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Iraola 'happy' at Bournemouth amid Spurs talk

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 29 March 2025 05:39

Bournemouth manager Andoni Iraola said he is happy at the south coast side and is hoping to make history at the club as they chase their first major trophy, amid speculation linking the Spaniard with a move to Tottenham Hotspur.

With Spurs languishing 14th in the Premier League after 29 matches and bowing out of the FA Cup and Carabao Cup under boss Ange Postecoglou, Iraola has been touted as a possible option for the north London side if they part ways with the Australian.

The Europa League is Spurs' only hope of winning silverware this season in what would be the club's first trophy since winning the Carabao Cup in 2008.

The 43-year-old Iraola, who joined Bournemouth in June 2023, has helped the club reach the FA Cup quarterfinals, where they will host Manchester City on Sunday. His side are also looking to qualify for European football for the first time and are five points behind fourth-placed Chelsea in 10th spot.

Asked if he can achieve all his management goals at Bournemouth, Iraola told reporters on Friday: "I want to do my job the best I can. I don't know how far we can go, where we will finish. I want to do my job the best I can.

"If I don't do the job very well, they will find someone else. I'm really happy here. We have a great opportunity to make history and it would be amazing for me personally, for the club to achieve new heights, but we know that we have to be realistic.

"There are better teams than us and we have to fight against teams that are very good. We will try to give the best level we have."

Iraola was also asked about 19-year-old centre back Dean Huijsen, whose impressive first season at Bournemouth has generated interest from Real Madrid, a source has told ESPN.

Dutch-born Huijsen made his international debut for Spain against the Netherlands in the first leg of the Nations League quarter-finals on March 20.

"We are not surprised [with the transfer talk], probably because he has now made his national team debut, he has played well, probably they are talking more about him," Iraola said.

"He has been playing consistently and I think he has performed very well. He has faced very difficult forwards but we already knew he was a very good player when he came in the summer."

USWNT's Davidson (knee) exits Gotham FC draw

Published in Soccer
Saturday, 29 March 2025 05:39

NJ/NY Gotham FC and U.S. women's national team defender Tierna Davidson exited Friday's NWSL 0-0 draw against the Houston Dash in the 44th minute due to a left knee injury.

A Gotham FC spokesperson confirmed the left knee injury and said that Davidson would be evaluated upon return to New Jersey.

"Tierna is a warrior, is our captain. It was devastating seeing her coming off the pitch how she did, but then seeing her on the pitch at the end of the game, it was also a message from her to the team of how strong she is," Gotham FC coach Juan Carlos Amorós said after the game.

"I know that whatever it is, we're gonna be with her, we're gonna support her. She's in safe hands. We have a fantastic medical team and I hope [the injury] is the minimum it can be because she's been outstanding for us and outstanding for her country."

Davidson, who won the 2019 World Cup and 2024 Olympics with the United States, was defending a cross near the endline when she fell to the ground and grabbed her left knee. She walked off the field with assistance from the trainers and was visibly upset.

After hugging assistant coach Michelle Betos on the sidelines and briefly sitting down, Davidson walked to the locker room with further assistance from a Gotham FC trainer.

Davidson tore her ACL in March 2022. She returned to the field in early 2023 but missed out on a roster spot at the 2023 World Cup as she continued to regain her form.

She was called up to the USWNT roster for an upcoming pair of games against Brazil, which serve as rematches of the 2024 Olympic gold-medal match. Davidson was one of the USWNT's starting centerbacks at the Olympics alongside Naomi Girma.

Girma has not appeared for the USWNT in 2025 and is not on the latest roster, as she deals with an ongoing calf injury.

SPOKANE, Wash. -- Since UCLA lost its final home game of the season to USC at the start of the month, Lauren Betts has changed her mindset. She decided nothing will get in her way.

"Just be aggressive no matter what and do whatever I need to do to help my team," she said.

That has never been more clear than through the start of the women's NCAA tournament, especially UCLA's 76-62 win over Ole Miss on Friday in the Sweet 16.

Betts finished with 31 points on 15-of-16 shooting and 10 rebounds, becoming the first Division I player to have 30 points, 10 rebounds and shoot at least 80% from the floor in back-to-back games over the past 20 seasons, in regular-season or postseason play.

"That's insane," Betts said.

