I Dig Sports
BARBERVILLE, Fla. A Florida tradition continues as the Super DIRTcar Series roars into Volusia Speedway Park for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.
The Beasts of the Northeast will be hunting gators for four nights at the Worlds Fastest Half Mile, starting with 30-lap features on Wednesday through Friday Feb. 12-14 each paying $5,000-to-win. Then, the Big Gator championship finale on Saturday, Feb. 15, brings a 50-lap Feature, paying $7,500.
The DIRTcar Late Models will join the Big Blocks on Wednesday, Feb. 12, followed by the World of Outlaws Late Model Series on the final three nights.
Here are the key storylines to watch at DIRTcar Nationals:
Aiming For Three Straight
After earning his second consecutive Big Gator trophy in 2024, reigning Super DIRTcar Series champion Mat Williamson has the chance to make history in 2025.
If he wins a third consecutive DIRTcar Nationals Big Gator title, the St. Catharines, Ont. driver will become the first to win three in a row since the trophy was first given out in 2012.
Williamson is coming off an eight-win season with his Buzz Chew Racing No. 88 team and has won three of the last six Big Block Features at Volusia. Money Mat also has 13 consecutive top 10s at DIRTcar Nationals and five straight top fives.
His next Super DIRTcar Series victory will be his 32nd, breaking a tie with Jack Johnson for ninth on the Series all-time wins list.
All-Star List
Williamson is one of eight drivers expected to compete at DIRTcar Nationals that have won at Volusia since the Series first raced there in 2005.
Matt Sheppard, whos won two Big Gators, and Stewart Friesen will look to break a three-way tie with Brett Hearn at the top of the all-time wins list with 10 victories at the track.
Sheppard is also chasing 100 Series victories. Entering DIRTcar Nationals, the 10-time champion has 97 career Series wins. If Super Matt wins three out of four Features, hell join Hearn as the second driver to earn 100 Series victories.
Friesen, meanwhile, is only expected to compete on three of the four nights, as hell be splitting time between Volusia and Daytona Intl Speedway, taking part in another season-opening event with the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.
Joining Williamson, Sheppard, and Friesen as DIRTcar Nationals winners are Larry Wight (4), Rick Laubach (3), Justin Haers (2), Peter Britten and Jimmy Phelps.
Streaks of Consistency
Anthony Perrego and Erick Rudolph are two drivers who have knocked on the door of Victory Lane at Volusia.
Perrego enters the event with three consecutive top fives at the track and won the Super DIRTcar Series season finale at The Dirt Track at Charlotte in 2024.
Rudolph has been even more consistent than Perrego in the past two seasons, earning six consecutive top five runs, including four podiums and a second-place finish in last years DIRTcar Nationals finale.
While Perrego is the Series most recent winner, Rudolph is searching for his first win since 2023 when he defended home turf at Ransomville Speedway.
Rising Stars
A trip to Florida is a chance to keep momentum rolling for four drivers rising through the Super DIRTcar Series ranks.
Tim Sears Jr. is making his first stop at DIRTcar Nationals after his best season with the Series. The Hastings, N.Y. driver finished fifth at the end of the year with nine top fives, 11 top 10s, and five podiums.
Jack Lehner, meanwhile, is no stranger to the Worlds Fastest Half Mile, earning a second-place finish in the DIRTcar Nationals finale in 2023. Like Sears, Lehner had his best season in 2024, finishing sixth in the final standings and in the top 10 in five of the last six races.
Felix Roy, the defending DIRTcar 358 Modified Series champion, finished 2024 with nine top 10s, enough to finish ninth at the end of the season. However, the Napierville, Q.C. driver has yet to earn a top 10 finish at Volusia. Hollywood hopes to turn it around in his third trip to DIRTcar Nationals.
While Sears, Lehner, and Roy are all searching for their first Series win, 2024 Rookie of the Year Alex Payne grabbed his first Victory at Brockville Ontario Speedway in September. Now, hes aiming for his first gator at Volusia.
The Hopewell, N.Y. driver earned his first DIRTcar Nationals top five with a fourth-place finish in last years finale.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. The 67th running of the Daytona 500 at Daytona Intl Speedway is set for Sunday, Feb. 16. Tickets are already sold out for the Great American Race.
The list of winners of the Super Bowl of stock car racing reads like a whos-who of motorsports with Richard Petty leading the way with seven Daytona 500 triumphs. His first came in 1964 and his last in 1981.
Eight Daytona 500 winners (Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon, Michael McDowell, Austin Cindric, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and William Byron) are entered this year.
