sylla will be expected to play a significant role.

"We're building a young team with a lot of talent and we're very happy to sign one of the top prospects in Europe," Gjergja said. "I hope to be able to help Amar reach the highest levels -- the Euroleague or NBA. In Real Madrid he played as a center, but I think with us he can become more versatile than that.

"One of the things we will try to do is to develop his shooting range as fast as possible. The plan is to open games with him in the starting lineup, so step by step he will gain confidence and become a better player. If we will be smart with him and he shows he is capable of working hard and coming with the right mentality every day, there is no doubt that we will be successful together. If we can help Amar make the next step and develop into a NBA player, that would be fantastic for our club. All this young talent on our roster will bring more people to our gym, not just fans, but also NBA scouts and general managers."

Former athletics stars, including Christine Ohuruogu, Wendy Sly and Mark Lewis-Francis, to race in mixed relay at Müller Anniversary Games

More than 20 of Britain’s biggest athletics stars of the past are coming out of retirement to compete in a Legends Relay event at the Müller Anniversary Games in the London Stadium this weekend.

The 4x100m Legends Relay will see eight mixed teams of four people race against each other as part of the pre-show at the IAAF Diamond League meeting on Sunday July 21.

The line-up will feature medal-winning athletes from four decades, including 1984 Olympic 3000m silver medallist and AW MD Wendy Sly, 1984 Olympic javelin champion Tessa Sanderson, 1984 Olympic sprint relay bronze medallist Simmone Jacobs, 1992 Olympic 4x400m bronze medallist Jennifer Stoute, 2004 Olympic sprint relay gold medallist Mark Lewis-Francis, 2004 Paralympic champion Danny Crates, 2008 Olympic and former double world 400m champion Christine Ohuruogu, 2008 Olympic javelin bronze medallist Goldie Sayers and 2010 European and Commonwealth 110m hurdles champion Andy Turner.

Among the celebrities competing are former model and running enthusiast Nell McAndrew, broadcaster Charlie Webster and TV presenter Martin Lewis.

“I’m so excited and a little bit nervous at the prospect of coming out of retirement to race again on my home track in the London Stadium in the Legends Relay at the Müller Anniversary Games,” said Ohuruogu (pictured). “The line-up of former athletes is amazing and it’s going to be a real celebration of Britain’s athletics history.

“The sprinters, and dare I say younger participants, may think they’ll have an advantage, but I’m sure the competitive spirit that drove all these athletes to national and international medal success will kick in. It’s going to be an entertaining and unpredictable race, that I’m sure everyone will remember and enjoy.”

The Legends Relay forms part of a four-day Festival of Athletics at Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, which runs from July 18-21.

Major events director for British Athletics, Cherry Alexander, said: “The Legends Relay, at the Müller Anniversary Games, is a chance to revisit Britain’s athletics heritage and celebrate some of the great athletes this country has produced, in a fun and exciting way.

“I’m delighted that so many of our past stars are dusting off their spikes to take part in our Festival of Athletics and the Müller Anniversary Games. I’m sure there will be a bit of friendly rivalry when the athletes line up on the track in the London Stadium, and it’s going to be an unmissable event with undoubtedly some surprises.”

Full current line up of athletes

Jacqui Agyepong – 100m hurdles
Abdul Bahari – Discus
Danny Crates – 800m
Stephanie Douglas – 100m
Julian Golding – 200m
Dalton Grant – High jump
Wilbert Greaves – 110m hurdles
Simmone Jacobs – 100m
Jo Jennings – High jump
Mark Lewis-Francis – 100m
Lee McConnell – 400m
Christine Ohuruogu – 400m
Brendan Reilly – High jump
Tessa Sanderson – Javelin
Goldie Sayers – Javelin
Wendy Sly – 3000m
Jennifer Stoute – 400m
Kelly Massey – 400m
Joslyn Hoyte-Smith – 200m
Montell Douglas – 100m
Mark Hylton – 400m
Martyn Bernard – High jump
Andy Turner – 110m hurdles
Conrad Williams – 400m

Tickets for the Müller Anniversary Games are on sale at theticketfactory.com/british-athletics

HUMBOLDT, Kan. — Another first-time winner made the trip to victory lane on Sunday night at Humboldt Speedway with Jesse Colwell topping the POWRi Lucas Oil National / West Midget League feature.

Inheriting the lead after Zach Daum flipped on lap 25, Colwell controlled the final five laps and drove the Keith Kunz Motorsports, JBL Audio, Bullet/Toyota No. 71 to his first triumph.

Earning PAC Racing Springs High Point Man honors with a fifth-to-second heat race, Zach Daum paced the field aboard his Daum Motorsports, Bullet/Toyota No. 5d.

