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Rowlands welcomes some fans not giving Wales much of a hope against a French side which welcomes back world-class half-backs Antoine Dupont and Romain Ntamack.
"Perfect. I think that's the perfect place for us," he said, "just go there with little expectation.
"There is only one way out, one way up."
Wales are on a run of 12 consecutive Test losses, but are boosted by the return of experienced players like Liam Williams and Josh Adams for this year's championship.
Rowlands admits it has been a difficult 12 months of development.
"We didn't see the results of that as we wanted to in the autumn, and hopefully there have been some lessons taken and we'll be judged ultimately by the results in the Six Nations," he said.
"I think everyone is confident that we can put together some performances at the very least, that will give a lot of confidence and some inspiration going forward."
ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. The glory of almost 80 years of auto racing inside Jim Whelen Boardwalk Hall continues this Friday and Saturday when the Indoor Auto Racing Championship returns for the 23rd running of the Gamblers Classic.
Competitors from up-and-down the East Coast converge on Boardwalk Hall, bringing together some of the fiercest competitors in short-track racing. From seasoned veterans to rising stars, the fields are stacked with talent, eager to etch their name in Atlantic City history.
Everyone wants to win in Atlantic City because the pioneers of racing all won there, two-time Gamblers Classic winner Joey Payne stated. Theres prestige in it.
While the modern-era record books shows that Andy Mackereth of Ontario, was the first winner, auto racing inside Boardwalk Hall has a long history dating back to 1938. Then known as the Atlantic City Convention Center, a series of midget car races were held during the fall of that year.
With World War II hanging over the nation, many auto races were canceled to aid in the war effort and Boardwalk Hall racing was such a casualty.
It was not until January of 1965 that Pleasantville, N.J., businessman George Stockinger began the first of 55 indoor racing events that would stretch over the course of the next 15 winters. The featured attraction was the Three Quarter (TQ) Midget the same machine that the Indoor Auto Racing Championship races today.
Because of the scheduling of these races in the dead of winter, the Atlantic City Indoor Races received widespread attention among the auto racing community. The frenzy peaked in 1973 when six events were held, and through 1981 at least three events took place each year.
Twenty-two years later, in 2003, Len Sammons, publisher of Area Auto Racing News, resurrected the Atlantic City Indoor racing traditions. On January 18, 2003, a packed house saw the racing events and Mackereth won the Inaugural Gamblers Classic.
Since 2003, names such as Lou Cicconi, Joey Payne and Ted Christopher have cemented themselves as the new legends of Boardwalk Hall victory lane thanks to multiple visits between 2003 and 2013.
In the last decade a new group of stars has dominated the boardwalk. Carrying four Gambler Classic victories is Anthony Sesely with trophies in 2013, 2014, 2016 and 2023; and Andy Jankowiak scored wins in 2019, 2020, 2023, and 2024.
Perennial contenders Tim Buckwalter (2022) and Ryan Flores (2018) each have one victory in the event.
The Gamblers Classic is a race where, when your career is over, you want to say you won it, Flores shared. More importantly, you want to say you won it more than anyone else.
While current stars of the Indoor Auto Racing Championship chase glory and the Gamblers Classic trophy, big winners in the Stockinger Era are now memorialized through annual special awards during the Gamblers Classic events. One is given out each year in Stockingers name, others named for racers including Doug Craig, Larry Michaels, Tony Romit and Sonny Saunders.
As they did nearly 80 years ago, the TQ Midget stars, along with drivers in supplementary divisions including Slingshots, Champ Karts, and Micro Sprints will do battle around an oval built on the concrete floor of Jim Whelen Boardwalk Hall.
Racing kicks off Jan. 31 at 7 p.m. headlined by the BlackJack 21 feature race for the TQ Midgets, and continues Feb. 1 at 7 p.m. headlined by the Gamblers Classic.
Watch all the action live on SPEED SPORT affiliate DirtTrackDigest.tv.
Cody Overton Gains Confidence With WoO LMS Point Lead
CONCORD, N.C. Entering his second season with the World of Outlaws Late Models, Cody Overtons primary objective was simply to continue building.
After a 2024 season that included eight top 10s and a third-place finish in the MD3 Rookie of the Year standings, he knew there was still plenty of room for improvement on his way to becoming a serious title contender.
So, when Overton was informed after Saturdays DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals finale that he was leading the standings, he couldnt help but think there must have been a mistake.
