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SPARTA, Ky. – Tyler Ankrum turned the NASCAR Gander Outdoors Truck Series playoff grid on its head with a thrilling victory on Thursday night during the Buckle Up In Your Truck 225 at Kentucky Speedway.
Ankrum, who pitted for the final time with 41 laps to go and had to take a second can of fuel, ultimately found himself in the catbird’s seat in the final laps as his rivals’ gas tanks ran dry all around him.
The 18-year-old raced past defending Truck Series champion Brett Moffitt coming to the white flag, when Moffitt’s No. 24 Chevrolet sputtered in turn three, and led the final two laps en route to victory.
It was the first NASCAR national series win of the California teenager’s career in just his 12th series start. He led a race-high 40 of 150 laps.
“Honestly, I wasn’t even listening to what anyone was telling me (on the radio) at the end there,” Ankrum admitted when recalling the final laps. “I was just trying my rear end off. Holy cow. I think I held my breath for the last three laps. That was so awesome, though. I can’t thank DGR-Crosley enough.
“I don’t know what to say right now; I really don’t,” he added.
Ankrum, who didn’t turn 18 until midseason and had to miss the first three races, was actually sidelined after Texas in early June due to a sponsorship shortfall with his primary ride at DGR-Crosley.
However, veteran owner Joe Nemechek stepped up to offer Ankrum a start-and-park ride in his No. 87 Chevrolet for back-to-back races at Iowa Speedway and Gateway Motorsports park later in the month, keeping Ankrum’s playoff hopes alive since he had run every race and gotten a NASCAR age waiver.
That means Ankrum’s win puts him in the postseason with a shot at the championship later this fall.
“Hopefully this means that we get a sponsor now!” Ankrum said. “I can’t believe we just did this.”
Ankrum’s triumph was actually built when he stayed out at the start of the third and final stage, taking the lead on a lap-77 restart and fending off a determined charge from Ben Rhodes early in the run.
However, because he had less fuel at that point than those – like Moffitt – who pitted during the second stage break, Ankrum had to cede command after leading 37 laps in succession, hitting pit road for the final time.
When he hit his pit stall, crew chief Kevin ‘Bono’ Manion called for two tires and two cans of fuel, putting Ankrum a half-lap behind as the pit cycle wound through but in position to make it to the finish.
Moffitt, on the other hand, pitted for the final time with 30 laps left and only took one can of fuel in hopes of staying out in front of the field – which he did for a while, moving back into the race lead with 26 to go and having more than a five-second advantage over then second-place man Ben Rhodes.
But Ankrum was charging as Moffitt had to try and conserve fuel. Moffitt’s crew radioed inside of 20 to go that the reigning titlist was two laps short, and Ankrum cut a second a lap off his deficit at times as he worked valiantly to close the gap.
With 14 to go, Ankrum moved into second as Rhodes pitted with a shredding left-rear tire, and inside of 10 to go, he carved the gap down underneath six seconds as Moffitt tried desperately to get to the checkered flag under power.
Finally, a lap and a half from the finish line, Moffitt’s quest for a third win this season came up empty.
The No. 24 slowed, and Moffitt could only watch helplessly as Ankrum’s blue No. 17 Railblaza Toyota Tundra streaked past and quickly drove out of sight.
“I was just backing up as much as I could, but it wasn’t quite enough to make it,” said Moffitt, who dropped to seventh in the final rundown as the last truck on the lead lap.
“It sucks to lose a race like that, but everyone on this team did a great job. … We had a really good truck tonight,” he added. “(Jerry Baxter) called a great race. We were just a lap short. It’s tough, a bummer.”
As a result of all those who ran out of gas, Stewart Friesen ended up finishing second for the sixth time in his career, after starting the day in a backup truck and having to come from the rear of the field.
Harrison Burton crossed the line third, followed by Ross Chastain and Ankrum’s DGR-Crosley teammate Dylan Lupton.
Austin Wayne Self, Moffitt, Spencer Davis, Jeb Burton and Johnny Sauter completed the top 10.
