British number three Dan Evans has reached his second successive grass-court final with a 6-4 6-2 win over Japan's Go Soeda in Nottingham.

The top seed, 29, will face Russia's world number 148 Evgeny Donskoy later on Sunday as he attempts to add to his Surbiton success last week.

World number 70 Evans is already assured of a Wimbledon main draw slot.

France's Caroline Garcia and Croatia's Donna Vekic will meet in the Nature Valley Open final at the same venue.

Evans, who was banned from the sport for a year from April 2017 for cocaine use, came through qualifying to make the second round of the Australian Open in January.

Although behind compatriots Kyle Edmund and Cameron Norrie in the world rankings, which take into account the previous 12 months' form, he is Britain's best male player based purely on 2019's results.

Evans has won his two most recent matches against Donskoy, although his 29-year-old opponent came out on top in their first meeting back in 2010.

While the women's final at Nottingham is a Tour-level event, the men's draw is part of the second-tier Challenger series.

HANFORD, Calif. — D.J. Netto won the 30-lap Sprint Car Challenge Tour Series event at Keller Auto Speedway on Saturday night.

The hometown boy beat out Justin Sanders and Kyle Hirst in scoring a very popular win in front of his local fans. Netto drove his familiar Netto AG supported No. 88n.

Tim Kaeding and his brother Bud Kaeding filled out the top five. Seventeen of the 24 starters were running at the checkered flag in a marathon event lasting over an hour.

Colby Copeland and Hirst brought the field down for the start, but the racers did not make it through the third turn before the race’s first caution waved. Travis Coelho spun high off the turn’s banking. On the complete restart, Copeland would stutter and fade, losing several positions as the top runners were sorting out the fastest race groove.

It was Sanders, who had started in the second row, who would figure out the extremely wide Hanford groove and claim the top spot.

The race would slow again on lap 6 when an infield tire barrier got knocked on to the track in turn four by the group of cars that picked the bottom groove. On the restart, it was Sanders leading Hirst and Cole Macedo but it would be Macedo who would bring out the red when he jumped the turn-two cushion and flipped.

The race would restart less Macedo but would quickly go red once again when a rim riding Coelho caught the front stretch wall just past the flag stand and did a series of high flying flips, ending his night.

Netto had now made his way up to second and would restart alongside of leader Sanders on a double file restart.  But the race would have to once again be stopped on lap nine when Copeland spun around coming out of the fourth turn and got clipped by Andy Forsberg who was then side swiped by Craig Stidham who would take a hard flip.

Several cars ducked into the infield to avoid the nearly blocked track, avoiding what could have been a much more serious accident. Only Copeland would be able to restart after pitting for repairs.

The race would restart once the wrecked cars were removed from the track and would stay green until Scott Parker stopped on the track coming out of turn two.

Another caution would come out for Kyle Offill who spun in the second turn. Offill had been a flip victim in his heat but after repairing a heavily damaged car, Offill started the B Main picking up a transfer spot with a high finish which put him in the main event.

Sanders, Netto and the remaining top five in the running order all picked the high groove around the King’s County Fairgrounds oval.  It would be a slide job by Netto on Sanders on lap 24 which would put him in the front.

Two laps later, it would be Tim Kaeding trying the same move as Netto, however Sanders would have no part of it and rammed the back of Kaeding’s No. 42x sending him nearly off the banking and out of third place.

Offill’s turn-two problems continued when he spun around on lap 27 bringing out yet another caution.  It was under this caution that Kaeding would show his displeasure with Sanders as the two cars nearly locked up.

But it was Netto who enjoy the win at his home track. The Sanders-Kaeding feud continued on the cool down lap with some more bumping before Kaeding would head to the pits while Sanders joined the front stretch ceremonies.

The finish:

D.J. Netto, Justin Sanders, Kyle Hirst, Tim Kaeding, Bud Kaeding, Tony Gualda, Sean Becker, Mitchell Faccinto, Willie Croft, Colby Copeland, Grant Duinkerken, Danny Faria, Kaleb Montgomery, Tucker Worth, Blake Carrick, Kyle Offill, Landon Hurst, Dustin Freitas, Scott Parker,  Steven Kent, Andy Forsberg, Craig Stidham, Travis Coelho, Cole Macedo

NEW RICHMOND, Wis. — Ryan Gustin battled mechanical gremlins from the time he left his home in Marshalltown, Iowa, on Thursday afternoon through early Saturday evening, but when the big money was on the line Saturday night ‘The Reaper’ exorcised the demons and bolted to his second Masters title in three years.

