Sunday’s Sprint Cup Toyota/Save Mart 350 at Sonoma begins at 3 p.m. ET from Sonoma Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., about an hour north of San Francisco. Four drivers are co-favorites to win. The race has been run every year since 1989. MORE: 2015 Sprint Cup winners | NASCAR’s eligible bachelors | Spectacular crashes from Sonoma Jeff Gordon has five wins in Sprint Cup races at Sonoma, three more than the next best driver, and nine road-course victories overall, the most in NASCAR history....

Beyond that, though, Kyle Busch, Joey Logano, Denny Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson and Chase Elliott have different hurdles to jump in their quests to join Martin Truex Jr. and Kevin Harvick, winners of the last two playoff races, in the last round for the championship. MORE: NASCAR starting lineup for Phoenix All but one of those six drivers could reach the championship race without a win Sunday in Phoenix; only Elliott, 78 points under the cut line, needs a victory to advance....

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — To the surprise of no one, Mark Martin continued to win races at the highest level well past an age when most competitors have hung up their helmets. With five victories past the age of 50, Martin also came within one standings position of winning the 2009 premier series championship. The phrase ‘age is just a number’ may be cliche — but it certainly applied to the diminutive Martin, whose fitness regimen of heavy weight lifting and healthy eating became legend and ultimately sent his fellow competitors flocking to gyms and nutritionists....

NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer Steve O’Donnell said on SiriusXM NASCAR on Monday that a conversation would be had with both drivers. He also said that NASCAR found the comments following the incident “disappointing.” MORE: Winners and losers at Richmond | Chicagoland schedule “Certainly too late for us to do anything in terms of a reaction at-track after you hear the comments from both drivers, disappointing in terms of how that played out and what was said, I think, on the air,” O’Donnell said when asked what NASCAR was thinking after what officials saw and the comments made by both drivers....

On Wednesday, the driver announced on social media that he was engaged to former NFL cheerleader Whitney Ward. MORE: Who’s in, who’s out of Chase? Dillon, 26, proposed to Ward in the Bahamas. Dillon, 26, wasn’t the only one celebrating on social media. He’ll have to shift gears from the tropical location quickly as NASCAR heads to Bristol Motor Speedway next week. Dillon is in the heart of the battle for a Chase for the Sprint Cup berth....

The announcement came on the heels of the FBI saying that no federal crime was committed last weekend at the track. The bureau, in its statement, said the rope had been at the track since last October. “For us at NASCAR, this is the best result we could hope for,” NASCAR president Steve Phelps said in a teleconference with media (per Fox Sports). “It’s disturbing to hear that it was thought that one of our own had committed this heinous act....

The agreement puts Monster branding on the 36 series races, NASCAR’s Chase playoff format, and the sport’s annual all-star race. Monster will be the official energy drink of NASCAR. MORE: NASCAR Sprint Cup winners of 2016 “It’s one of the few sales calls that I actually personally made, because it is important to align ourselves with a global brand,” NASCAR CEO Brian France said in a media conference in Las Vegas announcing the news....

The Richard Childress Racing driver’s lap of 178.047 mph edged David Ragan (177.842 mph) for the top spot to start Sunday’s Hollywood Casino 400. “It’s pretty special. I kind of got out of the car thinking I’d be fifth through eight,” Hemric said (via NBC). NASCAR Playoff driver Kevin Harvick did not turn a qualifying lap, after first failing inspection, then finding a mechanical problem. He will start at the rear of the field....

Steve Fridrich, a real estate agent based in Nashville, contacted the FBI to tell them that he previously worked with a man named Tony Warner. Investigators believe a man named Anthony Quinn Warner to be a person of interest in the camper van explosion outside an AT&T building that injured three people on the morning of December 25. Speaking to WSMV, Fridrich said agents asked him if the man he worked with had paranoia about 5G technology and conspiracy theories about it being used to spy on Americans....

After all, the Avs were loaded with young talent up front (particularly at the center position), and deeply flawed on the back end. They were lined up to ice a "who’s who" — but in the literal sense, as in “who? no but who is that for real?” — on defense, and were coming off of a lockout-shortened campaign in which they had surrendered the fourth-highest goals against/game in the league....

