LOUDON, N.H. – Kevin Lacroix may have dominated the first 92 laps of Saturday’s Visit New Hampshire 100, but it was Andrew Ranger who stole the lead and drove into victory lane.

Ranger won the NASCAR Pinty’s Series event that kicked off a tripleheader of Saturday racing at New Hampshire Motor Speedway during the second annual Full Throttle Fall Weekend.

“My car was just fantastic,” said Ranger, who started the race from third position. “The crew pushed really hard when I came into the pits and sent me back out with a little adjustment, and little by little we gained and I could see the race leader. It was a great race, and I hope we can finish and maybe win a third title.”

Capping off a sweet victory, Ranger took a swig from a gallon jug of pure New Hampshire maple syrup, creating a new victory lane tradition for the NASCAR Pinty’s Series at “The Magic Mile.”

Lacroix, who won the inaugural Visit New Hampshire 100 in 2018, repeated a dominant 90-lap performance in Saturday’s race, however, he was unable to win the battle to the checkered flag.

On the final lap, Alex Labbe, driver of the No. 36 Ford, spun Lacroix at the exit of turn four, propelling him into pit wall and ending Lacroix’s day only 20 feet from the finish line.

LOUDON, N.H. – After knocking on the door of victory lane four times this season, Ty Gibbs finally broke through and drove his way to his first NASCAR K&N Pro Series East win.

In his first visit to New Hampshire Motor Speedway on Saturday, Gibbs took the checkered flag first during the Apple Barrel 125, part of the second annual Full Throttle Fall Weekend.

“It was just like going on a Sunday drive the car was so good,” said Gibbs, who started the race from the third position. “We led a lot of laps, and we got a little tight halfway through the race, but the guys fixed it up, and we went back out there and won.”

Gibbs led 112 of 125 laps, with July Loudon winner Chase Cabre, Sam Mayer and Tanner Gray close behind. Gibbs lost his cushion after a late-race caution, but pulled away after bumping Gray, securing the first-place position for the remainder of the race.

Gray, Josh Berry, Spencer Davis and Mayer rounded out the top five at the conclusion after a four-car battle for second place.

Cabre, who was out front for the 13 laps Gibbs didn’t pace, led the second five, ahead of Ruben Garcia Jr., Nick Sanchez, Justin Carroll and Robert Pawlowski.

Racing is in Gibbs’ blood, so it’s no surprise the grandson of Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series team owner Joe Gibbs landed in victory lane during his rookie season after only 11 starts.

With his 17th birthday only two weeks away, Saturday’s victory lane celebration served as an early birthday present for the Charlotte, N.C. native.

The finish:

Ty Gibbs, Tanner Gray, Josh Berry, Spencer Davis, Sam Mayer, Chase Cabre, Ruben Garcia Jr., Nick Sanchez, Justin Carroll, Robert Pawlowski, Armani Williams, Josh Fanopoulos, Max McLaughlin, Bill Hoff.

SALINAS, Calif. – Andretti Autosport announced Saturday that the team will join forces with Harding Steinbrenner Racing via a partnership that will see Andretti field a fifth entry for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season.

The No. 88 Honda will join the Andretti stable under the Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport banner, with HSR team principals Mike Harding and George Michael Steinbrenner IV uniting alongside Michael Andretti as leadership partners of the No. 88 team.

“I’m really excited about the announcement to bring our partnerships with Harding Steinbrenner closer together,” said co-team principal Andretti. “This partnership and expansion of Andretti Autosport will bring about a positive direction and new opportunities for all involved.

“I’m also thrilled to be able to keep Colton in the Andretti family,” Andretti added. “We’ve watched him grow and develop and we are excited to see the next chapter as he continues his charge in becoming a strong competitive force in the IndyCar Series.”

The partnership is born from a successful technical alliance between Andretti Technologies and Harding Steinbrenner Racing, which provided engineering support through the season.

Additionally, the relationship provided a development environment for Colton Herta, who will return to Andretti to pilot the No. 88 as part of a multi-year agreement.

“I am very proud of Harding Steinbrenner Racing’s 2019 NTT IndyCar Series season. The No. 88 crew, Colton Herta, and our partnership with Andretti Technologies have worked extremely well, and we have had some great accomplishments this season,” noted Harding. “I am also honored that the No. 88 will combine forces with Andretti Autosport to become Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Autosport for the 2020 NTT IndyCar Series season with Colton continuing as the driver.”

