World number three Karolina Pliskova will face Wimbledon champion Angelique Kerber in Saturday's Nature Valley International final at Eastbourne.

Second seed Pliskova, the 2017 winner, overpowered Dutch fourth seed Kiki Bertens 6-1 6-2 in 56 minutes.

Pliskova of the Czech Republic has yet to drop a set in her four matches.

Germany's Kerber progressed without having to hit a ball after her Tunisian opponent Ons Jabeur withdrew with an ankle injury before their semi-final.

"It's not the way I would like to reach the final because getting another match before going to Wimbledon was the goal," said 31-year-old Kerber, who has twice lost finals at Eastbourne.

Pliskova hit 21 winners and dominated with her powerful serve in a comprehensive victory.

"I am so pleased how I have coped this week," said Pliskova, 27. "It's not easy because it's always quite windy, but I am improving every day.

"I am happy all my matches have been quite fast so I haven't spent too long on court."

Britain's Kyle Edmund lost in straight sets to big-serving American Taylor Fritz in the semi-finals of the Nature Valley International at Eastbourne.

Third seed Edmund had four set points in the first set but failed to take them and lost 7-6 (10-8) 6-3.

The 24-year-old was bidding to reach his first final since winning the European Open in October.

Fritz, 21, will face Sam Querrey after his fellow American overcame Italy's Thomas Fabbiano 6-3 6-7 (4-7) 6-3.

Having lost in the first round at Queen's, Edmund took a wildcard to give himself more match practice on grass before his first-round match at Wimbledon against Jaume Munar of Spain on Monday.

He beat fellow Britons Cameron Norrie and Dan Evans to reach the last four in Eastbourne and said there were plenty of positives to take.

"For sure I wanted to win this week. It didn't happen, but it's nice just for me to play matches," he said. "I probably haven't played as many matches as some of the players, but it's good to be building some momentum again.

"I would have loved to have taken the first set or a break in the second just to get myself in the match in terms of the scoreline, but couldn't take them. That's the most frustrating thing."

Edmund struggled against Fritz's big serve, which at one point surpassed 140mph and often got the world number 42 out of difficult situations.

The British number one had set point in the 12th game only for Fritz to fire down three unreturnable serves to win the game and set up a tie-break.

Further chances came when the Briton led 6-3 in the breaker but he sent a backhand volley long, double-faulted on his own serve, and then when he finally looked to have sealed it on his fourth set point his shot was called out.

Edmund decided not to challenge the decision and that proved costly as replays later showed the ball to be in.

And he compounded his error by sending a wild forehand out to give Fritz the set.

Fritz rammed home his advantage by breaking Edmund's serve to take a 2-0 lead in the second set and although the Briton gave everything, the American held his nerve to reach his second tour final.

For nearly two decades, the famed Knoxville Nationals was run without wings atop the sprint cars competing on Knoxville (Iowa) Raceway’s half-mile, black-dirt oval.

While that changed following the death of Gary Scott during Knoxville’s opening day in 1982, non-winged sprint car racing has always had deep roots within the venerable track’s storied history.

A brief return by the United States Auto Club in 2010 and ’11 offered hope of a non-winged revival, of sorts, but it fizzled out and led to another six-year hiatus before the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series made a more triumphant return to Knoxville in 2017.

That event, won by Justin Grant, laid the foundation for something bigger.

While that something took two years to come to fruition, on July 5-6, the inaugural Corn Belt Nationals will finally give non-winged sprint car racing a crown-jewel event at the Marion County Fairgrounds.

The two-day spectacle will be co-sanctioned by USAC and the POWRi Lucas Oil WAR Sprint League. Its aim is to create a new cornerstone for “traditional” sprint car racing.

“Ever since we first announced this event, there has been pride that Knoxville will host another Nationals event, especially one that brings all of us back to the track’s roots of non-winged racing,” said Knoxville Raceway promoter John McCoy. “Non-winged racing opens up our facility to a new group of fans and will bring many existing followers of the traditional sprint cars back to the Midwest. USAC and WAR have both been a great help in getting this event put together and planned, and we appreciate the ongoing support and cooperation from tracks and groups nationwide.