After a tight three-way battle between early leader Jake Timm and Dirt Late Model Hall of Famer Jimmy Mars, Gustin finally passed Mars with ten laps remaining and then drove away to score another crown jewel victory and a $10,000 winner’s check at Cedar Lake Speedway.

“It feels good,” Gustin said in victory lane. “Any time you can outrun Jimmy Mars at his home race track you’ve done something right.
Mars led the opening lap but conceded the top spot to Timm the second time around the high-banked three-eighths-mile clay oval.

Timm set a torrid pace for the next 18 circuits while Mars and Gustin used every inch of the race track to keep pace with the second-generation speedster.

Mars zoomed ahead of Timm on lap 20 and Gustin followed into second place three laps later, setting up a two-car battle between one of Cedar Lake Speedway’s most decorated and experienced racers and the 28-year-old two-time USMTS national champion.

Gustin snuck past Mars briefly to lead the 27th lap but jumped the cushion in the ensuing corner to give Mars the advantage the next time around.

Mars remained in control through heavy lapped traffic and 39 laps, but Gustin proved to be too much with his patented rim-riding exhibition and snagged the lead as they completed lap 40.
The rest of the 50-lapper was all Gustin.

“It was a blast, man. That’s the most fun I’ve had in a race car in a long time. It was an up-on-the-wheel deal. Jimmy could pull down on the race track better than we could, but we just let it all hang out up on that cushion and it worked out.”

The hefty paycheck will also come in handy to keep Gustin rolling down the road with his No. 19r Spike Hardcore Energy Hughes Chassis which is powered by nearby Tri Star Engines. En route to the race on Thursday, Gustin’s hauler blew out two tires and he barely made it in time for hot laps.

The finish:

Ryan Gustin, Jimmy Mars, Rodney Sanders, Jake O’Neil, Jake Timm, Zack VanderBeek, Dereck Ramirez, Terry Phillips, R.C. Whitwell, Adam Hensel, Michael Truscott, Clayton Wagamon, Jacob Bleess, Brad Waits, Dustin Sorensen, Tyler Wolff, Travis Saurer, Adam Ayotte, Darrell Nelson, Darron Fuqua, Jason Hughes, A.J. Diemel, Cory Crapser, Hunter Marriott.

MARYVILLE, Tenn. — Hudson O’Neal wrestled the lead from Mike Marlar on lap 30 and cruised on to his third Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season on Saturday night at Smoky Mountain Speedway.

The Big Daddy 60 was the biggest paying single-day event in Smoky Mountain Speedway history with a first-place prize of $15,000 up for grabs.

Ricky Weiss crossed the finish line in second, but he was several car lengths behind the winner. Weiss moved by Josh Richards on lap 47, and despite a caution with 11 laps remaining, he was unable to challenge O’Neal for the lead. Richards was third, with Tim McCreadie and Jimmy Owens completing the top five.

Marlar was looking for his third Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win this month as the Tennessee veteran and O’Neal went back and forth for several laps with O’Neal finally gaining the lead for good with 30 laps remaining.

Marlar suffered a left-rear flat while running third to O’Neal and Josh Richards which forced a caution flag, ending Marlar’s night as he took his car pit side on lap 36. O’Neal had to wait through a lap 49 caution before he extended his lead back out again over the field.

The 18-year-old third-generation racer went on to record his second straight Father’s Day weekend victory. Last year O’Neal scored his first career LOLMDS win by capturing the Clash at the Mag victory in Mississippi.

“Hopefully this makes my dad feel a little better. He has had a rough weekend inside and out of his race car,” said Hudson O’Neal referring to his father Don, the 2014 series champion. “This one’s for him. He has had such a rough weekend. What a great Father’s Day gift. To do it two years in a row, it doesn’t get any better than that.”

Weiss came home with a runner-up finish after falling back as far as eighth.

