I Dig Sports
Wemby's homecoming, LeBron vs. Steph: NBA insiders break down biggest NBA Rivals Week matchups
The 2025 NBA Rivals Week concludes Saturday with four exciting matchups, including a 2024 Finals rematch between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.
After a dominant return to France, which included a 30-point, five-rebound outing against the Indiana Pacers, Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs will face off again against Tyrese Haliburton & Co. in a rematch in Paris.
Team USA Olympic teammates LeBron James and Stephen Curry will go head-to-head for the second time this season as the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors duel in a Western Conference battle.
The Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the Denver Nuggets in a rematch of last season's exciting Western Conference semifinals that saw Anthony Edwards get the best of three-time MVP Nikola Jokic in a Game 7 thriller.
Are these rivalries in the making a preview to the postseason? Which superstars will take over this weekend? Our NBA insiders answer the biggest questions surrounding these eight teams, plus the best bet for all four matchups.
Indiana Pacers vs. San Antonio Spurs, noon ET (ESPN)
What is behind the Pacers' recent surge, and can they hold onto it for the postseason?
Although the Pacers are playing slower than last season (currently ranked seventh after finishing second in pace last season), their speed and pace covers up deficiencies on the defensive end. Make no mistake, though. Indiana has improved defensively, playing what coach Rick Carlisle has called "a demanding style" that has the team looking poised for another trip to the Eastern Conference finals. The Pacers own a record of 14-5 since Dec. 13, and four of those losses came against contenders such as Oklahoma City, Boston, Milwaukee and Cleveland. If they sustain the improved level of play on defense, the Pacers have a chance to ride that momentum into the playoffs.
What will it take for the Spurs to break into the top six in the West?
San Antonio isn't far out of contention, but a couple of issues have plagued the Spurs. Offensively, San Antonio gets caught up playing the opponent's game (a product of lapses on defense), which can lead to devastating outcomes like we saw in three straight losses before Thursday's win over Indiana in Paris. Lack of communication defensively remains a major issue. The Spurs keep saying they can no longer use youth as an excuse for uneven performances, and prospects for moving up in the West won't improve until San Antonio gains a level of consistency in those areas.
With one game down, Victor Wembanyama's homecoming is___?
Shaping up to be the huge success that Wembanyama and the Spurs hoped for. Wembanyama wanted to shine in his native France, and he did just that Thursday in producing his seventh game with 25 points, 10 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 blocks. In just his second NBA season, Wembanyama already ranks among the top six all time in such games. Most importantly, San Antonio secured a win propelled by a strong collective shooting night in which the Spurs demonstrated they can deal with fast-paced teams like the Pacers.
-- Michael C. Wright
Best bet: Victor Wembanyama under 33.5 points and assists (-125)
Wembanyama dropped 30 points and dished out six assists in his first NBA game on French soil Thursday night. But he's gone under this line in eight of his past 10 games. The Pacers aren't pushovers defensively this season, especially against centers. I expect Indiana to do a much better job of containing Wemby on Saturday. -- Eric Moody
Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 3 p.m. (ABC, ESPN+)
Are Westbrook and Jokic the duo to lead the Nuggets into the playoffs?
Russell Westbrook has been an awesome story this season, a former MVP who has bounced around the league in recent years. He's thriving alongside Jokic, averaging 14.5 points, 6.3 rebounds and 7.6 assists as a starter. It appears increasingly likely that Westbrook will remain in the starting lineup -- Denver is 17-3 when he starts with Jokic -- but the Nuggets aren't relying on Westbrook to be a costar. The payroll makes that clear: Westbrook is on a veteran's minimum deal, while Jamal Murray signed a four-year, $208 million maximum extension before the season. "We did that as an organization because we believe in him," Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after Murray scored a season-high 45 points in a Jan. 14 win in Dallas, swatting at criticism stemming from the guard's slow start this season. In case anyone forgot, Malone noted that Murray starred during the Nuggets' 2023 championship run. Murray has averaged 20.7 points and 5.9 assists with a 57.8% true shooting percentage since the start December. If he keeps up that kind of production, the Nuggets will be contenders.
