I Dig Sports
KNOXVILLE, Iowa – My Place Hotels has partnered with Knoxville Raceway to be the title sponsor of the 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank.
The partnership makes My Place Hotels the official hotel partner of the 360 Knoxville Nationals and the nearby locations in Altoona and Ankeny will offer discounted rates to race fans during the event week.
The multi-year partnership will include the 30th annual My Place Hotels 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank in 2020.
“The My Place Hotels 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank officially kicks off the greatest 10 days of racing in America,” said Kendra Jacobs, Director of Marketing for Knoxville Raceway. “Fans from around the world travel to Iowa, which means that fans from around the world are looking for a place to stay. My Place Hotels has two nearby locations in Altoona and Ankeny with generously discounted rates for our fans. This is a partnership that not only supports the race track and the event, but also the race fans.”
The My Place Hotels locations in Altoona, roughly 45 minutes northwest of Knoxville Raceway, and in Ankeny, roughly 50 minutes northwest from Knoxville Raceway, are now the official hotel partner of the My Place Hotels 360 Knoxville Nationals presented by Great Southern Bank.
Drivers, race teams and fans can take advantage of a special promotional rate at either of the two hotels. Any guests who use the promotional code Knoxville when booking will receive a $99 per night rate for the July 31 through Aug. 5 nights. A limited amount of rooms will be available Aug. 6 through Aug. 11 at $139 per night with the promo code.
To receive the promotional discount, reservations must be made by calling the two hotels directly at 515-348-7161 (Altoona) and 515-381-0589 (Ankeny).
“The partnership with Knoxville Raceway demonstrates the fun-loving spirit of the owners and operators behind the My Place Hotels locations in Ankeny and Altoona, Iowa,” said Ryan Rivett, president and CEO of My Place Hotels. “As exceptional hospitality providers and the official hotel partner, I’m confident these nearby hotels will be an outstanding home base for race fans during the 360 Knoxville Nationals and throughout the phenomenal season at The Sprint Car Capital of the World.”
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SUZUKA, Japan – Two-time Formula One champion Mika Häkkinen is making a rare return to racing in August to compete in the Suzuka 10 Hour endurance race.
Häkkinen, who won back-to-back Formula One titles in 1998-99, will co-drive a customer racing McLaren 720S GT3 in the 10-hour endurance event at the Suzuka Int’l Circuit. He’ll share driving duties with two-time Super Formula champion Hiroaki Ishiura and Japanese Formula 3 racer Katsuaki Kubota.
The trio will drive the new 720S GT3 during the fourth round of the Intercontinental GT Challenge Powered by Pirelli on Aug. 23-25. Further information on the entry, including details of the customer team that will be running the car, will be confirmed in the coming weeks.
Häkkinen spent 11 years competing in Formula One, nearly all of it driving for McLaren. He earned 20 victories during his career, including a victory in the Monaco Grand Prix in 1998.
After retiring from Formula One competition at the end of the 2001 season, Häkkinen competed in rally events before returning to racing full-time in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series for three seasons from 2005 to 2007.
Since then he has raced sparingly, occasionally entering sports car or rally races.
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WEEDSPORT, N.Y. – The DIRTcar Sportsman division will visit Weedsport Speedway on five different occasions this year, including two DIRTcar Sportsman Series tour stops on July 2 and Oct. 9.
All Sportsman events at Weedsport will once again pay a minimum of $1,000 to win with $100 to start.
A vital component of the Weedsport Speedway schedule for several years, the DIRTcar Sportsman will make their first stop on Monday, May 27 alongside the Super DIRTcar Series Big Block Modifieds and the CRSA Sprints as part of Heroes Remembered Weekend.
The May 27 main event will serve as a tune-up for the sixth annual Sportsman Classic 75 presented by Stirling Lubricants and Champion Racing Oil on Tuesday, July 2. The annual DIRTcar Sportsman Series stop will see a lucrative $2,500 paycheck handed out to the winner of this crown jewel Sportsman event.
