That was the assessment of Steve Phelps, who took questions from the media on Sunday at Homestead-Miami Speedway before the Ford EcoBoost 400, the race that would decide the 2019 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion. “If you look at the results — I start with the competition always — our competition right now on the intermediate tracks and the superspeedways, I believe, is the best racing we’ve ever seen....
Busch led 352 laps in Sunday’s STP 500 for his first Sprint Cup win at “the paperclip,” capping a two-day run that also included a victory in Saturday’s Camping World Truck Series Alpha Energy Solutions 250. MORE: Race recap | Martinsville images | Hamlin crashes out On Sunday, a caution reset the field with 34 laps to go and again with 11 laps remaining as drivers began swapping paint as the race winded down....
Hamlin led only 10 laps in the Cheez-It 355, but it came at the opportune time as he passed Brad Keselowski on Lap 81 and pulled away from the field following a seven-car crash that brought out the red flag with seven to go. MORE: Hamlin wins wild showdown | Images from Watkins Glen It’s the first career road-course victory for Hamlin, who showed his versatility after winning at Daytona in the opening race of the season....
According to Fox Sports, France will announce that NASCAR and the Sprint Cup Series team owners have reached an agreement on a new system that would give owners a more secure financial position in the sport. MORE: Best driver lineups for 2016 | Stewart injury raises questions about drivers participating in other sports NASCAR officials recently have indicated such an agreement was close and would be announced before the Daytona 500, the first race of the Sprint Cup season....
Both the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck Series teams will have less time to post a lap in each of the first two sessions in October at Talladega Superspeedway. MORE: Waltrip on Dancing With The Stars | Stewart return | Chase TV impact | New series sponsor Instead of all drivers able to go out at some point during the first 25-minute round, the drivers will be split into two groups based on random draw....
The 65,000-square-foot tent (adjusted in size, depending on the track) will be operated by Fanatics, which has signed a 10-year deal to put the facility on track grounds as well as produce some NASCAR merchandise. The climate-controlled tent will be phased in at tracks during the 2015 season. MORE: What fans should be excited about in 2015 | Harvick-Stewart pit crews | Memorable NASCAR commercials There will be separate stores within the tent area for specific drivers and teams....
Spurs only seeking ‘special player’ The 21-year-old defender has spent the last two-and-a-half seasons on loan at Reading, Watford and, most recently Bournemouth following just two substitute appearances for the Chelsea first-team. His most recent loan spell, at Eddie Howe’s side, was recently cut short due to Antonio Conte struggling to add new recruitments in the January transfer window. Chelsea will rest players in the FA Cup ahead of two difficult Premier League meetings with Liverpool and Arsenal, but Conte believes that Saturday is a good opportunity for Ake to get a start as he prepares for the match with no new injuries....
Nathan MacKinnon will miss 1-2 weeks with a lower-body injury, the team announced Wednesday. A top contender for the Hart Trophy, MacKinnon suffered an unspecified injury on Monday during Colorado’s 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Kings, playing just 11:37 of that game. The 24-year-old center underwent an MRI on Tuesday that showed no signs of a serious injury, according to Colorado Hockey Now’s Adrian Dater. Despite the relatively positive outlook, the Avs will still have to make do without the prolific pivot for a while....
National Cheeseburger Day Deals McDonald’sBurgerFiSmashburgerApplebee’sSteak ’n Shake McDonald’s McDonald’s is celebrating National Cheeseburger Day with $0.50 Double Cheeseburgers. A deal exclusive to its app, McDonald’s is throwing back to the seventies, when the cheeseburger was last so cheap. McDonald’s Double Cheeseburgers were introduced to the menu in 1963, and cost just $0.50 from 1971 until 1973, when the price was raised to $0.55. To claim a McDonald’s Double Cheeseburger with a 1971 price tag, download the McDonald’s app and register....
