INNISFIL, Ontario – Due to the continuation of the global COVID-19 pandemic, the Southern Ontario Sprints have paused plans for the upcoming season.

Being a not-for-profit club, and with uncertainty surrounding fan attendance making it difficult to secure sponsorship to run races, the club has found little choice but to patiently wait until a return to more normal conditions.

It’s the second straight year that the Southern Ontario Sprints have nixed plans to compete due to the worldwide health situation surrounding the COVID-19 virus.

“We understand racers are eager to get back on track,” noted the Southern Ontario Sprints Executive Board in a prepared statement. “We just can’t take on the financial risk required to be able to race. And we don’t want to put it on the backs of the drivers and owners.”

Despite not being able to race for two seasons, “this is not the end of the Southern Ontario Sprints,” insisted the Board of Directors. “The situation around the world right now is tough for everyone, and we feel this is the most prudent way to move forward.”

Planning is already underway for the 2022 season, with more announcements expected in the coming months.

SEBRING, Fla. – Just because they won the season opener, the drivers and crew at Wayne Taylor Racing aren’t resting on any laurels.

The No. 10 Konica Minolta Acura ARX-05 spent a couple days recently testing at Sebring Int’l Raceway in a bid to earn the Florida double of winning the Rolex 24 and Mobil 1 Twelve Hours of Sebring to start the season.

HAMPTON, Ga. – Coolray Heating, Cooling, Plumbing and Electrical has expanded its support of Josh Williams and DGM Racing ahead of this weekend’s NASCAR Xfinity Series stop at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

Williams will carry the Atlanta-based company’s brands on his No. 92 DGM Racing Chevrolet Camaro for both Xfinity Series events at the 1.54-mile quad-oval this season, starting with Saturday’s EchoPark 250 and continuing with the July 10 return visit to the venerable speedway.

The Coolray Company of Brands has been metro Atlanta’s leader in home maintenance and repair services for more than 50 years.

Coolray is a one-stop-shop for home service needs, servicing North Georgia with cooling, heating, plumbing, electrical, water treatment, attic insulation, and home automation services.

Their brands include Coolray, Mr. Plumber and BriteBox Electrical. Coolray has served the Atlanta region since 1966, with a staff of more than 450 employees and offices in Marietta, Suwanee and Jonesboro.

This year’s Atlanta Xfinity race marks the second straight season that Coolray has partnered with Williams and DGM Racing at NASCAR’s second-highest level.

“We are excited to continue our partnership with Josh Williams and DGM Racing again in 2021,” said Coolray President Andy Piercefield. “Coolray is proud to have served metro Atlanta since 1966, and we look forward to having our brands aligned with the team for both NASCAR weekends at Atlanta this season. This relationship allows us with a unique opportunity to elevate our brands by aligning ourselves with a world-class sport, as well as the most dedicated fans in all of motorsports.

“We heard from many customers and team members who were excited to see the Coolray colors on the track last season, all of whom will be surely cheering on Josh this season,” Piercefield continued. “Coolray and Carrier are proud to support Josh and the rest of the No. 92 DGM Racing team. We are thrilled to partner with them as they return to Atlanta for the first time this season.”

Williams ranks 18th in Xfinity Series points entering Atlanta and is coming off a determined drive at Phoenix Raceway, where he rallied from early mechanical issues that left him four laps down to challenge for a top-20 finish by the end of the race.

The Port Charlotte, Fla., driver is just 14 points outside the playoffs through five races and believes Atlanta poses a strong opportunity for he and his DGM Racing team to make up ground on those ahead of him in the standings.

“Our intermediate program has made a lot of gains since the last time we were at Atlanta last summer, and we’re excited to get back there this weekend and improve on where we ended,” Williams noted. “It’s also exciting for our DGM Racing family to have a local company like Coolray onboard with us again this season at Atlanta, and we’re looking forward to giving them some strong performances starting Saturday.