The Sportsman will again be paired with the Super DIRTcar Series big-block modifieds on Hall of Fame Weekend on Saturday, July 28 presented by Coca-Cola of Northern New England.
The Sunday, Aug. 11 ESS Legends Reunion powered by Pit Stop Convenience Stores will feature the winged Lucas Oil Empire Super Sprints along with the DIRTcar Sportsman’s fourth main event of the year.
The racing calendar will draw to a close on Wednesday, Oct. 9 for the Super DIRT Week Kick-Off Party as the DIRTcar Sportsman Series returns to compete on the same card as the DIRTcar 358-Modified Series.
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True to word, Reed ready to 'fatten' up players at Champions Dinner
Published in
Golf
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 04:23
AUGUSTA, Ga. – It’s unlikely that any Masters Club participant will leave Augusta National hungry tonight.
As the reigning Masters champion, Patrick Reed gets the honor of setting the menu for Tuesday night's guest list, an exclusive group that includes all the past tournament champions as well as Augusta National chairman Fred Ridley. No spouses, friends, agents or other guests can get inside the door.
Reed joked last month at The Players that he planned to “fatten those boys up a little” with his menu selections, which he said he's had in mind since age 13. His dinner choices back up those claims, with Reed opting for a bone-in cowboy ribeye for the main course along with two salad options and a collection of creamy side dishes:
Reed explained Tuesday that he has lost 10 to 12 pounds since slipping into the green jacket last year, and he joked that part of it may have been in preparation for tonight’s loaded menu as he sits at the head of golf’s most sought-after table for the first time.
“I’ve lost a little, but the reason why I lost a little is because tonight, I knew what kind of menu I was putting out there,” Reed said. “So I need to leave a little room to be able to fit back into (the jacket).”
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Koepka trying to regain energy as he eyes third major in four starts
Published in
Golf
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 05:01
AUGUSTA, Ga. – One of the game’s most passionate players when it comes to fitness hasn’t been in the gym in three weeks. Although this normally wouldn’t be news, in Brooks Koepka’s case it has drawn attention.
Koepka, who is playing the Masters for the first time since winning three of the last seven majors, revealed on Tuesday that he’s been in recovery mode since The Players.
“We did a bunch of tests,” he said. “This will be more of a relaxing week, recovery week for me. Taking three weeks off has been nice. Finally feel like I've got some energy back. I need to take care of myself if I want to actually play this game for a long time.”
Koepka went on to explain that his energy issues were the result of an intense diet that limited him to 1,800 calories a day but he added that his health has improved in recent weeks and that he doesn’t expect any lingering issues.
“I wanted to do it and try to lose some weight, and maybe went about it a little too aggressively for just a long period of time and the intensity of what I was doing,” he said.
Koepka said at The Players that he’d lost 24 pounds since November and added that he was about 10 to 12 yards shorter off the tee because of the weight loss. He didn’t reveal why he lost the weight, telling reporters, “you’ll see.”
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Koepka remembers trip to Augusta as a kid, getting denied Lefty’s autograph
Published in
Golf
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 05:12
AUGUSTA, Ga. – It was a trip of a lifetime for Brooks Koepka when his father brought him to Augusta National as a youngster to attend the Masters.
Koepka remembers walking down the first fairway and getting blown away by the elevation changes and being able to stand so close to players. And the autographs, he collected so many autographs. Except one.
Koepka said he was standing by the old Tournament practice area and asked Phil Mickelson for an autograph.
“Probably about the only kid Phil's ever turned down,” Koepka said with a smile on Tuesday at Augusta National.
Koepka said he mentioned the moment to Mickelson during a practice round in 2014 and that Lefty didn’t remember the incident.
“I mean, I can't believe he doesn't remember the first time he ever said no to a kid, signing an autograph,” he said with a laugh. “I was like, ‘Listen, man, you stiffed me, and I really didn't like you for a long time.’ He was typical Phil, right back at me; I shouldn't have been there. We can laugh about it now. I've got his autograph now.”
Koepka said he collected about 50 autographs during that trip, just not Mickelson’s or Tiger Woods.