Jonathan Beason was slated to start on his outside, but trouble during the pace laps sent him to the work area and back to the tail, giving Blake Edwards the outside pole.

The initial green flag was short lived as a lap one caution involving Luke Howard, Devin Simmons, Cannon McIntosh and Holley Hollan, sent McIntosh and Hollan to the work area, with only Hollan returning to the track.

Driving away from the field, Daum immediately began to distance himself as a long-run was established. Building a three-second lead by lap ten, Daum grew his advantage further as he galloped into lap traffic near the halfway mark. While Daum was checked out in front, both Hollan and Beason were crafting stellar charges into the top ten from the rear, and Jesse Colwell and Jake Neuman began tracking down Daison Pursley for the second spot.

Hitting the 10 to go mark, Daum continued to stretch his lead while the battle for second heated up, as Colwell and Pursley went slider-for-slider with the runner-up position up for grabs. After swapping the spot back-and-forth for almost four laps, Colwell assumed the advantage and moved into second just before catastrophe struck.

Running away in lapped traffic with five to go, tragedy struck for Zach Daum in a big way. Hauling down the front stretch, his Toyota Racing powerplant suddenly locked-up and shot the No. 5D dead right into the wall. What ensued was a violent series of end-over-end flips before he came to a rest at the entry to turn one.

The scary moment concluded when a flame emerged and his machine caught on fire, but Daum was able to escape the wreckage and quickly climbed out of the car under his own power to the roar of the thankful crowd.

Inheriting the race lead following Daum’s rough misfortune, Colwell led the field back to green and controlled the final restart with ease. The Red Bluff, Calif., native pulled away to lead the last five laps and earn his first-career POWRi Lucas Oil National / West Midget League victory aboard the Keith Kunz Motorsports, JBL Audio, Bullet/Toyota No. 71.

Following Colwell to the line and earning his own career-best finish was 14-year old Daison Pursley with a second-place finish in the Keith Kunz Motorsports Toyota Racing No. 9.

Rounding out the podium with a strong 12th-to-third charge was Jake Neuman in the Jim Neuman Racing, BRANDT, BOSS/SR-11 No. 3n.

Closing out the top five was Jonathan Beason with a magnificent recovery to finish fourth after going tail back, and Holley Hollan scoring fifth with her own impressive rebound after heading to the rear of the field.

The finish:

Feature (30 laps): 1. 71-Jesse Colwell (7); 2. 9-Daison Pursley (3); 3. 3N-Jake Neuman (12); 4. 7-Jonathan Beason (2); 5. 67-Holley Hollan (6); 6. 44S-Andrew Felker (8); 7. 28X-Ace McCarthy (20); 8. 32-Trey Marcham (11); 9. 7M-Chance Morton (13); 10. 2H-Luke Howard. (17); 11. 5D-Zach Daum (1); 12. 20G-Noah Gass (14); 13. 7X-Blake Edwards (4); 14. 56X-Mark Chisholm (19); 15. 42-Hank Davis (15); 16. 17-Austin Brown (9); 17. 44-Wesley Smith (22); 18. 6-Merril Lamb (18); 19. F5-Devin Simmons (16); 20. 08-Cannon McIntosh (5); 21. 15H-Tony Hudlin (10); 22. 15L-Rick Horn (DNS); 23. 10J-Matt Sherrell (DNS).

MENOMONIE, Wis. — The last time the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series saw Chase Junghans in victory lane, a shortage of confetti in the cannon put a minor damper on his glorious moment in the winner’s circle.

But after the checkered flag waved in Sunday’s series debut at Red Cedar Speedway, Junghans had never been happier to climb atop his ShopQuik Convenience Stores Rocket Chassis to a big confetti shower after driving away from Shane Clanton and Ricky Weiss to pick up his first victory of the season.

“We’ve been close all year,” a tired, but smiling Junghans said after the race. “We just finally got to put a complete night together.”

Picking up the win in Drydene Heat race number two, Junghans redrew the pole, took the lead from Clanton on the very first lap and never broke his concentration once throughout the 50 laps he led.

Not even a late-race caution that re-stacked the field and put 13-time winner Brandon Sheppard on his rear bumper could shake his poise out front.

For 21 straight laps, Sheppard chased Junghans through lapped traffic, pressuring him to make a mistake on the top side. But that mistake never came, and Sheppard faded back a bit as the laps clicked off. Junghans was flawless.

“I only saw the [Rocket] 1 car one time out of the corner of my eye,” Junghans said. “But those guys are damn good, and it feels really good to beat them. They’ll be on their A-game when we start racing again, so we’ve just got to keep our heads down and keep on chugging along.”

Junghans spent almost the entire race on the high side, leaning on the cushion in every corner. Nobody seemed to be able to work the top groove quite like he did or use it to get through several packs of lapped traffic in the way that he made it work. The race’s only caution didn’t come until lap 40, and Junghans found himself in lapped traffic by lap 10.