“Our hope from the beginning has been that we will be able to draw cars from across the country to compete in this inaugural event, and we believe we’ll be able to do just that.”

For USAC, the upcoming Corn Belt Nationals provides yet another high-paying race on an already-stacked AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series calendar.

The Knoxville finale will pay $20,000 to the winner, second only to the Budweiser Oval Nationals at Perris (Calif.) Auto Speedway, traditionally run in early November.

“It’s exciting to be part of this historic event at a legendary race track such as Knoxville Raceway,” noted Levi Jones, USAC’s competition director.  “The Knoxville staff has treated us very well and we anticipate the USAC sprint car community to rally around this crown-jewel event next summer.”

From the WAR side of the coin, July’s event marks the first time the series will race at Knoxville, something series director Casey Shuman is eagerly anticipating.

“I had talked with John (McCoy) a couple of years ago, when I was still only doing the WAR thing, and we had discussed doing something there with our group,” explained Shuman, who is now also the director of the World of Outlaws Morton Buildings Late Model Series. “It just didn’t work out at the time. Then, when they contacted me about this deal last year and how they wanted to make it one of their Knoxville Nationals … and wanted to get the cooperation of all the larger non-winged groups, that’s something that’s pretty hard to turn down. Why would you, really?

“Knoxville is the mecca of sprint car racing, and to be involved in trying to get non-winged cars back there for something big like this is huge and something I hope a lot of people want to be part of.”

Ten different winners have triumphed in the previous 10 editions of USAC sprint car racing at Knoxville Raceway, nine without a wing and one (Sammy Swindell in 1988) with a wing overhead.

Among that list are current and likely future National Sprint Car Hall of Famers, including Gary Bettenhausen, who won the inaugural race in 1968; Dick Tobias; Sheldon Kinser; and more-recent stars in Bud Kaeding (2010), Brady Bacon (2011) and Justin Grant (2017).

ASSEN, Netherlands – Maverick Viñales led the way during Friday practice for the MotoGP Dutch TT at TT Circuit Assen.

Viñales posted a time of 1:32.638 with his Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing bike, edging out Petronas Yamaha SRT rider Fabio Quartararo for top honors on the speed charts.

“The feeling I have is pretty similar to what I had in Montmeló. I think I made some improvements regarding my riding style, and I took a bit a of profit from it here in Assen,” said Vinales. “But it’s only Friday. We are keeping our heads down, working very hard for the race. It’s very important to get a good result and create good momentum, so we are going to try our best. We’re pushing. We know the bike needs to improve in some areas, so we’re going to try to do that tomorrow. Our main focus is the race and the first laps, so I’m going to do the same as I did in Catalunya and see if it works on Sunday.

“I will try to be on the front row, so I can make a good start. I also have some things to try tomorrow to see if I can improve my rhythm a little, because some riders are very fast,” he added. “It has been a good day. Even in the hot conditions, I felt good on the bike with hard tires, which means the bike is working.”

Quartararo was second-quick at 1:32.818, followed by the factory Ducati pair of Danilo Petrucci and Andrea Dovizioso in third and fourth, respectively.

Spaniard Álex Rins completed the top five for Team Suzuki Ecstar.

Andrea Iannone was sixth ahead of defending champion Marc Marquez, who struggled on Friday and was only seventh fastest for Repsol Honda.

Marquez’s teammate, Jorge Lorenzo, only participated in the first free practice session on Friday and was three seconds off the fast time set by Viñales, ranking last of the 22 riders.

JOLIET, Ill. – J.J. Yeley, one of the most successful drivers in United States Auto Club history, will pilot the RMS No. 36 when the NOS Energy Drink USAC National Midget Series races at Dirt Oval 66 on Saturday.

Yeley, of Phoenix, Ariz., has had a consistent run of success at Dirt Oval 66, never finishing outside the top-four in six USAC national starts at the half-mile dirt oval.