What is the biggest factor holding back the Wolves this season?
Minnesota has a terrible tendency to get stuck in the mud offensively down the stretch of games. The Timberwolves' 29 clutch games (within five points in the last five minutes) lead the league -- many of those because seemingly comfortable leads crumbled late in contests -- and rank 28th in clutch offensive efficiency (98.5 points per 100 possessions). This is where Anthony Edwards has the most room to grow. He ranks last in the league in clutch plus-minus (minus-49) in large part because Edwards relies far too much on hero ball despite often being double-teamed. He has attempted the most clutch field goals (64) and 3-pointers (37) but is shooting only 39.1% from the floor and 27.0% from long range in those situations.
Edwards or Jokic: Which superstar takes over this game?
Jokic is always the best bet to take over a game because he can dominate in so many different ways. He has more triple-doubles through three quarters of games this season (14) than any other team has. This is a three-time MVP in the midst of his best statistical season, averaging career highs in scoring (30.1 points), assists (9.9) and steals (1.9), as well as the second most rebounds (13.2) of his career. Jokic is one of the league's leading scorers and often completely controls stretches of contests without attempting a shot.
-- Tim MacMahon
Best bet: Denver Nuggets -4.5 (-105)
The Nuggets are firing on all cylinders, especially with how Nikola Jokic has been playing lately. Denver is 8-1 over their past nine games and has also covered the spread in eight of those matchups. If Jokic continues to dominate and his teammates knock down their shots, the Nuggets have a great chance to take care of business. They'll need to protect the rim, control the boards and limit turnovers to cover against the Timberwolves. The Nuggets are 6-0 against the spread in their six road games. -- Moody
Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks, 5:30 p.m. (ABC, ESPN+)
Boston dominates Golden State in a commanding performance, securing a 40-point blowout victory
Can the Celtics catch the Cavs for the East's top seed? Do they need to?
Boston will not be catching Cleveland for the top seed in the East -- and won't be worried about it.
The Celtics sit 5.5 games behind the Cavs in the East standings, and going into Thursday's game were projected to finish eight games back, according to ESPN's Basketball Power Index. It isn't realistic to expect Boston to make up that kind of deficit over the back half of the campaign, especially if you factor in the Celtics' recent middling record (9-8 since Dec. 23) and taking extremely precautionary measures by resting their players throughout the season.
Ironically, the Celtics are reminiscent of the LeBron James-led Cavaliers from 2015 to 2018. Those teams were never bothered about having the top seed in the conference -- they only had it in one of those four seasons -- and always believed they would be fine winning a road playoff series. As the defending champions, the Celtics believe they can take down the Cavaliers in a series that begins in Cleveland. Boston will instead prioritize health down the stretch.
What will be the biggest hurdle for the Mavericks to get back to the postseason?
Health. Dereck Lively II is out for two to three months with an ankle fracture. Luka Doncic has been out for several weeks with a calf strain. Kyrie Irving is dealing with a nagging back issue -- a concerning problem for any player, but particularly for a smaller guard who has had a terrific season and turns 33 in March.
Dallas had seven players sit out Thursday's game against the Oklahoma City Thunder, including four of its top seven projected rotation players in Doncic, Lively, Klay Thompson and Naji Marshall. A full-strength roster is hard to sustain over any length of time, but the Mavericks have gone 5-11 since Doncic left the lineup.
This 2024 NBA Finals rematch will be ___?
Underwhelming, if for no other reason than Doncic's injury robs the game of its luster, coupled with Boston's average play over the past few weeks. Outside of Oklahoma City, the Mavs still have arguably the highest upside of any team in the West and also are possibly the best bet to prevent the Thunder from making their first NBA Finals appearance since 2012.
When this game was put on the schedule, the hope was that all of the stars on would go toe-to-toe. Doncic being hurt keeps that from happening.
-- Tim Bontemps
Best bet: Mavericks +8.5 (-110)
The Celtics haven't won more than three straight games in almost two months. Boston is 2-6 against the spread in their past eight games and has struggled to cover all season. As heavy road favorites this season, the Celtics are just 13-19-1 against the spread when favored by at least eight points. Even without Luka Doncic, I believe the Mavericks will keep this game closer than expected. -- Moody
Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors, 8:30 p.m. (ABC, ESPN+)
What will be the biggest factor for the Lakers to hold onto contention in the West?