But there wasnt. Thanks to his first podium finish on Friday night and a 11th-place run on Saturday, Lil Sexy sits as the man to beat by four points over reigning champion Brandon Sheppard.
I dont know, its just awesome, Overton said. I thought this year was going to be a really good year. Just got to keep up with it and keep going and try not to think about it much.
Overton began his 2025 campaign with a performance more reminiscent of a seasoned veteran than someone still learning the ropes of super late model racing.
On a night when track conditions remained unpredictable from start to finish and few cars made it back to the hauler unscathed, Overton kept his nose clean and drove from 23rd to third in the 35-lap affair.
There appeared to be plenty more where that came from early in Saturdays program, as Overton qualified second and won his Heat Race, but then faded to 11th in the feature. It was a valuable learning opportunity for the Thomson, Ga., driver heading into his return to Volusia Speedway Park for the Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Feb. 13-15).
Just missed it a little bit, Overton said. Just kind of over-tightened up early. Which I thought I was going to be better late, but I thought it would blow off a lot faster than that, so I dont know. Its just our new car, just got to go through the cycles and learn it.
If Overtons year-over-year improvement mimics his Volusia gains his third-place result on Friday was his first super late model top 10 at the track he could find himself much higher up the points table come World of Outlaws World Finals in November compared to last year. Fortunately for him, there are plenty of opportunities for growth. Out of 32 tracks on this years schedule, Overton has a notebook on 24 of them, whereas last season he was flying blind more often than not.
I feel a lot better, definitely, Overton said regarding his optimism toward this year compared to the start of his rookie season. I feel way more confident. Its going to have its ups and its going to have its downs, I know that. Just got to see how the year goes.
YPSILANTI, Mich. Shawn Langdons Kalitta Air Careers team will race with new livery designed to look like a Kalitta Air plane in the upcoming season.
The 2025 NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series begins March 7-9, 2025 at the Amalie Oil NHRA Gatornationals in Gainesville, Fla.
In the middle of the 2023 season, Kalitta Air began using Langdons Top Fuel team as part of its multi-faceted, multi-media effort to recruit pilots and mechanics to work at Kalitta Air.
The program is working well, but in an effort to link the race team more closely to the airline, the new livery makes the car look more like the planes that deliver cargo around the world Langdons Top Fuel car is now almost an extension of the Kalitta Air Boeing 747 and 777 aircraft.
The Kalitta Air Careers car is definitely making a difference in our hiring at Kalitta Air, Kalitta Air Senior VP and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Heath Nichol said. This program is working, but we still need more pilots and mechanics so were rebranding the Kalitta Air Careers car to make it mirror our aircraft in hopes of more closely linking the race team with the iconic Kalitta Air 747s many people see at airports around the world. Flying a 747 is a dream job for many pilots we just want to make sure they know were hiring.
Weve been honored to help Kalitta Air find the employees it needs through our race team, Team Kalitta General Manager Chad Head said. Its gratifying to know the effort is paying off and that new pilots and mechanics are applying for jobs. With Shawns car now looking like a Kalitta Air plane, were hoping hiring will accelerate almost as fast as the Kalitta Air Careers car leaves the starting line.
NASCAR Notes: Logano Already Thinking Championship
CONCORD, N.C. Joey Logano, who won his third NASCAR Cup Series championship last season, is already looking ahead to defending his title.
Its pretty immediate that you think about it. On one hand, I think the three championships are great. On the other hand, I think we lost four of them that we should have won, so those are the ones that are always in the back of my mind, Logano said. Probably not until Im done racing will I be content with what I have because Im not done yet.
Im still only 34, so Ive got a lot of years ahead of me to win more championships and races, so as great as it is, like I always say, the first 20 minutes is amazing because youre celebrating with your team and your family, and then every day it becomes a little less exciting and more thoughts into weve got to do it again, especially after Christmas, its over.
When the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium was first announced, many thought of it as a home game for the NASCAR Cup Series teams, crews and drivers.
Thats not exactly the case as there will be plenty of time on the road between the Charlotte area and Winston-Salem, which is a little more than an hour drive.
Technical inspection took place Thursday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Haulers were parked and all cars inspected and locked safely in the haulers, which are impounded in the CMS garage until Friday morning.
At that point, teams will return to their rigs and make the drive to Bowman-Gray Stadium where they will be parked and impounded until Saturday morning when crews can work on their cars at the historic quarter-mile track in preparation for practice, qualifying and heat races on Saturday night.