“Everybody else, I pretty much got,” he said. “All the players, when we come here, they are all so nice. As a player now, you want to sign for a little kid. It's hard to say no to a little kid.”
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First- and second-round tee times for the 83rd Masters Tournament
Published in
Golf
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 05:28
First- and second-round groupings for the 83rd Masters Tournament. All times ET, (a) - amateur:
8:30AM/11:15AM: Andrew Landry, Adam Long, Corey Conners
8:41AM/11:26AM: Ian Woosnam, Keith Mitchell, Kevin Tway
8:52AM/11:37AM: Mike Weir, Shane Lowry, Kevin O’Connell (a)
9:03AM/11:48AM: Angel Cabrera, Aaron Wise, Justin Harding
9:14AM11:59AM: Danny Willett, Brandt Snedeker, Takumi Kanaya (a)
9:25AM/12:10PM: Fred Couples, Si Woo Kim, J.B. Holmes
9:36AM/12:32PM: Branden Grace, Emiliano Grillo, Lucas Bjerregaard
9:47AM/12:43PM: Charl Schwartzel, Charles Howell III, Eddie Pepperell
9:58AM/12:54PM: Sergio Garcia, Tony Finau, Henrik Stenson
10:09AM/1:05PM: Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Kyle Stanley
10:31AM/1:16PM: Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Viktor Hovland (a)
10:42AM/1:27PM: Charley Hoffman, Louis Oosthuizen, Marc Leishman
10:53AM/1:38PM: Tommy Fleetwood, Xander Schauffele, Gary Woodland
11:04AM/1:49PM: Tiger Woods, Haotong Li, Jon Rahm
11:15AM/2:00PM: Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Smith
11:26AM/8:30AM: Sandy Lyle, Michael Kim, Patton Kizzire
11:37AM/8:41AM: Trevor Immelman, Martin Kaymer, Devon Bling (a)
11:48AM/8:52AM: Larry Mize, Jimmy Walker, Stewart Cink
11:59AM/9:03AM: Jose Maria Olazabal, Kevin Na, Thorbjorn Olesen
12:10PM/9:14AM: Bernhard Langer, Matt Wallace, Alvaro Ortiz (a)
12:32PM/9:25AM: Alex Noren, Keegan Bradley, Matthew Fitzpatrick
12:43PM/9:36AM: Vijay Singh, Billy Horschel, Jovan Rebula (a)
12:54PM/9:47AM: Kevin Kisner, Kiradech Aphibarnrat, Shugo Imahira
1:05PM/9:58AM: Zach Johnson, Ian Poulter, Matt Kuchar
1:16PM/10:09AM: Francesco Molinari, Rafa Cabrera Bello, Tyrrell Hatton
1:27PM/10:31AM: Bubba Watson, Patrick Cantlay, Satoshi Kodaira
1:38PM/10:42AM: Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day
1:49PM/10:53AM: Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas
2:00PM/11:04AM: Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka
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Woods grouped with Rahm, Li in bid for fifth green jacket
Published in
Golf
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 05:39
AUGUSTA, Ga. – The speculation is nearly over, and the opening round is on the horizon. Here’s a look at some of the marquee groupings for the first two rounds of the 83rd Masters, where Tiger Woods will begin his pursuit of a fifth green jacket alongside a pair of international players (all times ET):
10:31 a.m. Thursday, 1:16 p.m. Friday: Patrick Reed, Webb Simpson, Viktor Hovland (a)
This traditional grouping brings together the defending champ and reigning U.S. Amateur champion, as Reed returns to Augusta National after edging out Rickie Fowler a year ago for his first major title. Simpson is making his eighth straight Masters start, having notched a career-best T-20 finish last year, while Hovland makes his Masters debut after lifting the Havemeyer Trophy last summer at Pebble Beach.
11:04 a.m. Thursday, 1:49 p.m. Friday: Tiger Woods, Jon Rahm, Haotong Li
Woods is making his 22nd career Masters appearance, having last won in 2005 and having tied for 32nd here a year ago. He’ll play the first two rounds alongside Rahm, who finished alone in fourth place last year for his best career finish in a major, and Li, who finished third at The Open in 2017 and made the cut last year in his Masters debut.