L.A. hit the halfway mark of the season as the No. 6 seed in the West -- which, if the season ended today, would come with an automatic playoff bid and allow the Lakers to avoid the play-in tournament for the first time since 2020. Any sense of satisfaction already would be premature though. "We have to have to get the mindset of not trying to hold this spot, but get better," Lakers forward Rui Hachimura said Thursday. "Trying to get third, or something like that. We can't just hold this spot and try to rely on other teams to lose." Hachimura's answer echoes Lakers coach JJ Redick's constant message to his team about being process-oriented and having a growth mindset. If the Lakers learn from their first-half mistakes to become a better team, they will have a shot. If they don't, as Hachimura mentioned, it won't matter if they avoid the play-in or not.
What do the Warriors need to do in the coming weeks to get back into the playoff picture?
With losses in six of their past 10 games -- including blowing an 18-point lead in a disappointing defeat against the Sacramento Kings this week -- these are tenuous times for the franchise. To begin a turnaround, the Warriors must find a way to score beyond Stephen Curry because the more Golden State's role players struggle with inconsistency, the more teams are able to clamp down on Curry. The Warriors are 20th in offensive efficiency -- averaging 111.3 points per 100 possessions -- and while they are 11th in defense, still have a negative net rating. Dennis Schroder, the team's in-season addition, hasn't had the impact they were hoping, averaging 10.4 points on 35.9% (28.6% from 3).
LeBron vs. Curry: Which superstar will show out in their second matchup of the regular season?
Why not both? Curry and James were equally superb in their first meeting this season on Christmas Day, with James posting 31 points and 10 assists to edge the Warrior star's 38-point performance in a two-point win for L.A. The two all-time greats have been getting the best out of one another for more than a decade, and that should continue as we witness what could be only a handful of matchups left.
-- Dave McMenamin
Best bet: Over 219.5 (-105)
The Lakers and Warriors always put on a show in San Francisco, and these matchups tend to light up the scoreboard. Four of the Warriors' past five games have hit the over, and the total has gone over in five of their past six home games against the Lakers. We can expect another high-scoring battle in this one. -- Moody
Farrell 'intrigued' to watch Six Nations from sidelines
British and Irish Lions coach Andy Farrell says it will be a "bit different" watching the Six Nations unfold this year instead of leading the Ireland team.
The 49-year-old Englishman has guided Ireland to back-to-back Six Nations titles but is taking a sabbatical from the role to coach the Lions in this summer's tour to Australia.
"I'll be intrigued to watch from the sidelines - it will be a bit different for me, watching the Six Nations from the sidelines," Farrell told RTE.
"Not just that, [there's] the big games in Europe, the URC and Premiership etc. Good luck to everyone"
Simon Easterby has taken over from Farrell as interim head coach as Ireland bid for third straight Six Nations triumph.
Farrell succeeds Warren Gatland as Lions head coach after serving as his assistant for the 2013 and 2017 series.
He will prepare the Lions for 10 games, including an opening Test against Argentina in Dublin and ending with a three-Test series against Australia in Brisbane, Melbourne and Sydney.
Farrell added that he is solely focused on selecting the right team for the Lions.
"It's always the job of a head coach - everyone always asks about the difficult decisions to be made, but it's my job to do the right thing by the team.
"And the team I'm going to be coaching in the summer is the British and Irish Lions."
Alex King will not be part of Warren Gatland's 2025 Six Nations backroom team with Rob Howley taking over the attack coach role for the tournament.
King, 50, was appointed by Wales head coach Warren Gatland in December 2022 after Stephen Jones departed.
King has been in his position for two Six Nations campaigns and a 2023 World Cup when Wales reached the quarter-finals.
He will not be involved in the coaching team for this tournament with no official reason given by the Welsh Rugby Union (WRU) for King's absence as former Wales attack coach Howley takes over his previous role.