Ryan Preece has high expectations for the new season as he joins RFK Racing as a teammate to team co-owner Brad Keselowski and Chris Buescher. Preece joins the team after several seasons with Stewart-Haas Racing, which closed at the end of last season.
I feel like every opportunity has had a lot of different life lessons and certain things that I feel like have helped me get ready for this moment, Preece said. I had a great time with Stewart-Haas and Tony and Chad and all those guys over there.
There were some challenges, but there was also some points that were good, so all lessons that Im bringing here to RFK and certainly you look at what Brad, Jack and the Fenway Group what theyve done over the past three years its pretty impressive and being teammates with Chris in the past and seeing what hes accomplished over the past three years in winning races, so, yeah, my expectations are high.
Las Vegas Motor Speedway President and General Manager Chris Powell has announced his retirement after an illustrious career spanning more than 26 years.
Powell took the helm of the speedway upon its acquisition by Speedway Motorsports in December, 1998.
Our success through the years has not been about one person, but rather the incredible commitment displayed by my teammates through the years, Powell said. Their attention to detail has made me so proud, and I could spend years thanking each one of them for their unending efforts. Im certain my successor will receive the same kind of support.
Ive been so fortunate to work for two outstanding leaders in the late Bruton Smith and his son, Marcus. Bruton made an indelible mark on motorsports, and Marcus is following suit by taking our company to new heights. Ill be forever indebted to the Smith family for allowing me to oversee one of the great sports venues.
Kaulig Racing announced Sea Best returns to the organization as a primary partner for Ty Dillon and the No. 10 Chevrolet for 20 races during the 2025 season starting with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium
Richard Childress Racing announced a multi-year partnership with Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK), a nationally recognized leader in the financial services industry.
The bank will serve as a primary partner of Kyle Busch and the No. 8 Chevrolet for multiple races throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season, beginning at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday, March 23.
NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and Xfinity Series teams tested at Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway on Tuesday and Wednesday in preparation for the April 18-19 return of the NASCAR racing to the legendary one-mile track.
Fraternal Order of Eagles and Spire Motorsports announced a partnership featuring the international non-profit organization as the primary sponsor of Justin Haleys No. 7 Chevrolet in Sundays Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
Joe Gibbs Racing announced that National Debt Relief will be the primary sponsor of Denny Hamlins No. 11 Toyota Camry for four NASCAR Cup Series races, including the 67th running of the Daytona 500.
Legacy Motor Club announced Pye-Barker Fire & Safety the largest fully integrated and full-service fire protection, life safety and security services provider in the U.S. will be primary sponsor of the No. 42 Toyota Camry driven by John Hunter Nemechek for 14 events this season.
TNT Sports today announced the launch of a brand-new NASCAR Driver Cam experience exclusive to Max that will offer motorsports fans the ultimate all-access pass to every driver for every race throughout the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series schedule.
Launching this Sunday, NASCAR Driver Cam on Max will offer users the most comprehensive access inside each drivers car up to 40 drivers each race including a layered audio mix of scanner team radios and ambient car noise, all synced up with a 1080p Driver Cam feed on supported devices.
HARRISBURG, N.C. Longtime ARCA Menards Series West competitor Takuma Koga will transition to the ARCA Menards Series East this season.
Koga, a native of Nagoya, Japan, will join Fast Track Racing for at least nine races this season.
I am proud to announce that for the 2025 season, I will be competing full-time in the ARCA East Series, including Daytona, with Fast Track Racing, Koga said. I am determined to learn as much as possible from team owner Andy Hillenburg, a Daytona winner, and to work with everyone on the team to make this an incredible season. We are fully prepared to give it our all.
Hillenburg is thrilled to have Koga piloting one of his cars.
2025 is going to be an exciting year for Fast Track. Having Takumas experience from the West Series will be great for our younger drivers with his perspective to help them and our team, said Hillenburg. I am looking forward to getting Takuma off to a great start at Daytona, and in our partnership this season
Japan-based technology company Macnica will serve as the primary sponsor for the No. 12 Toyota Camry at Daytona and will be an associate sponsor for all remaining races.
Dick Doheny, a long-time competitor and crew chief with Fast Track, will serve as Takumas crew chief for Daytona and East series starts, and Hillenburg will serve as Kogas spotter.
FRISCO, Texas -- Dallas Stars defenseman Miro Heiskanen is week-to-week with a lower-body injury sustained on a big hit from Vegas captain Mark Stone, and the standout from Finland won't play in next month's 4 Nations Face-Off tournament.