“Our car was little snug at the start. I was actually bottoming out. It seemed to work better the longer we went,” Weiss said. “We like the longer races. We started forward and then went back and then back to the front. Josh [Richards] and I had a good race for second. I thought I might have had something for Hudson there on that last restart, but I don’t think he missed a mark. Hats off to him for a great race.”

Richards rallied for a podium finish.

“Hudson could really hit the brown on the track. We thought we could be pretty good in the race. My nose folded under me a little bit; it was starting to chatter going into three. Ricky was able to get by us. We’ve had a fast car all weekend, but just no luck whatsoever.”

The finish:

Hudson O’Neal, Ricky Weiss, Josh Richards, Tim McCreadie, Jimmy Owens, Tyler Erb, Earl Pearson Jr., Kyle Strickler, Dale McDowell, Jonathan Davenport, Stormy Scott, Devin Moran, Shanon Buckingham, Donald McIntosh, David Payne, Kyle Bronson, Billy Moyer Jr., Scott Bloomquist, Robby Moses, Vic Hill, Ryan King, Mike Marlar, Don O’Neal, Shane Clanton

WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – Due to persistent overnight and morning rain showers, Weedsport Speedway’s Thunder on the Erie special, featuring the USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Series, has been canceled.

There will be no rain date for this event.

“The overnight and morning rains have proved to be too much,” said Weedsport Speedway Promoter, Jimmy Phelps.  “The heaviest rain looks to still be on the way this morning and now the forecast is calling for the rains to stay with us longer than we anticipated.  We were really excited for this show, but we believe this move is in the best interest of teams and fans traveling from great distances for this race.”

C.J. Leary has claimed the Eastern Storm title with 223 points over Tyler Courtney (210), Chase Stockon (206), Chris Windom (199) and Brady Bacon (196), who round out the top-five in the standings.

The 2019 NHL draft's goalie class is pretty strong in a lot of ways. It starts as the top with Spencer Knight, one of the more comfortably projectable goalies -- if there is such a thing -- in some time. He is head and shoulders above the rest, but there is quite a bit of depth here, as well.

This year's class features a number of draft re-entries and a fairly big mix of goalies who don't fall under the prototypical size categories. I'll be the first to admit that evaluating the goaltending position is especially difficult for someone untrained in the nuance of the position. That's why I consulted with NHL scouts and some goalie-specific experts to help compile this list. Here is a ranking of the top nine goaltenders.

Note: Heights and weights are via Central Scouting and/or NHL combine testing, stats are from Elite Prospects and ages are representative of how old each player will be on draft day.

1. Spencer Knight, USA U18 (NTDP)

Age: 18 | Height: 6-foot-4 | Weight: 193 pounds | Catch: Left
33 GP | 0.913 Sv% | 2.36 GAA

One of the goalie analysts I spoke with said that if Knight isn't the top goaltender in this draft class in hockey sense, skating, control, poise, technical skill and athleticism, he is no worse than second. Throw in his elite puckhandling skills and a years-long track record of success and you'll see why Knight is so highly regarded. There isn't much about his game that doesn't fall into the elite category, at least for this stage of his development.

So what makes him special?

"Skating, feet and movement ability," Jared Waimon, a longtime goalie coach and founder of Pro Crease Goaltending, said of a separating skill for Knight. "With the way the position is heading ... his ability to arrive on his feet and limit how much he's sliding [is important]. With the late plays, late guys coming in, if you're sliding, you're in a lot of trouble. He trusts his edges, and he's always had that great sense of balance. He's never on his butt, ever."

Waimon, who has been working with Knight since he was 10-years-old and helps with USA Hockey's national goaltending program, also cites Knight's puck tracking and hockey sense as major skills that allow him to stand out.

The exceptional puckhandling also is one thing that everyone mentions when talking about Knight. He is not just sturdy in that department, but also creative and precise. One scout remarked how his stretch passes hit the tape on his target's stick. Another noted that his ability to move the puck showcases his elite hockey sense.

He always has been a bigger kid, and as he has grown even taller, he has never lost coordination. Everything is in control, and he rarely is out of position. And when it does happen, he is able to shake off the mistakes and keep an even keel.

