Instead, the starting grid for Sunday’s race at Texas, the Autotrader EchoPark Automotive 500 (3:30 p.m. ET, NBCSN), was the result of a formula that took into account finishing position from the previous race, team owner points standings and the fastest lap from the previous race. This was the eighth time a version of the formula was used to determine the starting lineup for a race without qualifying. MORE: Updated 2020 NASCAR Cup Series schedule...

And statistics show, winning happens a lot for the West Coasters on the sport’s Western Swing. This week’s top three finishers at Vegas, for example, all hail from the region. In addition to Harvick, from Bakersfield, Calif., runner-up Kyle Busch is a Las Vegas native and third-place finisher Kyle Larson is from Elk Grove, Calif. Five Monster Energy NASCAR Cup drivers from the West — Harvick, Busch, Larson, Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch — account for 33 wins at the three #NASCARGoesWest tracks – Las Vegas, ISM Raceway in Phoenix and Auto Club Speedway in California....

Decals reading “#OrlandoUnited” will be on cars in Friday’s Xfinity Series race and Saturday’s Sprint Cup race. MORE: Sports world reacts to Orlando shooting | 10 things to know about Daytona A gunman whose weapons included a semiautomatic rifle entered the Pulse nightclub just before closing time. By the time police killed him, Omar Mateen, 29, had killed 49 people and wounded 53 others. In announcing the decals, NASCAR said its charitable arm donated $25,000 to the OneOrlando Fund created to aid victims’ families....

So why not take it step further and make the Chevys, Fords and Toyotas on the track look like they’ve been through an episode of MTV’s “Pimp My Ride”? On Thursday, shortly after a photo of what appeared to be a generic Ford Mustang Cup car featuring blue underbody glow surfaced on Reddit, NASCAR announced its Cup Series cars in the July 15 All-Star Race will feature underbody lights....

The encounter at Shah Alam Stadium was a feisty affair and on another occasion, both teams could have very well ended the match with less than 11 players on the pitch. PKNS won the first leg of the two-legged tie 2-1, in a match that could have boiled over any time with strong challenges flying in throughout the match. Early on, Leandro dos Santos was involved in a tangle with Jonathan Acosta and it became a running theme for most parts of the match, involving multiple individuals....

The 29-year-old Red Sox starter will undergo surgery Tuesday to remove “loose bodies” in his right elbow, according to a report from The Athletic, which cites an unidentified league source. Eovaldi had a similar procedure while with the Rays in 2018. WEEI later reported Eovaldi is expected to miss at least four to six weeks. MORE: Watch ‘ChangeUp,’ a new MLB live whiparound show on DAZN Eovaldi, who was originally placed on the injured list Saturday, is 0-0 with a 6....

Joey Chestnut has won the men’s competition five straight years, and 13 of the past 14 contests. Miki Sudo has won the women’s side for each of the past seven years. But this year, Sudo will not compete after announcing she’s expecting her first child. Her announcement leaves the field open for anyone to emerge as the new champion in the women’s contest, as only Sonya Thomas and Sudo have won the event since it began in 2011....

The popular confectionery has been a fixture of Christmas festivities around the world, but its origin can be traced back to Germany in 1670, when a choirmaster at the Cologne Cathedral was said to have handed out the candy cane sticks in a bid to keep the children quiet at a church service during a nativity play. The choirmaster was said to have asked that the candy be made by a local candy maker in the shape of a cane as a symbol of the staff held by shepherds in a bid to remind children of the shepherds who visited baby Jesus in the nativity story....

Yes, only four days after Halloween, candy lovers have another occasion to celebrate. If you didn’t get your fix of sweet things trick-or-treating, there are plenty of stores with great deals to mark the occasion. Here are some of the best offers for those with a sweet tooth. Dylan’s Candy Bar Founded by daughter of Ralph Lauren, Dylan Lauren, this place has become a sanctuary for candy lovers. To celebrate National Candy Day, shoppers can enjoy 20 percent off across the entire online store including items in the sale....

