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'Where I am now, it's because of my dad': Phenoms follow in footsteps of their big league dads
Published in
Baseball
Sunday, 16 June 2019 07:23
There's a wave of talent on the rise into the major leagues, one made up of players who have something in common: Their dads all got there first. And with that in mind on Father's Day, we spoke to some of them about the impact of having a big league dad and how it helped them get to where they are today.
Some of the names should already be familiar, from this year's box scores as well as prospect rankings:
The Toronto Blue Jays take pride of place with their trio of "Juniors": Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Cavan Biggio, sons of Hall of Famers Vladimir Guerrero and Craig Biggio who made their big league debuts this spring, as well as Bo Bichette, the son of slugger Dante Bichette who is still on his way up from the minor leagues. The San Diego Padres surprised many by adding MLB's No. 1 prospect on Keith Law's top prospect list, Fernando Tatis Jr., to their Opening Day roster; his dad had an 11-year career split between five different teams. And not far from the majors, the Pittsburgh Pirates have Ke'Bryan Hayes, son of longtime big league third baseman Charlie Hayes, and the Detroit Tigers have Daz Cameron, son of Mike Cameron, a 17-year major leaguer and longtime center fielder.
We spoke with all six to get their thoughts about the benefits and challenges of following in the footsteps of their fathers.
How has having a former MLB player for a dad helped you be the player you are today?
Cameron: It's definitely an advantage, because you know how the atmosphere of the clubhouse works. You know how to be a big leaguer every day. You know how to go about the day, the routine, because growing up you see it. You see these guys going through it and they're getting their work in. They're doing different things, whether it be looking at swings. Just being themselves around the clubhouse. You know the vibe that goes around.
Guerrero: It was an advantage for me because it taught me early on how to be a professional and how to behave in a major league clubhouse. I learned by watching, by being around it. I already knew what to do. It also taught me about how much hard work you have to put in the offseason. You have to work very hard to prepare for when the regular season comes.
Hayes: It definitely benefited me. Just how much knowledge my dad was able to give to me from the time I started playing [on] my first travel ball team, just how much ahead I was because of stuff he taught me when I first started playing.
Tatis: I have always said that I am here today because of my father. Look where I am now, at such an early age, and it's because of my dad. I had the advantage of being on the field since I was young, since I was a little kid. I grew up around baseball and got to see what it's all about, how things worked. It has always been an advantage for me to grow up in the game of baseball, and it led me to where I am today.
What's the best lesson you've gotten from you father?
Biggio: I think the overall thing has been to respect the game. That can expand to so many different things, like being humble, running out a ground ball, running out a lazy fly ball. He taught me that at a very young age. and I think I've run everything out my whole life except one ball in high school -- he yelled at me. I deserved it, for sure.
Cameron: You got to keep it simple in this game. When it all comes down to it, it's all mental. This game is hard. You got a little round ball and a solid barrel. It's a hard sport. Just going out there and being in the moment, going out there and being able to execute in the moment. It's hard. It's tough. It's all mental. And also, that you don't take any moment on the field for granted. Take everything in and make the best of it. Enjoy the ride. My dad always told me enjoy the ride, good or bad. Enjoy the ride.
Guerrero: To stay humble and respect everything and everyone; it's all about humility and hard work. Respect the game. Respect your teammates. Respect everyone. Because my father, being Vladimir Guerrero, I saw that the way he behaved, and he was exactly the same guy with everyone. And that taught me humility. I learned to be humble from my family, not just from my dad, from my entire family.
Tatis: My dad has helped me in so many ways, on the day-to-day stuff, all the adjustments, so many little things. But one thing he told me, after I was going to make my major league debut at 20, was that, 'Now you are here because of how you have handled yourself and how you have played.' And he also told me to always keep being the same person and not change. And to shine with my own light.
"Not too many people can say their dads played in the major leagues -- I embrace that. I am thankful for it because it made my life a lot easier growing up." Ke'Bryan Hayes
Do you feel the weight of expectations, or that there was a target on your back, because you're following in your dad's footsteps?
Bichette: Not at all. Everything that my dad has brought into my life like having his name has been positive for me. I wouldn't have the opportunities that I have. I wouldn't have had the start that I had in my career, like knowing things that people learn in their third year of pro ball. The way that he pushed me too, I wouldn't be the player I am right now. Obviously, there was a target on my back growing up, but I think that the positive outweighs the negative by a lot.
Biggio: When I was growing up, guys just wanted to get out Craig Biggio's son or beat the team that he was on. But I don't see it as a target anymore. Even growing up in Houston, my dad playing and playing travel ball, I think that was the biggest time where I felt I had a target in my back. Once I got into high school, kind of finding my own way, I took the target off. Now I've made it to the big leagues and people see me as my own ballplayer.
Hayes: At times I forget that my dad played; I just called him Dad. I kind of embraced it. I loved playing against the best competition. I just always wanted to play against the best teams, and anytime we were playing someone, they would be throwing their best pitcher and they were going to be playing their hardest. Not too many people can say their dads played in the major leagues -- I embrace that. I am thankful for it because it made my life a lot easier growing up. He was fortunate to have money for me to go to showcases and get exposure and things like that. I would be the first one to tell you I was spoiled the way I grew up. I always had clean sneakers. Always had food on the table. So I am very thankful for that. Every time we have the national anthem, I think about that type of stuff, growing up.
