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France's Ntamack to miss England game after red card
The disciplinary committee determined that the mid-range entry point of a six week/match suspension was appropriate for Ntamack's foul play.
After taking into account his guilty plea and previous disciplinary record, that punishment was reduced by 50%.
Ntamack was making his first international appearance for more than a year against Wales.
A serious knee injury caused the Toulouse star to miss a home Rugby World Cup in 2023 and last year's Six Nations, while he did not feature in his country's autumn internationals because of a calf problem.
After Saturday's game at Twickenham, France's remaining Six Nations fixtures are against Italy (23 February), Ireland (8 March) and Scotland (15 March).
France travel to Twickenham (16:45 GMT kick-off) having thrashed Wales in round one, buoyed by a 53-10 victory in this fixture two years ago.
Meanwhile, England's loss in Dublin leaves Steve Borthwick's side on a record seven-match losing run against tier one nations.
"We are the England rugby team and we want to win and we know the expectations that come with it," senior coach Richard Wigglesworth told the Rugby Union Weekly podcast.
"I have no problem with people wanting to see more wins because that is what I want and what we are all working towards.
"The outcome that we want is to win, so we are not avoiding that."
England are also set to make changes in the back row and in the back three, with Tom Willis understood to be in line for a first Test start at number eight.
Wigglesworth says the coaches need to weigh up consistent selection with picking the right team to beat France.
"What England did for many, many years was chop and change the team, so you end up with low levels of cohesion and low levels of trust in the coaches," he said.
"And that didn't work for a long time.
"We know what hasn't worked in the past and we don't want to be panicked into making the same mistake.
"But we have to weigh up all those things and get the right team on the field."
Increased Point Fund Highlights New ACT Season
BARRE, Vt. Following Mondays announcement of a multi-year partnership between Milton CAT and the American-Canadian Tour, officials released Wednesday an increased point fund for the upcoming season.
The Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour will see a 50-percent increase in season ending point fund money to full time participants, with the champion set to earn $20,000.
Not only has the champions share of the point fund doubled, officials have also allocated an additional $10,000 increase that will be dispersed among the top-10 finalists.
Traditionally the ACT point fund has been paid out to the top-15 full-time drivers, but officials are further prepared to pay out any full-time driver and push that 50-percent increase even higher.
More still is the separate Rookie of the Year point fund which pays an additional $1,000 to the Rookie of the Year. All other full-time freshman drivers will also receive a portion of the separate rookie point fund.
This is not the first time that American-Canadian Tour ownership partners Cris Michaud and Pat Malone have increased the point funds for the international touring series. When the two first purchased ACT in 2017, they immediately made a 35-percent increase that has only been eclipsed by Wednesdays announcement.
Pat and I are proud to grow the ACT point fund once again with the help of Milton CAT, said ACT managing partner Cris Michaud. Like us, Milton CAT believes in rewarding our racers after a hard-fought season across the region. Last year we gambled to bring the base purses up to a $5,000 to win, $500 to start format and the racers supported us completely. Now, were taking the next step to increase the point fund and further support those that support the Tour.
Were excited to get things started at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.
The Milton CAT American-Canadian Tour embarks on a record-breaking season with over $70,000 in season ending awards, all 14 championship events paying at least $5,000 to win, five of those events paying above and beyond the $5,000 benchmark and the special $100,000 Vermont Milk Bowl presented by Northfield Savings Bank in October.
Cole Vanderheiden Joins Forces with Mike VanderEcken
PAPILLION, Neb. With the upcoming season approaching, 17-year-old Cole Vanderheiden is set to drive a 410 Sprint Car at Iowas Knoxville Raceway for Mike VanderEcken, a 2012 Hall of Fame inductee at the historic Iowa track.
Vanderheiden, a Nebraska native, is coming off an impressive 2024 season and a strong Chili Bowl Nationals debut in early January. The move to 410 Sprint Cars represents a significant step forward in his career and he is eager to work alongside VanderEcken, a veteran car owner with over three decades of experience in the sport.