Gatland's coaching team has been revamped with scrum specialist Adam Jones joining Wales' backroom staff on a secondment from Harlequins.
Psychology and human performance specialist Andy McCann has also been appointed for the tournament, while Mike Forshaw and Neil Jenkins will continue in their defence and skills roles.
Ospreys: Jack Walsh; Dan Kasende, Evardi Boshoff, Keiran Williams, Keelan Giles; Owen Williams, Reuben Morgan-Williams; Garyn Phillips, Lewis Lloyd, Tom Botha, Will Spencer, James Fender, James Ratti, Justin Tipuric (capt), Morgan Morris.
Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Cam Jones, Ben Warren, Harri Deaves, Morgan Morse, Kieran Hardy, Tom Florence, Iestyn Hopkins.
Benetton: Rhyno Smith; Ignacio Mendy, Malakai Fekitoa, Marco Zanon, Matt Gallagher; Tomas Albornoz, Andy Uren; Thomas Gallo, Agustin Creevy, Enzo Avaca, Giulio Marini, Eli Snyman (capt), Alessandro Izekor, Siua Maile, Toa Halafihi.
Replacements: Bautista Bernasconi, Nahuel Tetaz Chaparro, Giosué Zilocchi, Riccardo Favretto, Simon Koroiyadi, Lautaro Bazan Velez, Giuliano Avaca, Federico Zananadrea.
Referee: Ian Kenny (SRU)
Assistant referees: Ben Whitehouse & Craig Evans (WRU)
TMO: Colin Brett (SRU).
Harlequins: Green; David, Joseph, Waghorn, Cleaves; J Evans, Care; Jones, Walker, Kerrod, Launchbury, Lewies, Kenningham, W Evans, Chisholm.
Replacements: Riley, Els, Lewis, Herbst, Lawday, Porter, Benson, Halfpenny.
Northampton: Ramm; Litchfield, Savala, Hutchinson, Seabrook; Makepeace-Cubitt, McParland; Haffar, Walker, Davison, Mayavanua, Lockett, Kemeny, Pearson, Augustus.
Replacements: Wright, West, Green, Prowse, Hunter-Hill, Scott-Young, James, Glister.
Referee: Luke Pearce.
Sébastien Ogier staged an impressive comeback on Friday at Rally Monte Carlo, vaulting from third to first overall as Thierry Neuville and Elfyn Evans fell victim to the treacherous Alpine roads.
Ogier, chasing an unprecedented 10th Rally Monte Carlo triumph in this season-opening round of the FIA World Rally Championship, began the day on the back foot after an off-road moment on Thursdays third stage cost him around 20 seconds by Friday evening, however, the Frenchman had turned the tables, leading the rally by 12.6sec thanks to a masterful drive on the ice-kissed stages.
Ogiers Toyota GR Yaris Rally1 team-mate Elfyn Evans initially dethroned overnight leader Thierry Neuville on the opening stage, edging ahead after shading the Belgian by 2.8 seconds at Saint-Maurice Aubessagne 1. Neuvilles hopes of reclaiming the lead were dashed moments later when he limped out of La Bréole Selonnet 1 with a damaged rear-left suspension, a costly consequence of running wide on a downhill hairpin.
Evans, a four-time runner-up in the drivers championship, saw his lead reduced to 1.5 seconds by midday. A spirited response after service helped him extend the margin to 7.9 seconds, but disaster struck on an icy section in Saint-Léger-les-Mélèzes La Bâtie-Neuve. A half-spin on a treacherous patch handed the stage win and the rally lead back to Ogier. The Frenchman, energised by competing on roads just a stones throw from his home village of Forest-Saint-Julien, extended his advantage further with a commanding performance on the days finale.
Its a good end to the day, Ogier smiled. I had to fight for that. Earlier today I didnt have a mega feeling, I was really on the back foot and I couldnt find the perfect rhythm, but the last two stages were good for me.
With Neuville and Ott Tänak both facing setbacks Tänak clipped a telegraph pole on SS6, damaging his i20 N Rally1s bodywork it was Adrien Fourmaux who carried the Hyundai torch. On his first WRC outing with the team, Fourmaux showed promise with a stage win and two second-fastest times, securing the final podium spot 1.6 seconds behind Evans.
