I Dig Sports
BARBERVILLE, Fla. For the first time, Garrett Alberson elected to include Volusia Speedway Park on his early-season itinerary. And after two nights of action, hes already fallen in love with the half-mile race track.
After an exhilarating late-race tussle, the Las Cruces, N.M., driver won for the first time with the World of Outlaws Late Models and bagged the $20,000 top prize in Saturdays DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals finale.
Its huge for the team, Alberson said. This is what Ive wanted to do my whole life. Just to be a contender in late model racing, its super cool.
Alberson began the 50-lap affair in the third starting spot behind two of dirt late model racings all-time greats Jimmy Owens and Jonathan Davenport. Owens broke away to the early lead, while a slow start for Davenport allowed Alberson to climb to second exiting Turn 2 on the first lap.
Owens looked to have the dominant car early on, but Alberson kept the gap within a second until Lap 14. Nick Hoffmans run of misfortune continued for the second-straight night with a flat left-front tire, bringing out the caution.
On the ensuing restart, Alberson briefly lost second to Tyler Erb but regained the spot when the No. 1t slid up and out of the groove in Turn 2 just before halfway.
After a caution due to a spinning Brent Larson, Alberson got his first look at the lead as he went three-wide down the backstretch with Owens and Max Blair for the top spot. Owens won that battle, but Alberson wasnt keen on letting him get away. Following a handful of attempts, Alberson threw a slider and made it stick to take the lead for the first time with eight to go.
Jimmy got out there really good early, but I could pace him and kind of run down the track a little bit, Alberson said. I knew once we got clean air there, I was going to be OK. I could make really good speed in the top, my right-front was giving up a little bit getting tight like everybody else.
When it looked like Alberson was driving away to a comfortable victory, Brian Shirley slowed on the frontstretch to set up a three-lap Dash to the checkers. For Alberson, the path to his first World of Outlaws win was simple hold off a future first-ballot Hall of Famer in Davenport.
Half a lap after the restart, Davenport slid up in front of Alberson before the No. 58 crossed him back exiting Turn 4. Superman tried the same move in the next set of corners, but Alberson once again had the momentum on exit to prevail. One more perfect lap later, Alberson crossed the line to become the 102nd feature winner in series history and first from the state of New Mexico.
Man, that restart got wild, Alberson said. JD and I were throwing slide jobs there at the end, hopefully it was all clean and everything. Man, this is awesome.
For Davenport, his maiden Sunshine Nationals appearance wrapped up with his second runner-up in as many nights. With a weekend of consistent speed at Volusia under their belts, the No. 49 team will be among the favorites when the Series returns to the track in February for Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals.
I thought Id make him earn it anyway, Davenport said. I didnt think I could get to him, but I found a line that I could slide across him through [Turns] 1 and 2, really stuck until we could exit.
Garrett pushed a little off of 2, so I said, might as well try it. But I bottomed out when I went to slide him and got a little more sideways than I wanted to so I wouldnt clear him and not hit him. That put me a little bit out of the ballpark, and then he got another run on me. From then, I was just trying to break his momentum.
Rounding out the podium was the No. 111 of Blair, who spent the entirety of the second half of the Feature lurking in the top five. After his Friday feature came to an early end with a Lap 1 incident, the third-place run was just what the doctor ordered for the Centerline Motorsports team.
I think we had speed all weekend, Blair said. The race track was awesome tonight, I cant say enough about how much work they put into getting something like this to race on. Minus one little bump into Turn 3, I dont know if it could have been any better.
Devin Moran drove from 15th up to fourth while Owens fell to fifth at the finish.