Im really looking forward to working with Mike and his team in 2025, Vanderheiden said. Mike brings a wealth of experience as a car owner, and I believe well make a great team.
Hes a respected figure in Knoxvilles racing history, and Im thrilled to be starting this next chapter of my career.
VanderEcken, who will be celebrating his 36th year as a car owner this year, shared his enthusiasm about the partnership, noting Vanderheidens growing skill set and relentless drive for success as key factors in his decision to offer the Nebraska racer a full-time ride at Knoxville.
I watched this kid run weekly at Husets [Speedway] on DirtVision and he caught my eye, VanderEcken said. After seeing how impressive he looked in his Chili Bowl debut, I sent him a message on Facebook that next morning to let him know that I was interested. He messaged me back shortly after but it wasnt until late last week that we solidified our plans for 2025.
I would love to see him get the Rookie of the Year and finish top 10 in points.
Vanderheiden is set to compete in all 410 events at Knoxville for VanderEcken Motor$port$, with the partnership making its debut at the Sprint Car Capital of the World on April 18 and 19 during the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series weekend.
Editors Note: In a nod to our 90 years of history, each week SPEED SPORT will look back at the top stories from 15, 30 and 60 years ago as told in the pages of National Speed Sport News.
15 Years Ago 2010
News: USAC has elected Jeff Stoops as chairman of its board of directors and nominated Feld USAC Motorsports President Charlie Mancuso to that board of directors.
Stoops, a long-term board member; replaces retiring chairman John Capels, who held the position for eight years. Stoops is a former sponsor and car owner and is the president of Stoops Freightliner.
Mancuso joins the board of directors for the first time but is no stranger to the motorsports industry. Mancuso oversees Feld Motorsports, which owns various motorsports companies, including the IHRA NitroJam Drag Racing Series, Monster Jam Series, AMA Supercross Series, AMA Arenacross Series, Freestyle Motocross and Nuclear Cowboyz.
Other members of the USAC board of directors include Tony George; Brett Frood, EVP of Stewart-Haas Racing; Curt Brighton, CEO of Hulman and Company; Sterling Pratz, CEO of Autonet Mobile; Peter Morse, partner at Barnes and Thornburg; and Ricky Johnson, seven-time AMA Motorcyle Champion.
Winners: Bobby Gerhart scored a record sixth ARCA victory Saturday at Daytona Intl Speedway, but most of the attention went to the sixth-place finisher of the Lucas Oil Slick Mist 200.
IZOD IndyCar Series driver Danica Patrick drove a smart race in the beginning, but after she went three-wide with Nelson Piquet, Jr. on lap 53, she got punted across the infield grass and fell back to 24th place. What she did after that showed she has true potential in this form of racing as she was able to battle back to as high as fifth with three laps to go before finishing sixth.
Shortly after winning the race, the grizzled Gerhart was happy that his victory was being overlooked because of the attention Patrick brought to this race.
Im glad she was here, Gerhart said. It brought some much-needed attention to the series. I actually welcome the opportunity to have a national platform.
Not even Gerhart could meet the IndyCar Series driver, who was mobbed by fans and media after the race. Patricks team owner, Kelley Earnhardt, said the crowd around Patrick was bigger than what Dale, Jr: has been involved in in quite some time.
I didnt see her or talk to her all week, said Gerhart. How about that? But I did notice this extremely large group of media outside her trailer near mine. I thought they were coming to see me.
As for Patricks race, it was certainly a learning experience.
I definitely learned how to use the fenders a little bit, Patrick said. I felt the fenders, too. I dont care that l did because now I know what it felt like to be pushed up the track. I wanted to be smart, make it to the end and learn something in this race.
It was really cool to come back in the top-five again. I really said, what the heck, I made it this far, so I jumped up high and didnt have many takers up there. It was a lot of fun. I was bumped from the side, bumped from the front, bumped from the back. I had so much fun in a race car today: I cant wait to do it again.