The delicious snack was created by Ruth Wakefield, who ran Toll House restaurant in Whitman, Massachusetts, according to The New Yorker. The recipe first appeared in print in the 1938 edition of Wakefield’s “Tried and True” cookbook as an accompaniment to ice cream. Because we’re also a big fan of the chocolate chip cookie, Newsweek has picked out the top offers to help you celebrate this sweet day. For those who want to get creative at home, we have also pulled together recipes to make the perfect batch of homemade chocolate chip cookies, including vegan-friendly recipes....

The country’s biggest theater chains—such as Regal Cinemas and AMC—along with hundreds of independent cinemas are participating for what will be a total of more than 30,000 screens showing features at the discounted price. Additionally, the $3 admission is good for every film showing on the day in every format, including IMAX. Cinema Foundation, a non-profit group started by the National Association of Theater Owners to promote moviegoing, is responsible for the creation of National Cinema Day....

Newsweek has worked with CouponFollow to bring you the best exclusive deals on lagers and all the table snacks that should go with them. What’s the Difference Between Ale and Lager? According to the American Homebrewers Association, it’s all to do with the yeast used to ferment the beverage. Lagers are fermented using a yeast known as Saccharomyces pastorianus, also known as “bottom-fermenting” yeast. Ales are fermented with Saccharomyces cervisiae yeast....

Unlike in previous years, the majority of the class’ top talent has already signed with or enrolled at their respective schools, thanks to the inaugural run of the early signing period. But that doesn’t mean there wasn’t plenty of action on Wednesday. MORE: The best you ever saw: SN makes its picks Here are where the biggest recruits signed from 2018 National Signing Day (all rankings and ratings reflect 247Sports Composite):...

Right-hander A.J. Cole, called up to take Strasburg’s spot on the roster, will start for the first-place Nationals on Monday against the Orioles in the first game of the Beltway Series. He is 8-8 with a 4.26 ERA at Triple-A Syracuse this season. Strasburg gave up nine runs in only 1 2/3 innings in his most recent start, Wednesday in Denver against the Rockies, a performance The Washington Post described as “the worst outing of his career and not by a small margin....

And it seems the two most experienced managerial free agents are on deck in D.C. MORE: Six potential candidates for Nationals manager | Mother, son sought in connection with Dodger Stadium assault The Nationals are expected to interview Dusty Baker and Ron Gardenhire for their opening, MLB.com reports, and the meeting with Baker could happen as soon as Wednesday. Both of those men would represent a stylistic departure from Williams in addition to bringing years of experience in the role, and each has something to prove....

A petition was filed by The Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma and five other tribes under federal law for the return of “human remains of our ancestors” and funerary objects being held by the University of Alabama and its Moundville Archaeological Park. The tribes petitioned after failing to get the items back, tribal officials said. The Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Review Committee discovered a “preponderance of the evidence for cultural affiliation” between the Muscogee-speaking tribes known to live near the ancient settlement and the remains and artifacts from it....

Nord Stream 2 will deliver Russian natural gas directly to Germany, which supporters claim will be vital to easing energy shortages currently wracking Europe. But according to critics, the approximately $10.75 billion project will also seriously undermine European Union and NATO security, handing Moscow a potent new weapon in its ongoing struggle with the West and further isolating Ukraine. Several Baltic nations whose representatives spoke with Newsweek said they were already in touch with members of the incoming government, and suggested they would continue their strong opposition to Nord Stream 2 in discussions with the new coalition which will take power pending a parliamentary vote in the coming weeks....

“Ukraine has, of course, the right to retake Ukrainian territory that is now occupied by Russian forces. That’s the reason why we support them. So they can defend themself but also so they can continue to liberate territory. And as I said, the illegal annexation or attempt of annexing Ukrainian territory doesn’t change that. It doesn’t change the nature of this conflict,” Stoltenberg said. Stoltenberg went on to state that if NATO’s support of Ukraine was deterred by the annexation and the threat of nuclear escalation, they would be accepting “nuclear blackmailing....

The image, posted Tuesday to commemorate International Women’s Day, contained four images related to the current crisis in Ukraine, where a Russian military incursion was set to enter its third week. “All women and girls must live free and equal. This international women’s day we think of the remarkable women of #Ukraine,” NATO tweeted alongside a Ukrainian flag emoji. “Their strength, bravery and resilience are symbolic of the spirit of their nation #IWD2022....