Two-time WRC champion Kalle Rovanperä also found his rhythm after a measured start on Thursday. The Toyota ace won the mornings opening stage and climbed from sixth to fourth by days end. He ended 24.3 seconds behind Fourmaux but held an 8.8-second cushion over Tänak.
Grégoire Munster delivered one of his strongest performances to date, securing consecutive second-fastest stage times in the morning loop. The M-Sport Ford Puma Rally1 driver ran as high as fourth before a tire deflation on the penultimate stage dropped him to sixth overall, but worse was to come as an electrical fault on the road section after the final test forced his retirement.
Munsters demise meant that Takamoto Katsuta rounded out Friday in sixth ahead of Toyotas young star Sami Pajari. Neuville, down in eighth, lost more time on the second pass through La Bréole Selonnet, suffering a tyre deflation that caused him to slide wide at the same corner he had faltered on earlier in the day.
Bakersfield Speedway Operations To Move To Kern Raceway
BAKERSFIELD, Calif. The 80th season of dirt track racing in Bakersfield and Kern County will be an impactful one, as Scott Schweitzer at Bakersfield Speedway and Tim Huddleston at Kevin Harvicks Kern Raceway have announced a partnership.
Bakersfield Speedways 2025 operations will relocate to the one-third mile Kevin Harvicks Kern Raceway Dirt Track with a full season of racing.
Bakersfield Speedway held 79 years of dirt track racing at its current home on Chester Ave. Kevin Harvicks Kern Raceway at Enos Lane and I-5 opened in 2013, while its dirt track began operations in 2015.
Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvicks Kern Raceway combines two of Californias signature venues into one racing season. The Kern Raceway dirt track is undergoing a transformation with a reshaping of the exit of turn two into the entrance to turn three. More than 2,000 additional seats will be added along with a new VIP Booth, scoring tower, and press box are also planned.
Track championships will be awarded in the IMCA Modifieds, Sport Modifieds, Stock Cars, Hobby Stocks and American Stocks. The new era of dirt track racing in Bakersfield begins on March 8 with IMCA opening night.
Schweitzer and his staff will continue their roles as the steward of racing operations while the bulk of marketing will fall upon Huddleston and his team.
We cannot begin to express our excitement at this opportunity to partner with Scott Schweitzer, Huddleston said. Kevin and I are looking forward to this chance to elevate motorsports in Kern County with a full season of dirt track racing.
Schweitzer echoed the excitement.
Crissy, Dakota, Brody and myself are overwhelmed that everyone at Kevin Harvicks Kern Racing was excited to have us as a part of this state-of-the-art racing facility, he said. We look forward to taking the dirt racing experience at Kern Raceway to the next level for all the racers, crew members and race fans starting March 8. Partnering with Tim and Kevin on the dirt track is an amazing opportunity for us and we cant wait to get started.
A highly anticipated debut is scheduled for Friday night March 21 with the Kubota High Limit Racing 410 sprint cars. After a thrilling appearance at Bakersfield Speedway in 2024, the NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws race into Kern Raceway on Friday Sept. 12. NARC 410 Sprint Cars make their 10th Kern appearance on Oct. 25. The USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midgets close the Bakersfield Speedway at Kevin Harvicks Kern Raceway season on Nov. 25.
Annual IMCA traditions continue at the new facility with the McGowan Memorial on June 28, Mike Moshier Classic on Aug. 16, and the Bud Nationals on Oct. 10-11.
Ultimate Sprint Car Series wingless sprints hit the track for two appearances on April 12 and June 7. USAC Western Midgets, California Racesaver Sprints, SoCal Dwarf Cars, California Lightning Sprints, Western Midget Racing, Western Racing Association, West Coast Sport Compacts, NMRA TQ Midgets, and many other series will compete throughout the season.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. The final 60-minute practice session for Saturdays 63rd Rolex 24 At Daytona was perhaps more eventful than anticipated for some.