He’s made three midget starts there, finishing fourth in 2001, third in 2002 and fourth in 2003. In three sprint car appearances, Yeley ran second in 2001, third in 2002 and won in 2003.

Yeley made his last USAC National Midget appearance in last September’s BC39 at the Dirt Track at IMS. He’s a five-time USAC national champion and is the second and most recent driver to win the coveted Triple Crown in a single season, capturing the Silver Crown, National Sprint and National Midget championships in 2003.

Previously, Yeley won the sprint title in 2001 and the Silver Crown championship in 2002.

Yeley will compete as a teammate to Thomas Meseraull on the RMS team Saturday in Joliet. Meseraull and RMS were victorious in last December’s non-points Junior Knepper 55, held indoors at the Southern Illinois Center.

The former NASCAR driver takes the reins of the RMS No. 36 from fellow USAC champion Dave Darland, who piloted the car through the conclusion of Indiana Midget Week.

MONROVIA, Ind. – Justin Peck has landed the Premier Motorsports sprint car ride recently vacated by Spencer Bayston and will contest the remainder of the Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions schedule under the guidance of team owner Pete Grove.

The duo will begin its tenure together during Friday night’s All Star event at Jacksonville (Ill.) Speedway.

“Honestly, I didn’t expect to land an All Star ride like this,” Peck admitted. “I had some feelers out there and we were talking to a few people trying to drum some stuff up, but none of that was really making any headway. Our goal was really to build our own stuff up to take the family car All Star racing eventually. We wanted to get better in Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Wisconsin and places like that.

“This was unexpected, though. I had a few good people in my corner talking to Pete … and now it’s blossomed into a deal to really grow our schedule and do this for the rest of the season,” Peck added. “It’s definitely a huge step for me, I feel like, and one that I’m hoping to make the most of.”

Peck, 20, has found his way back to the upper echelon of 410 sprint car racing 11 months after a failed drug test during Kings Royal weekend at Ohio’s Eldora Speedway threatened to derail his career.

At that point, he didn’t know what would be next as he worked to rebuild his racing foothold. Now, Peck has a clear path forward and the biggest opportunity he’s ever had well within his grasp.

“It’s been a long road to get back to this point,” Peck admitted. “There were times when I wondered if it ever would. I truly appreciate everyone who didn’t hold it against me, though, and that’s not to say they shouldn’t have. … I was in a pretty dark place for a while, but I had to work through it and keep fighting.”

Peck injected his name into the sprint car scene with authority two years ago, when he beat the All Stars to win as an 18-year-old at Macon (Ill.) Speedway in his sixth winged sprint car start.

Now with a chance to join the ranks of the tour’s regular drivers, Peck is hoping to further cement his name in the sprint car landscape, though he admits his mindset has shifted in the wake of the last week.

“Our goal this year was to hit a lot of the local All Star and (World of) Outlaws shows that were in our area, but it worked out to where we were sitting pretty well in the FAST points and that changed our plans a bit because they do have a championship payout at the end of the year,” Peck explained. “Now our focus has shifted again. I like to say it’s all (about) time; that’s just how racing is.

“You never know what’s in store, but when you put your head down, get to work and build friendships … things like this deal with Pete can come together,” he added. “I’m thankful he’s willing to take a chance on me and I’m excited to hit the All Star tour running full bore.”

After years of driving family-owned equipment, Peck called it “refreshing” to have an opportunity to take the wheel for an outside car owner and be able to showcase his skills even further.

“Everyone wants to go get a ride and be able to chase the All Stars or the Outlaws, but it’s something that’s not easy to do, even in the current climate,” Peck said. “To have this chance is really cool for me. A few weeks ago, it looked like I was only going to be able to get to run 15 or 20 more races this year, and now there’s 30 races left on the All Star schedule … plus some others that we should get to hit.

“Racing is what I’ve always wanted to do, and now I have a really solid opportunity to go and do just that,” Peck added. “We’re going to plug away at it, rebuild this team and make the best of it.”