Knight has been a bit of a prodigy at the position. First, he played for Avon Old Farms prep school, of which Jonathan Quick is an alum, as a first-year student. As Waimon noted, even Quick needed an extra year of public school hockey before he could be the starter there. Then Knight became the all-time wins leader at the U.S. National Team Development Program, was called up to the U18 team as an underager and made the World Junior team, again as an underager. Knight posted respectable numbers over the course of this season, but NTDP goalies don't often produce gaudy save percentages. When he was between the pipes, his team lost just five times. He has excelled on every stage, handling pressure and attention with relative ease.

Every year's NHL draft class features some prospects who don't make my final top-100 rankings -- which will be published early next week -- but make for decent value picks in the mid-to-late rounds. These draft sleepers stand out to me mainly for their potential upside as low-risk, high-reward swings after the top names are off the board.

Here are 14 such players who make for intriguing depth draft selections.

Marc Del Gaizo, D, UMass (Hockey East)

Age: 19 | Ht: 5-10 | Wt: 188 | Shot: L
41 GP | 13 G | 16 A

Undrafted a year ago despite winning the USHL's Defenseman of the Year award, Del Gaizo is a tad undersized, but he plays an aggressive brand of defense aided by his strong gap control and ability to close on forwards quickly. While he certainly benefited from pairing with Cale Makar at UMass last season, Del Gaizo handles his own business quite well. The main thing holding him back at this point is his skating, which is probably average. But he has a lot of other tools that suggest he can make a case for himself this draft season. I was especially impressed with his maturity and the effectiveness of his game as a freshman defenseman.

Matej Blumel, RW, Waterloo (USHL)

Age: 19 | Ht: 6-0 | Wt: 198 | Shot: L
58 GP | 30 G | 30 A

He was one of my sleepers for last year's class, and I simply won't give up on the kid. I put a lot of value in versatile, multidimensional players, and that's exactly what Blumel is. He's aggressive, physical and smart, and he has good defensive skills. He'll be headed to UConn next season, where he should get a pretty decent opportunity to play a key role right away. I think his work ethic, compete level and versatile game could get him to the higher levels of the game.

Cameron Rowe, G, USA U18 (NTDP)

Maurizio Sarri has left his post as manager of Chelsea to take over at Juventus as a replacement for Massimiliano Allegri.

A Chelsea statement said that "the two clubs have reached an agreement for the early termination of Sarri's contract with Chelsea FC which had two years left to run and is ending at his request."

- When is the Champions League group-stage draw?
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Sarri's exit comes despite leading the club to a top-three finish and Europa League success. Chelsea also narrowly missed out on winning the Carabao Cup, as they lost to Manchester City on penalties in a final made memorable by goalkeeper Kepa Arrizabalaga's refusal to be substituted despite struggling with an injury.

The Italian was brought in over the summer as a replacement for Antonio Conte, who had won the Premier League and FA Cup in his two seasons in charge before falling out with the club hierarchy and several key players.

Sources told ESPN FC in May that Chelsea were prepared to grant Sarri's request to join Juventus. The 2018-19 campaign was Sarri's first managing outside Italy and he said he missed home in what had a been a "difficult year."

Sarri had yet to win a major trophy when he came to Chelsea, but was hired by owner Roman Abramovich because of his eye-catching style of play and impressive record in three seasons at Napoli.

He came in alongside midfielder Jorginho, whom he had managed at Napoli, while Chelsea also signed Gonzalo Higuain who played under Sarri at the San Paolo in the 2015-16 season on a lucrative January loan deal.

Chelsea started the campaign with five straight wins in the Premier League, before suffering a a dip in form in the middle of the campaign -- which included a 6-0 defeat to City. However, results improved late on and they guaranteed a top-four finish with a game to spare.

Sarri becomes the 10th full-time to leave before the end of his contract since Abramovich took charge of Chelsea in July 2003.

The 60-year-old returns to his homeland to succeed Allegri, who left Juventus at the end of last season after five years in charge.

Fathers of five MLB All-Stars -- Mike Trout, Kris Bryant, Max Scherzer, Nolan Arenado and Justin Upton -- reveal the moments they realized their sons had what it takes to make it as pro ballplayers.