Cameron: I think when your dad is a major leaguer and plays in the league for as long as he did, of course you're going to have that target right away because of that name. For me, the pressure is going to be there because of that name. But to just go out there and be myself has been an escape for me. When I first got to pro ball, it was tough because I am trying to do something I am not -- trying to do too much, be a superhero. You're not going to be perfect. I just go out there trying to be the best in the world -- and doing that for yourself.
Guerrero: No, why? Why should I feel pressure for any expectations? I am just here to work hard. If things go well, they turn out well. If they go wrong, they go wrong. If you put pressure on yourself, you will never accomplish what you want to accomplish. The only reason I am up here is to work hard. I can't focus on the results or the expectations. I am focused on doing my job.
Tatis: Yes, yes, yes, that did happen. [That is, having a target painted on his back.] The competition was always good, because "there is Fernando Tatis' son." That was great in the Dominican Republic, where I grew up playing ball; it made for really good competition. But I have never felt pressure. I have always been grateful to God for the father he gave me, for the family he gave me. I always say to my dad, I am perfectly happy under your wing. I follow in his footsteps, I have his same discipline. But I have never relied on saying that my dad did this, that my dad did that. I have had to work very hard to earn the things I have earned so far.
How are you different or similar to your dad as a player, and what would your dad have to say about it?
Bichette: People forget that when my dad broke into the big leagues, he was a five-tool player. He had a really good arm, he could run, he was a center fielder, he had power and he could hit and everything. Then later in his career, he wasn't as good out on the field. So a lot of people kind of gave me that reputation, just because of what he was. We're very similar, when he was young. We kind of do everything the same. What he tells me is the ability to hit with two strikes is the most similar thing that we have, letting the ball get deep and hitting pitches the other way, stuff like that. That is something he really did well and I've carried on. He always tells me that I can be the best player in the world. He always tells me I am way better than he was.
Cameron: He always tells me that I am ahead of him, at the age I am at. Just mentally and just knowing my game a little bit more. He did everything on the field, and I kind of do everything on the field too. But in my mind and in my heart, I believe I am going to be a better player than my dad, just because I know what I can do day in and day out. I am going to forever believe that as long as I am playing.
Guerrero: I think we're different. He was a little slimmer, and in that sense, he had a better physique than I do. He had a naturally athletic physique. When it comes to my body, I have to work hard to be in shape. He didn't; he was born and raised with that body. That's the only thing in which we are different. And in the sense of playing baseball, he already had more experience than I do when he debuted. He already knew what he had to do.
Hayes: He says I am way better than he was at his age. So that gets me kind of excited. My mom says I do everything [the same], all my mannerisms are just like his. I posted a picture on Instagram and my older brother Junior put "Charlie Hayes III" and my other brother put "Charlie Hayes." I tell my dad all the time, "I am going to be better than you," and he's like, "I hope you are."
Did you feel pressure to play baseball because of who your dad is?
"If I am someone today, it's because of what my dad taught me; that's why I'm a Junior." Fernado Tatis Jr.
Bichette: No, he wanted me to play tennis. What he doesn't like -- you see it a lot going on in baseball, right -- he doesn't like the whole, "You can be one of the best 25 players." And it's not about that, it's about something else, so it's not up to you. When I was growing up, I was a pretty good tennis player. I played tournaments up until I was 13, high-level tournaments. I didn't play a lot, just every once in a while; I was pretty good at it. Every tennis pro was always like, "Come on, you got to play tennis." My dad said, "You win in tennis, you win. There's not somebody saying you're not ready. If you win, you win." And baseball is not like that. So that is what he doesn't like about baseball.
Guerrero: My dad never pushed me. My dad used to take me to the stadium all the time; and in Montreal, they allowed me to stay in the dugout, and I saw everything my dad did. That's where my love for baseball began. I was always the one who wanted to be a baseball player.
Hayes: I played everything growing up -- baseball, basketball, football. He always told me growing up, "If you don't play baseball, I am fine with that. Find something to do." Baseball was just what I loved the most.
Tatis: I never felt any pressure. It was my choice. And if I am someone today, it's because of what my dad taught me; that's why I'm a Junior. I am so excited to put my jersey on every day, and I am excited to put my dad's name on a higher pedestal than it already is.
Was your dad your first coach? What was his impact on you as a young ballplayer?
Biggio: In the offseason, we really didn't talk about baseball, because I played football and my dad was a really good football player in high school, so we pretty much talked about football. After he retired, he was my high school baseball coach for four years, and it went from zero to 100. It was weird at first, but he was great with everybody on the team -- he treated everybody as if they were his son. We had a pretty good team; we won two state championships when I was there. Where, with a different coach you'd be doing drills and all these things, a lot of hands-on stuff, he was really hands-off and really professional. It allowed for a lot of the guys on the team to have their own personalities and have more fun. I think he got the most out of his players. I would say not just me, but a bunch of guys who ended up going to college or got drafted out of high school. He was a big influence on a lot of us.
Cameron: He just let me go out there and do my thing. I would say he was a mentor and a coach. He wasn't tough, just because he was around the game. He's kind of been there and done it, so he doesn't get frustrated. It was always a process. It's about the moments, and try to accomplish something in the moment and just try to be simple.
Guerrero: I only worked with my dad in the offseason, when he came back to the Dominican Republic. My uncle Wilton saw how much I liked to play baseball, so when I got a little older, I started working out and going to practice with my older cousin and with him. I started hitting and practicing regularly at 7, 8 years old. All the things my cousin did -- he was like five years older than me -- I had to do too. That's how it all began. Then in the offseason, we'd go hit with my dad and my uncle. Nowadays, my dad, he calls me after games and leaves me messages. My uncle too. They still keep tabs on what I am doing.