Three notable cars briefly stopped on track the No. 60 Acura Meyer Shank Racing w/Curb Agajanian Acura ARX-06, the No. 7 Porsche Penske Motorsport Porsche 963 and No. 4 Corvette Racing by Pratt Miller Motorsports Corvette Z06 GT3.R.
The Acura pulled off course exiting Turn 3, the Porsche had nose damage on the Daytona International Speedway banking and the Corvette stopped on the backstraight, and only the Corvette stoppage caused a red flag.
Kamui Kobayashi was the fastest overall and Grand Touring Prototype class driver in the No. 40 Cadillac Wayne Taylor Racing Cadillac V-Series.R at 1 minute, 36.380 seconds (132.973 mph).
Other class leaders were Toby Sowery in Le Mans Prototype 2, Shane van Gisbergen in Grand Touring Daytona Pro and Anthony McIntosh in Grand Touring Daytona.
Sowery shares the No. 04 CrowdStrike by APR ORECA LMP2 07, van Gisbergen is part of the combined No. 91 Trackhouse by TF Sport Corvette Z06 GT3 and McIntosh is part of the debuting No. 19 van der Steur Racing Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo.
Cooper Lifts McLaren From Fifth To First In 20 Minutes
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. Michael Cooper took charge of the Grand Sport class in the final stages of the BMW M Endurance Challenge at Daytona Intl Speedway to claim overall victory in the four-hour opening round of the IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge.
Cooper guided the No. 44 Accelerating Performance McLaren Artura GT4 from fifth to first in the closing 20 minutes, executing a series of clean passes to seize the lead before maintaining an advantage of 0.327 seconds over Jan Heylen (No. 28 RS1 Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS) at the checkered flag.
Moisey Uretsky drove a lengthy two-hour, 40-minute opening stint prior to handing the McLaren to Cooper in eighth place. Cooper, who has extensive ties to McLaren, enjoyed coming to grips with the latest evolution of the Artura as he diced with Heylen and Billy Johnson, who eventually finished third in the No. 59 KohR Motorsports Ford Mustang GT4 he shared with Robert Michaelian.
Leader Heylen allowed the front end of his Porsche to drift slightly wide at the apex of Turn 7, the corner that takes the cars from the infield section of Daytona International Speedway onto the iconic banking between Turns 1 and 2 of the oval with about seven minutes on the clock. The McLaren drew level on the back stretch and eased in front entering the Le Mans chicane.
Heylen, who co-drove with Luca Mars, was unable to pressure Cooper into a mistake in the final three laps, allowing Cooper and Uretsky to claim their first race win in Michelin Pilot Challenge competition. It was McLarens first win at Daytona since 2021. Additionally, the rebranded team (previously Baby Bull Racing) won on debut with the McLaren, after campaigning the Porsche in previous seasons.
That was a lot of fun, said Cooper, who also has a Rolex 24 At Daytona win on his résumé (2022, Le Mans Prototype 3 class with Riley). I drove the previous version of the McLaren, so this felt very familiar. Its an amazing GT4 car and all the guys did an incredible job.
Moisey ran the first couple stints, way longer than we needed him to, and he handed me over a clean car that I was able to fight with Jan and Billy and take it to the front. Right after I passed Jan, we both just sailed it into (Le Mans) and sailed it into Turn 1 a couple times, using everything up and trying to get away.
Uretsky added, Cooper brought it home. The Porsche is a fast car, but Cooper was smart about it, and he picked the right moment. I knew once he had the lead, he wasnt going to give it up.
Heylen, a former GS class champion in the Michelin Pilot Challenge, looked to be in solid shape until Cooper made his charge as the race crept into twilight on Daytonas 3.56-mile road course.
Its tough to be this close and then lose it in the last two or three laps, Heylen said. Maybe I could have been a bit more aggressive early on, but they were the better car today its as simple as that.
Sam Paley and Jenson Altzman (No. 13 McCumbee McAleer Racing with Aerosport Ford Mustang GT4) finished fourth, while Spencer Pumpelly, Andy Lally, and Thomas Collingwood rallied to claim fifth in the No. 38 BGB Motorsports Porsche 718 GT4 RS CS.