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SAN JOSE, Calif. -- The San Jose Sharks re-signed forwards Dylan Gambrell and Antti Suomela on Thursday.
Gambrell agreed to a two-year deal, and Suomela to a one-year contract. Financial terms weren't disclosed.
The 22-year-old Gambrell has failed to record a point in 11 regular-season games with San Jose, three in 2017-18 and eight last season. He appeared in two playoff games last season, scoring a goal.
Gambrell had 20 goals and 25 assists in 51 games last season for the San Jose Barracuda in the American Hockey League. The former University of Denver star from Bonny Lake, Washington, was selected 60th overall in the 2016 draft.
Suomela had three goals and five assists in 27 regular-season games for San Jose last season. The 25-year-old Finn had six goals and 14 assists in 47 games for the Barracuda. He signed with the Sharks as an undrafted free agent in June 2018.
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The scores were predictably low in the opening round of the John Deere Classic, as veterans and young guns alike look to salvage a season or spark some Open momentum. Here's how things stand in the Quad Cities:
Leaderboard: Roberto Diaz (-9), Russell Henley (-7), Adam Long (-7), Martin Laird (-6), Andrew Landry (-6), Vaughn Taylor (-6), Ryan Palmer (-6), Zack Sucher (-6), Ryan Blaum (-6)
What it means: If you want to contend at TPC Deere Run, you've got to go low. Such was the case Thursday, where an otherwise solid 67 left players outside the top 15. The early contenders include a few recent winners, but they're staring up at Diaz, the 32-year-old, second-year Tour pro from Mexico. Henley, who is in the midst of a lean year and might be saving some of his best golf for just the nick of time, is just two shots back with Long.
Round of the day: Diaz barely cleared 100 FedExCup points in his rookie season on Tour in 2017-18 but kept his card through the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. This season, he is No. 158 in points, so a strong finish this week would be huge – a win would give him a two-year exemption and Masters invite while bumping him to 50th in the FedExCup standings. He started strong Thursday at the Deere, birdieing four of his first five holes and three of his final four. An eagle at the par-5 10th was the highlight in his 9-under 62.
Best of the rest: Henley's two-year exemption for winning the 2017 Houston Open expires next month, and the veteran started the week 165th in points. But he's looking to make a move in the right direction after opening with a 7-under 64, dropping his lone shot of the day on his final hole. Henley has missed four cuts in a row but appears likely to extend his stay through the weekend after a round that included four birdies on each side and 14 greens in regulation. Long broke through for his maiden victory at the Desert Classic in January, but he's been rather quiet since with 11 missed cuts in 17 starts. He's again in the mix after joining Henley at 7 under, rolling in four birdies in a six-hole stretch from Nos. 12-17. It's his lowest round since a pair of 63s led to victory in Palm Springs six months ago.
Biggest disappointment: Tournament regular Zach Johnson had hoped the friendly confines might get his mediocre play turned around, but that wasn't the case in the opening round. Johnson went years without finishing outside the top 5 at Deere Run, but he's in danger of a rare early exit after opening with a 1-over 72. It marked the first time Johnson shot over par at this event since the third round in 2008, breaking a streak of 40 straight rounds at par or better.
Main storyline heading into Friday: Henley has been known to get streaky with the putter, and he's a proven winner on Tour. After gaining more than 1.5 shots on the field on the greens during the opening round, he's one to keep an eye on heading into Friday. But don't forget about some of the rising stars in the field, including Matthew Wolff who opened with a 4-under 67 in his first round as a Tour winner.
Shot of the day: Hosung Choi gave the Illinois fans reason to cheer when he launched his tee shot on the par-4 14th to within 10 feet. The 324-yard shot set up an eagle, just the second of the day on the hole, and got Choi back to even par as he makes his second career Tour start.
Quote of the day: "Trying to find where the locker room is is new for me." - Long, who continues to adjust in the midst of his rookie season but is now contending for what would be his second win of the year.
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SYLVANIA, Ohio – Alena Sharp and Youngin Chun shared the Marathon Classic lead at 7-under 64 on Thursday, a stroke ahead of Stacy Lewis and three others at Highland Meadows Golf Club.
