He is the Olympic silver medallist preparing for his first Rugby World Cup after being named in Wales' 31-man squad.

And the breakthrough is even sweeter for James Davies who will share the experience with his brother Jonathan.

Elder sibling Jonathan is a double Grand Slam winner, and was a British and Irish Lions series winner in Australia in 2013 and Lions man of the series against New Zealand four years later.

James is a relative novice at international level - with five Wales caps compared with Jonathan's 75 - but is no stranger to the big stage after his experience in rugby sevens.

Davies the younger was a key was part of the Team GB squad that reached the final in Rio 2016.

In Brazil, he rubbed shoulders with some of the greatest sporting athletes on the planet, all ideal preparations for rugby's biggest global tournament.

"I'm pretty relaxed and take everything in my stride," said Davies.

"They call the Olympics the biggest show on Earth, so it's probably good preparation.

"I think it'll be a lot different to walking round and seeing [swimmer] Michael Phelps."

Davies has an Olympic rings tattoo among his well-documented collection of body art, and will add another if Wales reach the World Cup final in Yokohama on 2 November.

"We'll see how it goes first; if the squad makes it to the final or wins the World Cup maybe I'll get a massive 'Webb Ellis' on my back," said Davies.

The Scarlets flanker is wary of covering up his tattoos to adhere to Japanese culture. Last September, tournament organisers said players had been asked to cover up tattoos, which have an association in Japan with the notorious yakuza crime syndicates.

"I've heard about the mafia [with tattoos] so hopefully I don't get kidnapped!" joked Davies.

"I've been to Japan before, there's a lot of sushi and a lot of traffic.

"It's very different to Westernised countries but hopefully we can see a bit of it and have a good time while working hard."

While Davies was celebrating his call-up, he has also thought about his Scarlets team-mates who were left out of the squad, including props Rob Evans and Samson Lee.

"It's great for the 31 but it's savage for the boys who are missing out so it's important for everyone to realise that," said Davies.

"There's a lot of players who don't get the opportunity. When we went to the Olympics, the squad was more than halved so it was savage, it's the rubbish part of it.

"For one reason or another, Rob Evans and Samson Lee haven't been picked and they're world-class players so I know they will be gutted."

It was all celebrations in the Davies' household, though, with the brothers set to become only the third Welsh siblings to be part of the same World Cup squad.

Richard and Paul Moriarty were part of the travelling party to Australia and New Zealand in 1987 followed by Craig and Scott Quinnell 12 years later when the tournament was hosted by Wales.

"There are two good sets of brothers there so hopefully we can do it justice," said Davies.

"It's nice for the family, mum and dad are over the moon, and to share the journey with a family member is quite special.

"The family atmosphere has been congratulatory, it's hard to put into words for mum and dad. Jon and I just get on with it and we're chuffed to see each other going but it's on to the next job now.

"I think Jon was more nervous about me getting picked than he was for himself.

"I remember watching the Lions selection and being on pins for him because it would have been more difficult for him to get in.

"You just look out for each other, and because he missed the last World Cup it's great to see him here fit and raring to go."

The Davies brothers played together for Wales for the first time against England in August 2019.

It did not end well for James, who was forced off with a head injury in a challenge that involved his brother, and which could have derailed his World Cup ambitions.

"That summed up my season, I don't want to moan or whinge but it's been one of those years," said Davies.

"I had a knock on the head from 'Goldenballs' and I think he wanted to keep the limelight on himself!

"It was frustrating but it hasn't done too much harm. From the year I've had with injuries, I'm pleased where I am.

"I don't know if surprised is the right word for how I felt after being selected, I've trained well and gave myself more of a chance than most people did.

"Just to find out I got the nod when there are so many good players in the back row has been great.

"It's just the start now and I'm happy to be among it all."

The older brother is a proud man.

"I don't think he seems that excited, but I'm chuffed to bits for him," said Jonathan.

"He struggled last year with injuries and worked extremely hard over the last few months to be on the field training.

"He's been in a lot of pain but hopefully he can keep improving and giving a great account of himself."

But there will be no chance of the brothers sharing a room in Japan.

Jonathan said before the England game that his younger brother was too messy. A riposte was inevitable.