Whether you’d like a bite-sized snack or a rich center-filled treat, head to your local bakery today for a delicious chocolate cupcake. Check below for how to get free and cheap cupcakes with limited-time flavors, offers, and promo codes. Where to go for National Chocolate Cupcake Day 2019: SprinklesGigi’s CupcakesMolly’s CupcakesMagnolia BakeryBaked by Melissa Sprinkles Try a limited edition chocolate cupcake at Sprinkles today—the Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Chocolate Cupcake is available now through October 20 for $4....

Coffee has become part of American culture, with 44 percent of Americans consuming between two and three 7-ounce cups of coffee per day on average, according to Statista. Some people find a brew a necessity, with two percent drinking 11 or more cups of coffee a day. Even the cast of HBO smash Game of Thrones treated themselves to a coffee on set. But coffee itself comes from what is called the “Bean Belt” which is located between latitudes 25 degrees north and 30 degrees south....

National Donut Day takes place on the first Friday in June every year. Although largely about indulging in sweet treats, it’s also a chance to celebrate the Salvation Army lassies, the women who served donuts—made using molds from old shrapnel—to soldiers during the first world war. The original “Salvation Army Doughnut” was served by women in the Salvation Army in 1917 when they handed home-cooked foods to soldiers on the front line....

A frappe, or frappuccino, is an iced, blended coffee drink that comes in tons of varieties, and is typically served with whipped cream and sauce. Classic frappuccinos include Pumpkin Spice, Salted Caramel Mocha, and White Chocolate Mocha. However, Starbucks fans will know that there is a “secret menu” that allows you to customize your order to create fun variations of the classic frappe. It is worth noting that as people come up with new ideas all the time, your Starbucks barista may not know all the “secret menu” items....

The goal of National Physical Therapy Month (NPTM) is to raise awareness of the key role that physical therapists and physical therapy assistants can play in helping people find relief from pain, improve mobility and overall functional ability, and live healthier, more physically-able lives. National Physical Therapy Month was established in 1981 by the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA). On the APTA website, the stated purpose of the month-long campaign is to recognize the physical therapy profession’s efforts to “transform society by optimizing movement to improve the human experience....

New York Supreme Court Justice Joel M. Cohen dismissed North’s claim that he has an “affirmative right” under the NRA bylaws to reimbursement for his legal bills. The NRA had sued North in state Supreme Court, claiming that North, still an NRA director, possessed no right to recoup his legal expenses stemming from a plethora of investigations into the NRA’s financial practices. North has received subpoenas and inquiries related to ongoing lawsuits and a congressional investigation....

According to The Athletic’s Ari Wasserman, there is “going to be a big-time QB flipping” on Wednesday. “It’s going to be a wild ride,” Wasserman added in a tweet late Tuesday. Wasserman offered enough details to set social media ablaze but not enough to prevent some wild speculation. The first quarterback on seemingly everyone’s mind was Arch Manning, the nephew of Peyton and Eli Manning who committed to Texas in June....

That’s good news, right? 247Sports.com’s 2017 class included 23 quarterbacks who held a four- or five-star rating. The top two dual-threat quarterbacks — Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa and Ohio State’s Tate Martell — are ready to start their careers. It’s good news — at least for now. Where will all these quarterbacks finish their careers? That’s the question worth asking. Consider the 2013-15 recruiting classes, which produced 81 quarterbacks with a ranking of four stars or higher on 247Sports....

Scherzer was checked for foreign substances three times in his first four innings against Philadelphia. He came up clean each time. The Washington starter didn’t look happy about his first check of the game after the opening frame. That said, all starters will be checked for foreign substances under MLB’s new protocols, so that was expected. MORE: Wander Franco cranks three-run homer in first career game What wasn’t expected was that Scherzer would be checked after the third inning as well....

Stoltenberg’s remarks come more than nine months after Russian President Vladimir Putin launched his invasion of Ukraine on February 24, setting off an armed conflict that has been subject to worldwide rebuke over a lack of justification and alleged human rights abuses. Throughout the conflict, analysts have raised concerns about the potential for spillover into nations that are part of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). Ukraine is not part of the coalition, with apparent corruption being a major roadblock to its membership....