“Fourteen points isn’t a big gap in the Xfinity Series, and with as tight as the competition is, we want to be able to gain every chance we get,” Williams added. “We believe this team can race with the best and we’ve been showing it week after week, so hopefully we can do that again and get a step closer to our goal of being in this year’s playoffs.”

Saturday’s Atlanta race also marks a milestone for Williams, as he’ll make his 100th Xfinity Series start since debuting in the series in 2016.

All but one of Williams’ Xfinity races have come behind the wheel of team owner Mario Gosselin’s equipment, something Williams values as he’s progressed from part-time to full-time status.

“There were times when I wondered if we’d ever get past the first start,” said Williams, who is in the midst of his third full season with DGM Racing. “It’s taken a lot of blood, sweat and tears to get to where we are now, and 100 starts is a big deal for a team that’s fought as hard as my guys have, as well as all of the partners that have helped us get to this point.

“We’ll celebrate where we’ve gotten to this weekend, but hopefully we can make a statement with a really strong run for Coolray and all of their employees.”

MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Spencer Davis Motorsports announced Thursday that Bubba Wallace will contest the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series dirt race at Bristol Motor Speedway for the team on March 27.

Wallace will pilot the No. 11 Columbia Sportswear Toyota Tundra in search for his second-career Truck Series victory on dirt.

The effort out of the Spencer Davis Motorsports stable will be run in collaboration with Hattori Racing Enterprises, the 2018 Truck Series championship team.

Wallace lays claim to six victories in the Truck Series, including the 2014 dirt race at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway.

The Mobile, Ala., native is gunning for his first series win since 2017 and hopes to gain precious experience for the NASCAR Cup Series’ dirt event at Bristol on March 28.

“I’m pumped to get to Bristol and run on the dirt in the No. 11 Tundra,” said Wallace. “This is a race I’ve had circled on my calendar for the Cup race, so to be able to add the Truck race and have Columbia come on board just adds to the excitement for that week.

“I have the one win in the Truck Series at Eldora and it was a lot of fun. I may need to pull some notes from that race to prepare, but I’m just really looking forward to getting back in a Tundra and starting the Bristol weekend with a win.”

Davis, the owner and a driver for Spencer Davis Motorsports, sees Bristol as a tremendous opportunity for the two to combine for a strong effort on dirt.

“We’re looking forward to having Bubba in our No. 11 Toyota Tundra at Bristol and to work with Columbia Sportswear,” Davis said. “Any time you can get a driver with as much experience as Bubba in your truck, it’s a major boost.

“He’s proven what he can do on dirt as a past winner at Eldora, so we’re definitely optimistic about running well at Bristol, and hopefully giving him some experience to take into the Cup race on Sunday.”

In addition to their venture with Wallace at 23XI Racing, Columbia Sportswear will adorn Wallace’s Toyota Tundra for his return to the Truck Series for his first race in a Tundra since 2014 at Homestead-Miami (Fla.) Speedway.

“We’re proud to support Bubba Wallace on his return to a dirt track,” said Joe Boyle, Columbia Sportswear Executive VP and President of the Columbia Brand. “Both Columbia and Bubba can trace our roots back to the dirt, although the dirt trails we typically run are a little more quiet than the track will be in Bristol next weekend. It’s going to be a great race and we’ll be cheering loudly as Bubba continues to build on his exciting season.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Myatt Snider will go trucking next weekend for the first time since June of 2019. However, he’ll do so on a surface he’s not well versed in — dirt.

Snider announced Thursday afternoon that he’ll attempt to qualify for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt at the dirt-covered Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway, driving the No. 33 Chevrolet Silverado for Reaume Brothers Racing.

Louisiana Hot Sauce, a longtime supporter of Snider’s going back to his ARCA Menards Series debut in 2016, will sponsor the effort. Superior Essex and TaxSlayer, two of Snider’s partners in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, will be associate sponsors for the Bristol dirt event.

It will mark Snider’s first Truck Series race in nearly two years. The last time the now-Xfinity Series regular competed in a NASCAR truck was with ThorSport Racing at World Wide Technology Raceway in Madison, Ill.