"I am happy I am not rooming with him and that's fine by me," James said. "There is no comeback to that because I am pretty messy.

"I would never room with him though because he is too boring.

"What would you rather?!"

Boring is never a word you would apply to James Davies.

Stuart McInally has been named Scotland captain for the Rugby World Cup, but centres Huw Jones and Rory Hutchinson are among the squad's major omissions.

Forwards Josh Strauss, Matt Fagerson and Magnus Bradbury also miss out after coach Gregor Townsend announced his 31-man squad on Tuesday.

Edinburgh hooker McInally has been chosen ahead of John Barclay and Greig Laidlaw to captain the Scots in Japan.

"I was injured for the last World Cup, so this makes it sweeter," he said.

"It was a very proud moment when I was asked to be captain."

Adam Hastings travels as cover for Finn Russell at fly-half.

Nine men were always going to be left disappointed as Townsend whittled the squad down from 40 when the final player pool for the competition, which begins on 20 September, was presented at Linlithgow Palace.

"It's been a tough process getting down to 31 players, but we are very happy with the squad we've selected," Townsend said.

The battle for midfield slots was the most competitive in this squad and it is where some notable omissions were inevitable.

Glasgow Warriors' Jones made an explosive start to his Test career, littered with tries in big games, but his poor form over the past year has cost him a World Cup place.

Hutchinson seemed to be the coming man, with the Northampton Saints' centre scoring twice on his first Test start against Georgia at the weekend.

However, Townsend has chosen Peter Horne and Chris Harris as back-up to the expected first-choice pairing of Sam Johnson and Duncan Taylor.

The back-row was another fiercely contested area that was always going to be tough to narrow down.

Strauss, now back in his native South Africa with Bulls, and Glasgow's Fagerson showed up well in Tbilisi, but that was not enough to book a seat on the plane to Japan.

Edinburgh's Bradbury has paid the price for a lack of match action after a rib injury ruled him out of the first three World Cup warm-up games.

Scotland squad

Forwards: John Barclay (Edinburgh), Simon Berghan (Edinburgh), Fraser Brown (Glasgow Warriors), Scott Cummings (Glasgow Warriors), Allan Dell (London Irish), Zander Fagerson (Glasgow Warriors), Grant Gilchrist (Edinburgh), Jonny Gray (Glasgow Warriors), Stuart McInally (capt) (Edinburgh), WP Nel (Edinburgh), Gordon Reid (Ayrshire Bulls), Jamie Ritchie (Edinburgh), Blade Thomson (Scarlets), Ben Toolis (Edinburgh), George Turner (Glasgow Warriors), Hamish Watson (Edinburgh), Ryan Wilson (Glasgow Warriors).

Backs: Darcy Graham (Edinburgh), Chris Harris (Gloucester), Adam Hastings (Glasgow Warriors), Stuart Hogg (Exeter Chiefs), George Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Peter Horne (Glasgow Warriors), Sam Johnson (Glasgow Warriors), Blair Kinghorn (Edinburgh), Greig Laidlaw (Clermont Auvergne), Sean Maitland (Saracens), Ali Price (Glasgow Warriors), Finn Russell (Racing 92), Tommy Seymour (Glasgow Warriors), Duncan Taylor (Saracens).

ORRVILLE, Ohio — Nearly sweeping the entire program, Cap Henry left Wayne County Speedway on Monday evening $5,000 richer, finally etching his name in sprint car racing history as an Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions presented by Mobil 1 main event winner.

The driver of the Lane Racing/Beer Barrel Bourbon No. 4 accomplished his feat in exciting fashion, utilizing his pole position to lead all 30, non-stop circuits around Wayne County Speedway, all while holding off defending All Star Circuit of Champions title holder Aaron Reutzel.

Henry’s campaign at the front of the field was engulfed in slower traffic for much of the 30-lap distance. On top of that, the former All Star Circuit of Champions Rookie of the Year was forced to manhandle an ultra-fast, but tricky and choppy surface, nearly costing Henry his victory when steering issues became a factor in the final corner.

In fact, Henry’s margin of victory over Reutzel was a mere 0.024 seconds.

