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ROSSBURG, Ohio – Logan Schuchart nearly tracked down Donny Schatz during the opening act of #LetsRaceTwo weekend at Eldora Speedway, but in the end, a half second back was as close as he got.
The Shark Racing driver made mincemeat of a two-second deficit to Schatz after surging into the runner-up position at lap 13 of Friday night’s 30-lap feature, looking like a driver hell-bent on scoring his second World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win at the half-mile dirt oval.
However, traffic in the final laps was Schuchart’s nemesis, as lap cars put themselves in the paths he needed to go in to try and make time on the No. 15 Tony Stewart Racing/Curb-Agajanian mount.
That left the No. 1s entry one spot short of its ultimate goal, with Schuchart not quite able to replicate his winning effort from the #LetsRaceTwo kickoff two years earlier.
“You always want to be one spot better, but our car was really strong,” noted Schuchart. “I kind of wanted a yellow at the end, just to see what we had, and never ended up getting it. I was running the top, and that’s where I felt like I was really gaining on Donny (Schatz) a little bit, but the lap cars we ran into at the end took my line and made it to where I couldn’t get by.”
Friday night marked Schuchart’s third second-place finish in a row at Eldora during the May weekend.
“It’s all good. Last year I ran second to Donny both nights, and I just wanted another shot at him on Saturday night,” Schuchart said. “The weather didn’t agree, unfortunately, but this race team works hard on these cars and it’s fun that we’re running up front. We’ve been putting ourselves in good spots.”
– Lost in the frenetic battle for the win on Friday night between Schatz, Schuchart and outside polesitter Carson Macedo was a quiet top-five finish for Schuchart’s Shark Racing teammate, Jacob Allen.
Allen came forward from ninth to fifth in the 30-lap main event, earning just his second top-five finish in 14 attempts so far this season. He sits 13th in the series standings, while Schuchart is sixth in points.
Of note on the statistical side, Schatz is the only driver to have top-10 finishes in all 14 races this year.
– Looking down the box score, qualifying well on Friday night didn’t particularly lead to a good run come feature time, as neither driver who topped World of Outlaws qualifying cracked the top five.
Flight-A fast qualifier Shane Stewart was a disappointing 13th, while Flight-B quick timer Parker Price-Miller ended his Friday night in eighth.
– A solid last month for Kraig Kinser continued Friday night with KSE Hard Charger honors at the Eldora half-mile.
Kinser, the last driver to transfer into the feature from the Last Chance Showdown, rallied from 24th on the grid to finish 12th, advancing more places than any other driver in the field.
The son of 20-time World of Outlaws champion Steve Kinser sits 10th in points through 14 races.
– So far this year, the Outlaws have lost eight of 22 races to weather, accounting for a third of the series schedule over the first three months on the calendar.
The next series event is Wednesday night’s Gettysburg Clash at Pennsylvania’s Lincoln Speedway.
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KANSAS CITY, Kan. – When Brad Keselowski took the checkered flag Saturday at Kansas Speedway, it wasn’t just symbolic of another victory for Team Penske in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
It was a tribute to the man who helped launch not just Keselowski’s career at the national level, but the careers of many present-day household names from the NASCAR garage.
Keselowski’s first thoughts during his victory lane interview were not about his own performance, but about paying tribute to the memory of the late Mike Mittler, who passed away Friday afternoon at the age of 67 following a lengthy battle with cancer.
Mittler was a longtime team owner in what is now the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series, with 301 career starts as an owner, and gave drivers like Keselowski, Carl Edwards, Jamie McMurray, Justin Allgaier and Regan Smith some of their earliest NASCAR national series starts.
All of those drivers, Keselowski included, went on to race in the premier Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series after plying their trades early on with Mittler’s small team.
“I’ve got to dedicate this win to Mike Mittler,” said Keselowski. “He helped a lot of guys in their career, and I was one of them, and he passed away … and it’s just such a huge loss for the NASCAR community. He’s one of those unsung heroes that worked in the garage and gave his whole life to this sport, and there’s so many of those guys.
