Following Saturday’s final two practice sessions, it was clear Joe Gibbs Racing has all four of its cars dialed in better collectively than for any race this season. We’ve already seen Denny Hamlin win at Martinsville, Matt Kenseth win at Bristol, Hamlin take the All-Star Race and then Carl Edwards finish first at last week’s Coca-Cola 600, but at no point have all four cars been as good together as they are this week....

Crew chief Slugger Labbe had his fine lowered from $50,000 to $20,000, although his three-race suspension and probation through Dec. 31 were upheld. Car owner Joseph Falk will now lose 10 championship points instead of the original 25 points. MORE: Best in-car audio from Texas race | Texas Winners & Losers | Johnson-Harvick rivalry could intensify Scott’s team appealed the penalties to the National Motorsports Appeal Panel, which heard arguments Tuesday at NASCAR’s R&D center in Concord, N....

The organization found the right and left rear quarter panel wheel openings on Keselowski’s car were modified — more commonly known as flaring side skirts — during a qualifying inspection last Friday in Las Vegas. MORE: Allmendinger on the rise | Stewart curses at NASCAR | #BlameJJ reaches new heights Under a new rule for the 2015 season, crew members are no longer able to intentionally flare side skirts. The modification, which is made near the right tire well to improve downforce while turning, allows drivers to stay on the throttle and not the brake through turns....

Wednesday night’s race at Martinsville is scheduled to start at 7 p.m. ET on FS1, and the chances for precipitation in the area increase as the scheduled start time approaches. Go figure: NASCAR finally schedules a night race at Martinsville, and the weather forecast suggests it would have a better chance to run as a day race. NASCAR AT MARTINSVILLE:Odds to win | Starting lineup, pole | TV schedule...

Truex led a race-high 59 laps as he claimed his fourth victory of 2019, tied for the most this season with Busch. Truex has now won three of the last five road course races and joins Jeff Gordon as the only driver to have ever won consecutive races at Sonoma. MORE: Watch NASCAR live with fuboTV (7-day trial)​ Thanks to a set of fresh tires, Busch closed an eight-second lead by Truex to just over one second in the final laps but, ultimately came up short....

The cars running in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series in 2019 — Chevrolet’s Camaro ZL1, Ford’s Mustang and Toyota’s Camry — are the most badass-looking cars the series has ever featured. MORE: North Wilkesboro Speedway, a famous NASCAR ghost, brought back to life Much of this, of course, relates to the modern, sleek stylings of the Camaros, Mustangs and Camrys the public can drive off local car lots in 2019....

The NASCAR Cup Series will officially begin its 73rd season on Feb. 14 with the Daytona 500. Several venues on the schedule will be familiar for racing fans, but a few changes have been made, most notably the addition of more road courses. In 2021, NASCAR will hold seven road course events, and for the first time in more than 50 years, there will be a dirt race. Bristol Motor Speedway will be covered in dirt for the Food City Dirt Race on March 28....

They didn't necessarily get an answer Wednesday at Charlotte Motor Speedway — they will always be looking to improve the racing. But they hope they got enough feedback by word of mouth from the drivers as well as the data downloaded by sensors put on the cars in order to make an educated decision for the 2014 rules package. NASCAR had the drivers run five races of 15-40 laps with different mechanical alignments....

MORE: NASCAR at Charlotte: Playoff standings, schedule Saturday’s practice had to be delayed for rain, but hopefully the race tomorrow won’t be interrupted. The measure NASCAR took to move the start time up will help, but it’s not certain whether the inclement weather will stay away for long enough. The forecast in Concord doesn’t look promising, but the weather is set to clear up around noon ET until rain and thunderstorms chances pick up again around 2 p....

British model Anara Atanes made clear her displeasure at Deschamps' decision to leave Nasri at home despite his achievements at club level this season. The outburst is unlikely to endear Nasri to les Bleus supporters who have recently re-connected with the France side after the disquiet which followed the squad going on strike during their shambolic 2010 World Cup campaign. Nasri was not involved in the bust-up in Knysna, South Africa, but was reported to have been a disruptive influence as France nosedived out of Euro 2012 remarkably tamely against Spain, after he launched a scathing attack against reporters during the tournament....