Buddy Kofoid chased Reutzel and Henry to the final checkers, followed by Cory Eliason and Dean Jacobs.

“Man, this is awesome,” Henry said in victory lane. “I feel like we’ve been trying to do this for like ten years. I can’t thank the guys from Lane Racing enough. They work extremely hard and actually had to rebuild this car two weeks in a row after I crashed it. They are great to work for; a great team.”

Starting from the pole position, Henry set the pace early, instantly jumping out to a commanding lead over Aaron Reutzel, Greg Wilson and Buddy Kofoid. Lapped traffic entered the picture early with Henry reaching the back of the field with only six laps knocked off the scoreboard. Solidly in second at the time, Henry’s momentum downshift in traffic allowed Reutzel to close the gap, actually making a bid for the top spot on lap nine. The slider through turns one and two failed allowing Henry to escape into the distance.

By lap 15, Reutzel was pressuring Henry for the lead yet again, utilizing periods of even heavier traffic to chase down the former All Star full-timer. Despite running up on the leader, Henry seemed to find another gear, once again separating himself from the Clute, Texas-native in traffic.

Ten laps later, Reutzel was all over Henry one more time, this time battling nearly nose-to-tail as the lead pair diced through slower cars.

In the meantime, it was apparent that the rut that had formed between turns three and four was giving Henry some trouble. Lap after lap, Henry would hit the rut and find himself nearly losing his balance. Although Henry was able to power his way out of the near-mess, the final lap nearly proved otherwise.

As Henry drove into turn three for the final time, the rut at the bottom of the speedway struck again sending the familiar No. 4 up the track. Henry’s mishap was an opportunity for Reutzel, ultimately opening the bottom groove.

In a desperate attempt to maintain the lead, Henry rocketed back down the track and drag raced Reutzel to the finish, actually making contact just before the flagstand. Suffice it to say, Henry came out victorious, finally kicking the All Star monkey off his back.

“When I hit that rut on the white flag lap, I messed the steering up. I felt bad about running Aaron (Reutzel) almost to the infield, but we wanted an All Star win and I wasn’t going to lift,” Cap Henry continued. “I kept trying to crash through that hole the entire race. That last lap, it about got me. I definitely panicked there.”

“He was able to maintain a nice pace the entire race,” Reutzel said of Cap Henry. “Lapped traffic wasn’t too bad for me, but there were a few cars that were trying to make it hard for us. I was just trying not to crash, honestly.”

The finish:

Feature (30 Laps): 1. 4-Cap Henry [1]; 2. 87-Aaron Reutzel [4]; 3. 11N-Buddy Kofoid [3]; 4. 26-Cory Eliason [5]; 5. 9-Dean Jacobs [9]; 6. 70X-Justin Peck [6]; 7. W20-Greg Wilson [2]; 8. 11-Dale Blaney [8]; 9. 70-Brock Zearfoss [20]; 10. 13-Paul McMahan [11]; 11. K4-Chad Kemenah [7]; 12. G1-Tim Shaffer [13]; 13. 3-Jac Haudenschild [16]; 14. 38K-Jordan Ryan [14]; 15. 97-Max Stambaugh [15]; 16. O7-Gerard McIntyre [17]; 17. 22-Brandon Spithaler [21]; 18. 23-Carson Short [23]; 19. 8-Cole Duncan [22]; 20. 45-Trevor Baker [12]; 21. 16M-Danny Mumaw [19]; 22. 99-Skylar Gee [24]; 23. 81-Lee Jacobs [10]; 24. O8-Dan Kuriger [18]; 25. 57X-Andrew Palker [25]

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. — Matt Sheppard beat out Danny Johnson and Larry Wight in a stunning three-car battle to win Monday night’s Super DIRTcar Series big-block modified feature at Weedsport Speedway.

Once Sheppard got out in front, it was his show at the front of the field. Johnson finished second but led much of the first half of the race. Johnson and Wight battled wheel-to-wheel in the waning laps but Johnson edged the Gypsum Racing No. 99L to put himself on the second step of the podium. Wight flashed across the line in third.

For the eighth time in 2019, Matt Sheppard climbed atop his No. 9s Big Block Modified to celebrate a Super DIRTcar Series victory. Sheppard is now inching away from Erick Rudolph and Mat Williamson in the standings as the season winds down.