Jeff Trout, father of Los Angeles Angels center fielder Mike:

When Mike was 7 years old, he was playing tee ball. The kids all run toward the ball at that age. It's a mess. Mike was playing shortstop, and a big kid came to the plate. The kid hit a sharp line drive like you'd see hit off of a tee, and Mike moved two or three steps to his left and dove for it. He was actually parallel to the ground as he caught the ball. It was the kind of play that Andrelton Simmons, the shortstop for the Angels, would make now. I looked at my wife, and she said, "Did anyone get that on video?" Nobody did, but after the game, I just told Mike, "Hey, nice catch, pal." It was incredible, but I didn't make a big deal out of it.

I'd been around enough players and kids and sports in my day to know that even at that age, Mike was a cut above his peers athletically. He was a little faster, a little more agile, had better hand-eye coordination and great instincts. But I also knew that there's already so much built-in pressure to the game itself. You don't need parents basing their day on how well their kid played in Little League.

Mike was dunking a basketball when he was 5-foot-9 in ninth grade. At such an early age, he was doing things athletically that kind of made me think, "He may be a special kind of kid."

Even though Mike was talented, he was exposed to all types of things and never pigeon-holed growing up, and I think it has made him a better person and a better player. He's the youngest of our three kids. My daughter is a Realtor. My other son is an attorney and owns his own consulting business. Mike is the baby. Three successful kids in their own right.

I was not one of these parents who said, "Hey, keep working on going to the big leagues." It was always about college and education -- that was our focus. I think that took a lot of pressure off of Mike. My wife and I just wanted him to play and enjoy the game. And then we thought that maybe one day, it will help pay for a college education. We're both teachers, so we focused on that.

Our mentality was, let's go fishing or go get an ice cream after the game. People are so astonished by that because you see how talented and refined Mike is as an athlete, and you'd think he spent 90 percent of his days playing baseball. But not even close. He played all sports, he did art classes, he golfed, he hunted. Too many parents these days push, push, push their kids into sports.

We gave him the opportunities and tools to be the best that he could as an athlete, as a player. Any time he wanted to hit or play catch, I did it. But I didn't go to him. I didn't wake him up to go hit. And if he wanted to go fishing that day instead, we went fishing. -- As told to Anna Katherine Clemmons

Mike Bryant, father of Chicago Cubs third baseman Kris:

When Kris was 5 years old, he wanted to hit after one of my older boy's practices. We were playing coach-pitch. So I took all the younger siblings onto the field so I could throw some pitches to them.

Everybody is doing their thing -- not squaring up, hitting weak ground balls. Then Kris comes up. He's like 45 pounds. He's got this huge, 31-ounce bat in his hands. The first pitch I throw to him, boom! He launches it 140 feet into the outfield. He just drops the bat head behind him and, instead of chopping down, he elevates it. I look back to see where the ball landed and think: Holy Christ, my kid can hit.

Then he rips a half-dozen more high fly balls into the outfield. They look like major league popups. By the time he's 7, he's launching balls into the outfield during games. By 8, he's knocking them over the fence.

At 12, he hit 23 home runs in 67 at-bats. He had 20 walks. At this point, I could tell he was pretty good. I told him, "Don't tell anybody. I won't either. Just keep doing this." So then Kris started dreaming about what could happen. My son became good enough to dream. -- As told to Robert Sanchez

Brad Scherzer, father of Washington Nationals pitcher Max:

When he was little, Max said, "I want to be a major league baseball player." But at one point he also wanted to be a firefighter or a police officer. In high school, he never was about being a pro ballplayer. There was never that one instant when I knew this would work out for him. Baseball is full of potholes. Some bad things can happen. I always preached to him about taking things one step at a time.

Sure, I saw something in Max's eyes -- his enthusiasm for sports, especially baseball. When he was 2, I'd come home from work and find him already downstairs in the basement, waiting for me so we could play.

Max was the cliché. From an early age, he was coachable. He was curious. He liked to learn. You could offer a suggestion, and you could see him thinking, 'Gee whiz, that's a good formula.' Back in the Little League days, you'd see those parents who were overinflated with their kids' accomplishments. They had short-term goals. I'd point that out to Max. I'd say, "These parents are so worried about how their kid is going to do in sixth grade and how they're going to fit in high school." Max saw it too. They had the wrong priorities.