Betts' 93.8% shooting from the floor tied the record for the highest field goal percentage in an NCAA tournament game. She is also the third player in the past 25 years with multiple 30-point, 10-rebound games in a single NCAA tournament and the first since Brittney Griner in 2013; the other player to do it was Elena Delle Donne in 2012. All three of them did so in consecutive games.

"[We] have a generational player on our team," UCLA coach Cori Close said. "She's not only dominant for herself, but she makes everybody on the floor better, and so you just want to put the ball in her hands as many ways and as many times as possible. ... But Lauren is a dominant player on both sides of the ball. ... That's why she's one of the top players in the country, and that's why she makes us better, and that's why we're in the Elite Eight."

Heading into the game, Close didn't think Betts had to touch the ball on every possession, but she had to be involved in the play. If she wasn't, it meant Ole Miss' defense was taking the Bruins out of their normal actions.

It quickly became apparent that the Rebels couldn't do that.

"Whatever we tried didn't work," Ole Miss coach Yolett McPhee-McCuin said. "And it didn't work for 33 other teams -- or 32 other teams either, it seems like. ... Anytime they got in a bind, they just threw it to her. That is a luxury. You don't have to run a play. ... You can just throw it into your dominant post player. And she is that."

The Rebels threw some double-teams at Betts, but for the most part, they played her one-on-one and relied on their perimeter pressure to make it difficult for the Bruins. In the first half, Ole Miss had some success, trailing by only one point at halftime. Betts admitted the pace of the game had her "dying" early on.

But in the third quarter, UCLA made some adjustments and blew the game open, mainly playing through the middle of the floor.

The Bruins started the quarter on an 8-0 run, punctuated by Kiki Rice's first 3-pointer of the night -- forcing Ole Miss to call a timeout. Rice scored or assisted on all eight UCLA points during the run, and UCLA went 7-of-10 off Rice's passes. Rice and Londynn Jones combined for 20 points in the second half after scoring two before halftime.

Still, Betts' presence was the difference for her team, as the Bruins scored 35% better with her on the court than when she was off.

"She's so dominant every day in practice, and I know you guys don't see it, but it's just like every single day she comes with the same consistency," Rice said. "When we do get in games, it's like throw the ball up to Lauren. She will score, get me an assist. But I think just having her on my team, I'm so grateful to have her on my team and not be playing against her."

As dominant as Betts was on offense, she was equally impactful on defense, limiting the Rebels to 2-of-16 shooting on shots she contested. Until early in the fourth quarter, Betts single-handedly outscored Ole Miss in the paint.

"I take a lot of pride in my defense," Betts said. "That's something that the coaches have always held me accountable to, and I think that's something that I just try to bring to my team -- that competitive edge when it comes to defending."

After playing in their third consecutive Sweet 16, Betts' historic performance propelled the Bruins to their first Elite Eight since 2018.

They will face LSU, which knocked them out of last year's third round in a brutal loss, during which UCLA gave up a three-point lead with two minutes to go and the Tigers won by nine.

That loss left a sour taste in their mouths, Rice said. Getting past the Sweet 16 was a hurdle for the Bruins. But their aspirations are bigger than the Elite Eight.

"UCLA looks like a team that can win the national championship because who's going to stop [Betts]?" McPhee-McCuin said. "They're going to have their work cut out for them. ... But they are very tough as long as [Betts] is playing."

Houston survives on 'beautiful' last-second play

Published in Breaking News
Saturday, 29 March 2025 04:15

INDIANAPOLIS -- With 2.8 seconds remaining with the score tied in a Sweet 16 game Friday, Houston coach Kelvin Sampson called a clever baseline inbounds play that will long be replayed on March highlight reels.

Cougars wing Milos Uzan inbounded the ball to forward Joseph Tugler about eight feet from the basket. Tugler, immediately realizing that Purdue guard Braden Smith fled his spot guarding the inbounder, dropped a quick pass back to the unguarded Uzan, who leaped unimpeded to the basket and laid the ball in.

The shot delivered No. 1 Houston to a 62-60 win over the No. 4 Boilermakers. It was give, go, layin and win for one of this NCAA tournament's most memorable moments.

"That was beautiful," Uzan said of the way the play unfolded. "Especially in a moment like this, Sweet 16 to go to the Elite Eight."