Hayes: He was my coach probably around the age of 8, because he had opened a baseball facility with teams. As long as I showed that I wanted to do it, he would always give me tips and tell me I am not doing it right. He is like, "If you're going to do it, you're going to do it right." He wasn't really tough. Actually, the funny thing is my mom was more tough on me than my dad. Like, if I'd be in the outfield, she'd be sitting behind the fence [saying], "You better not let the ball drop."
Tatis: During the offseason, and during off days in the regular season, every day off, my dad would take me to the park, to play, to have fun, to play ball. It was always about the basics. It was always about doing what I liked to. He never forced me. But my dad has always been very strict. He likes when things are done well. He always likes for you to do things right, and I learned that, to put in all that effort and discipline -- that's all from him.
On how being a public figure is different in the social media age than it was during their dads' day
Biggio: Just growing up, like when they just had Facebook, my mom and my dad always got really big on, like, "You represent more than yourself, you're representing the whole family," and my dad's name. I am just not representing myself. I am representing my dad, still, my siblings, my mother and the rest of my family. So whatever I do, affects all of them.
Guerrero: What I like about social media is that I have more direct contact with the fans than existed before, when my dad played. I really like interacting with the fans. Of course, there will always be someone who says negative things about you, but I don't pay any attention; that does not bother me. But you always have to be careful and represent yourself well.
Hayes: My parents just raised me to always do the right thing and say the right thing. One thing they always taught me is there is always someone watching, especially in this day in age. There is always a camera on you.
Tatis: You do have to be careful, because there are eyes on you 24/7. You have to think twice what you are going to do, even if there is nothing wrong with it, because you have to worry about how it will be perceived by people, because there are so many different cultures, upbringings, religions, etc. And you have to respect everyone. I have been a public figure since I was young, and you have to live up to your last name and represent your last name well. And it is my job to keep it on the same level or even take it to a higher level, if possible.
On being part of a generational wave of sons of MLB players reaching The Show
Guerrero: When we [Bichette, Biggio and Guerrero] got together in Dunedin [in the minors] two years ago, and the whole "three sons of former major leaguers" storyline really started to come out, it was exciting to think about. And I believe that one day it will. But we never really talked about that. Bo will tell you and Cavan will tell you, we don't talk much about our parents. We're like brothers. We talk about ourselves, what we can do, what we can accomplish, what we have to work on. What our parents did is already done. Now it's our turn to do our part.
Bichette: I think they'd agree with me that when we're on the field, we don't look at each other like anything is different. I don't look at the lineup and see me hitting second, Vladdy hitting third and Cavan hitting fourth and be like, oh, man, Bichette, Guerrero, Biggio. It's just normal to me. I think they would agree with that. We're really excited about what we can do, the possibilities of what we can accomplish; but the names don't really mess with us too much. We definitely know that. We definitely know what's going on, what people are saying about it. But I don't think internally, in our own thoughts, we're very wowed by what we are doing.
Hayes: It's pretty neat. I've gotten to play against or with all those guys. I played against Biggio in high school; I used to pitch against him. His dad was coaching the school at that time. I've gotten to play against Bo and Guerrero the last few years and played against Tatis Jr. in the [All-Star] Futures Game. It's pretty special that a lot of our dads that played, we're getting to follow in their footsteps and play against each other. It's pretty awesome.
Cameron: It's definitely cool to see. I know Ke'Bryan personally; we played on the USA team together. I played with him for a minute there, and he's a good person. He likes to have fun; he doesn't try to take it too serious. It's always good to see guys that your dad played with and to see the kids and to be able to play with them, to be able to get that same opportunity they did to play against each other and with each other.
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Sun Yingsha keeps her cool to earn second title
Published in
Table Tennis
Sunday, 16 June 2019 02:16
Unseeded for the event, Sun Yingsha was required to negotiate the two-day qualification tournament before going on to claim main draw victories over Suh Hyowon, Kasumi Ishikawa and Wang Manyu to reach the last four.
Recovering from a game down to beat second seed Chen Meng in the semi-finals, but in the final itself it was Sun Yingsha who gained the early momentum with successful outings in games one and two handing the 18-year-old a 2-0 lead.
However, she was up against Liu Shiwen, newly crowned World champion and one of the sport’s finest players – there was always bound to be some form of response and there was as the no.4 seed struck three consecutive game wins to fight back from two games behind to move 2-3 in front.
Finding her stride, all of a sudden the odds looked to be stacked in Liu Shiwen’s favour but there was still room for one more twist.
Summoning her inner warrior Sun Yingsha took her game up a level, securing games six and seven to lift the trophy with a 4-3 victory (11-4, 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-3).
Not only has Sun Yingsha taken home her second women’s singles gold from the Japan Open stage but also collects her second-ever ITTF World Tour singles title, bringing a two year wait to a close. One thing’s clear, Sun Yingsha loves playing in Japan – could this bode well for her Tokyo 2020 ambitions?
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Fighting back to eliminate top seed Fan Zhendong earlier in the day, Xu Xin successfully booked his spot in the men’s singles final where he would meet a surprise opponent in the form of Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju.
Just 17 years of age, no.16 seed Lin Yun-Ju impressed with four victories in the run-up to the final, two of which came against seeded opposition as the likes of China’s Lin Gaoyuan, seeded second, and Brazil’s Hugo Calderano, seventh, fell to the teenager.
The stage was set as the hot favourite Xu Xin took to the court to face the young pretender in an exciting battle for the men’s singles crown.
