I Dig Sports
Every match the same, Felipe Duffoo sets example
Never in danger; Felipe Duffoo finished ahead of Mexico’s Mauricio Cayetano, Guatemala’s Kevin Ruano and Argentina’s Lautaro Sato.
“After Carlos Fernandez won yesterday I was motivated; his win after we were 2-0 down really raised by my self-esteem. Today in the group, nothing was really complicated, I played freely; I didn’t feel any pressure. I knew my rivals were determined and didn’t want to lose, I just gave 100 per cent as in any match against any player.” Felipe Duffoo.
Win or lose, Felipe Duffoo reacts with the utmost good manners, in Cancun and beyond he sets the standard, he sets the example; the expressions following a match are those of Vladimir Samsonov, a player who has the respect of all.
First place in the group as status predicted for Felipe Duffoo. However, in a competition where the top eight players gain a direct entry to the main draw, first and second in each of the 12 groups advancing to form a first round of 32 players, there were surprise names who ended the day at the top of the list.
Notably, the host nation’s Dario Arce topped his group, he remained unbeaten accounting for the Costa Rican defender Daniel Araya (11-7, 11-4, 4-11, 11-3), the highest rated player in the group, in his concluding contest. However, I would suggest the success was no surprise whatsoever; Dario Arce completed the boys’ team event unbeaten!
“I’m not that used to playing against defensive players; things got a bit complicated at the beginning but I ended up fine. I feel comfortable for the main draw, in the teams I did very well against Santiago Lorenzo and Matias Velarde from Argentina; also against Terence Yeung and Edward Ly from Canada, that has given me confidence.” Dario Arce
First place for Dario Arce contrary to status, it was the same for Victor Liu of the United States, Brazil’s Lauro Sebold, Argentina’s Matias Velarde and Chile’s Jorge Paredes. Most notably Victor Liu accounted for Canada’s Terence Yeung (11-6, 11-7, 5-11, 11-5) the highest rated player on initial phase duty.
Testing times for Terence Yeung, who finished in second place and thus advanced to the main draw; conversely for other leading names in the guise of Brazil’s Rafael Torino and Eduardo Tomoike, alongside Peru’s Adolfo Cucho and Jhon Loli, it was a day without defeat, as it was for Panama’s Jacobo Vahnish, a young man in a somewhat different situation. Panama did not qualify for the boys’ team event; impressively, the 16 year old adjusted quickly to the environment, securing first place in his group as status advised.
“It was a bit difficult for me because normally playing in the team event helps you find a rhythm to your play; in my case I had to start today from the very beginning. Now in the main draw the idea is to go match by match, step by step, doing everything the best way possible.” Jacobo Vahnish.
Surprise first places in the boys’ singles, it was the same in the group phase of the girls’ singles competition where there were 11 groups in the initial phase, the top eight names gaining main draw entries.
The player in particular to attract the attention was the host nation’s Clio Barcenos, the lowest listed in her group, the long pimpled rubber on the backhand, causing her adversaries problems time and again. She remained unbeaten accounting for the top name, El Salvador’s Monica Mendoza (11-8, 11-7, 11-4) to reserve first place.
“Monica and I have played each other since I was 10 years; my game is usually too complicated for her. It was a good for me that I played against her in groups. Now in the main draw the idea is to prepare physically and mentally, it’s a Pan-American Championship so you have to give everything, I will fight to be among in the quarter finals.” Clio Barcenos
First place for Clio Barcenos, somewhat against expectations; it was the same for her colleagues Anais de Leon Chapa and Monica Muñoz, as it was for Brazil’s Giulia Takahashi and Ecuador’s Mylena Plaza. Surprise first places, for the top two names on initial phase girls’ singles duty it was success; both Guatemala’s Lucia Cordero and Paraguay’s Leyla Gomez ended the day unbeaten and thus safely through to the main draw.
Unexpected outcomes, as the mixed doubles progressed to the semi-final stage, there was one upset; Chile’s Nicolas Burgos and Valentina Rios, the no.4 seeds, experienced a second round defeat at the hands of Brazil’s Rafael Torino and Giulia Takahashi (11-9, 9-11, 9-11, 11-6, 11-6), the duo maintaining form in the quarter-final round. They beat the United States pairing of Michael Minh Tran and Rachel Sung (11-6, 11-7, 12-10) to be assured of a place on the podium.
At the semi-final stage, Rafael Torino and Giulia Takahashi meet the United States top seeded combination of Nikhil Kumar and Amy Wang; in the opposite half of the draw the same nations meet. Representing the Stars and Stripes, Sharon Alguetti and Crystal Wang, the no.2 seeds, oppose Guilherme Teodoro and Livia Lima, the no.3 seeds.