Though it’s a new team and a new situation, Peck believes winning in the famed No. 70x car is something that’s closer than people might think.

“We’re definitely going to have to have some time to jell, figure out what we all need and what these J&Js want, but I think race wins are definitely realistic this year,” Peck noted. “I feel like we can go out, have a shot to run in the top 10 every night and put ourselves in good positions going forward.

“If we do that, I think success will come. I hope this year is the start of a great journey with this team.”

ROSEVILLE, Calif. – With the 12th annual Louie Vermeil Classic sprint car and midget race approaching at Calistoga Speedway, track officials have unveiled the eighth induction class of the Calistoga Speedway Hall of Fame.

The new inductees include Billy Albini, Marvin Faw, Ted Finkenbinder, Rich Govan, Wally Talbot and the Tiner family.

The eighth annual Calistoga Speedway Hall of Fame induction dinner and awards banquet takes place on Friday night, Aug. 30. The evening is dedicated to the introduction of the six newest members into the Calistoga Speedway Hall of Fame.

The list is led by Albini, a famed West Coast crew chief who passed away on March 12. Albini is the winningest crew chief in the history of the NARC/King of the West Sprint Car Series. Albini assisted driver Brent Kaeding on numerous wins at Calistoga Speedway.

It was recently announced that the NARC/KWS Series has added a new perpetual award to honor Albini. The Billy Albini Mechanic of the Year Award will feature a perpetual trophy and recognizes the mechanical ability and leadership skills needed to drive the success of one’s team, as well as their ability to assist others in the pit area.

Faw enjoyed many years of success in pursuing a racing career which spanned several years. It didn’t take long for him to show his driving talent in races sanctioned by the new Northern Auto Racing Club, and in 1962 he became the NARC Owner and Driver Champion.

The ’62 Championship was very special to 49-year-old Faw, as he worked with limited funds and built his own equipment.

Finkenbinder has seen success both as a driver and car owner throughout the last five decades, fielding a plethora of cars ranging from USAC Silver Crown, Sprints and Midgets to winged 410 and 360 sprint cars. Finkenbinder has also been a fixture at the Calistoga Speedway. His famed No. 3f is a recognizable car number known across California.

Finkenbinder has supported Calistoga for more than 40 years and at times has fielded two race cars in one night of racing.

Govan won a sprint car main event at Calistoga Speedway on June 14, 1975. He was behind the wheel of fellow Hall of Fame car owner Roger Henderson’s car. Govan was a fixture during the 1970’s racing scene with the Northern Auto Racing Club. In 1975, Govan finished third in NARC points behind Ron Horton and champion LeRoy VanConett.

Talbot has a long history with Calistoga Speedway. His career spanned four decades. In 1958 he competed in his first race at Calistoga. Talbot’s last race at the track took place in 1984. He is a three-time Northern Auto Racing Club series champion.

Talbot drove for both Louie Vermeil and Stan Vermeil at Calistoga Speedway.

The Tiner family has a long history of competing at Calistoga Speedway. Rod Tiner Sr. has six wins at Calistoga as a car owner. The veteran crew chief is widely viewed as one of the smartest to ever turn a wrench on a sprint car.

Brother Randy “Boo” Tiner has four career wins as a driver at the legendary half-mile. Boo Tiner was also one of the most popular sprint car drivers to turn laps in Northern California.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have extended the contracts of impending restricted free agents Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, shoring up a second and third line that helped the Maple Leafs net a triple-digit point total for consecutive seasons.

Kapanen signed a three-year, $9.6 million extension, while Johnsson inked a four-year, $13.6 million deal.

Toronto has re-signed two of its three restricted free agents ahead of the Monday deadline, with the exception of Mitch Marner.

Kapanen set a career high with 44 points last season (20 goals, 24 assists). Johnsson had 20 goals and 23 assists, including a goal and three assists in the Leafs' first-round exit against Boston.

Toronto earned salary-cap space last week by sending Patrick Marleau and his $6.25 million contract to the Carolina Hurricanes.