30 Years Ago 1995
News: Plans for a proposed race track near Vicksburg, Miss., are progressing according to American Racing League President Jim Belisle.
Speculation that the project was in jeopardy was dashed by Belisle, who hopes to create several identical tracks for use by a spec-car racing series in the near future.
Belisle told NBBN Monday that construction on Mississippi National Speedway should begin before the end of this month.
We will start to push dirt and build levies, Belisle said. We have to build levies as part of the sewer system. In all we have 3 million cubic yards of dirt to move, so it is a large project.
We will have the facility complete, including both race tracks and hotel construction by 1996 to hold our first event in June of that year, added Belisle, who also updated this newspaper on the progress of a second ARL track in Reno, Nev.
We have acquired the site in Reno and we have some more site planning to do there, but we hope to begin construction there in the third quarter of this year and have it completed by the end of 1996, Belisle said. Once the levy system is built, we can begin moving dirt for the actual construction at the Vicksburg (Miss.) site, Belisle concluded. The weather is good enough there to build 12 months a year.
Winners: If Kenny Schrader could pick winners like he does drivers for the Daytona ARCA 200, hell have friends lining up to take him to the dog track.
Driving instructor Andy Hillenburg gave the Winston Cup regular his second consecutive victory in the ARCA Bondo/Mar-Hyde Supercar Series opener, holding his own in a wild dash to the finish in a traditional slam-bang event.
Hillenburg held off Gary Bradberry, defending winner Mike Wallace, Joe Ruttman and Bob Hill in a sprint to the caution flag with three laps remaining, and then took the checkered flag under the caution as safety crews cleaned up the debris resulting from a wild ride taken by Pennsylvania chauffeur Andy Belmont.
Defending ARCA champion Bobby Bowsher was up front on a restart with nine laps remaining, and held his own for three circuits in a tight nine-car pack before being shuffled back. Belmont, who started 23rd but ran in the top 10 most of the race, was bumped by Bowsher as he tried to get by, got up in the air, briefly atop Bowshers car, and then rolled violently six times before coming to a stop. Unhurt, Belmont leaped to the roof of has battered car to let his spotters and the crowd know he was OK.
Hillenburg, a 31-year-old Indianapolis native, came from the 20th starting position to notch hls first career ARCA and superspeedway triumph in Schraders Air Orlando Chevrolet Lumina.
Bradberry placed second in his own Chevrolet followed by Wallace in the Duron Paints Ford, Ruttman in the Roulo Brothers Chevrolet and Hill in the Friskies/Clement Mack Chevrolet.
60 Years Ago 1965
News: Scotlands Jim Clark, the road racing champion of the world in 1963, will make his third attempt to win the annual 500-mile classic at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this year as the No. 1 driver of a three-car team entered by Colin Chapman of Team Lotus, Ltd.
Clarks fellow drivers have not yet been selected, but all three will be in the cockpits of new Lotus powered by Ford rear-engine creations similar to those which have attracted so much attention at Indianapolis during the last two years.
Clarks two previous performances at Indianapolis have been outstanding and he holds the present one-lap and four-lap qualifying records of 159.337 and 158.828 miles per hour, respectively.
As a newcomer to the 500 in 1963, he led the field for 28 laps and finished second to Parnelli Jones, forcing the winner to a new race record of 143.137 mph.
Last year, after boosting the official track record close to 160 mph to win the No. 1 starting position, he charged to the front twice during the early stages of the contest, but failed to finish due to suspension failure caused by tire trouble.
Ten of the 11 entries received to date are rear-engine cars and all top-ranking favorites probably will be driving equipment of this type when they shoot at Clarks records during the official time trials on the weekends of May 15-16 and May 22-23. Practice will be permitted beginning May 1.
Other drivers already assigned to cars include Len Sutton, Jim Hurtubise, Lloyd Ruby, Bob Veith, Walter Hansgen and rookie Mickey Rupp.
