INDIANAPOLIS – IndyCar has announced that the Advanced Frontal Protection debris deflector will be used in competition sooner than expected – beginning at next month’s IndyCar Grand Prix at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

The titanium AFP, which provides frontal protection for drivers, was tested earlier this week at IMS by IndyCar teams in an open test on the 2.5-mile oval. IndyCar President Jay Frye said the sanctioning body is satisfied the AFP is ready for use in all NTT IndyCar Series races this season, starting with the IndyCar Grand Prix on the IMS road course on May 11 and including its original target date for implementation, the 103rd Indianapolis 500 presented by Gainbridge on May 26.

“Thanks to a phenomenal effort by Dallara and all of the IndyCar teams, we are ahead of schedule in making this happen,” Frye said.

The AFP is bolted on the Dallara IR-18 chassis centerline ahead of the cockpit and is designed to push flying debris away from the driver. With brackets and monocoque reinforcement, the AFP weighs just under five pounds and has passed the same load testing as the Indy car roll hoop sitting behind and above the driver.

Arrow Schmidt Peterson Motorsports driver James Hinchcliffe, among the 29 drivers who participated in Wednesday’s open test, praised the sanctioning body for continuing to prioritize driver safety.

“It’s great to see that IndyCar is always pushing safety,” Hinchcliffe said. “Obviously, this is just Step 1 in an evolution of head protection. But having been hit by a piece of debris that would’ve been prevented with this device, I’m all for it. It’s also comforting to know that behind the scenes we are still working hard on a more comprehensive solution.”

Frye called the AFP “Phase 1 of our solution” to improve cockpit safety. The next phase is expected to be revealed in May.

DALLAS – Gar Robinson has joined Lone Star Racing for a five-race IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship GT Daytona Sprint Cup series campaign.

Robinson, a two-time Trans-Am TA2 champion, will co-drive the No. 74 Lone Star Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Lawson Aschenbach.

Racing with the support of ACS Manufacturing and 74 Ranch Resort, Robinson and Aschenbach will make their first start together next weekend at the Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. It is the first of five IMSA GT Daytona races scheduled for the No. 74 team this year and will be followed by the Detroit Grand Prix, Canadian Tire Motorsport Park, Road America and Virginia Int’l Raceway.

“Texas is in my blood, it’s my family and history,” Robinson said. “To work with Lone Star Racing in Texas feels right at home. We have the same mindset and way of doing things. For example, in 1992 my Dad always ran ‘Don’t Mess with Texas,’ which was an anti-littering campaign, on his cars. When I showed up to the LSR shop the first decal I noticed was ‘Don’t Mess with Texas.’ I’ll just say we all know what proper barbecue and tacos are!”

Lone Star Racing is based the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area in Cresson, Texas, while Robinson grew up in San Antonio.

“Gar fits right in with Lone Star Racing and we are going to have a lot of fun together both on and off the track,” said Lone Star Racing Team Manager AJ Petersen. “We all appreciate the ongoing efforts and commitment of Lone Star Racing team owner Dan Knox with our 2019 program.”

Robinson is a two-time champion in the Trans-Am TA2 class, with titles in 2015 and 2017. He was also the Rookie of the Year in Trans-Am during his 2015 championship run. Robinson also finished third in his only previous IMSA GT Daytona class start at the Rolex 24 At Daytona.

Aschenbach is a four-time champion in what is now known as Blancpain GT World Challenge America, most recently in 2014. In 2005, he became the first rookie to earn that series championship. In IMSA competition, Aschenbach was the 2010 ST champion in the then-Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and the 2014 Lamborghini Super Trofeo Pro-Am world champion. He most recently captured a win in the GT Daytona class in 2017 at Canadian Tire Motorsports Park.

“Confidence is the word that comes to mind when I think about this program,” Aschenbach said. “We have an experienced, race-winning team and two championship-level drivers teaming up for the IMSA Sprint Cup season. Everyone has a clear goal and that is to race for podiums. I’m excited to get things rolling at Mid-Ohio with Lone Star, Gar, and the Mercedes-AMG GT3.”

TALLADEGA, Ala. – Brandon Lynn raced to his first General Tire Pole Award and put himself in prime position during ARCA Menards Series qualifying on Friday afternoon at Talladega Superspeedway.

Driving one of three Venturini Motorsports Toyotas, Lynn posted a best lap of 53.298 seconds (179.669 mph) with his No. 20 Carolina Excavation Camry and will lead the field to green in the General Tire 200.

The pole for Lynn comes in his 11th career ARCA start and first of the season.