“There were lapped cars left and right, and I was trying to look at my crew guy to see how big of lead I had at one point,” he said. “But when you’re on the top and you’re bouncing off that cushion, it’s hard to be consistent. But this car was phenomenal tonight.”

Multiple times, Junghans drove it a bit deeper into the corner and switched to the bottom lane to get around traffic racing in his way on the high side, even threading the needle in between a pair of slower cars to make the move at one point. With the competition that he knew was behind him, Junghans had zero time to waste.

“With any of these races today, you have got to go,” he said. “You can’t hesitate. At one point, I was thinking ‘I need to save tires,’ but once that caution came out, I started weaving to keep heat in them, and they felt good. We restarted well, and it was all over by then.”

Shane Clanton finished second.

“We were a little tight,” Clanton said. “We tightened it up a little too much, thinking that it was going to be slick all over. We were just a little too tight across the middle to get to the traction on the bottom that we needed to run with [Junghans].”

It might not have been that pesky first World of Outlaws win that he was looking for, but Ricky Weiss’s hot streak is certainly alive and well after his third-place effort on Sunday night.

“We’ve had some issues with our tires sealing up the last few nights,” Weiss said. “But we tried something different and it definitely helped.”

The finish:

Feature (50 Laps) 1. 18-Chase Junghans [2][$10,000]; 2. 25-Shane Clanton [1][$5,000]; 3. 7-Ricky Weiss [4][$3,000]; 4. 1-Brandon Sheppard [3][$2,500]; 5. 97-Cade Dillard [6][$2,000]; 6. 28-Dennis Erb [10][$1,700]; 7. 28m-Jimmy Mars [7][$1,400]; 8. 27-Jake Redetzke [14][$1,300]; 9. 55c-Chad Mahder [9][$1,200]; 10. 15-Nick Anvelink [13][$1,100]; 11. 29-Darrell Lanigan [11][$1,050]; 12. 71-Rick Hanestad [20][$1,000]; 13. 99B-Boom Briggs [19][$950]; 14. 85-John Kaanta [12][$900]; 15. 68-Mike Prochnow [22][$850]; 16. 6-Blake Spencer [21][$800]; 17. 11g-James Giossi [17][$770]; 18. B1-Brent Larson [8][$750]; 19. 11-Pat Doar [15][$730]; 20. 10-Paul Parker [23][$700]; 21. 942-Terry Casey [18][$700]; 22. 6m-Jeff Massingill [24][$700]; 23. 7x-Jesse Glenz [16][$700]; 24. 44-Darrell Nelson [5][$700] Hard Charger: 71-Rick Hanestad[+8]

SWEET SPRINGS, Mo. — Tanner Carrick became the fourth first-time winner of the season in Sunday night’s USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Series feature at Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex.

Carrick ran fifth with five laps remaining as point leader and race leader Tyler Courtney and defending champ Logan Seavey waged their battle for the lead. Seavey mustered a big, bold slider for the lead entering turn three. Courtney quickly countered underneath to steal the spot back from Seavey off turn four.

Seavey remained just about three car-lengths back on the following lap until his car got a bit tight on the cushion in between turns three and four, allowing Courtney to open up a roughly eight car-length lead despite catching the lapped car of Brady Bacon in traffic as he worked turns one and two.

Traffic parted the seas for Courtney with a free path on the high side entering turn three.  With seemingly everything in check, Courtney snagged the turn three cushion, flipping him over.  On Courtney’s rebound, second-running Logan Seavey clipped his own right front wheel against Courtney’s tail tank, giving terminal damage to Seavey’s car and eliminating him from a repeat Sweet Springs victory.  Courtney restarted, albeit from the tail and out of contention for his seventh series win of the year.

That slotted Carrick into third on the final restart behind McDougal and Windom. Throughout much of the duration of the 40-lapper, Carrick had been waging in a see-saw slider session behind Courtney and Seavey, battling the likes of McDougal, Windom and Kevin Thomas Jr., just to name a few, for what, at the time, seemed to be for “best in class” for third as the front two checked out.

On the lap-38 restart, McDougal went topside as Windom headed to the bottom to toss a slider at McDougal.  Windom appeared to not have enough mustard on the slide to get up in front of McDougal but was content to fall in line and chase him into the next corner.

Before all that could even play out, McDougal’s right rear snagged the turn two cushion, turning him to the right and pushing him into the outside wall.

Windom ducked under McDougal to take the lead momentarily heading down the back straightaway. Yet, even lower on the track was Carrick, who used the bottom to pull ahead of Windom at the entrance to turn three.

Carrick slid up in front of Windom to the top, while Windom charged to the bottom as Carrick nipped Windom at the stripe by three-quarters of a car length.