Stars coach Pete DeBoer said Thursday that Heiskanen had an MRI and was planning to see a specialist for more information on the prognosis.
Heiskanen was ruled out of the 4 Nations after Finland general manager Jere Lehtinen, a former Dallas player, contacted the Stars and Heiskanen.
"This is really sad news, first and foremost for Miro himself, but of course also for the Finnish 4 Nations Face-Off team and Dallas," Finland coach Antti Pennanen said. "We don't know the details of the injury yet, but we hope that Miro will be back in playing condition as soon as possible."
Heiskanen's absence means a new player will be selected to the Finnish team. Lehtinen didn't say when that would be.
Heiskanen was injured in the third period of the Stars' 4-3 overtime victory over Vegas on Tuesday after taking the hit from Stone, who fell toward Heiskanen's left knee and thigh after getting tripped. Stone hasn't been fined or suspended.
Stone, who was penalized for tripping, said he wasn't trying to injure Heiskanen. DeBoer, who coached Stone in Vegas, said he didn't think Stone was a dirty player but questioned why officials didn't review the play for a five-minute major penalty. There was a brief clash between the teams while Heiskanen was sprawled on the ice.
The 4 Nations runs Feb. 12-20 in Montreal and Boston. It's the first international tournament featuring the NHL's best players in nearly a decade.
A lengthy absence for Heiskanen will be a setback for the Stars, who have reached the Western Conference Final each of the past two seasons. Dallas is second in the Central Division, with Colorado and Minnesota close behind.
Heiskanen has been a top defenseman for the Stars since making his debut as a 19-year-old in 2018. Dallas drafted him third overall in 2017.
Auston Matthews will serve as captain for the United States in the upcoming 4 Nations Face-Off as captains for the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland were named on Thursday.
Canada, which will have Sidney Crosby as captain for another international tournament, must choose a replacement for two-time Stanley Cup champion and 2014 Olympic gold medalist Alex Pietrangelo.
Victor Hedman will captain Sweden, which already selected an injury replacement in goal and might need two more for skaters.
And Aleksander Barkov will be the captain for Finland, which will not have top defenseman Miro Heiskanen after he was injured earlier this week.
United States
Matthews as captain felt automatic, especially after he was given that role with the Toronto Maple Leafs prior to this season.
Matthew Tkachuk, who won the Cup with Barkov and the Florida Panthers last year, and Boston's Charlie McAvoy are the alternates.
U.S. general manager Bill Guerin said, "They all bring leadership skills in different ways and together represent the drive, desire and passion we need in not only representing our country but in helping achieve our ultimate goal."
The previous time the U.S. won an international competition featuring the best players in the world was the 2004 World Cup of Hockey.
Canada
Crosby was captain when Canada won Olympic gold in 2010 and '14, and then the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Even Connor McDavid, who has surpassed the Pittsburgh Penguins center as the best player in the league, has said that job should still belong to Crosby.
McDavid, Edmonton's captain, and Colorado's Cale Makar will be the alternate captains.
"Sidney, Connor and Cale all possess exceptional leadership qualities, a determination to be the best and a burning desire to win," coach Jon Cooper said. "We are fortunate to have incredible leadership on our team. These players will lead Canada with pride as we set out to accomplish our goal of winning."
That took a shot when Pietrangelo withdrew "to tend to an ailment and prepare for the remainder of the regular season with Vegas," the Golden Knights said.
Among the options to replace him is Los Angeles Kings defenseman Drew Doughty, who on Wednesday made his season debut after breaking his left ankle during an exhibition game in September. Doughty was teammates with Crosby in '10, '14 and '16.
Sweden
Like Matthews, Hedman is new to being a captain in the NHL, succeeding Steven Stamkos in the role with the Tampa Bay Lightning for this season. This is a different kind of challenge for the 2021 playoff MVP, who mystifyingly left Sweden's roster for the Sochi Olympics 11 years ago.
"This is obviously a short tournament, so you've got to hit the ground running from the start, and it's not just going to be the guys wearing the letters," Hedman said. "It's going to be on the whole team to get together right away and try and find our identity as a team. We're just fortunate to have a lot of great leaders and great hockey players, and we are super excited to get together and get this thing going."
Sweden on Wednesday selected Philadelphia's Sam Ersson as the replacement for injured New Jersey goaltender Jacob Markstrom. General manager Josef Boumedienne and coach Sam Hallam might also need to get another forward if Vegas' William Karlsson can't play and another defenseman if Minnesota's Jonas Brodin is unavailable.