“Man, it just hurts to see those guys go away.”
Though several of Mittler’s drivers went on to stardom on asphalt – Edwards earned one of MB Motorsports’ three top-10 finishes at Kansas in 2002 – Mittler’s closest shaves with victory actually came on the dirt.
With dirt late model ace Bobby Pierce at the controls of the iconic No. 63 truck, Mittler watched one of his entries contend for victory in 2015 on one of the sport’s biggest stages – Eldora Speedway.
Pierce qualified fastest, won his heat race and then led 39 laps from the pole position, dicing back and forth throughout the 150-lap feature with midget and sprint car star Christopher Bell, who was then a relative unknown in NASCAR circles, much like Pierce was himself at that time.
Though Bell ultimately stood in victory lane that night, Pierce and Mittler marveled afterward at what they had accomplished by fighting tooth-and-nail against some of the Truck Series’ fiercest competition.
“I thought if it stayed green, we’d have every opportunity to work (Bell) and get by him, but it just didn’t go that way, “ Mittler told NASCAR.com at the time. “I just thought, ‘Wow, what a phenomenal opportunity that after 20 years, we’re in position to finally have an opportunity to win a race.’
“That’s why you’re in this sport, to be in contention to win. It wasn’t a fluke. We were there all day. It was no fluke at all. The kid’s the real deal. He said this is a dream come true for him. It is for me, too.”
Pierce came back to Eldora the next year with Mittler, won his heat race and started from the pole position again, leading 102 laps before crashing out inside of 25 to go.
Perhaps Mittler’s lasting legacy in the NASCAR garage area was his willingness to give chances to and to mentor largely-unproven talents, such as Pierce.
That label could have easily applied to McMurray and Edwards as well, when they drove for Mittler back in 1999 and 2002, respectively. In fact, it was a quality McMurray paid tribute to over the weekend.
“Mike Mittler gave me my first big break in NASCAR,” McMurray wrote on social media. “He loved racing as much or more than anyone I have ever been around. I will always cherish the time I spent racing for Mike and the time I spent with he and his wife Bev.
“Mike helped so many people in our sport,” added McMurray on FOX Sports 1. “His impact was wide-reaching and he’s going to be dearly missed, I can say that for sure.”
Though Mittler never scored a win in NASCAR competition, it could be argued that he was as much a winner as any of NASCAR’s top owners, by virtue of his grit, determination and passion for the sport.
It’s that passion that will be forever missed by so many in the NASCAR garage.
“(We received) very sad news with the passing of Mike Mittler,” said NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell. “We’re thinking about his family, MB Motorsports and the No. 63 (team) tonight. Mike was a special guy who was beloved in the racing community and a true representative of what NASCAR is all about.”
Mittler got what the spirit of NASCAR is made of at its roots: competition, a never-give-up attitude and a willingness to help others beyond just making one’s own operation better.
His impact and legacy will never be forgotten, but his presence at the race track will be forever missed.
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DUBUQUE, Iowa – Though he tried high and low, the latter worked in the end for Jeremiah Hurst Sunday evening at Dubuque Speedway.
The Dubuque ace slid by early leader Terry Neal after a caution and ultimately won the 25-lap Eichman’s Bar and Grill IMCA Late Model season opener.
“They (his crew) were down at the turn waving me to stay low and it worked,” Hurst said in Hoker Trucking Victory Lane. “The car was great. The track was great. It was a special night.”
The track, under new promoter Trackside Promotions, finally got the opener on the fifth try due to bad weather through April and first weekend of May.
Andy Nezworski also got by Neal for the runner up spot in the end, while Matt Ryan and Jeff Tharp rounded out the top five.
Jeff Larson weave his way through two and three wide groups to take the 20-lap Merfeld Brothers Automotive IMCA Modified feature. Early leader Jaden Fryer, a charging Tyler Madigan, Jed Freiburger and Austin Moyer came next.