The winning shot capped a 22-point night for Uzan, gave Sampson one of the signature wins of his career and propelled the top-seeded Cougars to a matchup with No. 2 Tennessee on Sunday. For a Houston program that has reached six consecutive Sweet 16s, the moment will resonate as one of the most indelible amid a gilded run for the program.

"Given the stakes, given what was at play here, given the fact that we've been in this moment two consecutive years and couldn't quite get over the hump," Houston assistant coach Kellen Sampson said.

Houston squandered a 10-point lead in the final eight minutes, as Purdue tied the score with a Camden Heide 3-pointer with 35 seconds left. It came on a sweet dish from Smith, who finished with 15 assists, and only because Tugler cheated off Heide in the corner to leave him open.

That set the stage for Houston's final possession, which saw a missed shot by Uzan and missed tip by Tugler before the ball was deflected out of bounds off Purdue. An official review confirmed the ball belonged to Houston and gave the Cougars a chance to set up the winning play.

Cougars players and coaches declined to reveal the play's name in the locker room afterward, but it is a play that they run plenty.

Kellen Sampson said the Houston staff had initially considered an inbounds play that was some type of lob to the rim. But he said his father, whom he refers to endearingly as "Chief," overruled them and wanted to use dynamic guard L.J. Cryer as a decoy, even as Cryer fought through a 2-for-13 shooting night.

Tugler started the chain reaction that led to the open layup by setting a sturdy screen on Purdue's C.J. Cox, who was guarding Cryer. Sampson told Tugler, "Make sure you hit him," since officials rarely call an off-ball foul in those situations.

Tugler, who is 6-foot-8 and 230 pounds, hit Cox hard enough on the screen that Smith, who was guarding the inbounder, darted to the opposite corner to cover Cryer to make sure he didn't get an open shot.

Tugler then darted the opposite way, where Uzan hit him with the inbounds pass at the midpoint of the lane. Tugler's instincts then kicked in, as he realized no one was guarding Uzan and immediately dropped a slick bounce pass back to him.

"It was an instinct play," Tugler said. "I can pass the ball. I trusted myself, and I trusted [Uzan]."

Tugler grew up playing on outdoor courts with chain-link nets in Monroe, Louisiana. And Kellen Sampson complimented how that background led to the play.

"Nobody on our team has played on outdoor courts more than Jo," Kellen Sampson said. "And so the fact that was an instinctive play, that's him. We got a lot of guys that have personal trainers. Joe's personal trainer was a blacktop court and a double rim."

Uzan capped the play with an easy, two-handed finish, as Cox was late to challenge the shot after Smith switched to his man. Kelvin Sampson said once Tugler slipped down from his screen, his biggest worry was Uzan standing flat-footed and watching the play.

"Don't be a neutral observer and stand out of bounds and wonder what Jo's going to do," Kelvin Sampson said. "Make sure you get both feet inbounds so when you catch it."

Smith explained that he vacated Uzan because he'd seen the play on film and didn't want Cryer to hit a shot in the corner.

"I could have stayed," Smith said. "There's a lot of different things that could have went into it. I just didn't want Cryer coming off to hit that shot."

Instead, Uzan capped a night where he hit a career high six 3-pointers and scored a game-high 22 points with his biggest basket. On a night when Houston's offense struggled in spots, as it shot just 38% from the field, everything unfolded in perfect order for the last field goal to go down.

"We didn't have our best," Kellen Sampson said. "To win six [NCAA tournament games], you're going to have to win one where the gun doesn't fire right."

Curry returns, relieved he avoided bigger injury

Published in Basketball
Friday, 28 March 2025 23:11

NEW ORLEANS -- Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry returned Friday night after a two-game absence because of a pelvic contusion and said that though he will "feel it for a while," he avoided a break in the bone.

Curry had 23 points and six assists to help the Warriors snap a two-game losing streak with a 111-95 win over the New Orleans Pelicans at the Smoothie King Center.

His return came just over a week after he took a scary fall in the second half of a win over Toronto last Thursday. Fortunately for the Warriors, Curry did not suffer a hairline fracture in his tailbone as he did when he fell hard on stairs that were courtside during a game against Houston in the 2020-21 season. That injury, which cost him five games, happened during the season when fans were not seated near the court due to COVID-19.