11:15 a.m. Thursday, 2 p.m. Friday: Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler, Cameron Smith
This grouping includes two men who nearly slipped into the green jacket a year ago, as McIlroy faltered in the final pairing alongside Reed while Fowler’s late rally came up one shot short. They’ll both look to improve this time around while joined for the first two days by Smith, an Australian who tied for fifth last year after a final-round 66.
1:38 p.m. Thursday, 10:42 a.m. Friday: Dustin Johnson, Bryson DeChambeau, Jason Day
Johnson saw his run at world No. 1 end this week, as he was passed by Justin Rose in the rankings without either player hitting a shot. He’s in search of his first Masters title in his ninth career start, having finished inside the top 10 in each of his last three appearances. DeChambeau took low amateur honors as the reigning U.S. Amateur champ in 2016, while Day tied for second in 2011 and finished third two years later after holding the lead with three holes to play.
1:49 p.m. Thursday, 10:53 a.m. Friday: Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Justin Thomas
Mickelson has three green jackets in his closet, the most recent coming in 2010, and he tied for second behind Jordan Spieth four years ago. Having won earlier this year at Pebble Beach, he’ll look to rebound from a disappointing T-36 finish last year alongside a pair of fellow major champions. Rose was a runner-up with Mickelson back in 2015 and lost in a playoff to Sergio Garcia two years ago, while Thomas’ results have steadily improved in each of his three Masters appearances, highlighted by a T-17 finish last year.
2 p.m. Thursday, 11:04 a.m. Friday: Jordan Spieth, Paul Casey, Brooks Koepka
Spieth has been a fixture on Masters leaderboards since he stepped foot on the property, having won in 2015 and finished third or better three other times since 2014. That includes last year’s third-place showing, when he shot a final-round 64 despite a bogey on the final hole. Casey finished T-6 or better here three straight years from 2015-17 and successfully defended his title last month in Tampa, while Koepka missed last year’s Masters because of injury, meaning that he has won three majors since he last teed it up at Augusta National en route to a T-11 finish in 2017.
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The 2020 Copa America will mark a tournament revamp, with six teams beginning the campaign in a north zone in Colombia and six playing in a south zone in co-hosts Argentina, the South American Football Confederation (CONMEBOL) said on Wednesday.
Argentina will be in the southern group, alongside Chile, Uruguay, Paraguay, Bolivia and an as yet undisclosed guest.
Brazil will feature in the northern group with Colombia, Venezuela, Ecuador, Peru and another invited nation.
The teams will play each other once in their groups, and the top four sides in each group will then qualify for the quarterfinals. The final is to be played in Argentina.
The changes are part of a widespread attempt to revitalise South American club and international competitions and bring them more into line with Europe.
CONMEBOL have abandoned their six-decades long tradition of playing the Copa Libertadores final on a home-and-away basis, and will this year play the final at a neutral ground for the first time, much like the Champions League.
Next year's Copa America will be the fourth in six years. Officials want the tournament to be played at the same time as the European Championship, Europe's equivalent.
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Middle order a worry for Kings XI Punjab as Mumbai Indians look to improve home record
Published in
Cricket
Tuesday, 09 April 2019 10:34
Big picture
King's XI Punjab return to a venue where KL Rahul and Hardik Pandya brought the jersey swapping ritual to a cricket field. Before that game, Kings XI were in control of their own fate, but defeat that night meant they fell into the proverbial lottery of the IPL, having to depend on other teams to ensure progress into the playoffs.
The Wankhede stadium itself can be quite a lottery, exemplified by Mumbai Indians' inconsistent record here. Since last year, they have won only four out of nine matches in Mumbai.
Both teams beat Sunrisers Hyderabad in their previous fixtures, but where Mumbai wrought a comeback out of thin air, Kings XI nearly did the opposite, before Rahul held his nerve to take his team home.