The 38-year-old Sharp, winless on the LPGA Tour, had eight birdies and a bogey.
"I played really well right from the first tee shot," Sharp said. "I felt really calm this morning coming into this event. I always love playing here. I have great housing."
The 19-year-old Chun, also seeking her first LPGA Tour victory, had a bogey-free round.
"I didn't know I shot 64 today," Chun said. "The funniest thing I finish par on the 18 and then I saw the leaderboard and there is a 7-under and I was like, 'Who is that?' I asked my dad. 'I think I shot 6, right?' He said, 'No, you're 7.' So it was me."
Lewis won the last of her 12 LPGA Tour titles in 2017. She was born in nearby Toledo and has an endorsement deal with Marathon Oil.
"It was awesome," Lewis said. "The biggest thing is I hit 18 greens today. I've been working on the ball-striking a lot, so just really nice to see some results. Got a few putts to fall there on our last few holes."
The Texan had seven birdies and a bogey.
"It's a golf course I'm not necessarily 100% comfortable on," Lewis said. "I just had some really good golf shots today. Had some easy tap-in birdies. I haven't done that in the long time, in general."
Azahara Munoz, Caroline Masson and Jenny Haglund matched Lewis at 65.
Lexi Thompson was at 66 with U.S. Women's Open champion Jeongeun Lee6, Carlota Ciganda and Clariss Guce.
Thompson is coming off a two-week break.
"I played five weeks straight before that and really I've never played five weeks in a row in my career," Thompson said. "It was definitely different for me. But two weeks off just relaxing, hanging out with my family and friends, just making sure I get that relaxing time was much needed. I felt good about my game coming into this week."
Defending champion Jasmine Suwannapura opened with a 70.
Yealimi Noh, the 17-year-old from California who tied for sixth last week in Wisconsin in her LPGA Tour debut, had a 73. Playing on a sponsor exemption after Monday qualifying last week, she had five birdies and seven bogeys.
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With Solheim Cup in mind, Lewis (65) in contention at Marathon Classic
Published in
Golf
Thursday, 11 July 2019 13:46
Stacy Lewis would like to take a decision out of U.S. Solheim Cup captain Juli Inkster’s hands.
Lewis would like to make the American team on points, rather than rely on a captain’s pick.
With a 6-under-par 65 Thursday at the Marathon Classic, Lewis took a step in that direction. She equaled her best score since rejoining the tour as a mom this year.
Lewis is one shot off the lead in suburban Toledo, where she’s embraced as a hometown favorite. She was born in Toledo, and her parents grew up there.
“It was awesome,” Lewis said of her round of seven birdies and a bogey. “I’ve been working on the ball striking a lot. So, just really nice to see some results.”
Alena Sharp and Youngin Chun share the first-round lead after opening with 64s.
Caroline Masson, Azahara Munoz and Jenny Haglund are one back with Lewis.
Lexi Thompson, Jeongeun Lee6, Carlota Ciganda and Clariss Guce are two back.
Brooke Henderson is among nine players three back.
Lewis, 34, is looking to make the U.S. Solheim Cup team for the fifth time. She’s 14th on the American Solheim Cup points list this week, with six events left to qualify for the team. The top eight in points will make the team when qualifying ends at the conclusion of the CP Women’s Open next month.
“It's very much on my mind,” Lewis said. “Juli is trying to get me to not think about it and not worry about it. It's hard to not pay attention to the points.
“I've never been on this side of it, where you're having to watch the point list. I've always been up there pretty high and never had to worry. So, it’s a little different scenario.”
Lewis left the tour after last year’s Marathon Classic to prepare for the birth of her first child, Chesnee, who was born in October. In Lewis’ return in January, she opened with a 66 at the Diamond Resorts Tournament of Champions. She went on to tie for sixth, but she quickly learned the transition to a playing mom wouldn’t be so easy. It’s one of just two top-10 finishes in her 12 starts this year.
Lewis, a 12-time LPGA winner, can earn 60 Solheim Cup points with a victory this week. She’s 64.5 points behind Brittany Altomare, who holds down the eighth spot on this week’s points list. Solheim Cup points are awarded to the top-20 finishers in a regular tour event.