Winners: Sundays second annual 250-mile ARCA late model stock car classic at Daytona Intl Speedway produced 27 caution laps, 10 lead changes, plus several demolished cars, and when it was all over, 47-year-old Ignatius (Iggy) Katona pulled into victory lane with his oil-spattered 1964 Ford.
Katona averaged 132.684 mph for the 250 miles, far off the 154.103 mph record set last year by Nelson Stacy. Katona banked $5,450 of the $37,000 purse for his one hour, 53-minute ride.
Finishing second, three car lengths back was Andy Hampton, also driving a 64 Ford. Rounding out the top 10 were Benny Parsons, 64 Ford; Harry Pick, 64 Mercury; Jack Bowsher, 65 Ford; Ralph ODay, 64 Plymouth; Blaine Kaufman, 64 Ford; Junior Spencer. 64 Ford; Danny Byrd, 64 Ford; and Harold Smith, 64 Mercury.
Only 13 of the 33 starters were running at the finish, and eight cars dropped out before 25 miles became history.
Search Begins for Kulwicki Driver Development Program Competitors
CONCORD, N.C. The Kulwicki Driver Development Program, a North American initiative to help the top short-track stock car drivers achieve their dreams while keeping alive the legacy of 1992 NASCAR Cup champion and NASCAR Hall of Fame member Alan Kulwicki, is now accepting applications for this season.
Under a restructured program, five drivers will be selected to participate in the season-long competition for this years Kulwicki Cup. The drivers will be judged on race results, off-track civic participation, program promotion, fan interaction and stewardship of Kulwickis story.
In the only driver development program that pays its participants, each driver will receive $7,000 in monies, goods and services. During the season, the drivers will receive training sessions that focus on fitness, interviews, media presentation and social media so they will be better prepared to take their careers to the next level.
Throughout the season, the five finalists will compete against each other for $30,000 in monies, goods and services to be divided among the top three finishers at the end of the season. Each driver selected for the program is required to compete in a minimum of 14 races.
According to the KDDP, those wishing to participate in the program should have experience in asphalt Late Model, Pro Late Model or Super Late Model stock cars, or a comparable style of racing.
Drivers not eligible for the program are those who competed in, or plan to compete this year in NASCARs three national touring series Cup, Xfinity and Truck; NASCARS Canadian Series and ARCAs three Menards Series national, East and West.
There is no age limit, but preference will be given to candidates between the ages of 16 and 25.
Gibson reaches 500 games in 1st for Ducks goalie
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Other than being soaked from a postgame shower from teammates, it was hard to tell after the Ducks' 2-1 victory over the Stars on Tuesday night that John Gibson had achieved a milestone.
The Ducks' veteran goaltender became the first netminder in franchise history to play 500 games.
It was another milestone in what could be a series of them for Gibson over the next couple of months.
He won his 200th NHL game Jan. 5 against the Tampa Bay Lightning. Tuesday's victory also leaves him four wins from tying Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the most in franchise history.
Gibson, though, tried to focus on the present instead of looking back at his career or any milestones still ahead.
"Tonight obviously was a little more special, so it's nice to get the win on top of it," Gibson said. "I was talking to someone earlier, I think it's something that I can be able to look back and reminisce on maybe towards the end of the career in the summer when you're with family and stuff like that."
He is the 10th American-born netminder to reach 500 games and the third active. The New York Rangers' Jonathan Quick has appeared in 797 games, and Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck has played in 547.
Gibson made 26 saves in what was a tight contest throughout. The only one that got past the 31-year-old netminder came early in the third period when Dallas' Colin Blackwell had a one-timer off a pass by Sam Steel to tie it at 1-all.
"He's played so much. He's so calm. When you have a goalie that's got that calmness, it kind of has a domino effect on the team," Ducks coach Greg Cronin said.
Trevor Zegras put Anaheim back ahead three minutes later, and Gibson made a couple of key saves in the final two minutes after the Stars pulled their goaltender for an extra skater.
