MALTA, N.Y. – Jackie Brown appeared to be headed to his first Albany-Saratoga Speedway DIRTcar modified feature Friday night, but just as Mike Mahaney found out a week ago, 35 laps is a lot tougher distance to win at than 30.

With the lap counter at 32, 11th starting Brett Hearn rocketed by Brown to notch his 134th win at the three-eighths-mile oval.

“I was better in the middle than on top,” tipped Hearn.  “With guys two and three wide in front of me, there was nowhere to go for a while, but once things cleared out, we were good to go.”

Polesitter Neil Stratton led early on with the third starting Brown in hot pursuit.  The duo could pull away from the field but multiple yellows kept bringing them back.  Meanwhile, Hearn and Kenny Tremont were making their customary mad dashes from deep in the field and by lap 10 they were fifth and seventh, respectively.

Stratton and Brown’s night almost ended on the frontstretch at halfway, when Kyle Armstrong and CG Morey tangled right in front of them. They escaped, but Hearn stood fourth on the restart with his sights on the lead.

Brown shot down Stratton on the green, with Tremont and Hearn swapping fourth back and forth until Hearn turned the wick up a notch and scooted by Matt DeLorenzo and then Stratton.  He then drove around Brown with three to go and shot out to a comfortable margin of victory.

Brown held on for second ahead of Tremont, DeLorenzo and Stratton.

Hunter Sanchez scored a popular win in the Street Stocks, defeating division kingpin Randy Miller, while Chris Johnson notched a $1,000 win in the Sportsman Shootout, besting Robert Bublack and Tim Hartman Jr.

CONCORD, N.C. – Patience and a power move in turn three combined to pay dividends for Gio Scelzi on Friday night, as he stormed to the win in the opening act of the United Rentals Patriot Nationals at The Dirt Track at Charlotte.

Scelzi, who lined up second after being outrun by Kyle Larson in the DIRTvision Fast Pass Dash, ran in that position for most of the night’s 30-lap feature and appeared destined to settle into that position all the way to the checkered flag.

However, inside of 10 to go, Scelzi began inching forward. With eight to go, he was within three car lengths of Larson’s tail tank, and with six laps left he was right on Larson’s bumper exiting turn two.

Loading his guns for a big move down the backstretch, Scelzi cut to the bottom of the track entering turn three and hooked his No. 71 Indy Race Parts machine against the inside berm, powering past Larson and taking firm command of the race.

Once out front, the 17-year-old never looked back, running out to a 1.115-second margin of victory and his second-career World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series triumph.

“We struggled to start the year off out west with Roth Motorsports, but Bernie (Stuebgen, crew chief) and I have slowly been getting better and better, and I think now we’re starting to hit our stride,” Scelzi told SPEED SPORT. “I can’t thank Bernie and Betsy enough. They put every single cent that they have into this team and trying to get me to the next level. It’s so much fun to race for them and win for them.

“Tonight is a dream come true,” he added. “To get my first Outlaw win at Williams Grove and then to come here to Charlotte, another marquee track for the Outlaws, and take home the trophy … there aren’t words for how cool this is.”

Scelzi noted that timing his move, and not trying to make the pass too early when he had the run, was a major key to his eventual victory.

“I was just staying even with him for a long time, and not really getting better or worse, but finally it clicked for us there inside of 10 to go and I got to the point where I could peel off (from behind Larson),” Scelzi explained. “I got that run off turn two, and I knew I had to take it. Working the bottom hadn’t let me quite get to him, and after David (Gravel) got me for second, I knew I had to get going on the top.

“I saw Kyle getting loose off turn two, and figured I could make something happen. It just had to be the right moment, and thankfully it was.”

The California teenager also paid a nod to Larson, who was looking for his third win in his third different type of car in less than a week’s time.

“Kyle’s the best driver in the world right now, no matter what he’s driving in,” Scelzi said. “I respect him a lot and look forward to seeing him win at the next level across the street, but we took one from him tonight and I’m really proud of that.

Larson settled for second on this night after winning the Monster Energy NASCAR All Star Race last weekend and the QRC Open for outlaw karts Wednesday at Milbridge Speedway.

“Second’s always a good spot to be in, because you can see where the leader is struggling and make your move accordingly, and Gio did exactly that,” said Larson. I felt OK until I caught traffic, and then I started losing drive off of (turn) two. When the groove started creeping down the track, I found a little bit more grip, but he was just a little bit better down the stretch.

“I’m disappointed I lost the race, but this is still a good run for us tonight and it was good to shake the rust off after not being in a sprint car for a few months.”

KSE Hard Charger Logan Schuchart came forward from the seventh starting position to complete the podium, followed by Brad Sweet and David Gravel.

Kraig Kinser, Donny Schatz, Ian Madsen, Sheldon Haudenschild and James McFadden closed the top 10.

