It has been a good 12 months in international rugby for Wales.

They are unbeaten in 14 games, Six Nations Grand Slam champions and are number two in World Rugby's rankings.

But captain Alun Wyn Jones knows history will not judge Wales on that.

It is World Cup year and, according to the 33-year-old: "There is only one thing this year is going to be remembered for.

"Even through the Six Nations you have that in the back of your mind, although that takes away nothing from the achievement."

The skipper hopes a third Grand Slam since Warren Gatland took over in 2008 is just the start of success in 2019.

"We have put foundations in for what will hopefully be a decent year," said Jones.

"You enjoy success but have to move on and it has been almost a month now. We were pleased with the outcomes and character of the performances, but there is potential to improve.

"Our feet did not touch the ground for a couple of days, we had a lot of well-wishes and people are still congratulating us.

"As we move away from the Six Nations and towards the summer, the expectation will be there more than ever and we have earned that."

Grand Slam memories

Not considered overly sentimental, Jones has had some time to reflect because he has not played since the final Six Nations victory over Ireland.

After overcoming an early knee injury in that match, Jones finished the game before being diagnosed with ligament damage that will sideline him for up to six weeks.

"I was lucky because it could have been worse," said Jones, who is hopeful of a return for the Ospreys' final game of the regular season against Cardiff Blues on 27 April.

"My wife will tell you I am going soft. I only felt it once in the first half and the medics did a decent tape job at half-time and I went on.

"Most of the boys were carrying niggles so you crack on and I was fortunate to finish the game."

Playing through the pain and other moments on that special day elevated public affection towards Jones, which had already increased after his iconic post-match celebration against England.

Jones' decision to place his tracksuit around the freezing mascot during the anthem also became a social media hit.

"He was shaking, but it is a fact of society now everyone makes a fuss of something anybody would do," said Jones.

"I am confident any of the boys would have done the same thing."

There was also unseen work in ensuring the whole squad celebrated on the podium and Jonathan Davies telling Jones he "loved" him after the final whistle.

Personal reflections included looking up to the heavens straight into the rain after the final whistle and spending time afterwards sitting in an empty stadium to take in what had been achieved.

As Jones was celebrating on the field with his two daughters, he was also thinking of his father Tim, who passed away in November, 2016.

"He was in my thoughts," said Jones.

"I am always cautious of being a champion of emotion for the wrong reasons. I don't do many interviews like this and try to stay away from being another guy talking about a loved one.

"It is a fine line, but it did bring up memories and a lot of friends and family said, 'your dad would have been proud'."

Peak powers

The Six Nations player of the tournament accolade followed, proving Jones' stock in the world game has never been higher in a stellar career of 125 Wales caps and nine Tests for the British and Irish Lions.

Jones can now start to be talked about in the same bracket as inspirational legendary Lions lock leaders like Willie John McBride, Martin Johnson and Paul O'Connell.

Former fly-half and captain Jonathan Davies labelled Jones Wales' best ever player, while England's World Cup-winning centre Will Greenwood said the lock was the leading northern hemisphere player of the 21st century.

His old Ospreys coach Sean Holley joked he should be the next First Minister of Wales, while Jones has been given the freedom of his home city Swansea.

While accolades have flooded in, all the praise is not something you sense Jones is comfortable with.

"When I was running around as a kid playing for Mumbles and Bonymaen, I was not thinking of things like that," said Jones.

"My initial reaction is it starts all over again. It is a lot easier to get motivated when people are having a dig.

"When people say nice things it puts on a different kind of pressure.

"It is flattering in whatever trade you are doing if somebody says you are doing a good job.

"I appreciate the comments, even if my resting face is not the most likeable at times, which is what people tell me. I can't help it. That is just me and I don't mean anything by it.

"I am clear the day I start enjoying things like that a bit too much is probably when I need to sit back and move on."

Senior statesman

As well as inspirational performances on the field, Jones has been unwittingly drawn into off-the-field matters.

In his role as part of the International Rugby Players Association, Jones has spoken on plans for World Rugby's proposals for the global game, which include a Nations Championship.