If that’s not challenging enough, Snider’s background is racing late models and ARCA stock cars on pavement before advancing into NASCAR.

Dirt racing was never really in the cards. That makes the March 27 event at The Last Great Coliseum a unique opportunity for the 26-year-old son of NASCAR on NBC pit reporter Marty Snider.

“It’s going to be fantastic to make my return to the Truck Series on dirt next weekend at Bristol,” said Snider. “The Last Great Coliseum has been good to me, and the dirt makes it that much more alluring. The entry list is stacked and that’s going to make the event that much better and more fun to compete in.

“I can’t wait to return with such a spicy ride on track with Louisiana Hot Sauce supporting us.”

Snider does have have one prior Truck Series start on dirt, in 2018 at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway when he finished 20th in a ThorSport-prepared entry.

Louisiana Hot Sauce, one of the staple brands from Georgia-based, family-owned food company Summit Hill Foods, was the sponsor onboard Snider’s Cunningham Motorsports entry when Snider — then 21 — won his debut ARCA start at Toledo (Ohio) Speedway.

The brand has continued as a sponsor of Snider’s racing efforts, including his full-season run in the NASCAR Xfinity Series with Richard Childress Racing, meaning that the Bristol dirt race marks the rekindling of a successful partnership for driver and sponsor.

“We have built our business at Summit Hill Foods for the last 80 years, over four generations of our family, so for us to partner with Myatt at a dirt race, which dates back to the very origins of NASCAR is a perfect combination,” noted Brad Olsen, vice president of marketing for Summit Hill Foods. “We’ve had a longstanding partnership with Myatt and his family, supporting him from the start of his career with our Original Louisiana Hot Sauce brand and we were so proud to see him in victory lane at Miami just a few weeks ago.

“We couldn’t be more excited to partner with him for this unique event on dirt at Bristol next weekend.”

Snider won in a late model during the inaugural U.S. Short Track Nationals at Bristol in 2017, and finished fifth there last year with RCR in the Xfinity Series.

Altogether, Snider has three top-five finishes in five career Bristol starts.

The Pinty’s Truck Race on Dirt takes the green flag March 27 at 8 p.m. ET, with live coverage on FS1, the Motor Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, channel 90.

Heat races earlier in the afternoon will set the field for the Saturday night main event.

Hockey fans always approach the NHL trade deadline hoping for exhilaration but end up with several hours of inertia. High prices scare away otherwise thirsty general managers. The rumors of what could happen are ultimately more entertaining than what actually does.

That's a shame, because a great deadline can lead to great things. It can clear the decks for a rebuild. It can rearrange a salary cap in preparation for a productive summer. Or it can catapult a Stanley Cup contender over the hump to a title: Look no further than last season, when the additions of Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow gave the Tampa Bay Lightning their dominant checking line en route to the bubble Cup win.

It's quiet right now in the NHL, both in actual deals and in chatter among the GMs.

"Some of the teams that might have rentals, they still may. But they're still close enough to the playoffs that they're not raising the white flag," one general manager told me recently.

There are other forces at play, too, like the fact that over half the league is feeling the pinch of the flat salary cap. Plus, there are the quarantine issues at the Canadian border. Let's also remember the tentacled shadow looming over the entire season, as teams consider how any move impacts the Seattle expansion draft count.

But this unprecedented season could also foster more activity: One general manager I spoke to theorized that the divisional playoff format -- in which teams play against divisional opponents until the "final four" of the third round -- could encourage teams to shoot their shot more than if they were destined to meet a conference power in an early round.

Trade deadline pressure abounds. Here are six NHL teams that absolutely have to get it right this season.

It was obvious Justin Thomas was nervous watching his tee shot on the 72^nd hole of The Players Championship bound dangerously close to the water’s edge. You could see it in his face and in his reaction.

But what you couldn’t see was how his body was responding internally. Thanks to his Whoop device, you can almost feel how fast Thomas' heart was racing, peaking at nearly 140 beats per minute.