Play continues on Friday 28th June when the first title in the individual events, the mixed doubles, will be decided.
PALMETTO, Fla. — The ninth annual Chris Griffis Memorial Road to Indy Open Test will take place at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway Oct. 19-20.
This year’s test will see an enhanced structure with additional value-added elements as part of the Road to Indy Presented by Cooper Tires traditional Summit program — an educational driver development component of the three ladder series.
The 2.439-mile, 14-turn Grand Prix road course will host the two-day outing named in memory of the former team manager of Schmidt Peterson Motorsports who passed away suddenly in September 2011. All three levels of the Road to Indy will be on deck — the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship, the Indy Pro 2000 Championship Presented by Cooper Tires and Indy Lights Presented by Cooper Tires — with each series enjoying four and a half hours of track time over the course of the two-day test.
“With the recent announcements of our new partnerships with the Castrol Toyota Racing Series and the Lucas Oil School of Racing, we are extremely excited about this year’s Chris Griffis Test and the opportunity to introduce new drivers to our outstanding teams and series,” said Dan Andersen, owner and CEO of Andersen Promotions. “The test is always a great value-for-money outing and we are taking things a step further this year to enrich the experience for drivers off the track with additional components as part of our Summit training program.
“We look forward to seeing the drivers we currently have in our series sample the next step in their progression up the professional motorsports ladder and to welcoming a new crop of talent.”
Almost three dozen drivers representing 15 nationalities took part in last season’s Chis Griffis Open Test. Among them were several drivers seeking to move up the ladder, including Rinus VeeKay, Oliver Askew and Robert Megennis, all of whom were sampling the virtues of Indy Lights after successful campaigns previously in USF2000 and Indy Pro 2000, and newcomers such as New Zealander Hunter McElrea, who had aspirations of joining the Road to Indy after emerging as a front-runner in the Australian Formula Ford Championship.
“For me, driving at the Chris Griffis test was extremely useful,” said McElrea, who went on to win last year’s Mazda Road to Indy USF2000 $200K Scholarship Shootout and last weekend scored his first USF2000 win. “In 2017, it was my first taste of wings and slicks and I finished P4 overall. Last year was my second time and I finished P1 overall after another year of experience in Australian Formula Ford. It is not only a great way to get laps in Road to Indy machinery at the Speedway, but also to measure yourself against your potential competitors.”
The Chris Griffis test has proven just as valuable for teams as they begin preparations for the following season. Last year BN Racing ran an Indy Lights Dallara-AER IL-15 for the first time after starting out in USF2000 and then adding an Indy Pro 2000 element in 2018. Legacy Autosport, Jay Howard Driver Development and Miller Vinatieri Motorsports all used the 2018 test as an initial outing after previously confirming plans to join the USF2000 fray in time for the 2019 season.
“The Chris Griffis test is good for any driver looking to come to the Road to Indy because it gives them an opportunity to sample the cars, the tracks and the teams, and see how professional we are,” said Bryn Nuttall, BN Racing team principal. “Being a little later in the year, the test will be better for the European drivers who have finished their season, and obviously it’s good for drivers who are already here to step up to next year’s machinery and get started on preparations for next season.
“The additional off-track activities are a really good idea because the more engaging it can be for everyone, the more value we can add for people who are interested in the Road to Indy, the better it will be for everybody.”
CONCORD, N.C. — The sharp end of next year’s World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series season got a big boost this week with the announcement that New Mexico’s Vado Speedway Park will host the tour’s Jan. 2-5 opening act.
The Outlaws will be the first major sanctioning body to invade the state-of-the-art, three-eighths-mile clay oval, a fitting beginning for the facility and for the series as it launches into the new decade.
“We are excited to be the inaugural big event sanctioning body at Vado Speedway Park. It’s an incredible facility and really is exciting from our perspective,” said World Racing Group President and Chief Operating Officer Tom Deery. “It’s also heartwarming that they selected us to christen the track; it’s definitely something that is appreciated by all of us and we hope to put on a great show for the track and for the fans in January.”
The Battle at the Border is an event that World Racing Group officials hope will be much more than just a different locale.
Deery noted that racing at Vado will offer a new flair for drivers as they kick off 2020, as well as offer a stronger bridge between the end of the previous season and the beginning of the new one by shortening the offseason by a full month.
“This new event will certainly give a different feel to the start of the new season,” Deery noted. “Any of our industry observers recognize that this has really become a 12-month-a-year sport, whether you’re talking about sprint car racing or late model racing, largely in part because of all the special events that are happening now.