“It got pretty wild there,” Sheppard said. “I got rolling on the bottom and Danny [Johnson] was caught in the middle. I think we were trying to lap Jimmy [Phelps] and he couldn’t get by him and I couldn’t get by Jimmy. We were jammed up for a long time. Then all of a sudden here comes Larry [Wight] around the outside of all of us.”

Sheppard retook the lead from Wight shortly thereafter.

“We were fortunate to get through that mess of lap cars out in front. Then after the yellow and I figured I better go back to the top because of anybody’s going to drive around me it’s Larry Wight,” noted Sheppard.

A system of soaking rains moved through the area in the morning of the race. That appeared to have created a much different set of track conditions on the historic Weedsport Speedway than the drivers were expecting or used to.

“The top surprised me a little bit. I had thought the top was going away and I was glued to the bottom. Then I found a little something at the top of one and two. Larry showed us the line up there. I was quite surprised had the end of the race to be running the top instead of the bottom,” Sheppard detailed.

Fan-favorite Hall of Famer, The Doctor Danny Johnson was the early leader until Sheppard and Wight pounced.

“Matt [Sheppard] has been good all year. You gotta give credit where credit is due,” Johnson said.

“We ran a good race and just needed to be a little bit better,” said Johnson with a grin and an emphasis on little. The second-place is one of the best finishes in a while for the No. 27j.

He needed a little more to take the fight to Sheppard.

“I think he [Sheppard] was running the top a bit better and I was stuck in the middle. I thought I was good there but obviously I wasn’t.”

The finish:

Feature (100 Laps): 1. 9S-Matt Sheppard [5][$7,500]; 2. 27J-Danny Johnson [3][$4,000]; 3. 99L-Larry Wight [7][$2,500]; 4. 91-Billy Decker [8][$1,800]; 5. 88-Mat Williamson [14][$1,600]; 6. 5H-Chris Hile [10][$1,400]; 7. 111-Demetrios Drellos [9][$1,300]; 8. 83X-Tim Sears [12][$1,200]; 9. 6H-Max McLaughlin [6][$1,100]; 10. 25-Erick Rudolph [18][$1,000]; 11. 19-Tim Fuller [16][$800]; 12. 98H-Jimmy Phelps [25][$700]; 13. 35-Mike Mahaney [4][$600]; 14. 93-Danny Varin [21][$575]; 15. 42P-Pat Ward [19][$550]; 16. 21A-Peter Britten [11][$525]; 17. 26-Ryan Godown [17][$500]; 18. 18-Anthony Perrego [24][$500]; 19. R2-Rusty Smith [27][$500]; 20. 14J-Alan Johnson [2][$500]; 21. 11R-Rob Bellinger [20][$500]; 22. 32R-Ronnie Davis [1][$500]; 23. 15-Todd Root [23][$500]; 24. 2L-Jack Lehner [26][$500]; 25. M1-Dave Marcuccilli [30][$500]; 26. 37-Paul StSauveur [28][$500]; 27. 3-Justin Haers [22][$500]; 28. 121-Gary Tomkins [15][$500]; 29. 9X-Tyler Trump [13][$500]

ELMA, Wash. — With a dominant performance Monday night at Grays Harbor Raceway, Daryn Pittman earned his 84th career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series victory — tying his idol Stevie Smith on the all-time wins list.

“That’s pretty cool,” Pittman said. “That’ll take a little while to sink in.”

Smith had two wins at Grays Harbor. Pittman’s victory was his first at the raceway and his third win of the season with Roth Motorsports.

It took seven months — since his 83rd win in February — and 30 grueling laps around three-eighths-mile raceway to get win number 84.

He put himself in position to get the victory by first winning his Drydene Heat race and then finishing second in the DIRTVision Fast Pass Dash behind fellow Oklahoma driver Shane Stewart.  Stewart was eager for another win – having not won since June.

Their desperation to hold the checkered flag again manifested in the first three laps. They drag raced past the soaring green flag; their bumpers aligned. Sailing into turn one, Stewart went low, Pittman high. The Killer Instinct Crossbows No. 5 car edged Pittman by half a car into the corner and on exit.