"The potential there, if it is done right, is exciting and intriguing, but the fearful thing for players is the welfare issue," said Jones.

"There are a lot of things to take into consideration, but players are keen to seek a solution because everybody wants to grow rugby - not at the expense of players' careers or the game's value because you don't want to lose the prestige of a World Cup.

"The main point is the IRPA and players' federations would like consultation because we are the people who play the game."

Closer to home, Jones helped the Wales squad cope with disruptive talk of regional mergers during the Six Nations, with a troubled build-up to the victory over Scotland.

Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Martyn Philips said afterwards he had apologised to the players for the off-field distractions, which ended with proposals for an Ospreys-Scarlets amalgamation shelved for 2019-20 at least.

"I don't think he needed to apologise and we all accepted it," said Jones.

"We have had face-to-face meetings since and been given some answers.

"As players we were able to get the job done. We were never going to use that as an excuse and our job was rugby, not boardroom stuff.

"It was just disappointing the situation ensured there was a delay in contracts being signed."

Future plans

Has this uncertainty affected Jones' decision about his future?

His national dual contract with the WRU and Ospreys finishes after the World Cup and that system has been replaced by new player pay banding proposals.

So is the one-region man considering staying in Wales or prompting for a new challenge?

"There are conversations going on and we will see what happens," said Jones.

"It is a big choice and there are lots of things to take into account. There has always been that curiosity about playing in a different league or country.

"I don't have any regrets in what I have done so far with hopefully a bit more to go. The way I have been looked after in the last year is also something to factor in."

Gatland believes Jones can carry on for a couple of seasons, but Jones is not setting a time frame.

"I have had a season where the joined up WRU and regional relationship is better than ever before," said Jones.

"I have benefited from an extended break at the end of last season and the number of games I have played this season so I am in decent shape.

"The national dual contracts are going, but there will still be benefits to the 38-man Wales squad. I will not talk about funding models or 60-40 pay splits between union and regions. That is for the politicians."

Jones admits he wants to finish on his own terms.

"I enjoy it now as much as when I started," said Jones.

"There are a few more bumps and pages in the physio files, you can't avoid that.

"I still have the hunger and think I can do a job. If I have the tap on the shoulder and I'm told it's my time, hopefully I will be comfortable with that. Hopefully I know before anybody else does."

Record breaker?

There is the prospect of a fourth World Cup, beating Gethin Jenkins' Wales record caps of 129 and overhauling Richie McCaw's world record of 148. Maybe even a fourth Lions tour in South Africa in 2021?

"Those sorts of things are not a target," said Jones.

"When people talk about 50 or 100 caps, I never looked to those targets when I was a kid. I just wanted to play rugby.

"They (milestones) resonate a bit more now because I appreciate what goes into it. I feel fortunate doing what I do for however long I have done it and am not yet finished."

Wales fans everywhere should hope that remains the case for a little longer.

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Former England rugby union international Christian Wade has moved a step closer to playing in the NFL by signing for the Buffalo Bills.

The winger, 27, was released by Wasps in October to allow him to pursue a career in American football.

Seen as a potential running back, Wade was one of four players allocated to an AFC East club as part of the league's International Player Pathway programme.

He will not be eligible to play in the next NFL season.

Wade, who won one cap for England in 2013 and was called up to the British and Irish Lions squad that summer, is third in the all-time Premiership try-scorers list with 82.

The International Player Pathway allows him to train with the Bills during pre-season and attempt to earn a place on their roster for next season, when he would be eligible to train but not play.

Since December, he has been training alongside NFL veterans and draft hopefuls in Florida.

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YORK HAVEN, Pa. — Danny Dietrich has taken strides in the offseason to become a smarter and improved sprint car driver.

His dedication has paid off. Not only has he become a more tactical driver, it’s led to more early-season wins.

That was the case Sunday at BAPS Motor Speedway. Dietrich lost the lead to Brock Zearfoss, stayed focused and retook the top spot to capture his 12th career win at the York Haven speedway.