Hamlin has won the 500 three times and Byron is the defending race winner.
Heres a look back at the previous winners of the Daytona 500, which was first run in 1959, with Lee Petty prevailing in a much-publicized photo-finish.
Daytona 500 Winners
2024 William Byron
2023 Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
2022 Austin Cindric
2021 Michael McDowell
2020 Denny Hamlin
2019 Denny Hamlin
2018 Austin Dillon
2017 Kurt Busch
2016 Denny Hamlin
2015 Joey Logano
2014 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2013 Jimmie Johnson
2012 Matt Kenseth
2011 Trevor Bayne
2010 Jamie McMurray
2009 Matt Kenseth
2008 Ryan Newman
2007 Kevin Harvick
2006 Jimmie Johnson
2005 Jeff Gordon
2004 Dale Earnhardt Jr.
2003 Michael Waltrip
2002 Ward Burton
2001 Michael Waltrip
2000 Dale Jarrett
1999 Jeff Gordon
1998 Dale Earnhardt
1997 Jeff Gordon
1996 Dale Jarrett
1995 Sterling Marlin
1994 Sterling Marlin
1993 Dale Jarrett
1992 Davey Allison
1991 Ernie Irvan
1990 Derrike Cope
1989 Darrell Waltrip
1988 Bobby Allison
1987 Bill Elliott
1986 Geoff Bodine
1985 Bill Elliott
1984 Cale Yarborough
1983 Cale Yarborough
1982 Bobby Allison
1981 Richard Petty
1980 Buddy Baker
1979 Richard Petty
1978 Bobby Allison
1977 Cale Yarborough
1976 David Pearson
1975 Benny Parsons
1974 Richard Petty
1973 Richard Petty
1972 A.J. Foyt
1971 Richard Petty
1970 Pete Hamilton
1969 LeeRoy Yarbrough
1968 Cale Yarborough
1967 Mario Andretti
1966 Richard Petty
1965 Fred Lorenzen
1964 Richard Petty
1963 Tiny Lund
1962 Glenn Fireball Roberts
1961 Marvin Panch
1960 Junior Johnson
1959 Lee Petty
Predicting every game of the 4 Nations Face-Off: Final scores, plus tournament champs
Jack Eichel has been starving. The 4 Nations Face-Off is his sustenance.
The Vegas Golden Knights center said he has waited years for another "best-on-best" hockey tournament for himself and his peers. "The generation of the players that are currently in the NHL haven't had that opportunity to all play together," he told ESPN.
The NHL's 4 Nations Face-Off brings together four hockey powers -- the U.S., Canada, Sweden and Finland -- in a midseason tournament played in Montreal and Boston. Now Eichel gets to wear the red, white and blue with Auston Matthews and Jack Hughes. Connor McDavid gets to wear the maple leaf next to Nathan MacKinnon and Sidney Crosby. William Nylander shares a Swedish locker room with Victor Hedman and Erik Karlsson. Aleksander Barkov can sling passes to Mikko Rantanen and Patrik Laine.
The players acknowledge the 4 Nations Face-Off is more borne out of necessity -- a combination of compressed scheduling and the conundrum of Russian participation -- than an ideal best-on-best event.
"Obviously it's not exactly what we want in terms of ... we're missing some great teams. I think of the Germany or Switzerland or the Czechs, so many different teams," McDavid told ESPN. "But it's just exciting to have best-on-best again. You know, four great teams. It'll be a pretty fun competition and a prelude to the Olympics."
How will the 4 Nations Face-Off play out, starting tonight with Canada vs. Sweden at Bell Centre?
Spoiler warning: It'll play out exactly like what I've written below. Or maybe it won't. Either way, enjoy 4 Nations!
Wrexham star Lee in car crash after Bolton win
Wrexham top scorer Elliot Lee was involved in a road traffic incident after the Vertu Trophy victory over Bolton Wanderers on Tuesday, the club has confirmed.
The English third-tier side said that the accident occurred while the midfielder was travelling home, involved one other car and "resulted in the drivers of both cars being taken to hospital."
The statement added: "The player suffered no major injuries, while the driver of the other vehicle is being treated for their injuries."
The club offered no further details.
Wrexham advanced to the semifinals of the Vertu Trophy -- a competition for the Football League clubs -- on Tuesday after beating Bolton 1-0. Lee played 63 minutes before being substituted.
The 30-year-old, son of former Premier League player Rob Lee, is Wrexham's top scorer with seven goals in League One.
Wrexham, owned by Hollywood actors Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney, are attempting for a third straight promotion this season and are third in the league.