Carrying more momentum off turn two, Pittman crept his way alongside Stewart down the backstretch. Before entering turn three the two almost made contact forcing Pittman to halt his run. The lead was now in Stewart’s control.

Pittman had let too many victories slip through his fingers. He wasn’t going to let another opportunity drive away. He powered back to the outside of Stewart in turn one and kept alongside him down the backstretch.

Knowing Pittman was there, Stewart launched his car to the bottom of the track in turn three. Pittman stayed high, allowing himself to build momentum around the top and dive underneath Stewart on the exit of the turn. They again drag raced side by side down the front stretch. When turn one approached, Pittman stayed in the throttle, darting past Stewart for the lead on lap three.

The Roth Enterprises No. 83 car then began to pull away. However, a few laps later Pittman slid out of the racing groove into loose dirt in turn two, sending his car sideways. Dancing with the throttle and steering wheel, he worked his way out of the mistake. But Stewart was now back within striking distance.

On lap 11 Stewart was side by side with Pittman due to a caution for a slowing Jason Sides. When the race restarted, Pittman accelerated back in front of the field. Stewart was no longer behind him, though. An aggressive Carson Macedo snuck his way by Jacob Allen and Stewart on the restart to move into second.

The rookie wasn’t able to keep pace with the determined veteran. Pittman pulled away to a comfortable lead. On lap 19 he was again forced to give it up. Stewart came to a stop in turn four due to power steering issues and brought out the caution.

On the restart, Macedo gave Pittman a scare. The California-native stayed with him down the front stretch and held onto his bumper down the backstretch before diving underneath the No. 83 car into turn three. The high side continued to favor Pittman, though. He used the available grip to launch ahead of Macedo and maintain his throne as the leader.

“I gave away a chance at winning 40 grand at Jackson (Motorplex) by choosing the outside, and trust me that’s haunted me for a while and the next race I’m going to lose by choosing the inside, and I told myself that,” Pittman said. “Won the first restart against Shane and never saw him and Carson scared the crap out of me there on the last one.”

With Pittman pulling away to more than a second lead, Macedo had to turn his attention to fending off 10-time series champion Donny Schatz. The reigning champion worked his way around Macedo for second on lap 23, but the Kyle Larson Racing driver was ready for a brawl to the finish.

Macedo powered through the ruts in the track to keep pace with Schatz and capitalized on the North Dakota driver’s slip up with three laps to go to move back into second. With an 11th championship on the line and the season quickly coming to an end, Schatz is not willing to give up points. He stalked Macedo in the closing laps and snuck his way by him on the final lap to finish in the runner-up spot for the second night in-a-row.

“That’s the way it goes,” Schatz said. “We had to race our way there. At one point we were back in fifth or sixth. To get back up there is good. Consistency wins races. We’ll keep plugging away.”

Macedo admitted he made a mistake by staying up high in the closing laps, allowing Schatz to get back by him. However, he is happy with a podium finish in his first appearance at Grays Harbor Raceway.

To see full results, turn to the next page.

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Southeastern Equipment & Supply, Inc., a leader in reconditioned and new floor scrubbers, will team up with Front Row Motorsports and Matt Tifft at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 8.

Southeastern Equipment will serve as the primary sponsor of Tifft’s No. 36 Ford Mustang, while Minuteman and Meijer will serve as associate sponsors.

Headquartered in West Columbia, S.C., Southeastern Equipment specializes in all types of floor buffer and cleaning equipment, shipping new and gently used cleaning equipment to all 50 states and several countries worldwide. The family-founded business offers over 100 years of combined experience in equipment service and is operated by 2nd and 3rd generation family members.

“This is a really exciting partnership for us,” said Grady Martin, General Manager of Southeastern Equipment. “NASCAR offers such a great platform for us to spread the word about our organization and what we are all about. Matt’s story really resonated with us and we’re looking forward to working with him.”

“It’s great to see a new partner like Southeastern Equipment on board with us at Indy,” said Tifft. “The equipment they provide is essential to our operation. I’m looking forward to representing them on the car and showcasing what they have to offer our fans.”