With five straight drivers and six straight Touring Car manufacturer championships in IMSA Michelin Pilot Challenge, Bryan Herta Autosport with Curb Agajanian and Hyundai has had little left to achieve in the category.
However, one white whale that has eluded the erstwhile dominant force of the class was a win at Daytona Intl Speedway. At long last Friday, a BHA Hyundai drove into victory lane.
Team co-owner Bryan Herta, whose team has won two Indianapolis 500s in addition to all his IMSA accolades, reflected on adding this win at one of North Americas most special racing venues.
This place is amazing and has so much history, so to win here is special, Herta said. You know, this place and Indianapolis Motor Speedway are cathedrals of speed in our sport. This one has eluded us, so Im very proud to get it.
Denis Dupont and Preston Brown were the lucky pair who achieved the feat for the team, driving the No. 76 Hyundai Elantra N TCR from ninth to the win and played the better pit strategy game to leapfrog the otherwise pace-setting sister car driven by Bryson Morris and Mark Wilkins.
Morris qualified on pole in the No. 33 Hyundai and led a race-high 48 of 109 laps in class, but fell behind the No. 76 car as the race progressed past the final pit stop sequence. Wilkins pushed Dupont hard enough in the finish and made one final passing attempt high in the tri-oval on the final lap, only to come up short by just 0.067 of a second.
The win is the second for both Dupont and Brown in Michelin Pilot Challenge action and coincidentally, their second straight four-hour race win in the series. The pair won their first race together at last Junes OReilly Auto Parts Four Hours of Mid-Ohio, courtesy of an intentional fuel-saving final stint.
It was a fight, Dupont said. (Wilkins) was in the draft, he was fast. I had to close the door sometimes and sometimes we had traffic. He was super close on the finish line, but we held him off.
Brown added, Its about as special as you can get.
Behind the pair of Hyundais, Audi completed the podium with Ryan Eversley and IMSA Diverse Driver Development Scholarship recipient Celso Neto sharing the No. 7 Precision Racing LA Audi RS3 LMS TCR.
Islanders bringing in divisive DeAngelo for season
Tony DeAngelo is back in the NHL, signing with the New York Islanders for the rest of the 2024-25 season.
The contract, announced Friday, is for the league minimum salary of $775,000 and is prorated for the remaining games of the season.
The 29-year-old defenseman started the season with SKA Saint Petersburg of Russia's KHL, signing with the club in the offseason after not finding an NHL opportunity in free agency. He had 32 points and 33 penalty minutes in 34 games. SKA announced a mutual termination of his contract Jan. 14 for what the team said were family considerations in North America.
As a player returning to the NHL, DeAngelo needs to clear waivers before playing his first game with the Islanders.
The Islanders recently lost top offensive defenseman Noah Dobson to a lower-body injury. Dobson, who has 24 points in 46 games, is considered week-to-week.
DeAngelo is considered an offensive defenseman. He has 210 points in 371 career NHL games.
The Islanders are DeAngelo's fifth NHL team. He was drafted 19th overall in 2014 by the Tampa Bay Lightning, who traded him to Arizona in 2016. After his rookie season with the Coyotes, he was traded to the New York Rangers, where he spent the majority of his career (167 games) and had his best offensive season in 2019-20 with 53 points in 68 games. His time with the Rangers ended after a physical altercation between DeAngelo and goalie Alexandar Georgiev in January 2021.
He signed as a free agent with the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2021 offseason and was traded to the Philadelphia Flyers one year later. The Flyers attempted to trade him back to the Hurricanes in 2023, but the deal violated the collective bargaining agreement; instead, they bought out the last year of his contract. He re-signed with the Hurricanes for the 2023-24 season and played 31 games, having been a healthy scratch for multiple games.
DeAngelo's outspoken nature in interviews and on social media has made him one of hockey's most divisive players among fans for his views on politics and the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2014, while playing junior hockey for the Sarnia Sting, DeAngelo was suspended twice for violating the Ontario Hockey League's abuse/diversity policy. That included an eight-game suspension for "a most inappropriate statement to a teammate."
Phone: (800) 737. 6040
Fax: (800) 825 5558
Website: 
Email: 