“I feel like this week, I've got a chance to get some points,” Lewis said. “And next week, too, playing with Gerina [Piller at the Dow Great Lakes Bay Invitational team event]. I feel like we pair pretty well together. These next four weeks are pretty important for that.”
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Sources: Morris to join Knicks as Spurs move on
Published in
Basketball
Thursday, 11 July 2019 17:39
After free-agent forward Marcus Morris reneged on a verbal agreement to sign with the San Antonio Spurs, the franchise finally withdrew its offer and instead reached a two-year deal with forward Trey Lyles, league sources told ESPN.
Morris had waffled on a two-year, $20 million commitment to the Spurs, who gave him more than two days to reconsider the decommitment before striking a deal with Lyles, league sources said.
Morris is accepting a one-year, $15 million deal with the New York Knicks, whose offer had caused Morris to renege on his Spurs agreement, league sources said. Spurs general manager RC Buford had worked to give Morris a chance to accept the Spurs deal, but ultimately moved on to Lyles, who saw his qualifying offer pulled and became an unrestricted free agent upon the Denver Nuggets trading for Oklahoma City Thunder forward Jerami Grant.
Lyles has split his first four NBA seasons with the Nuggets and Utah Jazz. Lyles, 23, is younger and bigger (6-foot-10) than Morris, but certainly not as accomplished in his career. Lyles could be a better long-term play for the Spurs, given that Morris considers this contract to be a bridge to a bigger free-agency score in 2020.
The Knicks' salary-cap space was suddenly available because the team and free-agent forward Reggie Bullock are no longer executing a two-year, $21 million deal, and reworked the terms down to a lower financial commitment, league sources said.
The Spurs traded forward Davis Bertans to the Washington Wizards to create the ability to sign Morris upon his weekend commitment to San Antonio.
Agent David Bauman and the Knicks are reevaluating Bullock's fitness to play a full season in 2019-20.
In a brief conversation with ESPN this week, Bauman was complimentary of how the Knicks handled an emerging situation with Bullock, citing how accommodating ownership, the front office and medical staff had been with Bullock's situation.
"First-class throughout," Bauman said.
Bullock hadn't yet signed the original deal made near the opening of NBA free agency, which includes a team option on the second year, sources said.
Morris, 29, averaged 13.9 points and 6.1 rebounds for the Boston Celtics in his eighth NBA season.
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Best league ever? NBA players react to Westbrook-CP3 trade
Published in
Basketball
Thursday, 11 July 2019 19:33
The most unpredictable NBA summer ever continued Thursday night when the Oklahoma City Thunder agreed to trade Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Chris Paul and a bevy of first-round picks, league sources told ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski.
In Houston, Westbrook will be reunited with James Harden. The two were teammates in OKC in 2012, when the Thunder lost to the Miami Heat in the NBA Finals, and they're just the latest in a growing list of star duos to hook up this summer, following LeBron James and Anthony Davis with the Los Angeles Lakers, Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving with the Brooklyn Nets, and Kawhi Leonard and Paul George with the LA Clippers. This summer's endless whirlwind of transactions has left even NBA players shaking their heads and predicting that the upcoming season could be the best ever.
WOW!! https://t.co/4g2Z6UVJfN
— Enes Kanter (@EnesKanter) July 12, 2019
Well Damn?
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 12, 2019
I got so much to say ofcourse on this CP3 trade but I'll save my comments until i talk to my brother. ??♂️
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 12, 2019
All i know is my jersey swap collection is looking kinda bootleg since FA started ???. In 20 years ain't no one believing those players played in those uniforms❤️
— DWade (@DwyaneWade) July 12, 2019
This league boi!!!!
— Bradley Beal (@RealDealBeal23) July 12, 2019
?
— Nene Hilario (@NeneHilario42) July 12, 2019
Craziest NBA summer by far... And Summer just started a few wks ago!! WOW...
— ? Jamal Crawford (@JCrossover) July 12, 2019
This year about to be littt????