“We are extremely excited to be continuing and expanding our partnership with Andretti Autosport,” added Steinbrenner IV. “Andretti has become like family to me and the team, as we have shared a connection since the very beginning of Steinbrenner Racing. We see this as an opportunity to build upon a successful 2019 and create an environment of sustained competitiveness. We are thrilled we have been able to retain Colton’s services and look forward to a fruitful tenure together.”

Herta, who climbed the European racing ranks before joining Andretti Autosport for the 2017 and 2018 Indy Lights seasons, currently ranks third in the IndyCar Rookie of the Year standings on the strength of one win and five top-10 finishes.

“It’s always been a goal of mine to drive for Andretti Autosport ever since watching my dad drive for them in the mid 2000s,” said Herta. “I’m very thankful for the Steinbrenners and Mike Harding for their efforts through my career and continued efforts into this year. I’ve grown up around the Andretti team and many of the guys that have been working there since my dad’s days of driving are still with the team. I’m sure I’ll feel right at home.

“I can for sure tell you this is going to be the longest offseason I’ve had in a while and I can’t wait to hop in my brand-new Andretti Harding Steinbrenner Indy car!”

ALTON, Va. – The Trans Am TA2 powered by AEM class delivered a show for the fans on hand at Virginia Int’l Raceway, with an action-packed Trans Am Series presented by Pirelli race on Saturday.

The dramatic TA2 race had battles from the front of the 25-car field all the way through the pack, with Thomas Merrill dodging incidents in the final moments of the 100-mile feature to secure Big Diehl Racing’s third win of the season.

After falling down the order to fifth early in the race, TA2 class championship leader Marc Miller wheeled his No. 40 Prefix/Stevens-Miller Racing Dodge Challenger to a second-place finish.

His Stevens-Miller Racing teammate Dillon Machavern returned to the podium for the first time since finishing third at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

“This is my first time racing here at VIR and these Trans Am cars are wicked fun to drive around here,” said Merrill, who fell to fifth before taking the lead. “We had to make the best of the opportunities we were given. It got tight toward the end, but we came away with the win. Big Diehl Racing gave me an awesome car. Trans Am racing is the best racing in the world, and I am just happy to be here.”

After starting the race from pole, Rafa Matos was looking to claim his third flag-to-flag win in a row. But disaster struck for the Brazilian driver on lap nine as a mechanical problem took him out of the lead and out of the race.

“We were really driving hard,” said Matos. “It was a hard fight between me, Thomas (Merrill) and Scott (Lagasse Jr). It was a hard-fought battle, and on the restart I struggled a bit but then my car started to come in, allowing me to pull away from Scott. Then I started experiencing mechanical issues. It was a frustrating moment because we were trying to recover the points we lost in the middle of the season.

“To break like that leading the race is gutting. That’s how it goes sometimes, we can’t control certain things, and we are going to keep fighting until the end.”

Miller’s race was just as eventful as Matos’ as the championship leader played a conservative hand at the start to slot into fifth in the opening segment of the race.

He moved up to third before taking one more spot to claim second at the checkered flag with a healthy haul of championship points.

For Machavern, patience paid off during the grueling 31-lap race. Starting in sixth, Machavern watched as drivers darted off track or pulled into the pits after exhausting their race cars. But Machavern kept his cool under tough circumstances to capture the last step on the podium in third.

Lagasse Jr. was relentless in the pursuit of his second consecutive win at VIR.

Starting from fifth, Lagasse  Jr. fought to the front and was glued to Matos, as he also fended off the pressure from Merrill and Miller.

Merrill slipped in to take first on the restart, but Lagasse was on the hunt. On the white flag lap, Lagasse Jr. got airborne as he raced through the Roller Coaster section of the track.

The incident, which is still under review by race control, saw his white Camaro come to rest upside down. Lagasse emerged from the incident unscathed, but was taken to track medical for precautionary review.

“In my many years of high-speed racing, that was by far the worst crash that I’ve been involved in,” Lagasse said. “I am thankful for the M1 Racecars chassis and Simpson for keeping me safe. I was able to just FaceTime my daughter, which going through the air I never thought I would again. It was a tough one but I’m still here.”

With just minutes left in the session, race 10 finished under full course caution.

After spinning on the first lap, Maurice Hull worked his way back to 10th place to earn the Masters Class award at his home track.

“I wish we could have finished under green, I had some more to give,” Hull said. “It was a good time coming back. I want to thank my guys Jeff, Alan, Chad, Peanut, and most of all my crew chief, and my wife, who worked tirelessly on the car.”

Coming in sixth in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series on Friday in Richmond, Va., Harrison Burton was forced to start last in the TA2 race since he missed qualifying.