"It just reminded me of '21 when I fell into the stairs in Houston," Curry said. "I think that [this time it didn't] break anything or have any bone damage, was mostly just a deep serious contusion that I'll feel it for a while. But I can play and I can't make it worse as long as I don't land on it again."

Curry shot 7 for 21 against the Pelicans, including 5 of 16 from behind the arc. He said his timing and endurance -- he logged 34 minutes -- were a challenge.

But a week off at this point of the season is extremely beneficial.

"I thought he looked great," Warriors coach Steve Kerr said. "He was moving really well. Took care of the ball. I thought Steph played an excellent game. He probably missed his last five or six 3s, so the numbers don't look great, but he looked like himself. And I think the week off did him a lot of good."

The Warriors rested Curry against Milwaukee on March 18 after Kerr was adamant that his star was exhausted and needed a night off. He played just over a half in the next game against Toronto before suffering the pelvic contusion.

"I felt good before it," Curry said of how rested he is after the injury. "I mean, I know there's all that talk with the volume or the load that I've been through, but physically, I felt well and felt good and had some juice every night. Mentally, I was away from the team for three days [right after the injury] so that was just kind of weird but could fill the cup up a little bit.

"Then, thought I was going to play in Miami and kind of went through the routine but wasn't able to go. So it was another two days to kind of get my mind right. I think it should be a good run all the way to our last game. You got nine games left, so we got to win as many as we can."

Giannis on LeBron's praise: Unfair to compare eras

Published in Basketball
Friday, 28 March 2025 23:11

MILWAUKEE -- Giannis Antetokounmpo says he appreciated the compliment LeBron James gave him by saying the Milwaukee Bucks star could have scored 250 points in a game if he had played in the 1970s.

But the two-time MVP also said it isn't really a fair comparison.

"Great compliment, but I don't like comparing eras," Antetokounmpo said Friday after the Bucks' 116-107 loss to the New York Knicks. "It's not fair. If I'd played in the '70s, how everybody practiced and how everybody played, we would have played the same way. That's all you knew at the time. The game evolves. We got to 2020 and we know more."

James had made the remark on ESPN's "The Pat McAfee Show" while discussing how basketball had evolved over the past half century or so.

"You're trying to tell me Giannis wouldn't be able to play an NBA game in the '70s?" James asked rhetorically. "Giannis Antetokounmpo would have 250 points in a game in the '70s -- 250. That's no disrespect, but seriously."

When Antetokounmpo was first asked about James' comment, he initially gave a lighthearted response by saying "it would probably be more like 275, not 250" before quickly laughing and pointing out that he was only joking.

Then he gave his serious response by explaining why he believes it isn't fair to compare players from different eras.

"It's totally different, so you can't compare this era with that era," Antetokounmpo said. "I wish at this era that I play at now -- 2025 -- I wish I could score 250 points today. But, yeah, I don't think it's fair to compare. I'd probably play the same way they played if I played in the '70s.

"It's a great compliment coming from one of the best players in the league. It's definitely a great compliment. I appreciate it."

Rangers' Leiter earns 1st win after taking 2 'hits'

Published in Baseball
Saturday, 29 March 2025 01:26

ARLINGTON, Texas -- Texas Rangers rookie starter Jack Leiter took a couple of "hits" before getting his first big league victory.

Leiter got hit on the head by a ball while in the outfield during batting practice on Opening Day. Then when starting in the second game Friday night, he got thumped again -- this time by a ball tossed at him when he looked down, which struck him in a more sensitive spot below his waist.

Rangers manager Bruce Bochy said he hopes Leiter comes away with a much better memory after a 4-1 win over the Boston Red Sox.

"That he can win up here, that's what I hope he takes from this game. He's a major league pitcher and he can win ballgames up here," Bochy said. "He can get through a tough lineup, which they have. And, you know, that should really do a lot for his confidence, with what he did tonight."

Leiter got the win after allowing only one run over five innings. The 24-year-old right-hander struck out four, walked one and allowed five singles. The second overall pick in the 2021 amateur draft and son of former big leaguer Al Leiter made his big league debut last season, going 0-3 with an 8.83 ERA in nine games (six starts).

"Honestly, just winning's nice," Leiter responded when asked if a burden had been lifted.