— Patrick Beverley (@patbev21) July 12, 2019
CP back in the city.. throwbyke to the Hornets.!
— Josuélito (@J_Rich1) July 12, 2019
This League is crazy y'all.... But y'all already knew that !
— Trae Young (@TheTraeYoung) July 12, 2019
So now that we know the duos, list out the best trios in the league... lol
— Spencer Dinwiddie (@SDinwiddie_25) July 12, 2019
Meanwhile, Houston Texans superstar defensive end J.J. Watt had a heartfelt parting message for Paul, thanking him for his impact on the Houston community at large.
Gonna miss you @CP3. Not many people know, but CP was literally the first celebrity to reach out and donate to the hurricane fundraiser. He had just recently been traded to Houston, called up and said he wanted to help. Very first one. Absolute legend.
— JJ Watt (@JJWatt) July 12, 2019
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The Oklahoma City Thunder have agreed to a blockbuster trade to send Russell Westbrook to the Houston Rockets to reunite him with James Harden, league sources told ESPN.
The Rockets will send guard Chris Paul, two protected first-round picks (2024 and 2026, both protected Nos. 1-4) and two pick swaps (2021 and 2025) to the Thunder, league sources told ESPN.
The Rockets are reuniting two former MVP guards who started their careers together with the Thunder. This was a deal Harden and Westbrook were each enthusiastic about, league sources said.
Thunder general manager Sam Presti worked with Westbrook and his agent, Thad Foucher, to help honor the star guard's hopes of playing with the Rockets, league sources said. The Thunder also discussed a possible deal with the Miami Heat, sources said.
In making the trade, the Rockets believe that the age difference between Paul (34) and Westbrook (30), gives them a better chance to extend the championship window of Harden, who will turn 30 next month.
"We're excited to have Russell Westbrook," Rockets owner Tilman Fertitta told Houston's Fox 26. "I would watch him play for Oklahoma City, and he's so athletic. At the same time, this franchise just had the two years with the most wins it's ever had in consecutive years, and we wouldn't have accomplished that without Chris Paul. Chris Paul is unbelievable, and he's gonna be sadly missed."
Oklahoma City has accumulated eight first-round picks since the June 20 NBA draft, creating a long game unseen in recent NBA history. With the possibility that Oklahoma City could retain its own 2020 pick (top-20 protected to Philadelphia) and 2022 pick (lottery protected to Atlanta), the Thunder could have 15 first-round picks and swap rights in four different seasons between 2020 and 2026.
The Thunder could continue to work to find a new team for the 34-year-old Paul, league sources said. Paul has three years, $124 million left on his contract -- one year fewer than Westbrook would've had on the Thunder's books. If the Thunder keep Paul, they'll have a representative lineup that currently includes him, center Steven Adams and forward Danilo Gallinari.
If Oklahoma City wanted to incentivize a trade for Paul, the Thunder could use part of their massive pool of picks to facilitate a deal. Paul has some positive history with Oklahoma City, having played there with the Hornets starting in 2005-06, when Hurricane Katrina forced the franchise to temporarily relocate.
Houston hoped to find third-team destination preferable to Paul but ultimately leaves those next steps to Oklahoma City to execute once Presti confers with Paul's agent, Leon Rose, league sources said. They worked together last year on a similar situation with Carmelo Anthony. Miami remains a possibility for Paul.
Caesars Sportsbook moved the Rockets from 10-1 to 7-1 to win the 2019-20 NBA title, behind only the Los Angeles Lakers (7-2), LA Clippers (4-1) and Milwaukee Bucks (9-2).
"I said at the end of the year, 'We're never gonna stand pat,'" Fertitta said. "We're always gonna try to get better. I think this makes us a better team. I hate to lose Chris Paul, but we felt like we did what we had to do to become a better team.
"I think it'll be very interesting and fun. James and Russell wanted to play together. It ought to be fun this year."
Westbrook and Harden will be the fourth pair of teammates to play together after each winning an MVP award within the previous three seasons, per Elias Sports Bureau research.
Westbrook has four years and $171 million remaining on his contract, with a player option in the final year of his deal set to pay him $47 million should he opt in.