The finish:
Feature (50 Laps): 1. 58-Garrett Alberson[3]; 2. 49D-Jonathan Davenport[2]; 3. 111-Max Blair[7]; 4. 99-Devin Moran[15]; 5. 20-Jimmy Owens [1]; 6. 32-Bobby Pierce [17]; 7. 1T-Tyler Erb[4]; 8. 71-Hudson ONeal[22]; 9. 1-Brandon Sheppard [23]; 10. 9-Nick Hoffman [5]; 11. 2-Cody Overton [6]; 12. 74X-Ethan Dotson[18]; 13. 97-Cade Dillard [25]; 14. 96-Tanner English[14]; 15. 22*-Drake Troutman[27]; 16. 40B-Kyle Bronson [9]; 17. 28-Dennis Erb Jr.[26]; 18. 19R-Ryan Gustin [16]; 19. 20RT-Ricky Thornton Jr[24]; 20. 16-Tyler Bruening [19]; 21. 19-Dustin Sorensen [20]; 22. 22-Daniel Hilsabeck[8]; 23. B10-Brent Larson [28]; 24. 3S-Brian Shirley [13]; 25. 20TC-Tristan Chamberlain [29]; 26. 14W-Dustin Walker [30]; 27. 9M-Tim McCreadie[11]; 28. 44-Chris Madden [12]; 29. 76-Brandon Overton[21]; 30. 157-Mike Marlar[10]
Arteta 'fuming' over red but hails big Arsenal win
Mikel Arteta said he was "absolutely fuming" about Myles Lewis-Skelly's red card but praised his Arsenal team's character in a 1-0 win over Wolves on Saturday that boosted their Premier League title hopes.
Lewis-Skelly, 18, was controversially sent off in the 43rd minute at Molineux after a foul on Matt Doherty 30 yards from the hosts' goal -- which referee Michael Oliver deemed was violent conduct. VAR upheld the decision, leaving Arsenal battling with 10 players with the score still 0-0.
But the numbers were evened up in the 70th minute when Wolves midfielder João Gomes was given his marching orders, and four minutes later Arsenal substitute Riccardo Calafiori scored what was ultimately the only goal of the game.
It leaves Arsenal six points behind league leaders Liverpool, who have a game in hand and thrashed Ipswich 4-1 on Saturday.
"It is that clear and I will leave it to you guys," Arteta said about the Lewis-Skelly red card. "I am absolutely fuming. But I will leave it with you, it is that obvious that I don't think my words are going to help.
"It's that obvious, that maybe we don't even need to [appeal]."
Asked about the significance of the victory for his injury-hit side, who were without captain Martin Ødegaard, Arteta added: "It's incredible what the boys did again. The context that we were thrown into, it's shows the character and the personality of the game. The courage and intelligence to play the way we want to was exceptional.
"The team are not going to stop. We are going to keep going. This team has got the spirit and will to fight against anything. They showed that again today.
"A lot of things happened today, more things happened. Yesterday we lost Mikel [Merino], we lost Martin this morning. We are still going. That is what I love about the team."
Wolves boss Vitor Pereira, meanwhile, said on the Lewis-Skelly red: "To be honest, I didn't see it very well because I was on the opposite side."
Manchester United's plans to redevelop their Old Trafford home have been boosted after the UK government threw its support behind the club's plans.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves announced she would be "championing" the project in a statement outlining the "bold reform" of the country's planning system issued by the Treasury on Sunday.
"The Chancellor also revealed today that she is championing a regeneration project around Old Trafford in Manchester that will see new housing, commercial and public space as a shining example of the bold pro-development model that will drive growth across the region, with authorities exploring setting up a mayoral development corporation body to redevelop the area," the statement said.
While United would be responsible for financing the stadium, the goverment's backing helps the club pursue wider development opportunities in the surrounding area.
United CEO Omar Berrarda welcomed the goverment's backing for the project.
"The delivery of a world-class stadium can be the catalyst for major regeneration of an area of Greater Manchester which requires new investment to thrive again," Berrarda said in a statement.
"We cannot achieve that wider aim on our own, which is why we welcome the announcement by the Chancellor and the ongoing support of the Mayor of Greater Manchester and Trafford Council. If we work together, there is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to create a landmark project around Old Trafford that the whole region can be proud of."
ESPN reported in August that United are leaning towards building a new 100,000-capacity arena rather than redeveloping the existing stadium, although a final decision has not been made. Building a new stadium on surrounding land would likely last six years and cost more than 2 billion ($2.5 billion) and is the option favoured by co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe and the project task force, which includes Mayor of Manchester Andy Burnham and former club captain Gary Neville.
United said the task force determined that a redeveloped stadium could increase Old Trafford's capacity to 87,000, while a new stadium could house 100,000 supporters. United said both options remain "under consideration" and the club are set to decide on the preferred option before the summer.