Dalot: Man United can win the EPL under Amorim
Manchester United defender Diogo Dalot has insisted the club can "win a Premier League" under Ruben Amorim despite the Portuguese coach's difficult start to life at Old Trafford.
Since Amorim succeeded Erik ten Hag at the beginning of November, United have lost seven of their 13 league games -- leaving the English giants 13th in the table and closer to the relegation zone than the Champions League places.
But Dalot is adamant he has seen enough of Amorim behind the scenes to make him confident that United can add to their 13 EPL titles in the future.
"If you want me to be completely honest, with this manager, I think we can win a Premier League," Dalot told United's club website. "I think realistically we can win. But then it becomes the most difficult thing to hear as a fan: that it will take time.
"I understand. I'm a player but, at the same time, I know what you feel. I know that this club is thirsty to win and everybody wants to win. We're not talking about cups -- I know that is important, to win trophies -- but what brought this club to what it is is big trophies.
"I think we can win a Premier League with this manager, but at the same time, we need to create an environment where he has everything set for what he wants from the players. We need to also adapt to the system. It will take some time.
"Obviously we cannot think too much ahead, but I'm really convinced that the way he conducts himself, the way that he communicates with players, the idea that he has ... We can do it. Now it becomes the most difficult part, but being really honest and positive about it, I think we can win big trophies with this manager."
Amorim has attempted to stamp his authority at United since taking charge, with a change in system and high demands on his players. He exiled academy product Marcus Rashford from the squad over the winter before the England forward joined Aston Villa on loan and has made several other high-profile calls, such as dropping both strikers Rasmus Højlund and Joshua Zirkzee to the bench in the last league defeat to Crystal Palace.
Dalot acknowledged the changes as he added: "I see things a little bit differently.
"Obviously I share every day, every moment with my teammates, with the people around the club, with the new staff as well, and you can see that there's one way to go.
"Sometimes when you are going that way, you have a lot of things that you need to change, and there's a lot of change going on at the club, and it's always difficult at this point where you want to change things but, at the same time, you need to win games. The last couple of months we have been trying to train during games, so it's been a really tough process.
"I don't like to sound as if it's always excuses, but it's the reality, and sometimes we need to face it. But at the same time, we have been fighting and trying to get things better. But we also know that we have a lot of responsibility and we need to do much better than we have been doing in the last couple of games.
"Because there's some moments that we've shown we can be a good team; that we can do what the manager wants us to do. We're just trying to find that consistency."
United's next game is at fellow strugglers Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Vilda says he sought to downplay Rubiales kiss
Former Spain women's football coach Jorge Vilda told a court on Wednesday that he attempted to persuade player Jenni Hermoso to downplay the kiss on the mouth his boss Luis Rubiales gave her at the 2023 World Cup but denied he had tried to strong-arm her.
Vilda, who is on trial on charges of attempting to coerce Hermoso into publicly saying the kiss was consensual, said he spoke to her brother Rafael on the flight back to Spain from Sydney following Spain's victory over England in the final. He said he was worried the kiss was gathering a lot of media attention.
He told the court in Madrid that speaking to Rafael Hermoso to ask him if he could persuade his sister to make a statement was his own idea and was not proposed by Rubiales.
"I went to talk to her brother because I was worried at the time, to try to normalise the situation, thinking about the future...and my team," Vilda said. "I didn't specify whether it should be a video but [that she] to go out and talk and make some sort of comment."
Vilda, who denies the charges, was sacked 10 days after FIFA suspended Rubiales over the scandal.
The kiss Rubiales gave Hermoso was witnessed by millions of television viewers and an entire stadium after the Spanish women's team won the 2023 World Cup.
The ensuing uproar gave momentum to the "Me Too" movement in the Spanish women's game in which players sought to combat sexism and achieve parity with their male peers.
Rubiales, who took the stand on Tuesday, denies charges of sexual assault and coercion, insisting the kiss was consensual, while Hermoso said it was not.
The other two former federation workers accused of coercion, Albert Luque and Rubén Rivera, also denied wrongdoing on Wednesday.
Prosecutor Marta Durántez Gil, who is seeking 2-1/2 years' prison for Rubiales, said in her closing arguments that Hermoso was just one player pitted against the entire federation and an all-powerful president.
The trial is in its final phase and a verdict is expected in the coming weeks.
Sources: Arsenal fear significant Havertz injury
Arsenal fear Kai Havertz has suffered a significant hamstring injury amid growing speculation he could miss the rest of the season, sources told ESPN.