Succeeding at this sport is so much about the right spot and the right training, and Max understood that. You have to say, "What are the steps I need to follow? What kind of training? What do I need to learn?" Max never worried about an entire season. He was concerned with the game right in front of him.

Even when he'd have success, I never got ahead of myself. Neither did Max. He was always looking at the next step. I'm sure there eventually was a realistic goal about becoming a major league baseball player, but that was never a discussion we had back then. He knew getting there meant going through innumerable steps first. Have lofty goals but be realistic about the steps it will take to achieve them. You don't go from sixth-grade star directly to the majors.

Max had a sore shoulder at one point during his junior year of high school. I was never worried because he had a strong academic background too. When he was growing up, we told him that school helps sports and sports helps school. Even after the St. Louis Cardinals drafted him out of high school, Max was set on going to college. He needed an education first. Even back then, he was creating a life where baseball would be one of his alternatives, not his only alternative. That took a lot of pressure off of him. -- Sanchez

Fernando Arenado, father of Colorado Rockies third baseman Nolan:

I knew Nolan had it his junior year of high school. His team won a [state] championship. His travel team was playing all over California. He got to go to the Area Code Games. He got to go to Georgia and to Florida, and his team won a big wood-bat tournament. You could see everything coming together.

People thought he was chubby back then, so he wanted show he was prepared to play at a high level. He showed he could compete every day. He could hit and throw, but it was his hitting that got attention. He was finally getting noticed. Good things were happening. His mom and I started hearing rumors that Nolan could get drafted. It was humbling and exciting, but Nolan realized he couldn't get ahead of himself. He never did.

That whole year, he kept showing up and proving he could play against anyone. He was never overwhelmed. The added pressure of having people watching him was no problem. I knew he had certain skills that other kids didn't have, even if they might have been getting more attention. He didn't brag about it. But I knew in my heart that Nolan had something special. -- Sanchez

Manny Upton, father of Angels left fielder Justin:

I saw it in Justin when he was 14. He had just finished his freshman year in high school. We were heading out to Long Beach, California, for the Area Code Games with Justin's brother, B.J., who had been drafted [No. 2 overall by the Tampa Bay Rays]. I was scouting with the Chicago White Sox, so I asked the White Sox guys if they could let Justin play for their team, maybe give him a little time. [Teams are named for major league franchises, with each representing an area of the country.]

Traditionally, the players in the Area Code Games are the ones who will get drafted the following year. But the White Sox team put Justin at shortstop. He was 14, playing short with that kind of talent around him.

Justin wasn't intimidated at all. He was holding his own. He would take whatever opportunity he was given; he just loved to play. You have to remember that he'd already been working out with his brother and David Wright for several years. He tagged along with them back home in Virginia. Ever since Justin was in the seventh grade, he'd been hitting with them every morning before school. He'd seen those guys come through -- along with Mike Cuddyer -- so Justin had maturity most kids his age didn't have. He wasn't overwhelmed when he got to the Area Codes because he was already practicing at a high level.

He ended up playing with two teams. The Area Code team from Virginia hadn't invited Justin to its tryout earlier because he was just 14. The Red Sox were running that team, and I guess the guy saw Justin and said he should be playing for them. To keep everyone happy, Justin played on both teams. He was playing two games a day. By the end of the week, he was worn out.

I never wanted to put pressure on either of my boys to play pro ball. I didn't put my scouting hat on with them. I had my dad hat on. So when we were in California, I told Justin, "Just go out and play and have fun."

I know quite a few guys who were either scouting directors or assistant directors. Duane Shaffer was the scouting director for the White Sox, and Danny Montgomery of the Colorado Rockies was also there. I knew both of them well, so I told them they needed to be honest with me: Did they see something with Justin? I'll never forget their responses. They both said that Justin had a legitimate chance at making it. They said he was one of the best players there, and I was like, "OK. Here I am, and my scouting buddies are saying Justin could get drafted."

I was just as excited with Justin as I was when I heard that about B.J. [who now goes by his given name, Melvin]. I can tell you, it doesn't get old. Very few kids get drafted, and here I had the No. 2 pick in 2002 and then the No. 1 in 2005 [when Justin was drafted by the Arizona Diamondbacks]. That's a blessing. How can you not get excited about that? -- Sanchez