A night after scouting Ersson during a Flyers game earlier this month, they were in Washington and spoke with Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin afterward. It's unclear how far down the list of possibilities Sandin might be.
Finland
The Finnish Ice Hockey Association announced Heiskanen is out after getting injured in the game between Dallas and Vegas earlier this week. That decision was made after GM Jere Lehtinen spoke with Stars management and Heiskanen.
"This is really sad news, first and foremost for Miro himself, but of course also for the Finnish 4 Nations Face-Off team and Dallas," Finland coach Antti Pennanen said. "We don't know the details of the injury yet, but we hope that Miro will be back in playing condition as soon as possible."
Lehtinen said a replacement for Heiskanen, one of the sport's top players at the position, will be announced before the team gathers in Montreal and practices for the first time on Feb. 10.
"He's that type of player that any team in the world would love to have," Barkov said. "He is a leader defensively and really good offensively, so he's a huge part of Team Finland's success. ... All the best and try and get back as soon as possible and as healthy as possible. Health is the most important thing."
Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.
The Utah Hockey Club has removed "Utah Wasatch" from consideration for a new team name, replacing it with "Utah Outlaws" in fan voting.
On Wednesday, the first-year NHL team announced it would no longer move forward with "Yeti" or "Yetis" as its official nickname due to what the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office called the "likelihood of confusion" for consumers to other companies and brands that use the name. Utah HC unsuccessfully tried to broker a "coexistence agreement" with Yeti Coolers LLC to use the name.
The team instead asked fans to vote on three different name options: Utah Hockey Club, Utah Mammoth and Utah Wasatch.
While Mammoth made the final four in the initial fan vote last year, Wasatch was a new option that referenced a local mountain range and would allow the team to use a "mythical snow hill creature in the form of a Yeti" as its mascot, according to Mike Maughan of Smith Entertainment Group, who added that mascot will also be used if the team keeps Utah Hockey Club as its name.
Wednesday night's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins was the first of four home games where fans would vote on the three options using tablets stationed around Delta Center. The early returns from that vote helped convince the team to drop Wasatch in favor of Outlaws, seeing little support for the former.
"We listened to your feedback and dug into all the Qualtrics data from last night's survey," the team said in a statement Thursday. "For the team name, it's clear that Outlaws should be in the mix instead of Wasatch, so we're swapping it out."
The survey will continue at the arena Friday, Sunday and Tuesday.
Outlaws was among the initial 20 names presented to fans in a survey last year and was among six finalists after the vote was completed.
Maughan said the team is confident that whatever name wins the fan vote should clear the patent and trademark process.
"We have an incredible team, and we are very confident we have a clear path to each of those names," Maughan said. "We have strategies to approach each of them and feel that we're on very solid ground as we continue forward."
Utah Hockey Club is in its first season playing in Salt Lake City. The Arizona Coyotes' franchise was sold to Utah Jazz owners Smith Entertainment Group in April 2024. SEG acquired the franchise, its players and its hockey operations department in the sale, although the team is considered a new franchise rather than an extension of the Coyotes' legacy.
Former National Women's Soccer League Rookie of the Year Jenna Nighswonger has joined Arsenal, the club announced on Thursday.
Nighswonger will join Arsenal fpr undisclosed fee. She was on the United States squad that won the gold medal at the Paris Olympics last summer. She joins fellow compatriot Emily Fox.
"I've always wanted to play in England and joining such a historic football club is a dream come true," Nighswonger said in a statement.
"I want to win trophies with this club and help the team in any way possible. It's an incredible feeling to be able to call myself an Arsenal player and I can't wait to get started."
Nighswonger, who played on Florida State's 2021 national championship team, was the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NWSL draft. She appeared in 51 matches for Gotham, which won the 2023 league championship.
At the international level, Nighswonger has played in 18 matches for the United States, scoring a pair of goals.
"Jenna has had a great trajectory in the game and we're delighted to bring her to Arsenal. Despite being only 24, she plays with great maturity and presence and knows what it takes to compete to win on the biggest stages at both domestic and national team level," Slegers said.
Nighswonger is the latest NWSL player to head to Europe, following fellow national team defender Naomi Girma, who joined Chelsea from the San Diego Wave for a $1.1 million transfer fee.
Brazilian forward Kerolin, the 2023 NWSL MVP, recently signed as a free agent with Manchester City after three seasons with the North Carolina Courage.
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