Driving from a 25th-place start to finish just inside the top 10 in ninth, the part-time Joe Gibbs Racing Xfinity Series rookie received the Cool Shirt Cool Move of the Race award.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – For the second time, the Bettenhausen 100 presented by BRANDT has been canceled due to weather.

The USAC Silver Crown Series and the DIRTcar modifieds were scheduled to race Sunday afternoon, Sept. 22.

After consulting with USAC, a number of team owners and drivers, weather forecasters, and with the rain the Springfield area received on Saturday, many felt it would be best to cancel a day in advance.

Sunday’s forecast is unfavorable, with a number of models showing a near 100% chance of rain.

The cancellation marks the second time the event has been scratched due to weather. It was originally scheduled to be part of the Illinois State Fair on Saturday, Aug. 17.

The USAC Silver Crown Series season concludes Sept. 28 at Eldora Speedway in Rossburg, Ohio, with the running of the prestigious 4-Crown Nationals at the iconic half-mile.

VIRGINIA WATER, England - Jon Rahm endured a wild end to his third round at the BMW PGA Championship to drop back into a share of the lead with Danny Willett at the flagship European Tour event on Saturday.

Holding a two-stroke lead after playing the first 16 holes in 5 under, Rahm hit a spectator with his second shot at No. 17 - though it did stop his ball going out of bounds. The world No. 6 pitched to 10 feet and three-putted for bogey.

Rahm was also close to driving out of bounds at the 18th hole, too, and needed to take a drop. He holed from 20 feet for an unlikely par while Willett got up and down from a greenside bunker for a birdie to match his playing partner's 4-under 68.

''Man, those last two holes made it feel a lot worse than it really was,'' Rahm said. ''I was really in control of my game and playing good. It was not the finish I was looking for - I might have lost a bit of focus, looking into the future instead of staying in the present.''

Rahm and Willett, who also shared the second-round lead at 15 under with a three-shot lead over Justin Rose (69), Shubhankar Sharma (66) and Christiaan Bezuidenhout (69). Richie Ramsay and Rafa Cabrera Bello (both 67) were two shots further back.

Rahm was among the players who waited beside the 18th green on Friday as Spanish compatriot Jose Maria Olazabal completed his 25th and final appearance in the event. The 24-year-old Rahm can join Olazabal, Seve Ballesteros, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Ignacio Garrido and Manuel Pinero as a Spanish winner at Wentworth.

Willett recovered from a bogey on the first, making six birdies to remain on track for a seventh European Tour title - and a first on home soil.

''This is our biggest tournament of the year for us British guys. It's a massive event,'' Willett said. ''I've been here 10 straight years and I love the place. The crowds are amazing.

''I've won all around the world and it would be amazing to polish one off in front of a home crowd. It's going to be a pretty tough battle out there.''

Rory McIlroy, who made the cut on the number, shot 65 to equal his lowest score at Wentworth. It left him nine shots off the lead.

''I will give it a go, for sure, and you never know,'' said McIlroy, the 2014 champion. ''But at the same time, I'm a realist. I know I won from seven back five years ago and I feel like that's something that happens maybe once in your career.''

Another rare event was Ross Fisher making an albatross after holing a 4-iron with his second shot to the 18th from 225 yards. Not only did it complete a remarkable back nine of 29 for a third-round 66, the English player won a BMW i8 Roadster worth 130,000 pounds ($160,000).

''I thought I'd pulled it so I looked away and the crowd's reaction told the rest of the story,'' Fisher said. ''To win the car is still a bit shocking.''

American Nelly Korda will have to hold off a pair of French women on their own turf to win her first LET title.

Korda’s six-shot lead shrunk to a single stroke Saturday at the Lacoste Ladies French Open outside Bordeaux.

With a 1-under-par 70, Korda moved to 11 under overall, with France’s Joanna Klatten (65) climbing to 10 under and Celine Boutier (67) getting to 7 under at Golf du Medoc.

Korda is the highest ranked player in the field at No. 10 in the Rolex world rankings. Klatten is No. 956 and Boutier is No. 56.

Korda, 21, will be paired with both French women in Sunday’s final round.

“I am so happy to be playing with Nelly tomorrow,” Klatten said. “It can only make you better to play with someone like that. She has been so consistent, so it’s a great thing. And, hopefully, playing with Celine as well. It’s nice to have a little French connection in there. I am excited about it!”

Korda is a two-time LPGA winner.