Coughlin told reporters Friday afternoon that she will not participate in the 50-meter freestyle Saturday at the U.S. Olympic swimming trials. That event was the 33-year-old’s last chance to qualify for her fourth Olympic Games. MORE: Greatest American Olympians | Ledecky, Franklin heading to Rio While Coughlin told USA Today she was not retiring from the sport, it appears her days as an Olympic competitor are done. Her 12 medals — three gold, four silver, five bronze — are tied for the most by a female swimmer with Jenny Thompson and Dara Torres....

This year, July 4 falls on a Monday, so many people will be taking advantage of a three-day weekend. While many will flock to cookouts or some truly exceptional firework shows, others will enjoy another great July 4 tradition: the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. What is the Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest? The Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest sees people race against each other to eat as many sausages and buns as they possibly can....

There has been a growing outcry over the decision by Alabama governor Kay Ivey not to grant clemency to Woods, who died by lethal injection just after 9 p.m. on Thursday at William C. Holman Correctional Facility, despite appeals and protests from his supporters that he was innocent. Prosecutors said Woods had “conspired” with Kerry Spencer to kill police officers Carlos Owen, Harley Chisholm III, and Charles Bennett when they arrived at a drug house in June 2004....

Now we’ll admit we kinda don’t get it. Fans are often fans of more than one driver. And their allegiances sometimes are to the manufacturer or to a certain team. But this at least gives us a chance to have a little fun. We decided to pair a driver with an actual nation. In other words, what country best fits the driver, or vice versa? Remember, this is just for fun....

The Redskins and Buccaneers gave us a preview Wednesday during the playing of “The Star-Spangled Banner” in rainy Tampa. MORE: The worst Kap takes No Colin Kaepernick-inspired protests, from what observers could see. MORE: NFL execs despise Kaepernick Kaepernick will be in San Diego for the 49ers’ preseason finale Thursday, on a night the Chargers will be saluting the military. Many service men and women took to Twitter on Tuesday to support Kaepernick’s decision last weekend to sit in protest of injustice against African-Americans and other racial minorities....

While deals seem to be slim on the ground for Bagelfest, we’ve also provided tips on how to get more for your money at your local bagel chain. Bagels History and Facts According to Smithsonian, bagels have been around since as early as the 14th century. A similar-looking Polish bread called obwarzanek dates back to 1394, and then the bagel made its official appearance in records in the 17th century....

The African elephant is the largest land mammal on Earth, and its brain can weigh up 5.4 kilograms. (And by the way, did you know they also make rumbling sounds that are considered to be similar to purring in cats?) African elephant ears are the shape of Africa. It’s one of the ways you can tell them apart from the Asian elephant. Also, the African elephant lives longer than the Asian elephant and is heavier....

Many of the deals below can be claimed by simply signing up for a mailing list or downloading an app. Claim a free cheeseburger at McDonald’s for downloading the app, or get a free sandwich at Jimmy John’s for making an order through the rewards scheme. While these deals may not necessarily be exclusive for National Fast Food Day, today is a great opportunity to treat yourself to some free or discounted food....

If you’re planning on celebrating National Margarita Day at home, there are numerous ready-to-drink margarita brands available, so you can enjoy a mixed drink with little to no effort. However, the cocktail’s recipe is fairly simple. The classic margarita is made with tequila, lime juice, and Cointreau or Triple Sec, and is typically served with salt around the rim of the glass. The origins of the margarita cocktail are unclear, though some believe it was created by Carlos “Danny” Herrera at his restaurant Rancho La Gloria, in 1938....

Sporting News has been gathering scouting reports on some of the top prospects around the country. Keep returning here until Wednesday, Feb. 4, to catch more reports on more elite players. LIVE: Updates all day Wednesday on latest news ANNOUNCEMENT SCHEDULE: When are the top remaining prospects making their choice? HAYES: Time USC turns elite recruiting into titles MORE: Ranking the top recruiters | Top 25 recruits | 25 best uncommitted prospects | 5-star studs, duds past 10 years REWIND: Analyzing top 10 players from 2011 signing class...