“I kind of had a new focus since January 1st,” Dietrich said after his third win in eight starts this season. “I’m just focused really, really hard on racing and getting myself in better shape, getting healthier, going to the gym.

“I think that’s propelled the beginning of the season. For me, personally, hopefully I can keep working on that and get back to the gym when things slow down. Racing is keeping us in pretty good shape now.”

Dietrich grabbed the lead at the drop of the green, passing pole-sitter Brett Michalski. Brock Zearfoss also dipped under Michalski and took the second spot, with Ryan Smith taking third before the completion of lap one.

The leaders approached lapped traffic on the eighth circuit. Dietrich dropped down to the bottom of turn two, which allowed Zearfoss to fly around the cushion and take the lead out of the second corner.

“I hate leading a race,” Dietrich said. “I would rather run second. I’ve told people that multiple times, and I don’t like starting in the front row.

“I don’t like setting the pace. I would rather pass someone knowing what my car has in it. You don’t know until you are in second how good you are. We weren’t the best, but we were good and had to make the most of it.”

The frontrunners got into lapped traffic on Lap 9. Dietrich was able to close and stalked Zearfoss for the next four laps.

Dietrich pounced on lap 13. Zearfoss was attempting to get by Trey Hivner and lost momentum. Dietrich closed in a hurry and pulled off a slider through Turns 3 and 4 to regain the top spot.

“I know exactly what my mistake was, and it was the same mistake Danny made,” Zearfoss said. “I was just kind of messing around too long.

“He left the door open, and I got him. I tried to drive away, caught lapped traffic, just messing around too long. That’s the deal breaker right there. I need more laps on short tracks to gauge when to pull the slide job on somebody, so I learned a lesson and got beat by it.”

Dietrich opened up a half-straightaway lead by the halfway point. Four laps later, Zearfoss got a shot at the leader after Chase Dietz got upside down in turn two. Jared Esh was also involved.

After the red flag, Dietrich was able to stretch his advantage. But, Zearfoss closed again when the leaders approached a four-pack of backmarkers on lap 29.

Dietrich took action, squeezing around Dylan Norris and Dan Shetler in turn two and sped away over the final circuit to take the win by 1.928 seconds.

Zearfoss settled for second, with Smith holding third. Anthony Macri came from 13th to fourth, and Cory Eliason completed the top five.

Kevin Nouse started seventh and methodically made his way to the front to earn the win in the 25-lap 358 sprint car main event.

The finish:

Feature (30 Laps) – 1. 48-Danny Dietrich; 2. 70-Brock Zearfoss; 3. 72-Ryan Smith; 4. 39M-Anthony Macri; 5. 26-Cory Eliason; 6. 99-Kyle Moody; 7. 24-Lucas Wolfe; 8. 40-George Hobaugh; 9. 51-Freddie Rahmer; 10. 67-Justin Whittall; 11. 07-Gerard McIntyre Jr.; 12. 91-Tony Fiore; 13. 73B-Brett Michalski; 14. 44-Dylan Norris; 15. 7K-Dan Shetler; 16. 19-Bryn Gohn; 17. 90-Jordan Givler (DNF); 18. 33-Jared Esh (DNF); 19. 75-Chase Dietz (DNF); 20. 7-Trey Hivner (DNF); 21. 2W-Glenndon Forsythe (DNF); 22. 9-Ryan Linder (DNF), DNS: 21-Brian Montieth, 49H-Bradley Howard.

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MIDDLETOWN, N.Y. – Matt Sheppard has a long resume of victories in his dirt Modified career.

Orange County Fair Speedway, however, had eluded him. Until Sunday, that is. S

Sheppard collected his first victory at the Legendary House of Power in the Escape RV Inc. Hard Clay Open, the season opener of the Bob Hilbert Sportswear Short Track Super Series Fueled By Sunoco Halmar Int’l North Region.

Sheppard collected $11,919 from the posted $47,219 payout plus $100 from Rob Sherlock Roofing for winning his heat race, $150 as a Precision Hydraulic & Oil Halfway Cash Dash winner and $200 from Superior Remodeling as the Halfway Leader for a total of $12,369 for 50 laps.