Chelsea have confirmed the signing of United States women's national team defender Naomi Girma for a world record fee on a long-term deal from San Diego Wave, as first reported by ESPN.
The deal sees Girma become the first player to break the $1 million mark in the women's game.
ESPN revealed on Jan. 16 that Chelsea were the leading contenders to sign Girma, with initial interest from Lyon and Arsenal, before confirming that the west London club had won the race for the 24-year-old's signature. It is understood that Arsenal were not among the final candidates.
The fee surpasses the previous record deal of $767,600, paid by NWSL side Bay FC to sign Zambia forward Racheal Kundananji from Madrid CFF in February 2024.
Girma was unveiled on the pitch at Stamford Bridge ahead of Chelsea's Women's Super League (WSL) clash with Arsenal on Sunday.
"I'm so happy and really excited to be here. It doesn't feel real," Girma said in a statement.
"There are a lot of things about Chelsea that made me want to come here -- the culture, the winning mentality, staff and players. It's a top environment to learn and grow in. Right now, that's what I'm looking to do. It was an easy choice for me."
Girma was instrumental in helping the USWNT achieve gold at the Paris Olympics last summer.
Former Chelsea manager and reining USWNT coach Emma Hayes has said Girma is "the best defender I've ever seen. Ever. I've never seen a player as good as her in the back."
Girma was under contract with the NWSL's San Diego Wave until 2026. She has 44 caps and has scored twice for her country after debuting in 2022. In 2023, she was named U.S. Soccer's women's player of the year.
Chelsea are six points clear at the top of the WSL table.
Information from ESPN's Tom Hamilton contributed to this report
India seal semi-final spot with win over Bangladesh; Australia and South Africa also advance
Rajshahi's overseas players sit out Sunday's game over non-payment of dues
"We have few changes. Four or five. Because no foreigners today. All the local players are playing today," Taskin said.
The BPL's rules state that a team must field a minimum of two overseas players in their XI this season. The BCB put out a statement soon after the toss saying the tournament's technical committee had granted approval for an all-local XI in this instance. "The Durbar Rajshahi team... has applied to the BPL Technical Committee for special approval to field a team consisting solely of Bangladeshi players for today's match against Rangpur Riders due to the non-availability of overseas players," the BCB said. "After a review of the request and in accordance with the provisions outlined in Clause 1.2.8 of the Match Playing Conditions of BPL 2024-25, the Technical Committee has granted approval for Durbar Rajshahi to field a team consisting of only Bangladeshi players for this match."
The Rajshahi team owner Rahman also ran into trouble with their Chattogram hotel when he couldn't pay that bill on time. TV reports showed a security person stationed outside his hotel room, and a car he was using was reportedly seized.
The team changed hotels in Dhaka on Sunday morning. The overseas players remained at the hotel in Dhaka while Sunday's match got underway at the Shere Bangla National Stadium in Mirpur.
Sinner rolls to 2nd straight Australian Open title
MELBOURNE, Australia -- There's all sorts of ways beyond merely the score to measure just how dominant Jannik Sinner was while outplaying and frustrating Alexander Zverev during the 6-3, 7-6 (4), 6-3 victory Sunday that earned the 23-year-old Italian a second consecutive Australian Open championship.
The zero break points Sinner faced. Or the 10 he accumulated. The 27-13 advantage in points that lasted at least nine strokes. Or the way Sinner accumulated more winners, 32 to 25, and fewer unforced errors, 27 to 45. The way Sinner won 10 of 13 points that ended with him at the net. Or the way he only let Zverev go 14 of 27 in that category, frequently zipping passing shots out of reach.
And here is one more bit of evidence: Listen to what Zverev told Sinner during the on-court trophy ceremony: "You're the best player in the world, by far. I was hoping that I could be more of a competitor today, but you're just too good. It's as simple as that."
That's coming from the guy who is ranked No. 2 behind Sinner, who has held the No. 1 spot since last June and is not showing any signs of relinquishing it. This was the first Australian Open final between the men at No. 1 and No. 2 since 2019, when No. 1 Novak Djokovic defeated No. 2 Rafael Nadal -- also in straight sets.