Both players started well but one held the slight advantage as Xu Xin edged the opening game by a two point margin, then in game two the penhold specialist saved two game points from 8-10 down to win 14-12, moving 2-0 up on the games scoreboard.
Missing out in game two but Lin Yun-Ju didn’t let the disappointment get to him, responding with a fine display in game three to reduce the deficit to 2-1. However, ultimately experience prevailed as Xu Xin found the necessary tools to win back-to-back games, securing a 4-1 victory in the process (11-9, 14-12, 8-11, 11-3, 11-8).
Last year at the Seamaster 2018 Korea Open, Jang Woojin made history by becoming the first triple crown winner and stood alone in achieving the feat since July 2018. But 11 months later and we finally have a second name to add to that list and his name is Xu Xin.
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Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba has suggested that he could be open to a move away from the Premier League side, telling reporters in Tokyo on Sunday that now "could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else."
Pogba, 26, has been linked in the British media with a move to Real Madrid to work with coach Zinedine Zidane, or with a return to his former club Juventus. Sources told ESPN back in May that he would force an exit this summer even if United were not open to a sale.
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The Frenchman's time at Manchester United has coincided with some insipid performances on the pitch and organisational turmoil at the club.
"Like you said, there is a lot of talking and a lot of thinking as well," Pogba told reporters in Tokyo. "For me I have been for three years in Manchester and have been doing great; some good moments and some bad moments, like everybody. Like everywhere else.
"After this season and everything that happened this season, with my season being my best season as well... I think for me it could be a good time to have a new challenge somewhere else. I am thinking of this: to have a new challenge somewhere else."
The Frenchman was in Tokyo to play in a four-a-side tournament pic.twitter.com/K8Tu0a5u73
— Jack Tarrant (@TarrantJack) June 16, 2019
Pogba, who moved to Old Trafford from Juventus for a then-world record transfer fee of £89.3m ($112.43m) in August 2016, has seen Jose Mourinho replaced as coach by Ole Gunnar Solskjaer during his time at the club.
Although inconsistent, the World Cup winner has scored 24 goals in 92 appearances for United and was named in last season's PFA Premier League Team of the Year.
Mino Raiola, the agent who represents players including Pogba and Ajax defender Matthijs de Ligt, has had his worldwide ban lifted by FIFA, making the possibility of a transfer easier.
Should Pogba force a move, sources have told ESPN FC United have identified Tottenham's Christian Eriksen and Leicester's James Maddison as possible replacements.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Tottenham are also interested in 22-year-old Maddison, who impressed in his first season in the Premier League following his move to the King Power Stadium from Norwich last summer.
Eriksen is open to a move away from Tottenham after helping Mauricio Pochettino's side reach the Champions League final. The Denmark international, who has been at the club for six years, is also on Real Madrid's radar.
Solskjaer is already targeting at least one new midfielder this summer after Ander Herrera left on a free transfer. The Spaniard is expected to join Paris Saint-Germain.
Information from Reuters was used in this report.
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Update final day: Seamaster 2019 ITTF World Tour Platinum Lion Japan Open
Published in
Table Tennis
Saturday, 15 June 2019 17:52
Sun Yingsha crowned champion once again
Claiming her first women’s singles title at the Seamaster 2017 Japan Open in Tokyo, two years later in Sapporo and it’s Sun Yingsha who has emerged as champion for a second time on Japanese soil following a thrilling final against Liu Shiwen.
Establishing an early 2-0 lead qualifier Sun Yingsha made the stronger start of the two finalists but not long after it was Liu Shiwen who held the advantage with the World champion earning three games in a row to move 2-3 ahead. Down on the scorecard and with momentum against her but 18-year-old Sun Yingsha remained calm, responding with back-to-back game wins to prevail by a 4-3 margin (11-4, 11-9, 4-11, 6-11, 7-11, 11-8, 11-3).
Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin seal gold
At the final hurdle of the men’s doubles event it was China’s Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin who emerged as champions with the no.6 seeded pair proving too strong for German qualifiers Benedikt Duda and Qiu Dang (12-10, 11-9, 11-7).
Success in Sapporo marks Fan Zhendong and Xu Xin’s third title-winning display as a pair while the latter player collects his second men’s doubles gold of the year having partnered Liang Jingkun to victory at the season opener in Budapest.
Seniority not status prevails
Seniority prevailed, Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen, the no.5 seeds, beat Chinese national team colleagues, Sing Yingsha and Wang Manyu, the top seeds, to win the women’s doubles title. They succeeded in four games (11-9, 11-6, 7-11, 11-9).
Chen Meng and Liu Shiwen seized the initiative from the very start; both were very severe on the opening attacking strokes. It was their second career ITTF World Tour women’s doubles win as a partnership; in 2015 they had won on home soil in Chengdu.
Xu Xin beats Fan Zhendong
An all Chinese men’s singles semi-final, the verdict went in favour of Xu Xin, the no.3 seed, he beat Fan Zhendong, the top seed, in seven games (5-11, 11-4, 11-7, 5-11, 11-8, 11-3).
The contest ebbed and flowed, Fan Zhendong electing for “Time Out” when leading 8-5 in the fifth, Xu Xin following suit when ahead 8-6 in the sixth game. Crucially in the seventh game, Xu Xin came out all guns blazing; at the change of ends he led 5-1; Fan Zhendong reduced the arrears to 6-3 but that was the last success he was to enjoy.