“In the past, we’ve started the season before the DIRTcar Nationals, with the Winter Freeze at Screven (Motorsports Park) — so it’s not a move that’s unprecedented, by any means,” he added. “It’s been something we’ve experimented with and done in the past. It’s just different now because it’s a few weeks ahead of the usual dates for the Screven races.
“With the ability now to connect with race fans and the desire of our fans to not be disconnected for a couple of months, this gives us a great opportunity to keep that fan relationship strong and present a couple of really great shows.”
The Battle at the Border becomes the fourth major January auto-racing event on the docket for next year, joining the 14th annual Wild West Shootout for dirt late models at Arizona Speedway, the 34th annual Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals for midgets at Oklahoma’s Tulsa Expo Raceway and the recently-announced Sunshine Nationals at Florida’s Volusia Speedway Park.
While it was once a month for teams to rest, rebuild and recharge, January has now become one of the busiest racing months on the calendar.
“If you look around, you see the success that has swirled around the Arizona races (the Wild West Shootout) in January, the success of the Chili Bowl (Nationals) and now, the enthusiasm we have with the Sunshine Nationals at Volusia … to have an event in January is not so much of an oddity anymore,” Deery explained. “It’s really something that gives us a chance to highlight our sport to a lot of people who may not always be able to access it at a weekly track somewhere else, but this may give them an opportunity to view it or go to a more friendly climate for a race.”
Deery hopes the Vado event allows the World of Outlaws late model field to tap into a previously-untouched fan base for the series, with next year’s inaugural event becoming the platform to grow the tour’s popularity on the West Coast and beyond.
“Part of the beauty of the January date for this event is that it really is an event that will stand on its own,” Deery said. “We don’t have to worry about booking it or logistical travel or other things like that. That allows us to visit more far-reaching places like New Mexico and come to markets that perhaps we haven’t been able to broach in the past. The New Mexico area is unique, as well, because there are a lot of race fans who have been in that part of the world who have been there for either the two tracks there — El Paso and Las Cruces — or are there for this new facility at Vado Speedway Park.
“We’ve got a built-in customer base there, and then you have all the folks who spend their winters in the Southern climates who just want to see some great racing,” he continued. “It’s just a good mixture and a great opportunity.”
MARTINSVILLE, Ind. – Clint Bowyer Racing driver Don O’Neal will miss multiple Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series races as he recovers from an off-track knee injury.
The injury was suffered at Cherokee Speedway in Gaffney, S.C. on June 14. O’Neal underwent surgery on Wednesday and has begun the recovery process.
“Don O’Neal has been a longtime member of the CBR family and we are cheering him along for a speedy recovery,” said team owner Clint Bowyer. “I know Don is disappointed in this setback, but he will be back at the track very soon.”
In O’Neal’s absence, two-time Lernerville Speedway track champion and recent Firecracker 100 preliminary night winner Michael Norris will pilot the No. 5 DeKalb/Crawford Outdoor Rocket during LOLMDS events at Tazewell (Tenn.) Speedway and Kentucky’s Florence Speedway this weekend.
Clint Bowyer Racing confirmed Norris in a Twitter post released on Thursday.
Fitting the seat and getting ready to roll this weekend @Tazspeedway and @FlorenceSpdwy. Good luck @TheCrusherKid. pic.twitter.com/zpjqK5HAtY
— Bowyer Dirt (@bowyerdirt) June 27, 2019
The team has confirmed that the No. 5 will continue to compete in the hunt for the 2019 Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series owner’s championship, though a long-term plan beyond the upcoming weekend has yet to be announced.
O’Neal, a mainstay on the LOLMDS and the 2014 series champion, is expected to be out of action for eight to 12 weeks while he recovers.
LEXINGTON, Ohio – The Indy Pro 2000 Championship presented by Cooper Tires and the Cooper Tires USF2000 Championship wrapped up a two-day test Thursday at the 2.258-mile, 13-turn Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course.
Thirty drivers participated in the outing as the championship battles in both Road to Indy presented by Cooper Tires ladder series continue to intensify.
Exclusive Autosport’s Danial Frost, 17, was on point in Indy Pro 2000, posting the fastest time overall with a best lap of 1:16.2167 (106.654 mph) in the No. 68 Den-Jet Entry.
Frost, who lies fourth in the championship and only seven points out of third, has impressed in his rookie season to date, with a win and three additional podiums in the first five races.
He is rebounding from a difficult stretch last weekend in Road America, where he failed to finish both races.
“I’m really happy with getting the quickest time overall during the official Indy Pro 2000 test at Mid-Ohio,” said Frost. “Obviously, we are still looking for time to gain however the crew and I worked hard and developed our car very well over the two days. We are looking very competitive for when we get back in July.”