"It's amazing," Sinner said, "to achieve these things."
That includes being the youngest man to leave Melbourne Park with the trophy two years in a row since Jim Courier in 1992-93 and the first man since Nadal at the French Open in 2005 and 2006 to follow up his first Grand Slam title by repeating as the champion at the same tournament a year later.
Since the start of 2024, Sinner has won three of the five major tournaments, including the US Open in September, and his record in that span is 80-6 with a total of nine tournament titles. His current unbeaten run covers 21 matches.
The only thing that's clouded the past 12 months for Sinner, it seems, is a doping case in which he was cleared by a ruling that was appealed by the World Anti-Doping Agency. He tested positive for a trace amount of an anabolic steroid twice last March but blamed it on an accidental exposure involving two members of his team who have since been fired. Sinner initially was exonerated in August; a hearing in the WADA appeal is scheduled for April.
While Sinner became the eighth man in the Open era (which began in 1968) to start his career 3-0 in Grand Slam finals, Zverev is the seventh to be 0-3, adding this loss to those at the 2020 US Open and the 2024 French Open.
Those earlier setbacks both came in five sets. This contest was not that close. Not at all.
"We're trying to do all the right work," Zverev said. "I'm just not good enough."
Just before Zverev began speaking into a microphone during the trophy ceremony, a voice cried out from the stands, making reference to two of the player's ex-girlfriends who accused him of physical abuse.
During the match, there truly was only one moment that felt as if it contained a hint of tension. It came when Zverev was two points from owning the second set, leading it 5-4 and at love-30 on Sinner's serve. But a break point -- and a set point -- never arrived.
Zverev dropped the next four points, making it 5-all, and Sinner emerged with the ensuing tiebreaker. No surprise there: He went 4-0 in those set-deciders over the past two weeks and has grabbed 16 of his past 18.
A year ago, Sinner went through a lot more trouble to earn his first Slam, needing to get past Djokovic -- who quit one set into his semifinal against Zverev on Friday because of a torn hamstring -- first, before erasing a two-set deficit in the final against 2021 US Open champion Daniil Medvedev.
This time, the 6-foot-3 Sinner applied pressure with an all-around style that does not really appear to have any holes as his sneakers squeak from a sprint to a slide that often nearly ends in the splits and he uses his long limbs to deliver deep groundstrokes.
On this night, he proved superior in just about every meaningful way, other than aces.
Returning serves from Zverev that reached 138 mph, Sinner got the lone break of the opening set with a passing shot for a 5-4 lead. Zverev walked back behind the baseline, shaking his head while talking to his father and brother, who were seated in the front row of their courtside coaches' box.
There was more negative body language after Sinner served out that set at love to continue his crescendo, the final note an ace at 120 mph. Zverev trudged to his bench, shoulders sagging, and dropped his racket on an equipment bag, a gesture that conveyed annoyance more than anger. Later, it became the latter: Zverev cracked one racket on the court and used a racket to hit another on the sideline.
Understandable, given what Sinner was doing on the other side of the net.
The father-son dynasties powering England's future
There are challenges that come with a famous family name though. These are young men carrying the preconceptions and expectations of others.
"I always get called Mike Friday's son, every time," says 18-year-old Friday with a smile.
"I want to make a name for myself as well. My dad has done everything he was really good but obviously I want to try and push on for myself.
"It is not about escaping his shadow. I just want to be seen as my own person as well, not just a son."
For Bracken it is about being more than a brother as well. Charlie, two years older, is also on Saracens' books and has represented England under-20s in the past.
Bracken says that being a wing rather than a scrum-half like Charlie and Kyran limits comparisons, though even if they do come he has the belief that he could hold his own against his father's heyday.
"I have been shown a few highlight reels and been told my dad used to be quicker than me I'm not sure that works anymore!" he says.
"I have also watched a few England games from the 2003 World Cup run. It is funny seeing how the game has changed so much in a short space of time, with the speed and the structure there is now.
"I wonder how good he would be today. I'm sure he would do alright."
The more pressing question for many England fans is how good this generation of youngsters can become after winning the junior version of both the Six Nations and World Cup in 2024.