Touch of class
Men’s Singles: Semi-Final
Chinese Taipei’s Lin Yun-Ju, the no.16 seed, beat China’s Sun Wen (6-11, 11-2, 11-4, 11-9, 11-4) to reserve his place in the men’s singles final.
After losing the opening game, Lin Yun-Ju found a rhythm to his play, his control outstanding, he won the first nine points of the second game. He secured the third and fourth games being able to match Sun Wen in every department. In the fifth game, Sun Wen established a 4-2 lead, he didn’t win another point.
World champion books final place
China’s Liu Shiwen, the no.4 seed, beat the host nation’s Miu Hirano, the no.9 seed (9-11, 11-5, 11-4, 11-3, 12-10) to book her place in the women’s singles final.
Advice from Ma Lin, the Beijing 2008 Olympic champion, Liu Shiwen imposed her authority on proceedings after losing the opening game; Miu Hirano had any opportunity to reduce the deficit when leading 10-8 in the fifth game. Liu Shiwen responded, won four points in a row to end matters.
It was the seventh time when Liu Shiwen and Miu Hirano had met on the international stage, it was the seventh time Liu Shiwen had prevailed.
Repeat performance
Sun Yingsha beat Chinese national team colleague, Chen Meng, the no.2 seed (5-11, 11-8, 11-7, 14-12, 11-6); thus she repeated the performance of two years’ earlier when in 2017 she had beaten Chen Meng in the final. The defeat meant the run of success enjoyed this year came to an end, previously she had won in Budapest and in Shenzhen.
Quick short efficient attacking strokes from Sun Yingsha proved a telling factor; crucially in the fourth game Chen Meng called “Time Out” at 12-all but then lost the next two points; itbvwas the pivotal stage of the contest.
Order of Play (Local Times)
10.00 am Semi-Final: Women’s Singles – Sun Yingsha (CHN) v Chen Meng (CHN)
10.50 am Semi-Final: Women’s Singles – Miu Hirano (JPN) v Liu Shiwen (CHN)
11.40 am Semi-Final: Men’s Singles – Sun Wen (CHN) v Lin Yun-Ju (TPE)
12.30 am Semi-Final: Men’s Singles – Fan Zhendong (CHN) v Xu Xin (CHN)
1.20 pm Final: Women’s Doubles – Sun Yingsha / Wang Manyu (CHN) v Chen Meng / Liu Shiwen (CHN)
2.10 pm Final: Men’s Doubles – Fan Zhendong / Xu Xin (CHN) v Benedikt Duda / Qiu Dang (GER)
4.00 pm Final: Women’s Singles
5.15 pm Final: Men’s Singles
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WHEATLAND, Mo. – Cody Frazon had been knocking on the door of his first Lucas Oil Speedway feature win, with three top-five finishes this year alone.
Finally, he knocked down that door Saturday night.
Frazon made a late pass of Toby Ott and went on to capture the O’Reilly Auto Parts Street Stocks 25-lap main event, the headliner on Midseason Championship night.
Also picking up feature wins in the program presented by the Bolivar Herald-Free Press and NMI-VMG Marketing were Joe Duvall (Pitts Homes USRA Modifieds), Kris Jackson (Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mods) and Todd Shute (Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Models).
Jackson also celebrated a Midseason Championship with his third straight win. Other midseason champs were Paden Phillips (USRA Modifieds), Toby Ott (Street Stocks) and Kaeden Cornell (ULMA Late Models).
Each midseason champion received a $500 bonus. Victory Lane Track Action Race Review contributed $1,000 toward the bonus and Lucas Oil Speedway management matched the contribution with another $1,000.
The total of $2,000 was split among the points leaders in the four divisions.
In the evening’s featured division, Frazon went around Ott with two laps remaining and held on to prevail by .721 seconds.
“I had no idea tonight would be the night,” Frazon said of his breakthrough win. “What better night than $750 to win?”
Frazon started third, but had a poor start and fell out of the top five in the early going. But he rallied for a memorable win.
“I had a really terrible start,” Frazon said. “I couldn’t figure it out to be honest. I just started hitting some marks that were working for me.”
Ott and Bob Barnett spent the first 15 laps running side by side, trading the lead four times as Barnett used the top groove and Ott the inside line.
The race was caution-free until Daniel Deason and James Flood, in a battle for third, came together and spun going into turn three.
On the restart, Ott got a good start and Barnett lost the runner-up spot to Frazon. It was a sign of things to come.
“That wreck obviously closed the gap for me and I could see Toby was losing a little bit where he was running,” Frazon said. “I knew if I kept running underneath him, kept trying and kept trying, I would get it.”
From there, Frazon reeled in Ott, with Johnny Coats finishing third and Marc Carter fourth.
“I want to congratulate that guy,” Ott said, pointing toward Frazon. “He pulled off one heck of a race. I knew it was coming for him.
“I feel fortunate to be up here,” Ott added of his midseason title. “There are some good cars here, like (Frazon) and others who are tough.”
Duvall roared from his 14th-starting position and into the lead before the midpoint en route to the Pitts Homes USRA Modified feature win.
Duvall, a frequent United States Modified Touring Series competitor, was dominant in finishing ahead of second-place Robbie Reed, Phillips and Jason Pursley.
Phillips’ run was good enough to vault him past Jon Sheets for the midseason championship.
The points race was thrown into a jumble on lap two when Sheets – who led by six points at the start of the night – spun and hit the wall in turn three. He was unable to continue.
Reed started fourth and passed pole-starting Pursley for the lead on lap two. Meanwhile, Duvall scooted from 14th and into third by lap five as the race’s third caution came out.