Tyler Soppe launched from his P3 start and held off Gage Neal in a very competitive Peosta Warehousing Logistics IMCA SportMod finale. Wes Digman, Jason Roth and Jacob Ellithorpe completed the top five.
Dakota Simonsen went to the front early and capped the Kinsella Concrete IMCA Hobby Stock 12-lap feature, ahead of Daniel Wauters, Quinton Miller, Brandon White and Roger Winkers.
Wauters took the Trackside Back Row Challenge, hoping to win a bonus for coming from the back to the win, but fell one position short.
Cole Mather beat Kyle Merkes and Reece Norton in the IMCA Stock Car 12-lap feature, while Joe Zrostlik won the 4 Cylinder main over John Campbell, Robbie Harding, Jacob Welter and Rick Hempstead.
A total of 67 race teams hit the track on a chilly Mother’s Day evening to start the season.
BOSTON -- After a 6-2 blowout against the Boston Bruins in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, Carolina Hurricanes captain Justin Williams said his team needs to rediscover who they are -- and that process might not be so palatable.
"You spend all this time leading up, with everyone writing articles about how great we are," Williams said Sunday. "You come out, and sometimes you gotta eat a poop sandwich. It doesn't taste good. You have to chew on it for a couple days, we'll have to do it for a couple days, and hopefully get the taste out next game."
After allowing just five goals over four games to the New York Islanders in the second round, the Hurricanes have allowed the Bruins to score 11 goals in the first two games of this series. Carolina is in an 0-2 hole with Game 3 on Tuesday in Raleigh.
It was an eventful game for the 37-year-old Williams, who was baited in the second period into taking a holding penalty after an altercation with Bruins winger Brad Marchand. As Williams skated to the penalty box, Marchand appeared to taunt him by pointing to the box and miming a "C" on his chest. The Bruins scored on the ensuing power play.
Williams scored the Canes' first goal in the third period, but by then, the game was out of hand, as Boston had already built a 6-0 lead.
"I think he was a little frustrated that he fell down," Marchand said of the altercation. "But it was just good that we capitalized on that opportunity. I've been on that side plenty of times. It's not fun. He's their captain. He's their leader over there and bounced back with a big goal late to get them going. So he's got a lot of character, he plays hard, and he's a good player for them."
When asked if he was showing Williams which way the penalty box was, Marchand laughed. "Yeah, I guess," he said.
On the penalty, Williams said. "I'm old enough. I gotta know better."
There was some curiosity as to why Hurricanes coach Rod Brind'Amour did not pull goalie Petr Mrazek. The 27-year-old goaltender sustained a groin injury in Game 2 of the second-round series against the Islanders and missed Games 3 and 4 before returning this series.
Brind'Amour, a rookie NHL head coach, has not pulled a goaltender for performance all season. Mrazek has given up 10 straight goals in this series.
Brind'Amour said the only bad goal was the first one, which "was no good, and he knows that." The coach said he considered pulling Mrazek and chatted about it, but the goalie said he didn't want to come out.
"He's a battler," Brind'Amour said. "A lot of other guys on the bench deserve to come out if that's what we're doing. That's not how we do it."
The Hurricanes also fell behind 0-2 in their first-round series against the defending Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals. They won the next two games at home and won the series in Game 7. Williams is nicknamed "Mr. Game 7," as he has scored 15 goals in nine Game 7s -- the most in NHL history -- and orchestrated Brock McGinn's game-winning goal against the Capitals with an assist.
"We certainly don't think we can't do it," Williams said of climbing out of another 0-2 hole. "If they are going to advance, we're certainly going to make it as tough as we can on them, and it won't be easy."
Williams promised that his team will be much better when it returns to Raleigh.
"We gotta chew on it," Williams said, referring to his sandwich metaphor. "And Game 3 is ours."