After Leiter got done throwing in the outfield before Thursday's game, a ball hit by teammate Josh Jung struck him on the head.

"That was a memorable Opening Day, probably not for the right reason," Leiter said with a grin.

In the second inning of his season debut, after Leiter made his first Opening Day roster, Boston had a couple of runners on base in the second inning after a walk when catcher Jonah Heim went out to talk with him.

As Heim approached the mound, he tossed the ball at the same time Leiter put his head down.

"Hey, it made him laugh," Heim said.

"Just tough timing, honestly," Leiter said. "I guess he thought I was looking, but I thought he wasn't going to throw the ball at that point."

After the batterymates shared a laugh, Leiter got out of the inning without allowing a run. He got help from Wyatt Langford's running and lunging catch of Connor Wong's liner to deep left.

Heim hit two solo homers, the second coming in the bottom of the fifth for a 2-1 lead after Leiter had thrown the last of his 82 pitches. Five Texas relievers then finished it off with four scoreless innings.

"This was his day ... that was really fun to watch," Leiter said of Heim.

"It's good to get Jack a win. Good stuff," Bochy said. "Just a great job, keeping his poise out there, and I'm sure the nerves were going on his first start out there."

Betts revels in walk-off HR after emotional week

Published in Baseball
Saturday, 29 March 2025 04:13

LOS ANGELES -- Mookie Betts watched his drive sail over Dodger Stadium's left-field fence late Friday night, and the emotions spilled out of him as if he had delivered a walk-off in October, not March. An emphatic raised finger was followed by a forceful fist bump, then an emphatic toss of his helmet and a deafening roar as he pranced toward his teammates at home plate.

Betts hadn't just sent the Los Angeles Dodgers to an 8-5, come-from-behind victory over the Detroit Tigers on the same day their World Series rings were distributed. He hadn't just given the Dodgers their first 4-0 start to a season since 1981. He had done so in the wake of a debilitating illness that caused him to shed almost 20 pounds and often made him wonder if he could muster the energy to provide moments like this.

"That was super special," Betts said. "I know it sounds super selfish, but more for me. I was really proud of myself for coming in and playing underweight. Not that it's a big deal playing underweight, but just the fight that I've kind of been through -- the ups and downs, and the nights I'm just crying because I'm sick, and my wife's there holding me. That's where the emotion comes from."

As the Dodgers prepared to fly to Japan and begin their season last week, Betts, who had spent the past four months pouring himself into the arduous task of becoming an everyday shortstop, struggled to keep food down.

He didn't play in either of the team's first two regular-season games against the Chicago Cubs from Tokyo Dome and was instead sent home early. He was supposed to play in the Dodgers' exhibition opener against the Los Angeles Angels the ensuing Sunday, but he was a late scratch. Vomiting persisted. By that point, Betts' weight had dropped from 175 pounds to 157.

But a day later, Betts started to turn a corner. He played five-and-a-half innings in the Dodgers' exhibition finale Tuesday, then faced live pitching during the off day Wednesday. By the time the home opener came around roughly 24 hours later, Betts was back to feeling like his normal self. And on Friday, he made his presence felt.

With one out in the sixth, Betts recorded just the second hit off former Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty, then came around to score on Freddie Freeman's tying two-run homer. In the bottom of the eighth, he hit what would have been the game-winning home run had the Tigers not come back to tie the score in the top of the ninth.

In the 10th, Betts capped a five-run inning by coming up with runners on second and third and the score tied, working the count full against Beau Brieske, then turning on a low changeup and sending it 376 feet.

"Just given what he's been under the last couple weeks, and still to go out there and be ready, and not be 100 percent, and still give us everything he has, coming up huge -- I can't say enough about Mookie," Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said.

Betts is just the second player to hit multiple go-ahead homers in the eighth inning or later since the franchise moved to L.A. 67 years ago, according to ESPN Research. The other was Andre Ethier, who did the same on Aug. 2, 2015 -- at about four inches taller and roughly 50 pounds heavier.

"I didn't lose much strength, relative for my weight," said Betts, who has since regained eight pounds but would still like to add another eight more. "I'm still pretty strong. But obviously as you add on more weight you can add on more strength. Right now I'm just having fun hitting 160-pound homers."