“The Venturini team is absolutely perfect,” Lynn said. “The car was great off the trailer. We’ve been so close here before, and Talladega is such a big deal, so that’s why we keep coming back here trying to win this thing. I think we’re pretty good, and now it’s just about putting all the pieces together in the race.”

Lynn led the Talladega ARCA race at the white flag in 2017, but ran out of fuel and finished 18th, and fought through early crash damage to come home seventh one year ago.

This time around, he’s hoping to redeem himself from those near misses and end the day with a win.

“The last couple years have been tough on us here. We’ve been right there for the finish and the victory, but something’s always happened,” Lynn noted. “I feel good about starting up front. We’ve started everywhere throughout the field for the past couple of years, and it’s nice to finally start on the pole.

“Now we just have to stay up front all day, be smart, time everything right and make it to the end.”

Ty Majeski will join Lynn on the front row after turning a time of 53.313 seconds (179.618 mph) with the No. 22 Ford for Chad Bryant Racing. Majeski was announced as the driver of that entry mid-week.

Former NASCAR modified champion Andy Seuss timed in third-fastest, followed by Gus Dean and two-time season winner Michael Self.

Riley Herbst, Brandon McReynolds, Sean Corr, Joe Graf Jr. and Grant Quinlan completed the top 10.

Thad Moffitt, the grandson of seven-time Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series champion Richard Petty, will roll off 11th for Friday evening’s 200-mile race.

Per ARCA Menards Series rules for restrictor-plate tracks, the teams went out in groups of five cars for four minutes. The fastest lap each driver turned in their respective session was their lap of record.

The General Tire 200 at Talladega Superspeedway is set to start at 6 p.m. E.T.

To view complete qualifying results, advance to the next page.

TOLEDO, Ohio – Poor weather conditions have led to the postponement of Saturday’s Hemelgarn Racing/Super Fitness Rollie Beale Classic at Toledo Speedway.

The event will now be held Sunday afternoon, April 28.

The time schedule will be altered for Sunday’s show, taking into account the time to dry the track surface. Temperatures are expected to be in the mid 30’s Sunday morning, but the sun is expected to appear, with temps rising to the 50’s by early afternoon.

The pit gates will open at 9 a.m. The front gates and ticket office open at Noon, with practice to start at that time, pending track conditions.  Time trials will go at 1:15 p.m., followed by show time at 2 p.m.

“The wet forecast for Saturday, and, having a Sunday rain date, made this early announcement the best decision in the interest of both the race teams and fans,” noted Ron Drager, promoter of Toledo Speedway.  “We are very excited about the entry lists for this new format for our one and only open wheel event in 2019, and we think Sunday’s weather gives us the best opportunity to run this show.”

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – As a result of afternoon rains coupled with a tornado watch, Williams Grove Speedway has been forced to cancel its Friday night racing program.

Track management was hopeful that the rains would pass in time to still allow for action on Friday night and made a great effort to keep the surface raceable, but the amount of rain reached an intolerable level shortly after 4:30 p.m.

The rain out means the track has now lost the entire moth of April to weather.

With hopes that May will bring more favorable conditions for racing, the oval expects to be in action next Friday night, May 3 when it hosts the ASCS/URC Battle At The Groves for 360 sprints, along with the 410 sprints, at 8 p.m.

National stars on the 360 circuit will compete in the event, slated to be carried on MAVTV.

Originally slated for Easter weekend, May 3 will again find the oval hosting the Hoseheads Hoppers Giveaway At The Gate for kids.

Paris Saint-Germain star Neymar has said he admires Eden Hazard and would like to play with the Chelsea forward some day.

Neymar has shared the pitch with some of the world's top players in his career -- a list that includes Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez and Kylian Mbappe.

However, when speaking to Fox Sports Brazil on Friday, the Brazil international who, like Hazard has been constantly linked to Real Madrid, said the Belgium international is another he's hoping to pair with in the future.

"I'd like to play with [Eden] Hazard. He's a special player. He plays a little bit like me. I'd like to play with him. I think we would give a lot of trouble [to the other team]," the 27-year-old said.

Neymar also told the outlet that he was "upset" over the harsh criticism he received for enjoying carnival during his recovery from a foot injury in his native Brazil.

"I am going to be honest, the things that were said made me upset," he told Fox Sports Brazil.

Neymar said his actions were overblown by individuals in the media, who chastised the former Santos man for not being with his team.

He said: "Of course people overreacted about it. I was hurt, but I could walk. The thing that hurt me the most was former players that have been through the same thing, badmouthing me. They've done even worse than me."