The race was interrupted just once by a red flag on lap three, when Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and Rico Abreu tangled in turn four and Abreu tipped on his side. Abreu was uninjured.

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

MECHANICSBURG, Pa. – Freddie Rahmer wired the field for the win in Friday night’s Lynn Paxton Tribute race for 410 sprints at Williams Grove Speedway.

Rahmer collected $4,771 for the victory, the seventh of his young career at the oval.

In the 358 sprint feature, Jeff Halligan took the lead from Rodney Westhafer late to pick up his second career speedway win.

Rahmer drove to his win from the pole of the main that honored former three-time track champion Paxton. He began the main with Danny Dietrich to his outside and got the drop on the field at the initial green.

Dietrich tried to keep Rahmer close but as the race wore on Rahmer just continually stretched his advantage over the field. He entered the rear of the field on the seventh tour as the field strung out all around the track.

With five laps to go, Rahmer had a straightaway lead over a struggling Dietrich in traffic.

The advantage in the end was 4.846 seconds for the Salfordville speedster.

“It was kind of a crapshoot where we’d run,” Rahmer noted about his choices of lines around the speedway as the race began.

Rahmer praised the track for the lucrative payoff while questioning a 19-car field for the event.

“Williams Grove does a lot for us. $4,700 for 25 laps – I don’t know if guys are afraid to come here or what,” he said.

Dietrich rode home second followed by Lucas Wolfe, Ryan Smith and T.J. Stutts.

Heats went to Dietrich and Rahmer, while Wolfe recorded fast time over the field with a lap of 17.271 seconds while collecting $300 from Fast Tees Screenprinting for his efforts under the clock.

Rodney Westhafer led from the pole at the start of the 20-lap 358 sprint main while Cody Fletcher gave chase early.

Jeff Halligan started sixth in the field and worked into second with four away. By that time Westhafer had built a comfortable lead but a lone yellow flag in the event with six laps down gave him a clear shot at the leader.

Once able to start with the leader, Halligan stayed close to Westhafer and dogged him until lap 13 when he took the lead coming out of turn four.

Halligan then handled the field the rest of the distance while seventh starter Doug Hammaker worked his way to the front, getting by Westhafer for second with two laps to go but failing to catch the leader.

Westhafer held on for third followed by Fletcher and Scott Fisher.

Carlos Vela took his MLS leading goals tally to 15 as LAFC thrashed the visiting Montreal Impact 4-2 at Banc of California Stadium on Friday night.

The win extends LAFC's unbeaten run to seven games and keeps them undefeated at home with a record of seven wins and one draw.

Goalkeeper Evan Bush gifted the hosts their opening goal, misplaying the ball out of the back and allowing Christian Ramirez to block his clearance into the back of the net.

MLS goals leader Vela then pulled the strings for the next two goals, getting in behind the Montreal defense and beating Bush to double LAFC's lead before picking out Diego Rossi, who squared to Latif Blessing for a tap in to make it 3-0 at half-time.

Vela looked to have struck again at the start of the second half with a cheeky chip over Bush after another Montreal giveaway, but the linesman's flag was up for offside and the goal was ruled out.

However, the Western Conference leaders scored seconds later when Tristan Blackmon lost his marker in the penalty area and powered home a header from a corner kick to make it 4-0.

LAFC's Eddie Segura redirected the ball into his own net from an Impact cross to give the visitors their first goal. Saphir Taïder then scored from the penalty spot to halve the deficit as full-time approached after Walker Zimmerman brought down Anthony Jackson-Hamel in the area.

Despite playing their fourth game in 14 days, LAFC showed no signs of fatigue, outshooting the Impact by a 17-9 margin (10-6 in shots on goal), in a match that seemed more lopsided than those statistics might suggest.

Bush's error notwithstanding, the goalkeeper often looked outstanding in making six saves to keep the final score respectable. The Impact have just one victory (1-3-1) over their past five matches.

The win means Bob Bradley's team have now earned 34 points from its first 15 matches to top the Western Conference and stay nine ahead of the third-placed Galaxy, who beat Orlando City on Friday, and eight points ahead of the Seattle Sounders, who play Sporting Kansas City on Sunday.

The final game of the 2018-19 season in Germany is Saturday's DFB Pokal (German Cup) final between Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. Will the Bavarians complete a memorable league/cup double, or will the fledgling side from Saxony upset Niko Kovac & Co.?

Here's what you need to know ahead of the game in Berlin -- live on ESPNEWS, 5/25, 2 p.m. ET -- and an exclusive interview with Bayern winger Serge Gnabry.