The win for Sheppard came from 12th starting position aboard the Hurlock Auto & Speed No. 9s.

“There were no excuses tonight,” a smiling Sheppard said after climbing to the roof of his Bicknell race car. “We started 12th and had to drive our way to the front.”

A field of 60 STSS modifieds rolled through the gates in hopes of kicking off the 100th anniversary of OCFS in Victory Lane. The car count was the highest in the six-year history of the Hard Clay Open springtime event. A large crowd took in the action from both sides of the five-eighths-mile oval.

Invader Danny Varin and defending OCFS champion Anthony Perrego led the field to the drop of the green flag for the 50-lap affair. Varin grabbed the initial lead in the Magsarus No. 93, with Perrego wasting little time in his drive to the front. He rolled the outside lane to the lead on lap three.

Following a yellow on lap seven, two cars stood out from the rest. Matt Sheppard had made his way from his 12th starting spot to sixth in the first seven laps. Not too far behind was Stewart Friesen who was up to 11th from his 20th starting position.

When the race resumed, Sheppard and Friesen continued their assault on the field. After Varin took the lead back from Perrego on the restart, a three-car battle ensued after Sheppard climbed into the third spot. After three laps of intense, door-to-door racing, Sheppard emerged from the fray with the lead on lap 16 and went to work on lapped traffic.

Friesen’s Halmar Int’l No. 44 had clawed his way into the top-five and caught the battle up front. He along with, Perrego, Varin, Brett Hearn, and Mat Williamson fought for the runner-up spot until a yellow came out on lap 31.

Sheppard motored away on the restart, leaving the chasers battling each other. Williamson began to show signs of an ill-handling racecar, sliding back to fifth before cutting the right-rear tire on the Jeff Behrent-owned No. 3 prior to the final yellow on lap 48.

Friesen’s climb from the 10th row ended with a runner-up finish as Savannah, N.Y.’s Sheppard broke his long winless drought at Orange County.

Friesen earned $5,000 as the race’s runner-up plus $400 from Rock Fantasy Concert Shop in Middletown, N.Y., as the race’s Hard Charger for his 18-position ascent.

Perrego placed third in the Superior Remodeling No. 44 ($4,000), followed by Brett Hearn, who survived a 360-degree spin in turn one to place fourth ($2,600 including heat win money) and Mike Gular, who drove forward from 16th to finish fifth in the Terry Fasnacht-owned No. 2A ($1,800).

Grant Hilfiger rim-rode to victory in the accompanying 20-lap Crate 602 Sportsman feature. Hilfiger powered past longtime OCFS competitor Jimmy Johnson in the final laps to take home a $1,000 top prize.

The finish:

Matt Sheppard, Stewart Friesen, Anthony Perrego, Brett Hearn, Mike Gular, Mike Mahaney, Brian Krummel, Danny Johnson, Andy Bachetti, Billy Decker, Jimmy Horton, Danny Creeden, Chris Whitehead, Mat Williamson, Allison Ricci, Ryan Watt, Tommy Meier, Brian Gleason, Craig Hanson, Brett Tonkin, Danny Varin, Tyler Dippel, Brandon Grosso, Jeremy Smith, Willy Decker, Rick Laubach, Tyler Boniface, Jerry Higbie, Billy Pauch Jr., Matt Janiak.

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JACKSONVILLE, Ill. – Paul Nienhiser picked up the 13th victory of his Built Ford Tough MOWA Sprint Car Series career Sunday afternoon at Jacksonville Speedway.

Nienhiser and Logan Faucon led the field to the green flag, with Nienhiser getting the early jump over the field. He was able to stretch his lead, only to be slowed by yellow flags and one red-flag period, which saw Austin O’Dell collide with the turn three wall before landing on his wheels.

Nienhiser ripped around the top side of the quarter–mile bullring to pick up victory in the 25-lap feature ahead of 2016 series champion Parker Price-Miller, who came from 16th in the 19-car field.