Betts' homer capped an epic two-day stretch for a Dodgers team that opened its season more than 5,000 miles away and is still coming off the high of its first full-season championship since 1988.

On Thursday, iconic rapper Ice Cube drove a Dodger Blue Chevy Bel-Air along Dodger Stadium's foul territory with the World Series trophy strapped to the passenger seat, then brought it onto the field with the team lined up along the third-base line. On Friday, each of the Dodgers' coaches and players walked onto a makeshift stage by the pitcher's mound to receive gaudy championship rings decorated with 343 diamonds and 129 sapphires.

Amid all the pomp and circumstance, the 2025 Dodgers, seen as one of the most talented teams ever assembled, continued to win. They breezed past the Cubs in Japan without Betts and Freeman, then came back to the United States and snuck past the Tigers thanks in large part to a pitching staff that stranded 11 baserunners. On Friday, they fell behind twice and kept coming back.

"It kind of feels like we're just picking up where we left off last year," Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. "There's still a whole lot of fight on this team. There's no give up."

Williams Grove Opener Falls To Rain Again

Published in Racing
Friday, 28 March 2025 18:47

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. Racing at Williams Grove Speedway fell victim to rain on Friday night as the track made its third attempt at getting the season opener in the books.

Light to moderate rains hit the oval just as gates opened and the sprint cars and super sportsman began entering the pits.

The decision to cancel the event was made just after 6 p.m. ET when it became clear that that the rainfall would persist for at least another hour.

The season opening event for the 410 and 358 sprint cars will now be next Friday, April 4.

Kalitta Scores All-Star Callout Win At Winternationals

Published in Racing
Friday, 28 March 2025 18:57

POMONA, Calif. Doug Kalitta claimed the victory in Fridays Right Trailers Top Fuel All-Star Callout at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip, defeating Brittany Force in the final round of the bonus race as part of the 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals.

Force (Top Fuel), Ron Capps (Funny Car) and Greg Anderson (Pro Stock) are the provisional No. 1 qualifiers at the third of 20 races during the 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series season.

The bonus race was postponed from the NHRA opener in Gainesville and completed Friday in Pomona, as Kalitta went 3.657-seconds at 335.15 mph in his 11,000-horsepower Mac Tools dragster to power past Force in the championship round of the big-money race.

Kalitta, the 2023 world champion, defeated Clay Millican and Antron Brown earlier in the day to reach the finals, adding another special moment at the track where he earned his first world title less than two years ago.

Its been a while since we raced on a Friday, so that was pretty cool and we were super excited for what Right Trailers has done for us with this Callout, Kalitta said. We tried to do it in Gainesville, and theres no better place to bring it than here. I love running this place, but Im just glad to get by Brittany and Antron and Clay. It was a fun day, for sure.

The guys gave me a great car to be able to run that .65 after watching Brittany run the .64 a couple times. I knew we had that run in us, and Im glad we were able to do it.

Top Fuel Qualifying 

Force went to the top during the first session with a run of 3.646 at 334.82 in her 11,000-horsepower Monster Energy dragster. On that pass, she made the fastest run to 1/8-mile in NHRA history, going 301.67. If it holds, it would be her 53rd career No. 1 qualifier. Kalitta is currently second and Josh Hart made a big jump to third after going 3.675 at 332.34.

To come right out of the box and put a [3.]64 on the board, and then back that up with another .64 is very outstanding for this Monster Energy team, Force said. Its tough when you come into an event and go right into a race without any chance to qualify or make some runs. We went right into it and we were looking to win the thing. Unfortunately, we got beat in the final. It felt like it had cylinders out.

Were off to a good start. We still have a long weekend ahead of us, but we put some good numbers on the board. Winning, thats the ultimate goal. Thats why were here. This is my home track and Id love to win here. Weve been very successful in the past, and with (crew chief) David Grubnic, we come here and we want to win.

Funny Car Qualifying 

Just days after a massive explosion and crash in Phoenix, Funny Cars Ron Capps was back in Pomona, making the quickest run of both sessions, including a run of 3.830 at 328.94 in his 11,000-horsepower NAPA Auto Care Toyota GR Supra that puts him atop the field as part of a fascinating story. Should that hold, Capps would pick up his first No. 1 qualifier of 2025 and the 38th in his season, but this one would surely be special considering what went down on Sunday in Phoenix.