Bruins thump Hurricanes 6-2, take 2-0 lead in East finals
Matt Grzelcyk scored twice -- his first career multigoal game -- and Tuukka Rask made 21 saves Sunday to lead the Bruins to a 6-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes and a 2-0 lead in the Eastern Conference finals.
Stricker leads as Regions Tradition final round postponed to Monday
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The final round of the Regions Tradition barely got underway before play was suspended because of thunderstorms.
Four and a half hours of steady rain later, PGA Tour Champions officials postponed the round until Monday. Play resumes with an early two-tee start.
A handful of players got in one hole Sunday before having to leave the course. The leaders haven't started the final round of the first of five senior major championships.
Steve Stricker holds a two-stroke lead at 14-under 202. Two-time Tradition winner Bernhard Langer, David Toms and Billy Andrade are all two strokes back.
The first round was completed on Friday after bad weather stopped play. Stricker still had five holes to go on his way to a 68 and then shot a 64 in the second round, followed by Saturday's 70.
The course was deluged by nearly an inch of rain Sunday morning.
Spieth 'ready to contend' for final Slam leg at Bethpage
Even after a disappointing final round, Jordan Spieth sees reason to be excited as he heads to the PGA Championship in search of a piece of history.
Spieth shot an even-par 71 in the final round of the AT&T Byron Nelson, a score that was three shots higher than any of his previous three efforts and one that dropped him into a tie for 29th in his hometown event. After missing the Tour Championship for the first time last season, he's now gone 14 starts this season without a single top-20 finish and sits at 150th in the season-long points race.
Spieth's final round included four birdies and four bogeys, a microcosm of a lean year in which he's shown flashes of form but has struggled with consistency.
"I was very disappointed with even par, just with how score-able the conditions are. But, you know, I feel like I made some progress," Spieth told reporters. "Like the way I putted this week, continuing to putt better and better each week which is nice, frees the long game up. Better this week than it has been any week this year, so feels like good stuff coming. Just stay the course."
Spieth hasn't won since The Open in 2017, but a victory next week at Bethpage Black would be his fourth career major title. It would also give him the final leg of the career Grand Slam, joining a club that includes just five players and one that hasn't gained a new entrant since Tiger Woods in 2000.
Spieth finished T-12 at last year's PGA at Bellerive and tied for 10th in 2016 the last time the PGA Tour held an event at Bethpage, helping him take "more confidence than disappointment" from his Nelson result as he maintains belief that a big result is just around the corner.
"I think do what I did this week and just try and limit the mistakes a little bit," Spieth said. "I feel like my game is ready to contend. Just a matter of getting there and getting in the same group."
Koepka fourth at Nelson: 'Sometimes you can just get beat'
After contending but ultimately falling short in a tune-up ahead of a major title defense, don't expect Brooks Koepka to lose much sleep over his finish at the AT&T Byron Nelson.
Koepka was the only player ranked inside the top 10 in the world to tee it up this week in Dallas, and he closed with a bogey-free 65 at Trinity Forest to finish the week at 20 under. But that still left him alone in fourth place, three shots behind Sung Kang who rallied to win for the first time on the PGA Tour. In speaking to reporters after the round, Koepka was quick to put his result in perspective.
"Sometimes you can just get beat. That happened this week," Koepka said. "I feel like I'm striking it really well, putting it really well, especially the putts coming down the stretch. Nice to see some kind of, something on the line. It was important going into next week."
Next week would be the PGA Championship at Bethpage Black, where Koepka will defend the title he won last summer at Bellerive. After a T-2 finish at the Masters he'll renew his search for a fourth career major title, having claimed three of the last eight he has played. Koepka now adds his close call at Trinity Forest to a runner-up at the Honda Classic in February as signs that his game can elevate him into contention at nearly any type of Tour venue - including the major variety.
"I like my chances next week," Koepka said. "Just like the way I'm playing, like the way everything feels right now."