Havertz, 25, is set to undergo further tests in the next 24 hours to determine the full extent of the problem sustained during a training session on the club's midseason training break in Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
The squad landed back in London on Tuesday and Havertz is now being assessed, with manager Mikel Arteta set to provide an update at Friday's news conference ahead of their weekend Premier League trip to Leicester City.
However, sources say the Gunners believe Havertz has suffered a significant setback and concerns are growing that the forward could be sidelined for a long period.
That would represent a major blow to Arsenal, as it would leave them without a recognised striker given Gabriel Jesus has already been ruled out for the rest of the campaign following knee surgery.
It will also renew scrutiny over their decision not to sign a striker in the January transfer window.
Arteta admitted the club were short of attacking options and voiced his disappointment at missing out with sources confirming the club opted not to pursue a deal for Aston Villa's Ollie Watkins after having a 40 million ($49.8m) bid rejected.
Longer-term targets including Benjamin Sesko at Red Bull Leipzig and Newcastle's Alexander Isak were not available.
Arteta had described Havertz as a genetic "powerhouse" after the window closed when asked if he could compensate for Arsenal's failure to sign a forward.
Martínez claps back at Man United legend Scholes
Manchester United defender Lisandro Martínez has hit back at club great Paul Scholes over his claim that the Argentina international "isn't good enough to win the Premier League."
Scholes has been critical of a number of United players as the club struggle for form in the Premier League.
Ruben Amorim's side are 13th in the table, 14 points off the top four, with Scholes taking aim at players and questioning if they had what it takes to get United back to the top.
"Even when he's fit he's not good enough to win the Premier League with," Scholes said on The Overlap on Sky Sports.
Martínez suffered an ACL injury against Crystal Palace and is set to be sidelined for the remainder of the season.
In response to Scholes, Martínez posted on social media: "This jinx guy is really hurting....You put him in Argentina, and he wouldn't survive."
Scholes also criticised other United players, including 25-year-old defender Matthijs de Ligt.
"His age and his amount of clubs already concerns me. He was brilliant at Ajax, he seems to be getting worse as he gets older," Scholes said.
"Bayern Munich, Juventus, they've let him go for some reason.
"Where are your ambitions? I'm talking about getting a team to win the Premier League.
"Are you going to win the Premier League with De Ligt and [Leny] Yoro as your centre halves?"
United travel to London to face fellow strugglers Tottenham Hotspur on Sunday.
Klaasen, Breetzke and Bavuma star as SA set Pakistan 353 for place in final
South Africa 352 for 5 (Klaasen 87, Breetzke 83, Bavuma 82, Afridi 2-66) vs Pakistan
Their batters did their bit to give South Africa the best chance of progressing after an innings that ebbed and flowed, and at stages, boiled over as Pakistan's attack, without the injured Haris Rauf, struggled for control on a flat pitch and fast outfield. Only Khushdil Shah conceded at less than a run a ball, while Rauf's replacement, Mohammad Hasnain, bowled eight overs for 72.
South Africa were off to a fairly watchful start against Naseem Shah and Shaheen Shah Afridi, but picked up pace once Abrar Ahmed was introduced in the second half of the powerplay. Tony De Zorzi used his feet well for the innings' first six but not at all when he edged Afridi to slip in the next over. Bavuma then struck back-to-back boundaries against Abrar, and South Africa's powerplay ended at 64 for 1.
Hasnain bowled too short upfront, and both Bavuma and Breetzke took a liking to the length. Breetzke was soon striking at over 100, and allowed Bavuma to dial it down slightly as the latter approached his first fifty in 17 innings. He got there with a single off Salman Agha, and then accelerated once again.
Bavuma played more riskily than we are used to, and went for an expansive drive off left-arm spinner Khushdil, but edged past Mohammad Rizwan. Later that over, Bavuma tried to slog Khushdil over square leg but top-edged. Naseem misjudged the catch and put Bavuma down on 60.
Pakistan were able to keep South Africa fairly quiet for the next eight overs, and they scored at under five an over, but grew frustrated with their inability to break through. Breetzke brought up fifty off 46 balls before Hasnain thought he had him out lbw when he missed a leg-side whip and Rizwan was convinced to review. But ball-tracking showed it going down leg.
Sensing an opportunity to create something, Rizwan brought Afridi back in the 27th over, and he tested the batters with pace and personality. There were stare downs and words. At one point, Afridi moved into Breetzke's path as he was completing a single, and there was contact. Breetzke didn't back down, as got into Afridi's face and the pair had to be separated by the umpires and team-mates.