But Capps and his team showed impressive resilience on Friday, making a run in the 3.80s to open qualifying and then going even lower to close out the day. Capps praised the stellar work of his team to get to this point after what went down at Firebird Motorsports Park, hoping it results in an incredible story on Sunday.

Im pretty beat up and sore and bruised up and just wanted to get back in the car, Capps said. I just couldnt wait for today. It could not get here soon enough. No hesitation at all. They pulled me up, and then we fired it and went and before I knew it, I made the run, and they came on the radio and said, Youre the No. 1 qualifier.

Ive done a lot of media this week, and not for the best reason, but we talked about all week in these interviews about how you respond as a driver. How do you respond? But more so our team, and Ive never, never, ever had any doubt. Ive bragged about NAPA Know How but its these guys, man, theyve hardly slept.

Defending world champion Austin Prock is second after a run of 3.837 at 333.25 and his John Force Racing teammate Jack Beckman is third with a run of 3.855 at 326.40.

Pro Stock Qualifying 

In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip continues to treat Pro Stock reigning world champion Greg Anderson very well, as the veteran was the only driver to dip into the 6.40s on Friday with a standout run of 6.495 at 210.01 in his HendrickCars.com Chevrolet Camaro. It puts him as the quickest Pro Stock qualifier in Winternationals history, while the qualifying field is also the quickest in the races iconic history.

Anderson, who has qualified first and second at the first two races, respectively, is on track for his second No. 1 qualifier of the season and the 134th in his career.

The last time Anderson was in Pomona was the NHRA Finals in November, where he won a winner-take-all final round against KB Titan Racing teammate Dallas Glenn. Those two have met in the final round at each of the first two races with each driver winning a race and Anderson showed no signs of slowing down on Friday.

Theres so many cars that can run fast, and Im so damn proud of this KB Titan team, Anderson said. Ive got eight cars out here this weekend, and quite honestly, any one of those eight cars, if they hit it on the target, any run can go to the pole. Ive got a small part of that, and probably prouder of that than the fact that my car went to No. 1 because its hard to do that to make them all run good.

I really feel that we can run 6.48, whether we can get below that 6.480 [track record] or into the .47s I dont know. Its going to take 100 percent nailing it on the starting line and getting that killer 60-foot [elapsed time].

Matt Hartford is currently second with a 6.510 at 209.14 and Aaron Stanfield is third after going 6.515 at 210.28.

Qualifying continues at 12 p.m. PT on Saturday at the 65th annual Lucas Oil NHRA Winternationals at In-N-Out Burger Pomona Dragstrip.

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Sources: América, LAFC could play for CWC spot

Sources: América, LAFC could play for CWC spot

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsFIFA has drawn up plans to hold a one-game playoff between Club Amé...

Flick feeling 'love' as Barca hit 4 goals for 20th time

Flick feeling 'love' as Barca hit 4 goals for 20th time

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsBarcelona coach Hansi Flick said he loves his team's thirst for goa...

2026 FIFA


2028 LOS ANGELES OLYMPIC

UEFA

2024 PARIS OLYMPIC


Basketball

LeBron card sells for $1M; Clark card sets record

LeBron card sells for $1M; Clark card sets record

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsA 2003 Upper Deck Exquisite Collection Exquisite Rookie Patch Autog...

Grizz GM: No player input on call to fire Jenkins

Grizz GM: No player input on call to fire Jenkins

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsMEMPHIS, Tenn. -- Grizzlies general manager and executive vice pres...

Baseball

Rangers put 3B Jung on IL due to neck spasms

Rangers put 3B Jung on IL due to neck spasms

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsDALLAS -- The Texas Rangers placed third baseman Josh Jung on the 1...

Jays' Scherzer goes on IL, to see hand specialist

Jays' Scherzer goes on IL, to see hand specialist

EmailPrintOpen Extended ReactionsTORONTO -- The Blue Jays put right-hander Max Scherzer on the 15-da...

Sports Leagues

  • FIFA

    Fédération Internationale de Football Association
  • NBA

    National Basketball Association
  • ATP

    Association of Tennis Professionals
  • MLB

    Major League Baseball
  • ITTF

    International Table Tennis Federation
  • NFL

    Nactional Football Leagues
  • FISB

    Federation Internationale de Speedball

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