Korey Weyant, Jeremy Standridge and Robbie Standridge completed the top-five.

Heats were won by Joe B. Miller, O’Dell and Weyant.

The finish:

Paul Nienhiser, Parker Price-Miller, Korey Weyant, Jeremy Standridge, Robbie Standridge, Jacob Patton, Logan Faucon, Braydon Fox, Kyle Schuett, Steve Short, Brady Barker, Joe B. Miller, Bill Balog, Austin O’Dell, Jason Keith, Tyler Shoemaker, Dylan Tuxhorn, Carson Short, Bret Tripplett.

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MOORESVILLE, N.C. – Bobby Labonte, the 2000 NASCAR Cup Series champion, will return to the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series this weekend in Valencia, Spain.

Labonte, who ran the full NASCAR Whelen Euro Series schedule last year, will drive the No. 70 Mishumotors Chevrolet SS in the ELITE 1 Division for the German team, sharing the car with team owner Mirco Schultis.

“The racing is really good and the competition is getting stronger every year in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series so I am excited to get back in the car at the GP of Spain,” Labonte said. “Last year’s race in Valencia was pretty intense, especially in turn one. We had some great door-to-door battles along the way and it will be great to take what we learned last year and drive there for the second time.

“More and more European fans are discovering the special atmosphere of the Euro NASCAR events and it will be great to meet them again in Valencia this weekend.”

It will be the second start at the Spanish 4-km road course for Labonte, who finished 14th in points with one top-five and four top-10s last year in the NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.

At Tours in France, in what was his first outing on a European short track, the Corpus Christi native grabbed his first NASCAR Whelen Euro Series podium finish.

The first ever NASCAR driver to win a championship both in the NASCAR Cup Series and in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, Labonte won 21 races at the highest level of NASCAR in the United States.

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INDIANAPOLIS – McLaren Racing has unveiled the livery for the No. 66 car that Fernando Alonso will drive in an attempt to qualify for the 103rd running of the Indianapolis 500 in May.

The car, built at the McLaren Technology Centre in Woking, England, sports the unique McLaren papaya orange, which echoes the color chosen by Bruce McLaren for the team’s first Formula One Grand Prix entry in 1966 and reflects the livery of the McLaren Formula 1 team’s MCL34.

This year’s scheme for both racing series features a complementary blue that nods to the team’s racing heritage, while the choice of No. 66 is to honor McLaren’s first victory at the Brickyard, achieved with Mark Donohue’s Penske-run M16 in 1972.

“The reveal of the No. 66 car and livery is an important moment for McLaren Racing’s journey to the Indianapolis 500,” said Zak Brown, CEO of McLaren Racing. “It represents the beginning of the next phase of our program, and reflects a tremendous amount of hard work by our specialist Indy 500 team at the McLaren Technology Centre.  We are all looking forward to seeing the No. 66 out on track for the first time on April 24.”

The No. 66 race car is en route from the England to the United States ahead of the open test at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on April 24. Meanwhile, its sister test car will take to track at a closed test at the Texas Motor Speedway on April 9, in the hands of Alonso.

The Indianapolis 500 is the final jewel in the Triple Crown of Motorsports for Alonso, who already has victories in the 24 Hours of Le Mans and Monaco Grand Prix during his career.

“I’m excited we are finally able to reveal to the world the No. 66 car which I’ll be racing with McLaren at the Indy 500 in May,” said Alonso. “The team at the McLaren factory has worked very hard to build this car ready for our return to the iconic Brickyard and I think it looks fantastic in the 2019 McLaren Racing colors. My hopes for the race remain the same, to win and achieve the Triple Crown, and I’m looking forward to meeting the fantastic U.S. fans who made me feel so welcome first time around.”

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INDIANAPOLIS – Long-time Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach sponsor King Taco will grow their relationship with Harding Steinbrenner Racing this weekend.

The Mexican fast food company will serve as primary sponsor of Colton Herta’s No. 88 Honda-powered Indy car on the 1.968-mile temporary street course around the Long Beach Convention Center. King Taco is a current season-long associate sponsor of the Harding Steinbrenner No. 88.