Current Indy Pro 2000 points leader Rasmus Lindh of Juncos Racing claimed bragging rights on the first day of testing, posting the fastest time in two of the three sessions to top the charts, and ended up second overall by only a tenth of a second to Frost.
Kyle Kirkwood of RP Motorsport USA followed up a superb performance with a pair of race wins at Road America to emerge third on the speed charts, followed by Parker Thompson of Abel Motorsports and Kirkwood’s teammate Ian Rodriguez.
While the sixth and final test session was canceled due to a severe thunderstorm which blanketed the area, it was newcomer Jak Crawford of DEForce Racing who turned heads in USF2000 by setting the bar with the fastest overall lap of 1:21.3106 (99.972 mph) aboard the No. 52 RE/MAX entry.
Crawford, 14, made his USF2000 debut in May at the Indianapolis Grand Prix and has three top-six finishes to his credit in five starts.
“I feel good about our speed,” said Crawford. “We spent time developing the car for what I like. It should help going forward. I’m excited where we are now. Thanks to DEForce Racing for taking the time to develop the car and Scott Speed for spending the first day with me. I look forward to working more with him in the future.”
Hot on Crawford’s heels were championship points leader Braden Eves of Cape Motorsports and current series runner-up and recent race winner Hunter McElrea of Pabst Racing, who set the fastest time overall Wednesday.
The trio were separated by .0362 seconds, with another newcomer in Francisco “Kiko” Porto, also of DEForce Racing, only a further .055 seconds in arrears. Pabst Racing’s Colin Kaminsky was another .0788 seconds back to complete the top five.
The St. Louis Blues have re-signed defenseman Carl Gunnarsson to a two-year, $3.5 million contract, the team announced Thursday.
Gunnarsson would have become an unrestricted free agent on Monday.
Gunnarsson, 32, has 28 goals in 581 career games, but one stands out above the rest. Gunnarsson scored in overtime of Game 2 to knot the Stanley Cup Final, which St. Louis went on to win over the favored Boston Bruins.
Gunnarsson had clanged a shot off the pipe late in the third period of Game 2. He confirmed that, during the intermission before the OT, he told Blues coach Craig Berube that he just wanted another chance. The conversation took place at the urinals.
Before the big goal, it was a trying season for the Swede. He played in only 25 regular-season games as he recovered from ACL surgery. He then missed time in the playoffs with another lower-body injury.
Gunnarsson is coming off a three-year, $8.7 million contract. He also played five years for Toronto.
Hurricanes buy out final year of Marleau's contract
The Carolina Hurricanes announced Thursday that they have bought out the final year of veteran forward Patrick Marleau's contract.
Marleau, 39, will be free to sign with any team beginning Monday. He had one year and $6.25 million left on a three-year deal he originally signed with Toronto.
The buyout was expected after Carolina had taken on Marleau's contract in a trade with the Maple Leafs last week.
Because Marleau signed as an over-35 player, the full $6.25 million hit will count against the Carolina cap.
Marleau, a three-time All-Star who ranks fifth all time in NHL games played (1,657), had 16 goals and 21 assists this past season. Among active players, he ranks second in goals (551), fifth in assists (615) and fourth in points (1,166).
Lashley fires career-best 63 as first alternate to take early lead in Detroit
DETROIT – Nate Lashley knows what it feels like to be the odd man out.
Last week’s Travelers Championship field filled up with Lashley on the outside looking in, sitting at first alternate and failing to receive a tee time. He started on the wrong side of the bubble this week at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, where he got to Detroit early for an unsuccessful bid to Monday qualify his way into the 156-man field.
But Lashley eventually caught a break, moving up again to first alternate and ultimately snagging the last spot in the field when David Berganio withdrew Wednesday. Lashley then made the most of his opportunity, shooting a career-best 63 to take an early two-shot lead at 9 under.
“When you’re first alternate it’s not a whole lot of fun, that feeling of only missing getting in the event by a spot, by one person,” Lashley said. “We’ll see how it goes tomorrow. Hopefully I can go out there and play like today, play relaxed golf and have some fun.”
Lashley earned his PGA Tour card for the first time in 2018 after more than a decade as a pro, and this season he is playing with conditional status. The 36-year-old has four top-25 finishes in 14 starts this season, highlighted by a T-8 finish at the Puerto Rico Open.
But he’s in position for bigger things this week in Detroit after an opener that featured an even split between birdies and pars, including five circles over his final six holes.