Promoted Granada moved into first place in La Liga after a convincing 2-0 win over Barcelona on Saturday took them to 10 points and into a tie with Sevilla in top spot.

The result marks the worst start to a La Liga season in 25 years for the Catalan giants.

The hosts, who had only beaten Barca once in their last 20 meetings, took an early lead when Ramon Azeez headed home from close range to make it 1-0 in just the second minute.

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Lionel Messi, still working his way back to full fitness and playing in his first La Liga game of the season so far, was brought on at half-time for Carles Perez to help Barca find their way back into the game.

However, it was Granada that would score again when a handball in the penalty area was called on Arturo Vidal and Alvaro Vadillo converted from the spot after a consultation with VAR confirmed the ruling.

"This defeat hurts us and makes us very worried and we need to really take a hard look at ourselves if we are to improve," Barca's Luis Suarez said after a second defeat in five league games confirmed the club's worst start since the 1994-95 season.

"It was very hard for us after going behind in the first few minutes, we didn't manage to dominate the game in any way. We need to analyse what has gone wrong in these away games; we are obviously concerned about the lack of chances we are creating."

Barca also have the joint-worst defensive record in the league along with Real Betis, having conceded nine times in five matches.

"It's clearly not a very good statistic for us and not in line with what we have been doing in the last few years," said Barca coach Ernesto Valverde.

"I'm worried because away from home we're not getting good results. No wins from four away games this season is a clear symptom that we are not in a very good situation."

The Catalans, who have failed to win any of their last seven away games in all competitions, are seventh in the La Liga standings with seven points after five matches, while Granada sit on the summit with 10 points.

Second-placed Sevilla also have 10 points and can go clear at the top when they face Real Madrid on Sunday, while Atletico Madrid are third on 10 points after drawing 0-0 with Celta Vigo

Barca have enjoyed mixed fortunes at Granada's Nuevo Los Carmenes stadium in recent years and travelled there after an uninspiring 0-0 draw in Dortmund in their Champions League group, having lost away to Athletic Bilbao and drawn at promoted Osasuna.

The Catalans clinched the title in Granada on the final day of the 2016 season but lost 1-0 there in 2014, a defeat which played a huge role in Atletico Madrid winning the league at their expense.

Granada spent the last two seasons outside Spain's top flight and despite tickets being priced at €110 the stadium was full to capacity and rocking from kick-off to the final whistle, the atmosphere boosted by Azeez's early goal.

As Granada celebrated an unlikely victory and their even more unlikely status as league leaders, Barca were left to contemplate the fact that they have failed to win any of their last seven competitive games away from the Camp Nou.

Atlanta United leading scorer Josef Martinez was stretchered off with a leg injury in a 3-1 defeat of the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.

Emerson Hyndman scored in the 90th-minute and Pity Martinez added an insurance goal in stoppage time for United.

The two late goals helped Atlanta (54 points) move into second place in the Eastern Conference above Philadelphia, which plays Sunday. And it helps soften the potential blow of losing Josef Martinez, who leads United with 26 goals and had his MLS record streak of games with a goal halted at 15 when he exited in the 79th minute.

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Martinez appeared to suffer the injury several minutes before leaving the game. His foot got stuck in the turf after colliding with a teammate, causing his right knee and ankle to buckle awkwardly. He tried to play through it but eventually couldn't, and he departed the sideline on a stretcher, grimacing before putting a towel over his face.

Justin Meram also scored early for the defending MLS Cup champions, who have won eight of their last 11 matches in league play while also capturing the U.S. Open Cup and Campeones Cup.

San Jose (44 points) had tied it in the first half on an attack involving Cristian Espinoza. But Espinoza was then sent off in the 34th minute for receiving his second yellow card. Earthquakes goalkeeper Daniel Vega made nine saves, yet ultimately couldn't prevent his side from closing a three-game road swing without earning a point.

Hyndman scored his first goal in league play since arriving during the secondary transfer window on a counter-attack set up by Darlington Nagbe. After San Jose's defense finally closed on the midfielder, Nagbe spotted Hyndman, whose finish left Vega little chance.

Short-handed San Jose tried to press forward after the restart and were caught on the counter to seal the game, with Brandon Vazquez and Hector Villalba combining to find Pity Martinez wide open in front of goal.

Espinoza helped San Jose tie the game in the 27th minute when he raced onto Vega's punt, rounded his defender and sent a shot that deflected off goalkeeper Brad Guzan and across the goal line. It was officially credited as an own goal from Guzan.