After Paul George's trade to the Clippers, Westbrook and Foucher worked with the Thunder to find an agreeable path forward on Westbrook's future with the franchise. With free agency effectively concluded, and Westbrook's list of preferred destinations extremely short, the timing made trade negotiations complicated.
Still, the Thunder wanted to accommodate Westbrook's wishes as much as possible, with his first and foremost desire to reunite with Harden in Houston, while also finding a trade that fit OKC's objective of rebuilding.
Drafted fourth overall by the Thunder (then the Seattle SuperSonics) in 2008, Westbrook leaves as the franchise's all-time leader in points (18,859); second in assists (6,897); third in rebounds (5,760) and steals (1,442); and fourth in games played (821). In the Oklahoma City era, Westbrook ranks first across the board.
Westbrook won the MVP in 2016-17, making NBA history as the first player since Oscar Robertson in 1962 to average a triple-double. He broke Robertson's mark of triple-doubles in a season with 42, and then went on to average a triple-double in two more seasons. Westbrook ranks tied for second all time with Magic Johnson at 138 career triple-doubles, behind only Robertson (181).
Westbrook is one of just 10 players in NBA history to record 15,000 points, 5,000 rebounds and 5,000 assists with a single franchise, seven of whom are in the Hall of Fame. The remaining two are Kobe Bryant and LeBron James.
Since Westbrook was drafted by OKC, only the Spurs (613) and Rockets (541) have more wins than the Thunder (538). Westbrook was part of a historic run of picks by the Thunder, as the only team in NBA history to select three consecutive future MVPs (Kevin Durant, Westbrook and Harden). Since Westbrook's debut, the Thunder are the only team to have three different players finish in the top three of MVP voting (Durant, Westbrook and George). OKC has had 16 All-NBA selections since 2009, the most in the NBA in that span.
The Thunder made the playoffs in each of Westbrook and Harden's three seasons together, going from the 8-seed in 2009-10 to No. 4 in 2010-11 to No. 2 in 2011-12. They reached the NBA Finals in their final season, losing in five games to Miami, before Oklahoma City traded Harden to Houston that October.
Westbrook will be forever connected to the Thunder as the face of the franchise, pledging his loyalty to the organization in the wake of Durant's departure to the Golden State Warriors in 2016. Westbrook re-upped with OKC, stabilizing the roster and providing a path forward, and then signed a five-year extension in 2017, at the time the largest contract in NBA history.
Information from ESPN's Ramona Shelburne was used in this report.
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Veteran right-hander Shelby Miller and the Milwaukee Brewers have agreed to a minor league deal, The Athletic reported Thursday.
Miller was released by the Texas Rangers last week after the team had designated him for assignment.
Looking to bounce back after a series of injuries, Miller signed a one-year, $2 million deal with the Rangers in the offseason, but he struggled mightily with the team before being designated. In 19 appearances, including eight starts, he was 1-3 with a 8.59 ERA. Opponents were hitting .317 against him.
Prior to this season, the 28-year-old Miller had thrown a total of just 139 innings since the start of 2016, going 5-18 with a 6.35 ERA, as he dealt with several injuries, including Tommy John surgery.
Milwaukee comes out of the All-Star break at 47-44, a half-game behind the National League Central-leading Chicago Cubs.
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ARLINGTON, Texas -- All-Star infielder Alex Bregman left Houston's game at Texas on Thursday night after a ground ball bounced up and hit him on the chin.
Manager AJ Hinch said during an in-game interview on the ESPN broadcast that it looked like Bregman's chin was split open. Hinch said Bregman wanted to stay in the game, but the team got him out to get checked by a doctor.
Bregman was playing shortstop, and shifted toward the middle of the infield in the third inning when he went to field a grounder hit by Shin-Soo Choo. The ball took a late high hop and caught Bregman squarely on the lower half of his face, and there appeared to be blood when he was tended to by a trainer.
The Astros later characterized the injury as a chin laceration.
Bregman is Houston's primary third baseman, but he has been playing shortstop with Carlos Correa on the injured list.
Myles Straw replaced Bregman at shortstop.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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