“Obviously I made a lot of putts,” Lashley said. “I putted well, I drove it pretty well. I hit it really well on the back nine, but at 9 under you’re kind of doing everything well.”
Lashley would love to contend for a maiden Tour victory, or even snag one of two tickets to The Open that are up for grabs this week. But his goals are more immediate, as he started the week 132nd in season-long points with his 2020 status still hanging in the balance. After riding both sides of the bubble the last two weeks, he’s well aware of what each birdie and par save can do for his long-term prospects.
“Hopefully I can play well this week and continue to play well and lock up my card and go from there,” he said.
Lashley leads as Woodland, DJ slow to start at Rocket Mortgage Classic
Detroit Golf Club celebrated its PGA Tour debut with a birdie-fest Thursday at the Rocket Mortgage Classic, but not everyone got the invite, including the recent U.S. Open champion. Here’s where thing stand after the first round in Detroit:
Leaderboard: Nate Lashley (-9), Ryan Armour (-8), Nick Watney (-8), Charles Howell III (-7), Talor Gooch (-7), Chez Reavie (-7), Stewart Cink (-7), Rory Sabbatini (-7), Adam Schenk (-7), Chase Wright (-7)
What it means: Coming off a T-28 finish at the U.S. Open, Nate Lashley is having another strong week. He failed to Monday-qualify into this week’s event in the Motor City, but he got in the field via the alternate list. He followed with a 9-under 63 to get his week started.
Round of the day: Lashley’s 63 marked a career-best round for the 36-year-old Tour pro. He went bogey-free and birdied five of his final six holes.
Best of the rest: Armour started his day on the back nine and birdied five of his first seven holes. He has just three top-10s since winning the 2017 Sanderson Farms Championship. Watney matched Armour with a bogey-free 65 of his own in the late wave. The 38-year-old hasn't won on the PGA Tour since 2012.
Last week’s Travelers winner, Chez Reavie, was part of a group of 65s.
Biggest disappointment: Competing for the first time since his U.S. Open victory, Gary Woodland shot 1-over 73. He bogeyed six of his first 11 holes but was able salvage a respectable score with four birdies in his final six holes.
Main storyline entering Friday: Can Woodland and others, such as Dustin Johnson, get back on track and make the weekend? Johnson, who has made 20 straights cuts on Tour (just three behind Tommy Fleetwood and Hideki Matsuyama for the longest active streak), carded an even-par 70 as his putting struggles carried over from Pebble Beach and he double-bogeyed two par 3s.
Shot of the day: Rickie Fowler opened with a 4-under 68, a round that included this slam-dunk eagle at the par-5 17th hole.
Even after opening 68, Reed's putter still cold despite store visit
DETROIT – After polishing off a bogey-free 68 to open the Rocket Mortgage Classic, Patrick Reed made a beeline from the scoring trailer to the putting green at Detroit Golf Club.
There’s work still to be done for the former Masters champ, despite an opening-round score that most in the field would covet. Reed was solid from tee to green, never truly threatening a dropped shot. But the birdie chances that others found so plentiful were hard to convert on the greens, as Reed’s 6-footer on the third hole proved to be his longest made putt of the day and one of only three makes outside the 3-foot range.
While he’s inside the top 35 on the leaderboard, Reed lost more than a shot and a half to the field with putter in hand.
“I felt like I putted pretty well, the ball just didn’t want to go in the hole. And that’s kind of been the case recently,” Reed said. “You feel like you’re going to break your knees with all the knee-jerking because the ball looks like it’s going in, but it just doesn’t want to go in.”
Reed finished T-30 last week at the Travelers Championship, but upon arrival in Detroit Monday he made a quick detour with hopes of solving his putting woes. But rather than visit a private club or instructor, he walked into a local Club Champion store, which offers club-fitting options to the public.
According to Reed, the draw to that specific store was their Science and Motion (SAM) putting lab, and it’s something he’s done before when on the road for long stretches of time.
“I went just to check to make sure that my specs were right,” Reed said. “For me personally, the best way to do it is if I can find a SAM lab. Club Champions have those, and those have high enough cameras and stuff that you can actually see what’s going on. So you can tell by that rather than machines, since every machine has a different variance. But cameras don’t really lie.”
Reed’s store visit confirmed that his putting specs were on point, but that extra bit of confirmation didn’t translate into any additional makes during Thursday’s opener. Still without a top-10 finish in 2019, he’s optimistic that things will turn around on the greens sooner rather than later as he continues a stretch of four starts in as many weeks.
“It feels really, really close. I just need one day of the ball to fall,” Reed said. “And once the ball starts falling, they’ll come in bunches and you’ll start seeing low numbers.”
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