"I mean, he's amazing," Zegras said. "I have been saying that since I got here: He is one of the best athletes and humans that I have been around, and to get to experience that moment with him and after the game was pretty special."
Gibson has spent his entire 12-year NHL career with the Ducks and has been the franchise's top goalie for most of the past decade, including three appearances in the All-Star Game. He struggled through last season, going 13-27-2 with a career-worst .888 save percentage.
This season didn't start off great either as Gibson missed the first 12 games after undergoing an emergency appendectomy.
Gibson and Lukas Dostal have split the netminding duties. Gibson though has started 22 of the 41 games since returning and is 9-9-2 with a 2.70 goals-against average and .915 save percentage.
Gibson's veteran presence will be counted on more down the stretch. The Ducks, who have not been to the playoffs since the 2017-18 season, are seven points out of the final wild-card spot in the Western Conference but have won five of six, including four straight at home. Anaheim has 52 points, which is 21 points ahead of last year's pace, when it finished with 59.
"He's having a great year. I'm really happy for him and I'm happy for the team. He's got a little bit of that mentorship going on with the young kids here and he's got a really good attitude," Cronin said. "I think Peter Budaj (who is in his first season as Anaheim's goaltending coach) has done an unbelievable job with him. The fact that Peter played in the league a long time, he can really drill in to John's game in terms of trying to make him own some things he can be better at. It has created a real good dynamic and I think he has benefited from that relationship."
CRANBERRY TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is being evaluated for an upper-body injury.
Crosby did not practice Wednesday, less than 24 hours after he got caught between a pair of New Jersey Devils in the third period of what became a 3-2 shootout loss.
The Penguins superstar missed several shifts in the third period after colliding with New Jersey's Luke Hughes and Erik Haula. Crosby skated to the bench favoring his left arm/hand but returned after being examined in the locker room.
Crosby played the final minutes of regulation and overtime. He also participated in the shootout. Asked afterward about the injury, Crosby said he simply got "tangled up" and did not get into specifics.
Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan did not speculate on whether Crosby would miss any time, saying "let's not get ahead of ourselves" when asked whether there's a chance the team could be forced to play without Crosby.
The Penguins play the New York Rangers on Friday and the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday before the break for the 4 Nations Face-Off. Crosby, 37, is slated to serve as captain for Team Canada in the tournament.
The Canadians open play against Sweden on Feb. 12 in Montreal.
Matthews, Tkachuk and Hughes? Pick the lineup for U.S. 4 Nations Face-off team
Speed, skill and power: Who stands out in the most defining metrics at the 4 Nations Face-Off?
The 4 Nations Face-Off, which is a round-robin hockey tournament scheduled for Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston, will boast an international field stacked with elite scorers, playmakers, shutdown defenders and elite goaltenders: Connor McDavid is on for Canada, as are Nathan MacKinnon and Connor Hellebuyck in net. The USA team boasts Auston Matthews and Quinn Hughes; Sweden has William Nylander and Linus Ullmark (if healthy); Finland is led by the likes of Sebastian Aho and Juuse Saros.
The tournament, which replaces the NHL's typical All-Star Weekend, will feature rosters of NHL players from the United States, Canada, Sweden and Finland, all locked in a battle for bragging rights about which country has produced the best talent in the world.
But which player truly stands out as the most gifted among them?
Thanks to NHL EDGE tracking data, we can quantify factors such as the skating speed and shot power of every skater, among other attributes. Not only will those skills make a difference to the outcome of the tournament, but they're also darned exciting to watch in action.
Here are the 4 Nations players, selected among the four rosters of 23 players each, who excel in the metrics that define hockey dominance this season.
More 4 Nations Face-Off coverage:
Pick Team USA's lineup | See the jerseys
How to watch, schedule | Format, rules
Grading the rosters; snubs, surprises
Fastest Skater: Jack Hughes, USA and Connor McDavid, Canada (tie)
Metrics of choice: Top speed and average skating speed at even strength
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