But Espinoza's day ended seven minutes later when referee Chris Penso showed him a second yellow card for stepping on the back of Franco Escobar's leg while trying to win the ball. His previous caution came 18 minutes earlier for not retreating from an Atlanta restart.

MANCHESTER, England -- It became a goal chase in the end and, but for a late miss by Kevin De Bruyne, Manchester City would have written another piece of history under Pep Guardiola by equalling Manchester United's Premier League record victory margin of 9-0.

United's record dates back to their 9-0 defeat of Ipswich Town at Old Trafford in March 1995, when Andy Cole scored five times that day for Sir Alex Ferguson's team. And when City went 7-0 ahead against Watford with 30 minutes still to play, the smart money was on Guardiola's all-stars erasing their neighbours from the record books rather than merely matching their achievement.

But as the final whistle blew on an 8-0 win at the Etihad on Saturday -- City's biggest-ever top-flight victory -- United's record survived for another day. Yet it would be foolish to believe that it will not be threatened again this season by Guardiola's team.

This was an emphatic dismantling of a Watford side still haunted by the memories of last season's 6-0 FA Cup final mauling at the hands of City, yet it was by no means an exceptional performance by the reigning champions. That is the scary thing about this City team: What would be exceptional for everyone else is now becoming the norm at the Etihad.

Since Ferguson retired as United manager at the end of the 2012-13 season, the Old Trafford outfit have scored five in a Premier League game on just one occasion: in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first game in caretaker charge, against Cardiff City, last December. Under Guardiola alone, since the Catalan's arrival as coach in the summer of 2016, this was the 15th time they have scored five or more in a Premier League game.

Liverpool have managed five or more goals in a game 10 times under Jurgen Klopp, but when it comes to scoring six or more, City have done it 11 times in the post-Ferguson era compared to Liverpool's three. United? They have still to score six in a game since Ferguson retired.

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And just to underscore the regularity of City hitting opponents for big scores, this win against Watford means that, in 2019, they have scored seven or more in a game in the Premier League, Champions League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup.

And the painful truth for Watford is that, in the end, they got off lightly with an 8-0 defeat. City's winning margin could, and should, have been well into double figures. De Bruyne's late miss was the one that cost them a 9-0 win, but the reality is that Sergio Aguero and Riyad Mahrez both spurned several clear chances between them.

By opening the scoring after just 53 seconds through David Silva, City ensured that Watford's cup final flashbacks were triggered quicker than they could possibly have feared.

Who knows how the game would have shaped up had City goalkeeper Ederson not kept out Gerard Deulofeu's goalbound effort on four minutes? It was a crucial save because, by the 15-minute mark, City had rattled in three more, through Aguero, a Tom Cleverley own goal and the first goal of Bernardo Silva's hat trick.

When United put nine past Ipswich, it took 15 minutes to open the scoring. City were already four up by that stage.

Watford didn't help themselves at times, naively chasing the game rather than putting up the shutters. They clearly hadn't learned the lessons of the FA Cup final. So City -- with Raheem Sterling rested on the substitutes' bench -- poured forward, picking holes in Watford's midfield and defence and it was 5-0 on 18 minutes after Nicolas Otamendi slid in to convert Aguero's cross at the far post.

Despite the scoreline at that point, Guardiola claimed after the game that his team rode their luck.

"It was weird, not normal, five shots and five goals," he said. "At the same time, they had two chances, so we were lucky."

City were not lucky. They were simply unstoppable, and it looked as though they would go on to become the first team to hit double figures in a Premier League fixture.

The sixth arrived four minutes into the second half when Bernardo scored his second, and the Portuguese midfielder sealed his hat trick on the hour, making it 7-0 with a scuffed shot that beat Watford goalkeeper Ben Foster from close range. So with more than 30 minutes left to play, United's 9-0 record appeared to be well within City's grasp.

Watford continued to struggle to contain their opponents, but City began to misfire in front of goal.

Still, when De Bruyne made it 8-0 on 83 minutes, the whole stadium was waiting for the ninth. Even the Watford fans stayed on, seemingly wanting to witness a piece of history, despite their team being on the wrong side of it.

The ninth goal did not come, but there is a sense of inevitability about City. It didn't happen on Saturday, but it will probably happen sooner rather than later.

As for Watford, "sorry" wasn't the hardest word for coach Quique Sanchez Flores.

"I can only say sorry to our fans," he said. "They came to the stadium waiting for a performance, but it was very difficult on the pitch today.

"After 30 seconds it was difficult, but after, 10 minutes, 15 minutes, it was impossible to play. It is impossible to play against Manchester City when you make so many mistakes."