The Whoop device measures a person’s heart rate, sleep and strain, and showed that Thomas’ best night of sleep and recovery (how prepared one’s body is to take on strain) was ahead of Round 3, in which he shot 64 to vault into contention.

You can click here to read more about Thomas’ Whoop metrics during his victorious week at TPC Sawgrass.

Real Madrid have convinced Eden Hazard to avoid undergoing surgery and to instead seek a conservative treatment for his ankle injury, several sources have confirmed to ESPN FC.

The Belgium international, advised by the medical staff of his national team, was in favour of undergoing surgery on the same ankle that he had operated on a year ago.

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Hazard believes that the high number of muscular injuries he has sustained are directly related to his ankle problem. The former Chelsea star thinks that the metal plate inserted in his right ankle in the operation he had in March 2020, in Dallas, Texas, has not adapted well with his bone or his muscle.

The sources say that Hazard believes that his latest injury setback, a right muscular problem, is due to his effort to avoid putting too much pressure on his right ankle.

After consulting with several specialists, though, Real Madrid have ruled out Hazard undergoing surgery. Hazard will continue a conservative treatment and there is no prediction as to how long the player will be sidelined.

Despite Madrid being alive in the Champions League and La Liga, the aim of the club and the player is not to rush a return to avoid a recurring problem.

Real Madrid, six points adrift of Atletico Madrid in La Liga, qualified for the Champions League quarterfinals after eliminating Atalanta from the competition this week.

Hazard is also eager to captain his national team in this summer's European Championship.

Since joining Real Madrid from Chelsea in June 2019, Hazard has had 11 injuries. He has missed 50 games, while he has made 36 appearances for Los Blancos.

Hazard, 30, has not shown his best form as many of the games he did play in were between injuries. Sources have told ESPN that Hazard is "sad" and one of the biggest challenges that the club faces is to mentally recover the player.

Hazard feels frustrated and is in shock over still not having found the cause of the problem that prevents him from playing regularly, adds the sources.

Another source has told ESPN that one of the regrets Hazard has is that he hasn't repaid the confidence Real Madrid coach Zinedine Zidane has shown in him since arriving at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium.

Gareth Southgate has recalled Jesse Lingard, Luke Shaw and John Stones into his latest England squad for the World Cup qualifiers, but has dropped Trent Alexander-Arnold for the first time since breaking into the senior set-up.

The Three Lions face San Marino, Albania and Poland later this month with Southgate naming an experimental 26-man squad.

Lingard's last England cap came in the UEFA Nations League third-fourth place play-off defeat to Switzerland in June 2019 but he has revived his fortunes since joining West Ham United on loan from Manchester United.

- UEFA World Cup qualifiers on ESPN+ Stream LIVE games and replays (U.S. only)

Shaw's absence is even longer, having earned the last of his eight caps in September 2018 while Stones has been rewarded for his part in Manchester City's resurgence with a first call-up in 16 months.

"There's never been any question in our mind about the quality of all three players," he said.

"All have had difficult times, mainly due to injury. Jesse, of the three, is a little bit more fortunate to be in. Luke and John have performed over a period of time. We've got injuries in the attacking areas that have opened up an opportunity for Jesse.

"But I have to say his performances for West Ham have been excellent. He has four goals in six games. We know he can perform at the level, We know he's been a really good member of our squad, both in terms of his general link-up play but he's scored goals for England as well. There is no doubting his quality.

"Ideally, you'd be saying 'you need to do it for a little bit longer' but that's not been the option this time around. We've lost the likes of Jack Grealish, Jadon Sancho and then one or two others who haven't been with us but have been performing well: Harvey Barnes, James Maddison. There is a space there, we trust Jesse and we think he can play a big part in these three games."

Alexander-Arnold has been part of a Liverpool team that has faltered badly in the defence of their Premier League crown and Southgate admitted the 22-year-old's dip in form has seen him fall behind several others in the pecking order at right-back with Reece James, Kieran Trippier and Kyle Walker selected this time.

"Trent is very unfortunate," he said. "I don't think he has played at the level he found in the last couple of years but I think he is getting very close to that now. In the last few weeks, he has definitely taken steps in the right direction.