LEICESTER -- Eden Hazard said he has decided his future and is waiting for Chelsea to act on his wishes after making what is likely to be his final Premier League appearance for the club against Leicester City.
Despite starting on the bench at the King Power Stadium, Hazard's name was sung all afternoon by the travelling Chelsea supporters, several of whom held up a banner urging him to spurn interest from Real Madrid and stay at the club.
Sources told ESPN FC this week that Hazard wants Chelsea to sanction his desired move to the Spanish giants as soon as possible, and speaking after the game the Belgian confirmed he has made his feelings known to the club hierarchy.
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"Yes I have made my decision, but it is not just about me," Hazard said on the subject of his future. "I'm still waiting."
Asked if he has told the club, Hazard replied: "Yes. A couple of weeks ago."
Maurizio Sarri said in December that it was time to resolve Hazard's future, and the Belgian agreed that he would have preferred clarity a little earlier in the season. "Yes, I wanted that but that's not happened. I'm still waiting like you are waiting and like the fans are waiting."
Chelsea's goalless draw with Leicester, coupled with Tottenham's 2-2 draw at home to Everton, secured Sarri a third-place finish in the Premier League to cap the Champions League qualification that was sealed with victory over Watford last weekend.
Hazard, however, insisted that Chelsea's presence in Europe's elite club competition next season will have no bearing on his future. "No, I don't think so. I have made my decision, that's it. I'm still waiting."
Chelsea have a chance to end the season with silverware by beating Arsenal in the Europa League final in Baku later this month, and Hazard expects to be able to announce his decision after the game.
But the Belgian -- who registered 16 goals and 15 assists for Chelsea in the Premier League -- insisted that the persistent speculation linking him with Madrid in recent months has not affected his focus when it comes to football.
"Never, never," he said. "When you are on the pitch, you try to be focused on the pitch with the ball. That's it. When I am on the pitch I just try to do the best. I am not thinking about this and this, my situation or the club's situation. I just try to win games."
Liverpool's Sadio Mane and Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang both scored twice on the final Sunday to share the Premier League's Golden Boot award for top scorer with last season's winner Mohamed Salah.
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The achievement of the three African strikers left Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp especially proud as he has played such an important part in the development of the trio's careers.
They all ended on 22 goals for the league campaign after Senegalese forward Mane scored twice in Liverpool's 2-0 win over Wolverhampton Wanderers to join his Egyptian teammate Salah.
Arsenal's Gabonese forward Aubameyang followed his midweek Europa League semifinal hat trick in Valencia with a second-half double that helped the Gunners to a 3-1 win at Burnley.
Though Mane and Salah's 44 goals proved in vain for Klopp as his side lost out on the league title to Manchester City, who won 4-1 at Brighton & Hove Albion, he had reason to smile.
"Auba too?" Klopp said, on learning that Aubameyang, his former signing at Borussia Dortmund, shared the accolade.
"Do they have three boots? It is good. They are all my players."
African and proud!!
— Aubameyang P-E (@Aubameyang7) May 12, 2019
Sharing the golden boot with my 2 brothers @MoSalah & Sadio Mané ☝??? pic.twitter.com/o3n2KQmCRl
The 22-goal winning mark was the lowest since the 2010-11 season when Manchester United's Dimitar Berbatov and Manchester City's Carlos Tevez shared the Golden Boot with 20 goals apiece.
Aubameyang was delighted over the trio's African connection, and said: "I share this trophy with two other guys I like, great players and African. We are representing Africa, that's cool."
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Salah, who had scored 32 goals last season, was not as prolific this term as in his record-breaking 2017-18 campaign but both he and Mane finished a goal ahead of champions Manchester City's top marksman Sergio Aguero.
Of course, the Argentine, who matched Thierry Henry in scoring 20 or more goals in five straight seasons in the Premier League era, probably netted the most crucial goal with his equaliser at Brighton that set City on course for the title.
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