Duvall slid past Reed in turn four to finish lap nine to take the lead and pulled away from there.
Midseason Ozark Golf Cars USRA B-Mod track champion Jackson continued his roll, picking up his third straight feature win at Lucas Oil Speedway.
He led all 20 laps and finished .608 seconds ahead of runner-up Taylor Moore.
It also was his third feature win of the week. Jackson won in Iowa on Wednesday and at Midway Speedway in his hometown of Lebanon on Friday.
Jackson had nearly a two-second lead wiped out when the race’s lone caution waved with four laps to go. He handled the restart without any issues and opened a comfortable lead when another yellow, as he was taking the white flag, forced him to endure one more restart.
Moore finished second, ahead of third-place JC Morton, who rallied from 11th, and Eric Turner.
Shute led flag-to-flag to claim the Warsaw Auto Marine & RV ULMA Late Model feature, holding off Johnny Fennewald by just under one second.
It was the first feature win of the season in just his second start at Lucas Oil Speedway for Shute.
Cornell passed Larry Ferris for third place with two laps remaining. That was good enough to protect Cornell’s points lead as Aaron Marrant, who began the night six points behind, was 10th.
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RAPID CITY, S.D. – Making it a sweep on the weekend in South Dakota with the Lucas Oil American Sprint Car Series presented by the MAVTV Motorsports Network, Australia’s Scott Bogucki parked his Sawblade.com No. 28 in victory lane Saturday at Black Hills Speedway.
Taking off with the lead on the start, Bogucki opened his advantage quickly following a caution on lap two.
Finding slower traffic on lap seven with John Carney II and Sam Hafertepe Jr. in pursuit, the race for a second changed hands, with Hafertepe making the pass off the second turn as Carney was held behind a slower car.
Reeling in Bogucki as slower traffic built around the leaders, Hafertepe found the back bumper of the No. 28 on lap 12.
Looking top and bottom for room to pass, Hafertepe found his shot on lap 14 with Bogucki stuck to the bottom entering the first and second turns.
With Ryan Bickett in the mix, Bogucki dove for the slide, but came up short, making contact with Bickett and launching the No. 17b up the track into Hafertepe – who ended up going upside down in the second turn.
Making it into the work area, the team barely made repairs for Hafertepe to rejoin the field.
On the contact, Bogucki noted, “I apologize to those two guys first and foremost. I hadn’t ventured near the bottom the whole race and it was a lot slicker than I thought and things went back. We were fortunate that we didn’t get damaged and were able to stay out front.”
Keeping Carney at bay on the restart, Bogucki again stretched his lead until the caution lights came on again on lap 18 for Jordon Mallett.
Peeling to the bottom of the track on the restart, Carney took his shot at the lead.
Pulling even with Bogucki off the first turn, clean air and momentum again proved the better for the No. 28, despite a scare in slower traffic on the final lap, with Bogucki crossing 1.336 seconds ahead of John Carney II.
“Sometimes that’s the disadvantage of leading and he got a good run on me and luckily I had enough momentum to get back by him where I could cover him and not slip out of the rubber,” said Bogucki on the restart.
Grabbing third was Blake Hahn, with Roger Crockett fourth. Moving up from 12th, Harli White completed the top five.
Matt Covington made up two spots to sixth, while Robbie Price was the night’s hard charger after a run from 17th to seventh. Despite getting upside down and having to secure the top wing in place with a ratchet strap, Hafertepe came back to finish eighth.
Tucker Doughty and Alex Hill filled out the top 10.
The finish:
A Feature (25 Laps): 1. 28-Scott Bogucki [2]; 2. J2-John Carney II [1]; 3. 52-Blake Hahn [4]; 4. 11-Roger Crockett [5]; 5. 17W-Harli White [12]; 6. 95-Matt Covington [8]; 7. 21P-Robbie Price [17]; 8. 15H-Sam Hafertepe Jr. [3]; 9. 2X-Tucker Doughty [6]; 10. 77X-Alex Hill [7]; 11. 17B-Ryan Bickett [9]; 12. 86-Donovan Peterson [10]; 13. 88-Travis Reber [18]; 14. 11M-Mindy McCune [21]; 15. 77-Damon McCune [22]; 16. 0J-Jeremy McCune [11]; 17. 14B-Ben Holmberg [16]; 18. 14-Jordon Mallett [14]; 19. 2K-Kevin Ingle [13]; 20. 8X-Randy Dolberg [20]; 21. 2-Shad Petersen [19]; 22. 15-James Sires [15].
Lap Leader(s): Scott Bogucki 1-25
Hard Charger: Robbie Price (+10)
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DODGE CITY, Kan. – The Lubbock Wrecker Service DCRP 305 Sprint Car Nationals turned out to be a lucrative venture for Arvada, Colorado’s Jake Bubak and the Dubose/Wells-powered Coyote Candle Company No. 74b Maxim sprint car team.
After topping both the Thursday and Friday preliminary features, Bubak topped the Triple 8 Trucking Dash for Cash to earn the pole position for Saturday night’s 30-lap championship feature atop the Dodge City Raceway Park clay oval.
He then led every lap to run his weekend winnings to $6,300 – including $1,500 in lap money and the $3,000 feature winner’s share.
It wasn’t as easy as it may sound though, as Liberal native and current Nebraska resident Jason Martin kept the pressure on throughout and briefly slid past Bubak on a pair of occasions only to have the latter successfully counter the move.