German Cup final preview

WHO'S THE FAVORITE? Eighteen-time DFB Pokal winners Bayern are widely expected to win, but they know better than most that cup games don't necessarily go according to plan: the German champions sensationally lost last year's final against rank outsiders Eintracht Frankfurt, 3-1. Third-place RBL are a better side than the Eagles were in 2017-18, especially at the back. Their defensive solidity -- they conceded the fewest goals in the league and held Bayern to a 0-0 draw at home two weeks ago -- will give them a decent shot at causing an upset, too.

KEY BATTLE: Marcel Halstenberg vs. Gnabry & Co. RB Leipzig's 27-year-old left-back will have to close down Bayern's strong right flank, where Gnabry combines with the constantly overlapping defender Joshua Kimmich to great effect. But even if Halstenberg, a contender for a starting spot with Germany, frustrates Gnabry, the battle is not quite won. Arjen Robben will be bursting with ambition on the touchline, eager to perform his favourite party trick as a substitute for Bayern one last time.

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X FACTOR, BAYERN MUNICH: James Rodriguez has not started a game for Bayern since the 1-1 draw with SC Freiburg at the end of March. After overcoming a persistent calf injury, the Colombian is back in contention to add his unique brand of creativity as a substitute in case Thomas Müller's unpredictable game fails to come off against Leipzig's excellent pressing game. The 27-year-old's possible intervention would be very timely: chances are he will go back to Real Madrid after the match in Berlin.

X FACTOR, RB LEIPZIG: Yussuf Poulsen has only scored one goal in all of April and May, in the 3-1 semifinal cup win over Hamburger SV, but that dry spell disguises a hugely productive season. The Danish centre-forward's 19 strikes in all competitions have gone a long way to take the Saxons to third place in the Bundesliga. Bayern's backline can ill-afford the threat posed by the 24-year-old, especially in transition.

BAYERN NEED TO ... be patient and accurate in possession, and immediately counter-press when their attacks break down to stop Leipzig exposing them on the break. As the superior footballing side, they should aim to exhaust their hard-running opponents by moving the ball around.

RB LEIPZIG NEED TO ... Ralf Rangnick will aim to double or triple up in wide areas, to force Bayern's game into the congested centre. The key is to find one of the attackers in the half-space between Bayern's full-backs and central midfield playmaker Thiago with pinpoint vertical balls immediately after a successful recovery.

PREDICTION: Bayern will edge a tense midfield to win 1-0 in extra-time.

Serge Gnabry is taking his career in stride

When social media was awash with snide comments after he joined FC Bayern Munich in the summer of 2017, Serge Gnabry simply shrugged. It wasn't the first time people told him that he couldn't do what he wanted to do, and probably not the last. "You hear what's going on. Lots of people were saying that I was making a mistake, that I would never play for Bayern," the 23-year-old forward told ESPN.

The reaction had been the same when he moved from VfB Stuttgart to Arsenal at the age of 16 -- "everyone said 'don't go, you have to stay here, you won't make it'" -- and even the U-7s of his local village club initially turned him down. At 4½ years old, Serge was technically too young to join, but his father Jean-Hermann, a former amateur player at TSV who had moved to Swabia from the Ivory Coast and married a local girl, wouldn't take "nein" for an answer. He could see that the boy was already more skilled than his would-be peers and more importantly than that, he desperately wanted him out of the house. Serge was regularly smashing up lamps and other bits of furniture, kicking a ball around. Luckily for everyone involved, Weissach relented.

"All I ever wanted to do was play football," said Gnabry said. "My dad pushed and pushed [my youth team] until they agreed to let me play, despite my age. I soon realised that I could do more than the others."

Under the tutelage of his father, Gnabry quickly progressed to join VFB Stuttgart, the biggest club in the southwest of Germany, at the age of 10. There he played in an excellent youth team that featured the likes of Timo Werner (now at RB Leipzig) and his current Bayern teammate, Kimmich. Stuttgart fought tooth and nail to keep him when Arsene Wenger showed an interest in 2011. To no avail. "I was confident that I had the ability to thrive there," said Gnabry.

After a promising early debut for the Gunners, his career in London petered out due to combination of injuries and too much competition. Bayern engineered an €8m move via initial buyers Werder Bremen and a loan to TSG Hoffenheim, but even president Uli Hoeness didn't anticipate him doing as well as he did in his first year at the Allianz Arena. Gnabry immediately became a starter in their seventh consecutive title-winning campaign, scoring 13 goals in 49 games in all competitions -- elite numbers for a wide attacker. Without Gnabry's goals and energy from the right, Bayern would probably not made up a nine-point deficit in December to finish two points ahead of Borussia Dortmund last Saturday.

As much as he's enjoying himself, Gnabry understands that Bayern's ambitions cannot be fulfilled by winning the league alone. Even a domestic double -- completed against Werner, his former teammate -- won't quite make this a successful season. That said, he's capable of appreciating what he has, a lesson he's learned visiting his father's family in the Ivory Coast. Gnabry's been back twice to "soak up the happiness" of his extended family.