"It is simply that we think Reece James, Kieran Trippier have had exceptional seasons with their clubs. Kyle Walker is in great form with Manchester City. We've got other players in the league who are also playing well in that position. [Matty] Cash at Aston Villa, [Luke] Ayling at Leeds so it really is a position... we've got two very good right-backs in the Under-21s. It is a remarkable position of strength.

"But what I said to Trent earlier today, I've made that same call to Kieran and Kyle in the past. Their response was a good one and they took up the challenge and found themselves back in the squad.

"Trent is of course a super talent and I'm certain he will play a big part with England in the future. He misses out this time but we could quite conceivably be sitting here before the summer and he's with us."

Southgate also revealed his doubts over Jude Bellingham being able to feature despite calling up the 17-year-old after a fine campaign with Borussia Dortmund.

Current guidelines state anyone returning to Germany must self-isolate for 14 days with no exemptions.

"At the moment it looks like we won't be able to take him," Southgate said. "The quarantine rules in Germany look like they will rule him out. But as we've seen, those rules can change so quickly and while we are still investigating what is possible, we wanted to name him in the squad.

"We've got a really good relationship with Dortmund so no issues between us and the squad. I've explained to Jude that we are leaving him in there but we know is it looking doubtful at this moment in time that he'll be able to join up."

England squad

Dean Henderson, Sam Johnstone, Nick Pope, Ben Chilwell, Conor Coady, Eric Dier, Reece James, Harry Maguire, Tyrone Mings, Luke Shaw, John Stones, Kieran Trippier, Kyle Walker, Jude Bellingham , Phil Foden, Jesse Lingard, Mason Mount, Kalvin Phillips, Declan Rice, James Ward-Prowse, Ollie Watkins, Dominic Calvert-Lewin, Harry Kane, Marcus Rashford, Bukayo Saka, Raheem Sterling.

La Liga has denied that it threatened to relegate Barcelona to the second division if it swore a new president before depositing the required €125m bank guarantee.

Barcelona presidential candidate, Toni Freixa, claimed on Thursday that he and the two other presidential candidates, Joan Laporta and Victor Font, were told by then acting president Carles Tusquets ahead of the March 7 election what La Liga's position was when it came to having the bank guarantee, which is part of the club's statutes to officially take office.

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The bank guarantee, which is 15% of Barca's budget, is a way of protecting the club against being run irresponsibly and has to be ratified by La Liga.

Freixa tweeted: "La Liga's response, more specifically that of [its president] Javier Tebas, was 'if you allow the swearing-in of the new president without depositing the bank guarantee, I will relegate Barca to the second division.' That is what Carles Tusquets explained to all three candidates."

Freixa, a lawyer by profession, also claimed he met with La Liga president Tebas in October to discuss the possibility of eliminating the rule of having the bank guarantee as it was introduced by the club "over 30 years ago when the club budget was a hundred times lower."

La Liga has denied there was any contact between Tebas and Tusquets during the electoral period and said the only possible outcome that could have arisen had the president-elect not deposited the guarantee was for a repeat of the elections and not relegation.

The La Liga statement said: "The one contact made by La Liga [during that time] was with the legal services, who requested a legal report that was sent to the Electoral Board of FC Barcelona, in which there was no mention of the demotion to which Freixa refers to.

"Finally, La Liga wants to remember that, in the event that the newly elected president of a club does not present the guarantee, it is only possible from a legal standpoint to repeat elections and never demotion."

Laporta, who was previously Barca president between 2003 and 2010, was sworn in on Wednesday as Barca's 42nd president after he and his executive board secured the required bank guarantee.

La Liga, meanwhile, announced on Thursday that the Clasico between Barcelona and Real Madrid will be played on April 10, at 9 p.m. local time.

Barca will travel to the Spanish capital to face Real Madrid at the Alfredo Di Stefano stadium in round 30 of La Liga.

Real Madrid won 3-1 at Barcelona in their most recent league encounter, on Oct. 24.