Neymar moved from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain for a world record transfer fee of €222 million in the summer of 2017. When asked what made him pull the plug at Barça, he said the time was right.

"I wanted a new challenge. I love Barcelona until this day and I watch their games, but I felt it was time to move. It was hard. I hesitated a lot before my final decision," he said.

Neymar will play in this summer's Copa America for Brazil, where the final will be played at Rio de Janeiro's historic Maracana stadium. Neymar said he has special feelings for the Maracana -- home to city giants Flamengo and Fluminense -- and confessed he'd like to make it his home in an eventual return to Brazil.

"I think [I'd play for] Flamengo. The fans ... I want to feel what's like to play for Flamengo, play in the Maracana,"

Before moving to Europe, Neymar made his name at Santos, the club at which Pele spent his best years, leading them to Copa Libertadores and Copa do Brazil glory during his time with the Sao Paulo side.

"I love Santos too," Neymar added. "When I go back to Brazil, I'll have to play for Santos again."

Naby Keita scored Liverpool's fastest Premier League goal in club history, 15 seconds into the Reds' match on Friday against Huddersfield Town.

Keita clipped the ball from Huddersfield's Jon Gorenc Stankovic within seconds of the whistle toward Mohamed Salah who then threaded it back to the Guinean for a shot into the low corner of the goal.

Keita's goal came days after Southampton's Shane Long scored the fastest in Premier League history, a 7.69-second strike against Watford on Wednesday.

Keita's quick strike effectively sealed the game before it really began, as Salah and Sadio Mane each added a brace for the 5-0 win over the Terriers.

"He was a massive strength today. He is a complete midfielder. He was outstanding today," manager Jurgen Klopp said of Keita, who now has three in his last five games in all competitions.

According to the club, Liverpool's fastest goal ever was Jack Balmer's score against city rivals Everton in February 1938 -- 10 seconds into that edition of the Merseyside derby.

The last player to score a goal for Liverpool inside the first minute of a game had been Martin Skrtel in February 2014 in a 5-1 thrashing of Arsenal.

Liverpool jump back atop the Premier League standings -- two points over Manchester City, who play Burnley on Sunday. The loss ensured already-relegated Huddersfield would finish last in the table.

Liverpool returned to the top of the Premier League with a 5-0 demolition of relegated Huddersfield Town at Anfield on Friday night.

Liverpool came into the match looking to reclaim top spot after Manchester City moved into first following a win over Manchester United on Wednesday, and they were in front seconds after the opening whistle when Naby Keita beat Jonas Lossl from a bad giveaway by the Huddersfield defence.

Keita's goal, which came in the 15th second of the match, set a new record for the fastest ever scored by Liverpool in the Premier League.

The hosts doubled their lead just past the 20-minute mark when Sadio Mane headed an Andrew Robertson cross in from the top of the six-yard box to make it 2-0.

Mohamed Salah made it 3-0 right before half-time, lofting a delicate volley over the keeper from a Trent Alexander-Arnold long ball for his league-leading 20th goal of the season. The strike also made Salah the first African-born player to score 20 goals in consecutive seasons in the English top flight.

Daniel Sturridge, in for the rested Roberto Firmino, looked to have made it 4-0 shortly after the restart when he turned home an Alexander-Arnold cross on a counter-attack, but the referee had the flag up for offside on the play.

Liverpool's fourth, and Mane's second, came shortly after though when the Senegal international backtracked to catch up to a Jordan Henderson ball into the box and head it past Lossl to extend the lead.

Jurgen Klopp made two changes after the goal, giving Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain his first senior minutes since suffering a devastating knee injury against Roma in the Champions League one year ago and also bringing on Xherdan Shaqiri for the final 20 minutes.

Oxlade-Chamberlain nearly had a dream start to his return when Salah sprang him in the penalty area only for Lossl to stuff his close-range shot on the line and preserve the 4-0 scoreline, before Mane's effort at a third headed goal came crashing back off the post.

Salah made it five as full-time approached, weaving through the Huddersfield defence to be first to a Robertson square ball in front of goal and tap home to edge in front of teammate Mane in the race for the Golden Boot with 21 and 20 goals, respectively.

Robertson now has 11 assists on the season to become the first Premier League defender with double-digit assists in a season since Antonio Valencia did it for Man United in 2011-12.

The three points puts Liverpool on 91 for the season with two games to play, but they'll need Manchester City to drop points in one of their remaining three matches to have a chance at winning the Premier League for the first time since the 1989-90 season.