Martin first slid past Bubak in turn four momentarily after a lao four restart and then repeated the move in traffic on the 17th circuit.
Bubak successfully navigated past a pair of lapped cars and then found open track once again when a final caution waved with a dozen laps remaining.
Bubak reached the tail of the field once again in the final pair of laps, but was able to keep Martin at bay.
“I felt like I wasn’t as good as I needed to be in traffic, but we made it work,” Bubak commented afterward. “Once he showed me the bottom down in turn three and four, I changed my line up some and got a lot better.”
Martin settled for runner-up honors in the Myers-powered Trucks Plus/Midwest Linings No. 5x Eagle and collected an added $850 in lap money after holding down the second position over final 27 rounds.
After winning last year’s DCRP 305 Nationals, Fairview, Oklahoma’s Jake Martens claimed the show position in the Myers-powered Martens Machine Shop No. 48 Eagle, with Tony Bruce Jr., advancing four positions over the final half of the race to capture fourth.
Brian Herbert rounded out the top five ahead of Taylor Velasquez, Zach Blurton, Jeremy Huish, Luke Cranston and Brandon Anderson.
Steven Shebester held down fourth until the lap 18 caution, when he suffered race-ending damage after contact with a spinning lapped car.
In the accompanying 15-lap IMCA Sport Modified feature event, multi-time and defending track champion Jeff Kaup battled into the lead early and went on to snap a winless streak dating back a full calendar year, to last June 16.
A winner of 18 DCRP features since the 2012 season, Kaup’s first win of the season came ahead of Brian May, with Mike Lunow, Bart Baker and Mike Appel rounding out the top five.
The finish:
A-main (30 laps): 1. 74b-Jake Bubak (1) [$4,500], 2. 5x-Jason Martin (4) [$2,850], 3. 48-Jake Martens (3) [$2,330], 4. 11x-Tony Bruce, Jr. (8) [$1,400], 5. 97-Brian Herbert (2) [$1,120], 6. 21x-Taylor Velasquez (13) [$900], 7. 2J-Zach Blurton (9) [$800], 8. 88J-Jeremy Huish (21) [$700], 9. 49x-Luke Cranston (5) [$600], 10. 55b-Brandon Anderson (7) [$500], 11. 0-Steven Richardson (15) [$475], 12. 911-Ty Williams (11) ]$450], 13. 28-Tracey Hill (18) [$425], 14. 45d-David Luckie (12) [$400], 15. 72-Ray Seemann (17) [$400], 16. 78-Tanner Conn (16) [$400], 17. 16s-Steven Shebester (6) [$400], 18. 98-J.D. Johnson (20) [$400], 19. 45-Monty Ferriera (190 [$400], 20. 27-Andy Shouse (14) [$400], 21. 32k-Chris Kelley (10) [$400], 22. 2b-Brett Becker (22) [$400].
Lap Leader(s): Jake Bubak 1-30.
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PORT ROYAL, Pa. – For Tyler Courtney, June 15 and Port Royal Speedway mean far more than just another stop on the AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series schedule.
Port Royal was the half-mile dirt oval where his late mentor, Bryan Clauson, recorded his record sixth and final Eastern Storm win in 2016.
Saturday night also marked what would’ve been Clauson’s 30th birthday.
Courtney, the defending series champion, was bound and determined to make his own personal mark to honor BC on this night during round three of the 13th annual Eastern Storm, and make a mark he did by leading all 30 laps in dominant fashion.
Afterward, Courtney said he felt there was a spirit helping him along the way.
“We’ve kind of struggled all week,” Courtney admitted. “But I think we had somebody looking down on us tonight. This one’s for him. He’s done a lot for my career. He’s done a lot for everybody on this team. Even without him being here, he helped us more than he knows.”
The emotional victory for Courtney aboard his Clauson-Marshall-Newman Racing/NOS Energy Drink Spike-Rider Chevy appeared as smooth as silk for 30 laps with barely any threats posed en route to his second series victory of the year.
His half-mile record with the series in 2019 now includes wins at Eldora and Port Royal to go along with a podium finish at Terre Haute.
Courtney started from the outside of the front row and was seemingly gone, ripping the top, as Chris Windom attempted to keep pace in second.
His lead stretched out to three-quarters of a straightaway over Windom in the first-third of the race, until 2015 Port Royal winner Robert Ballou made contact in turn three, heavily damaging the torsion bar and the left rear wheel to sideline for the rest of the night.
Courtney had been solid as a rock at Port Royal in his previous two campaigns, but Windom, who lined up second on the next restart, was victorious in both of those races.
Windom’s best opportunity to get past was to dive low in one to the inside guardrail to throw the slider on the restart. He did just that when racing resumed on lap 12, but there wasn’t enough mustard on the fastball to surge ahead.
Yellows and restarts were the only things tugging on Courtney’s cape this night, as each time Courtney stood on the throttle, his competition was left in the distant past.
The separation from Courtney to Windom was instantly a half-straightaway while Windom found himself with a 10-car length lead over the fierce battle for third between Kevin Thomas Jr., Chase Stockon and new track record holder C.J. Leary.
At the midway point, Thomas slid by Stockon on the bottom of turn three. Stockon countered to regain third exiting four. Stockon’s grasp on the spot was hanging in the balance and Thomas was able to pick Stockon off in turn two on the 16th lap.
By turn four of the same lap, Leary had slid by Stockon to take ownership of fourth to begin the second half of the 30-lapper.
Meanwhile, Courtney was cruising with nothing but Warren Alston’s double checkers on his mind and in front of him with six laps remaining.