“Super happy to have king taco on board for Long Beach as a primary sponsor for the #88 Indy car,” said Herta. “King Taco has always supported the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach and IndyCar as a whole. Their tacos are amazing, and being from Los Angeles…I know what a street taco should taste like.”

“It is very exciting to welcome another sponsor to the Harding Steinbrenner team for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach,” said team co-owner Mike Harding. “Let’s bring the #88 King Taco car to victory lane so we can celebrate with victory tacos.”

“Delighted to have King Taco as the team’s primary sponsor for the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach,” said team co-owner George Michael Steinbrenner. “They are a Long Beach staple and I feel so proud to have them on board. Hoping to bring home a good result on Sunday.”

A Herta family tradition is to enjoy victory tacos after a race win, but King Taco is taking the victory taco celebration further. If Herta wins the Acura Grand Prix of Long Beach, anyone who attended the race can enjoy a free taco. Fans can bring their ticket stub into any participating King Taco location in Southern California and present it at the time of ordering to receive a free victory taco until April 30 if Herta wins.

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HOUSTON – Risi Competizione has finalized its driver lineup for the No. 89 Risi Competizione Ferrari 488 GTE-Pro entry in this year’s 24 Hours of Le Mans.

Joining Pipo Derani, who joined the team for Le Mans last week, in the No. 89 will be Frenchman Jules Gounon and England’s Oliver Jarvis.

The Houston, Texas-based Risi Competizione entry is the 15th entry over 10 years at the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans, having competed for the first time in 1998. The Ferrari team’s record includes three victories, in 1998 with the Ferrari 333 SP, and 2008 and 2009 in the Ferrari 430 GT, and an additional five podiums.

“Jean and I are excited about our driver line-up for this year, with Pipo, Oliver, and Jules as our Le Mans drivers,” said Team Principal Giuseppe Risi. “Pipo is a fast young driver and has driven the 488 before at Le Mans. Oliver has driven at Le Mans many times over the past decade and Jules comes from a French racing family and has raced in plenty of endurance races including an overall win at Spa 24 Hours in 2017. We expect good results from our trio. I’m looking forward to the race and wish to thank Jean for his support in our combined effort.”

“The 24 Heures du Mans is a very special race, and especially for the French people,” said Jean Guikas, principal of Guikas GTC. “We are pleased to be part of the Risi Competizione entry with the Ferrari 488 GTE-Pro. Of course, the team have a French driver, with Jules Gounon, as well as two other excellent drivers in Pipo and Oliver. It will be a very special year and I await race week with pleasure.”

“I am delighted to be returning to Le Mans with Risi Competizione, after winning the LMP2 class in 2017 and leading the race outright,” said Jarvis,. “Having raced at Le Mans in LMP1 and LMP2 it will be a new challenge for me in GTE Pro, but I am confident with such a strong team behind me that I will be able to get up to speed quickly.  I can’t wait to start working with my new team and team mates and return to a race I absolutely love!”

Jarvis, a current DPi factory driver who recently broke the Daytona Int’l Speedway track record, will be competing in his seventh Le Mans twice-around-the-clock enduro. Having started off with fastest rookie honors in his first Le Mans in 2010, Jarvis added three third-place finishes (2012, 2013 and 2016, all with AudiSport) and one second place (with Jackie Chan in LMP2) on his racing resume.

“For me, it’s a big dream come true,” said Gounon. “It’s been a dream since I was a child to race for a French affiliated team at Le Mans. To be able to do it with Risi Competizione, who’s already won three times in its own class, is something really special for me. I’d really like to thank Giuseppe Risi and Jean Guikas regarding this project and for the trust they are putting in me for this race. I really believe we have a strong package with the Risi team, the car and the drivers to make a good result there. Thanks a lot for that and I’m looking forward to Le Mans.”

Gounon, who will be making his 24 Hours of Le Mans debut, already has a number of endurance races under his belt and a 24 Hours of Spa victory. Additionally, he was the 2017 winner of the ADAC GT Masters Championship.

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