Bracken, who is studying at Loughborough University, made his Saracens debut earlier this season in the Premiership Cup, while Friday appeared in the Premiership for the first time in December, coming off the bench in a victory over Newcastle.
Among the under 20s preparing for their Six Nations opener against Ireland on Thursday, they are now the wise, old heads.
"There are different faces from last time, but I am really enjoying the vibe and brotherhood we have got going," says Bracken.
"It has almost continued from last season and built again this season."
From babes-in-arms to brothers-in-arms, they won't be the last to follow their parents' stud marks towards the top.
ANAHEIM, Calif. -- Veteran goaltender John Gibson sustained an upper-body injury during the first period of the Anaheim Ducks' 5-2 victory over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Lukas Dostal took over netminding duties at the start of the second period. Gibson made nine saves in the first period as the Ducks held a 2-1 lead after 20 minutes. Dostal made 31 saves across the final 40 minutes, giving up only one goal, en route to the win.
It's the second time this season Gibson has left a game because of injury. He was hit in the right eye by a stick blade during a Dec. 23 game against the Vegas Golden Knights and sat out the next two games.
Anaheim coach Greg Cronin, in his postgame media availability, told reporters that, after the first period -- when Gibson was being evaluated -- he was preparing the team to return to the ice, so he didn't have a major update other than saying "I think he's going to be fine."
One of few proven netminders who has been mentioned in trade rumors as the regular season hits its stretch run, Gibson also was out for the first 12 games of the regular season after undergoing an emergency appendectomy.
Gibson came into Saturday's game with an 8-8-2 record in 20 games, a 2.76 goals-against average and .914 save percentage. He has 201 career victories with the Ducks and is five away from tying Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the most wins in franchise history.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Powerful Hurricanes stand between Thunder's Warner and perfect captaincy comeback
Big picture: A first for Hurricanes, or Thunder's great revival?
But it hasn't quite been such a seamless run for Thunder, who had started strongly with four wins in five games before stumbling a little. By finishing third, they had to reach the final the hard way, but did it impressively with victories over Stars and Sixers. A potentially pivotal point in Thunder's season came on the night of the horrific collision between Cameron Bancroft and Daniel Sams, which left the pair in hospital and their team-mates shaken. But somehow, Thunder were able to get over the line against Perth Scorchers at Optus Stadium, their fortress. It reinforced the close-knit nature of the squad.
Injuries, a Test call to Sam Konstas, and the usual coming and going of overseas names have tested Thunder's depth, but they have found answers at each turn. Warner is now one win away from having a very significant moment in his career after the leadership ban was overturned ahead of the season.
"This year challenged us in every way - injuries to key players, the demands of international tournaments, and the introduction of new faces to the team," Thunder coach Trevor Bayliss said. "But each time, the team rose to the occasion without making excuses. You can't ask much more of your team than that."
Players to watch: Tim David and Tanveer Sangha
Team news: Teams may ponder batting depth
Hurricanes juggled their batting order again for the Qualifier, with Matthew Wade moving to No. 3. Chris Jordan potentially feels a place high at No. 7, leaving the onus on the top six to get the job done if that balance is retained.
Hobart Hurricanes (possible): 1 Mitch Owen, 2 Caleb Jewell, 3 Matthew Wade (wk), 4 Ben McDermott, 5 Tim David, 6 Nikhil Chaudhary, 7 Chris Jordan, 8 Nathan Ellis (capt), 9 Cameron Gannon, 10 Peter Hatzoglou, 11 Riley Meredith
Sydney Thunder (possible): 1 David Warner, 2 Jason Sangha, 3 Matthew Gilkes, 4 Sam Billings (wk), 5 Hugh Weibgen/Ollie Davies, 6 Chris Green, 7 George Garton, 8 Nathan McAndrew, 9 Tom Andrews, 10 Wes Agar, 11 Tanveer Sangha
The pitch for the Qualifier was on the slower side of what has been produced this season. Chasing has been the preferred option, but Hurricanes won against that script against Sixers. The forecast is for a warm day and a chance of a thunderstorm, although they are expected to clear by the evening. There is a reserve day for the final, but the first aim would be to complete a five-over match on Monday.
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