“I just wanted to be there at the end,” Seavey said. “I saved my stuff. I kind of figured (Windom) was going to try to slide McDougal (on the restart). My only odds were rolling the bottom on the last restart and getting to the lead. and it worked out.”

Carrick was on a mission to take away Windom’s line and prevent the slider into the first turn as he dove across the nose of Windom to secure the bottom before sliding up to the top in turn two as Windom had the front left wheel kicking up a little dust on the inner berm.

Carrick was meticulous in sliding himself into each corner from bottom to top, leaving Windom and hard-charging Zeb Wise a narrow window of opportunity that Carrick had no intentions of relinquishing.

Carrick, the 2017 series Rookie of the Year in his 54th career start, finished it out with authority for his first career series win. Wise, who returned from an opening lap flip, rode the rim around Windom on the final lap to take second by two car lengths over Windom, while McDougal fell to fourth and Chad Boat rounded out the top five.

“It means a lot to me getting a win for (crew members) Big Al (Scroggins), for Ronnie (Gardner), for Keith Kunz, everyone that helps out on the team,” Carrick said. “We’ve been really close. I’ve been really close lately. I could say there’s numerous races I should’ve won but didn’t play out my way, but this one did.”

USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget National Championship, Sweet Springs Motorsports Complex, Sweet Springs, Mo., July 14, 2019

Fatheadz Eyewear Qualifying: 1. Chris Windom, 17BC, Clauson/Marshall-11.951 (New Track Record); 2. Tanner Thorson, 98, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-11.959; 3. Tanner Carrick, 71K, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-11.970; 4. Jason McDougal, 76m, FMR-11.979; 5. Tyler Courtney, 7BC, Clauson/Marshall-12.004; 6. Andrew Layser, 47BC, Clauson/Marshall-12.073; 7. Logan Seavey, 67, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.080; 8. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 5, Petry-12.081; 9. Zeb Wise, 39BC, Clauson/Marshall-12.171; 10. Sam Johnson, 72, Johnson-12.233; 11. Tucker Klaasmeyer, 27, Kunz/Curb-Agajanian-12.248; 12. Brady Bacon, 21H, TKH-12.251; 13. Ethan Mitchell, 19m, Bundy Built-12.257; 14. Clinton Boyles, 9, Mounce-12.262; 15. Chad Boat, 84, Tucker/Boat-12.341; 16. Jerry Coons, Jr., 25, Petry-12.380; 17. Cole Bodine, 35, Petry-12.658; 18. Chad Winfrey, 321, Winfrey-12.830; 19. Curtis Spicer, 4, Spicer-13.120; 20. Joe Boyles, 98B, Boyles-13.212; 21. Chad Frewaldt, 4F, Frewaldt-13.291; 22. Casey Hicks, 5H, Hicks-14.034; 23. Daniel Robinson, 11, Harris-NT; 24. Shaun Shapel, 84s, Shapel-NT; 25. Gunner Ramey, 19s, Mounce-NT.

Simpson Race Products First Heat (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Sam Johnson, 2. Jerry Coons, Jr., 3. Ethan Mitchell, 4. Jason McDougal, 5. Logan Seavey, 6. Chris Windom, 7. Curtis Spicer, 8. Casey Hicks. NT

Competition Suspension Second Heat (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Cole Bodine, 2. Kevin Thomas, Jr., 3. Tyler Courtney, 4. Tucker Klaasmeyer, 5. Tanner Thorson, 6. Daniel Robinson, 7. Joe Boyles, 8. Clinton Boyles. NT

Autometer/Indy Race Parts Third Heat (10 laps, all transfer to the feature) 1. Zeb Wise, 2. Chad Boat, 3. Tanner Carrick, 4. Andrew Layser, 5. Brady Bacon, 6. Chad Winfrey, 7. Chad Frewaldt. 2:10.11

Feature (40 laps, starting position in parentheses) 1. Tanner Carrick (5), 2. Zeb Wise (9), 3. Chris Windom (7), 4. Jason McDougal (4), 5. Chad Boat (15), 6. Kevin Thomas, Jr. (8), 7. Jerry Coons, Jr. (16), 8. Daniel Robinson (23), 9. Tucker Klaasmeyer (11), 10. Andrew Layser (2), 11. Cole Bodine (17), 12. Tyler Courtney (3), 13. Joe Boyles (20), 14. Chad Frewaldt (21), 15. Casey Hicks (22), 16. Logan Seavey (1), 17. Brady Bacon (12), 18. Chad Winfrey (18), 19. Clinton Boyles (14), 20. Ethan Mitchell (13), 21. Sam Johnson (10), 22. Curtis Spicer (19), 23. Tanner Thorson (6). NT