“The bottom line on readiness is that the time to act is now,” FEMA’s David Bibo told reporters, emphasizing, “It’s critical that folks not lose focus on this storm.” The storm, now a strong category 4 hurricane, was virtually parked over Grand Bahama island Monday afternoon, with all forecast models predicting the eye of the storm would turn north, missing the U.S. East Coast. Florida, Georgia and the Carolinas will likely be spared the level of devastation experienced in the Bahamas....
Buca di Beppo Buca di Beppo is celebrating World Pasta Month, not just National Pasta Day, with three new dishes: Shrimp Limoncino, Roasted Vegetable Genovese, and Pork Ragu with Pappardelle. You could also win a custom 6-day trip to Italy, complete with airfare, accommodation, transfers, tours and cooking classes. All you have to do is complete the form on their website! Olive Garden Join Olive Garden’s eClub for a free appetizer or dessert when you buy two entrees....
Twitter user Dmitri, from War Translated, an independent project that translates materials about the war, shared Girkin’s remarks, which he posted on his Telegram channel. Girkin, also known as Igor Strelkov, is a Russian nationalist and prominent military blogger known for his role in the 2014 annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine’s eastern Donbas region. Since Putin launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, Girkin has been openly publishing commentary critical of Russia’s military strategy and setbacks....
Hurricane Donald passed without wreaking havoc on Johnson’s general election campaign, as many British media and political figures expected or—in the case of the U.K.’s opposition parties—hoped. The president was on his best behavior for the host, having apparently got the message that any off-script interventions could damage Johnson’s chances in the December 12 vote. Reports prior to the visit indicated that Johnson’s team were carefully planning the prime minister’s movements to avoid being seen alongside Trump and being associated with the president’s divisive rhetoric....
Christian Yelich almost wrecked Zimmermann’s bid with two outs in the ninth inning. He sent a long drive to left-center, and Zimmermann leaned his head back and winced, thinking his no-hitter was lost. But Souza, who made his big league debut this year, ran hard into the gap, extended his glove and leaped for the sensational catch. Souza used his bare hand to squeeze the ball in his mitt as he fell....
Miller, who received the Navy Cross for his actions on December 7, 1941, when he fired back at Japanese planes by manning a machine gun on the USS West Virginia, will be honored on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Doreen Ravenscroft, president of Cultural Arts of Waco, Texas, and team leader for the Doris Miller Memorial told Star Advertiser: “I think that Doris Miller is an American hero simply because of what he represents as a young man going beyond the call of what’s expected....
Hours after Shelly Sterling said she would fight to keep her ownership of the franchise even if her estranged husband can't, the league said that wouldn't be possible. League spokesman Mike Bass says that according to the NBA constitution, "if a controlling owner's interest is terminated by a three-fourths vote, all other team owners' interests are automatically terminated as well." "It doesn't matter whether the owners are related as is the case here," Bass adds in a statement....
There is a scene in J.D. Salinger’s novel, “The Catcher in the Rye,” where Holden Caulfield is on a date with old flame Sally Hayes. Sally tells him he should really change his hair, because his current cut is “corny” and, if he changed it, his hair would be, “so lovely.” Caulfield’s reaction: “Lovely my ass.” Little wonder, then, that Mavericks point guard Steve Nash finds Caulfield to be a kindred spirit....
Ahead of this year’s All-Star festivities, which will take place Sunday night at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, the NBA will hold its fourth All-Star Draft with LeBron James and Kevin Durant serving as captains. Durant will not be available for the All-Star Game because he is recovering from a hamstring injury, but he will still be in charge of selecting his team. So, how exactly does this thing work?...
This year’s All-Star game deviates from the traditional East vs. West format that had been in place since the inaugural game in 1951. The All-Star rosters are still made up of 12 players from each conference, but the two teams were drafted by the game’s leading vote-getters and captains, LeBron James and Stephen Curry. MORE: Dunk Contest, 3-Point Shootout participants The new format is a response to the lack of competition in recent years; the Western Conference has won six of the last seven games, with the East’s last win coming in 2014....