That was until third-running Thomas, who was on the topside of turn three and in the midst of a joust with Leary for third, suffered a blown right rear tire which sent him hard into the outside guardrail with a mighty wallop.
The incident ended Thomas’ night with a disappointing 18th-place finish and placed a huge dent in his Eastern Storm title chances, where he dropped from second to eighth.
Four lapped cars separated race leader Courtney and second-running Windom on the lap-25 restart, negating any reasonable chance for Windom to toss a slider for the lead heading into turn one.
Instead, all Windom could do was stay pat on the topside while the lappers cooperated on the bottom.
Once again, any notion of anyone else having a shot at taking down Courtney was all for naught, as Courtney opened it up to a lead of three seconds, while Leary tried to step up a spot by challenging Windom, to no avail.
Courtney finished off a sterling performance by setting his fastest lap of the race on the 30th and final lap, ultimately taking his second Eastern Storm victory by 3.15 seconds over Windom, Leary, Stockon and Justin Grant.
“I think we just came to the conclusion that we weren’t really having fun,” said Courtney of struggles earlier in the week. “So, we went back to the basics, ‘have some fun.’
“(Port Royal) is a place that suits our style, high speed, and when you get to run it nice and straight up against the wall like that, it’s a lot of fun.”
Courtney’s win was the 19th of his AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Seroes career, moving him to within two of 1967 champion Greg Weld’s 21 victories for 28th on the all-time list.
To view complete race results, advance to the next page.
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KNOXVILLE, Iowa – Reigning Knoxville Nationals winner Brad Sweet proved on Saturday night that he hasn’t forgotten the way to victory lane at Knoxville Raceway.
Sweet prevailed over Logan Schuchart in a thrilling and frenetic finale to the Brownells Big Guns Bash at the black-dirt, half-mile oval, passing the Shark Racing driver for good with eight to go and driving away down the stretch.
In a 25-lap feature that featured three different leaders and three lead changes in the second half of the event, Sweet ultimately prevailed by one second at the checkered flag in the No. 49 NAPA Auto Parts machine for Kasey Kahne Racing.
That didn’t mean his fourth World of Outlaws NOS Energy Drink Sprint Car Series win of the season – and the 38th of his Outlaw career – was easy, however. Sweet noted in victory lane it was anything but.
“That (No.) 1s is very underrated. If he (Schuchart) gets up front in one of these (Knoxville) Nationals, he’s going to be tough to beat,” Sweet said of Schuchart. “He’s got a great-handling race car, he can time (moves) well and Logan’s getting better and better as a driver. He definitely got me up on the wheel there tonight; that was about all I had to be able to hold him off and beat him.”
The feature rolled off just before 1 a.m. CT, after showers led to a lengthy rain delay before hot laps.
“When the track is fast like that, it’s really tricky, because everything is happening way faster than you want it to,” noted Sweet of the heavy, lightning-quick surface the field was faced with. “You still have to hit that narrow bottom, though, and that was the key tonight … was getting the low line to work.”
After missing the feature on Friday night at Knoxville, Lance Dewease and the Don Kreitz-owned No. 69k came back 24 hours later and started from the pole after winning the DIRTvision Fast Pass Dash.
Dewease started strong, too. Despite a false start on the initial green flag and a caution with three laps scored for a stalled Trey Starks in turn two, the Pennsylvania kingpin paced the first 13 circuits with ease, opening up as much as a one-second lead before getting into lap traffic just before halfway.
That was when Sweet turned up the wick, powering to the inside in turns three and four to take command on the 14th round. Just as quickly, Sweet brought Schuchart with him into second, and a ferocious battle for supremacy was on.
Schuchart wasn’t content to ride, shooting past Sweet on the outside to assume the top spot down the backstretch with 10 to go, but Sweet had a counter-play lined up and ready to go.
With seeming ease, Sweet retaliated on lap 18 with a dive to the inside entering turns one and two, sliding across Schuchart’s line to break his momentum and taking a lead he wouldn’t relinquish again.
Though Schuchart didn’t come away with a win in the end, he admitted a runner-up finish and “being in contention” was exactly what his Shark Racing team needed going into the Knoxville Nationals in August.
“I was watching Brad and Lance there for a little while. I could hit the bottom early in the race, and any time you can run the bottom pretty snug here, that’s a good sign,” said Schuchart. “Once I got the lead, it was just tough to hit the bottom that many times consistently … and I just felt more comfortable going back to the top, especially with lap cars there.
“It ended up hurting me, but this team won the Nationals, and we ran them down and passed them,” Schuchart added. “In my book, that’s something to be proud of.”
Daryn Pittman rallied through the field from 10th on the grid to complete the podium, with Sheldon Haudenschild and David Gravel following in fourth and fifth, respectively.
Dewease fell back to sixth at the checkered flag, ahead of Friday winner Brian Brown, Shane Stewart, Carson Macedo and Lynton Jeffrey. KSE Hard Charger Ian Madsen came from 25th to finish 11th.
The finish:
Brad Sweet, Logan Schuchart, Daryn Pittman, Sheldon Haudenschild, David Gravel, Lance Dewease, Brian Brown, Shane Stewart, Carson Macedo, Lynton Jeffrey, Ian Madsen, Terry McCarl, James McFadden, Dominic Scelzi, Donny Schatz, Brent Marks, Kraig Kinser, Jason Sides, Sawyer Phillips, Matt Juhl, Justin Henderson, Trey Starks, Jacob Allen, Kerry Madsen, A.J. Moeller.
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