After battling form for most of last year in India colours and losing his place in the Test and ODI set-ups, Rahul has emerged as King's XI's highest run-getter this season. Furthermore, he averages an incredible 94.5 against Mumbai playing for Kings XI.
But while the visitors can celebrate the form of their top order, a largely untested middle order will be a worry. Their other concern at a high scoring venue where the fingerspin of R Ashwin - their highest wicket-taker so far - might be nullified by the conditions, is the lack of a sixth bowling option. David Miller loyalists since 2012, will Kings XI leave him out for Moises Henriques to attain the desirable balance for the venue?
Conversely, Mumbai are so well balanced that they are often accused of not utilising some of their players. So far, their middle order has come to the fore, as has their bowling. The openers are yet to fire, but perhaps it's an ominous sign for oppositions that Mumbai are healthily placed in the table without a major contribution from Rohit Sharma or Quinton de Kock.
In the news
Lasith Malinga continues to live two lives. Having led his side Galle to a win in the Super Four Provincial Limited Over Tournament three days back, Malinga was back training at the Wankhede on the eve of the match. A little snag: his replacement Alzarri Joseph produced the best bowling figures in IPL history on debut in the last match. As a result, Malinga's mere availability is unlikely to guarantee him a place in the XI.
Previous meeting
Mumbai faltered with the bat towards the end in Mohali, managing just 56 runs in the last seven overs, despite wickets in hand. On a flat pitch, their eventual total of 176 was gunned down by a strong top-order performance which included forties from Chris Gayle and Mayank Agarwal - the player of the match - and an unbeaten 71 from KL Rahul.
Likely XIs
Mumbai Indians: Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock, Suryakumar Yadav, Ishan Kishan, Krunal Pandya, Hardik Pandya, Kieron Pollard, Rahul Chahar, Alzarri Joseph, Jasprit Bumrah, Jason Behrendorff
Kings XI Punjab: KL Rahul, Chris Gayle, Mayank Agarwal, Sarfaraz Khan, David Miller/Moises Henriques, Mandeep Singh, Sam Curran, R Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Mujeeb ur Rahaman, Ankit Rajpoot
Strategy punt
R Ashwin has been flexible with his own introduction into the attack. During the last match at home, he came on once the field was spread. But he faces a curious dilemma in Mumbai, where dew could play a part. If it does, he may want to get some tight overs out of the way with the new ball, a move also merited by the presence of the left-handed de Kock. But if they stick with Mujeeb ur Rahman in the XI, then the Afghan can get the Powerplay out of the way, and Ashwin can target coming on during the middle overs, in particular to have a crack at Kieron Pollard, whom he has dismissed four times in 39 balls, going at a little more than seven an over.
Contrary to conventional wisdom, Mumbai Indians have a far better record defending totals at home in the last two years, than chasing them. They have won five of the eight times they have batted first at the Wankhede in the last two years, as opposed to suffering five losses in the nine matches they have chased in this period. Will they stick to their strength or let the reputation of the venue for being a tough defending ground, dictate terms?
Stats that matter
Of all the bowlers to have bowled 90 or more balls to Rohit Sharma in T20s, Ashwin (and Piyush Chawla) has dismissed him the least number of times: one. While he has taken Chawla for 146 in the 113 balls he has faced from the leggie, against Ashwin, Rohit has been watchful, explained by a strike-rate well under a hundred. In fact, among all bowlers to have bowled 50 or more balls to Rohit, Ashwin has the best economy rate of 5.12, having conceded just 82 from 96 balls.
Even though both Jasprit Bumrah and Lasith Malinga have kept Chris Gayle tied down, they have collectively dismissed him only thrice in 147 balls. Curiously, Ben Cutting has dismissed Gayle four times, the most for any Mumbai bowler. Cutting, however, has been taken for 63 in 37 balls as well.
Before losing by three runs to Mumbai Indians at the Wankhede last year, Kings XI had won three on the trot at the venue, having batted first on each of those occasions. On two of those occasions, Kings XI posted scores in excess of 220 - 226 against Chennai Super Kings in the 2014 playoffs, and 230 against Mumbai Indians in 2017.
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