"It's very important to know not just the culture of my German side but also the African side," he said. "Everyone knows the difference in life between there and here. It's a completely different mentality; people don't have the same stuff but are still happy. It humbles you." Gnabry last went to Africa ahead of the 2016 Olympics, a tournament that proved instrumental in securing his successful return to Germany. He'll go there for two weeks this June, before the club's trip to the U.S. and preseason training ahead of the next milestone.

In 2019-20, Gnabry will be tasked to lead Bayern and Germany to international glory. Don't tell him he can't do it.

"This won't be as fun as when I was playing," quipped Brad Haddin as he dropped into the chair that was set up in front of cameras and journalists in the Ageas Bowl indoor school ahead of Australia's warm-up match against England.

Whether it was fun or not, it was hardly surprising that Haddin's first press conference for Australia ahead of the Men's World Cup was punctuated by questions surrounding Australia's much-vaunted change in team culture and the team's likely reception by English fans. The former vice-captain was renowned as one of Australia's most combative players, particularly towards the end of his career, a period which has come under scrutiny in the wake of the Newlands ball-tampering scandal.

Barmy Army songs? Heckling from the crowd? All welcome, insisted the current fielding coach.

"I'd be disappointed if the England crowd weren't involved in the game," Haddin said. "One of the pleasures I had in my career was the theatre of touring to England and when the Barmy Army come out to Australia and what it brings to the game.

"The one thing I have noticed is that they still respect good cricket. They'll still have their songs and their fun, but I have never known an English crowd not respect a good hundred or a five-for or a good performance in the field. It's something for me, personally, it was great part of coming to England. It was fun. We don't get a lot of that sort of crowd in Australia so the guys are very excited."

Haddin brushed aside questions about his own conduct around the 2015 final against New Zealand, during which he was memorably involved in 'send-offs' to Grant Elliott and Martin Guptill, and his joking comments that "they deserved it", pointing out that no charges were made by the ICC.

When one journalist suggested Haddin was well-known for his sledging abilities, he laughed in response.

"Beg your pardon?" he replied, with a hint of self-deprecating incredulity.

"You want a contest out there, that doesn't have to be verbalised. That's the way you present yourself with your body, the way you create that environment, you can create that environment with the presence you set. All anyone wants is a fair contest and I think every time Australia play England, we all know we're going to get one hell of a great contest.

"I know the guys are excited about the World Cup and we will play the cricket we always play. There'll be a contest out in the field. But as we know probably better than anyone else, there are places you can go and places that you can't. I hope they are smiling. It's a huge event the World Cup and if they are not smiling it will be disappointing. We'll be encouraging them to smile and compete."

Along with Ricky Ponting, Justin Langer's choice of Haddin as assistant and fielding coach gives the players in the side a wealth of World Cup experience upon which to draw, and they have taken advantage of that fact.

"Yeah it's been good, just informally," Haddin said. "We've had a pretty big lead into this whether it's just over a coffee - you've got a lot of time on the team bus in the UK to get around with the players. You've got obviously Ricky's experience, I think he's been to five and I myself have been to three, but there's also that we all played different roles.

"I remember my first World Cup I had the time of my life in 2007, didn't play a game but that still felt just as good as it did when I played in 2015. So it's just sharing those experiences and the boys are as clear as they possibly can be. If they have got any questions, no question is too silly. Leading into that first game [it's important] they've got a really clear mind of the expectations of a World Cup."

Texas pitcher Miranda Elish, who was helped off the field in the second inning of Friday's NCAA softball super regional game against host Alabama in Tuscaloosa after taking a throw to the face, is "doing well," according to Texas sports information director Brian Davis.

With a runner on first, Alabama's Elissa Brown bunted Elish's pitch off of home plate. Catcher Mary Iakopo grabbed the ball with her bare hand and was already in motion to throw the ball to second base as the umpire called the ball dead and ruled Brown out for her foot being out of the batter's box. Iakopo's throw struck Elish in the face from close range, and the pitcher fell to the ground.

Athletic trainers and medical personnel tended to Elish in the pitcher's circle. She was helped off the field toward the clubhouse to a standing ovation from the Tuscaloosa crowd.

Elish, who transferred from Oregon, was taken to a local hospital emergency room as a precaution.

Texas coach Mike White told ESPN between the third and the fourth innings that Elish "is hurting a little but in good spirits." However, White also said Elish would not be available for Saturday's decisive Game 3, according to WVUA 23.

Shealyn O'Leary replaced Elish, who had pitched every inning of Texas' four elimination games in the regionals, as the Longhorns rallied from a 4-0 deficit to win 7-5 and extend their season.

Iakopo hit a three-run home run in the bottom of the third inning to start the Longhorns' rally. In a 4-4 game in the fourth inning, she drove in two runs when her bases-loaded grounder was thrown away.