In the next over, Bavuma played Hasnain to backward point and raced away for a single before checking with Breetzke, who sent him back. But it was too late. Saud Shakeel swooped in, and with a one-handed pick up and throw, ran Bavuma out and celebrated in his face for good measure. Bavuma was stranded on 82, with a golden chance at a century gone begging. But at that stage, South Africa still had 21.5 overs remaining.
Klaasen was sent in at No. 4, and faced 14 balls for seven runs before he remembered who he was. He smoked Hasnain for four fours in his sixth over - over mid-on, mid-off, square leg and deep midwicket - to bring up 200, and got the innings going again. That over cost 16 runs, and the next four went for 36, as South Africa were back in sight of a massive score.
Both Breetzke and Klaasen were laden with intent, but when Breetzke tried to smash Khushdil through the covers, he found an equally determined Salman, who dived across and reached out with his right hand to pluck the ball close to the ground and pull off a stunner. Breetzke was out for 83.
Wiaan Mulder was caught at point in the next over, and South Africa entered the final ten overs at 242 for 4. The death overs are the period where Klaasen can be at his most dangerous, and he unleashed a 95-metre six five balls into the 41st over as a reminder. Klaasen brought up fifty off 38 balls, and then completely cut loose. His next 37 runs came off 18 deliveries, and he spared no one.
Afridi was treated particularly severely as Klaasen took him for back-to-back sixes in an over that cost 20. When he tried to take Naseem on in the same way, Klaasen sent a low full toss to long-on. South Africa scored 110 runs in the last ten overs, and Kyle Verreynne ended unbeaten on 44. South Africa's 352 ended up as the fourth-highest score in Karachi.
Firdose Moonda is ESPNcricinfo's correspondent for South Africa and women's cricket
Nizar the hero as Kerala inflict heartbreak on J&K
Kerala 281 (Nizar 112, Saxena 67, Nabi 6-53) and 295 for 6 (Azharuddeen 67*, Nizar 44*) drew with J&K 280 (Wadhawan 48, Muzaffar 44, Nidheesh 6-75) and 399 for 9 decl (Dogra 132, Wadhawan 64).
Kerala qualified on first-innings lead
J&K needed four wickets, while Kerala simply needed to bat time to ensure a draw was enough since they'd taken a one-run lead. Nizar was unbeaten on 44 off 162 balls, Mohammed Azharuddeen 67 off 118 balls. The seventh-wicket pair batted out 42.4 overs to grind J&K's attack to dust on the final day. Kerala are set to face Gujarat in the semi-final on February 17, while Mumbai will take on Vidarbha in the other semi-final.
As important as Nizar's second-innings rearguard was, it was his first-innings 112 that set the game up for Kerala, taking them from the brink to giving them the lead that eventually proved massive. Nizar marshalled the lower order, putting together 81 with No. 11 Basil Thampi to help steal the lead after J&K had Kerala tottering at 200 for 9 after they'd posted 280.
Saxena's dismissal had the potential to prove game-changing, but Nizar stood up, like he did in the must-win final league game last week against Bihar when he hit a century to swell their first-innings total.
Kerala began the final day on 100 for 2, still needing 299 for victory. But it was clear from the beginning that they weren't after the runs. Sachin Baby and Akshay Chandran put together 58, but batted together for 43 overs in the process to frustrate J&K in their victory march.
The tide turned just before lunch as J&K's spinners made massive inroads. Chandran was out caught at short leg by Shubham Khajuria. Soon after the break, they were fully in the ascendancy when they lost two wickets in two overs. Sahil Lotra, the offspinner, had Baby jab at one that turned and bounced, while Saxena was out looking to drive left-arm spinner Abid Mushtaq.
Having hit him through the covers off the previous delivery, he looked to repeat the shot, but was lulled in superbly by Mushtaq as he dragged his length back and had Saxena edging to first slip. When Aditya Sarwate was out looking to hoick Mushtaq over the infield, it seemed the end was nigh.
But Nizar and Azharddeen showed resilience and grit in stonewalling J&K's attack for a better part of the last three hours to secure a draw.
J&K would look back on their first innings lapse with the ball, especially when they allowed Kerala's last pair to get away as a turning point. Despite that, they bounced back to post 399 for 9 in the second innings, thanks largely to captain Paras Dogra's century. The 40-year-old, in his first season as J&K captain, hit his first century after a prolonged barren run of form - he hadn't scored a single half-century prior to this game.
Those efforts in the end were only a consolation in the end as J&K's second entry into the knockouts in the last five years ended in a heartbreak. That they're bowing out without having lost a single game this season will make their exit even tougher to digest.
Shashank Kishore is a senior sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo
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