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STAFFORD SPRINGS, Conn. After a banner 2024 season that saw him tie the single season SK Light record of 10 wins in a single season at Stafford Speedway, Ellington, Conn. native Tyler Chapman will make the move up the open wheel ladder to Staffords premier SK Modified division this year and challenge for NAPA Rookie of the Year honors.
Were definitely excited to be moving up, said Chapman. We saw on Facebook that Alexander Pearl was moving up with us this season so its cool to see someone moving up with me and we can fight it out on the track.
Weve always gotten along, hes always raced me clean, and weve been in the modifieds together since I got started, so it should be a lot of fun this season.
Since notching his first SK Light feature victory during the 2021 season, Chapman has gone on to win a total of 22 SK Light races, tying him with Chris Matthews for the most wins in the divisions history. But in making the move to the ultra-competitive SK Modified division at Stafford, Chapman knows he is in for a tough fight to reach the kinds of victory totals he has become accustomed to reaching.
Were not expecting to have anywhere close to 10 wins or even a couple of wins, said Chapman. Were going to try to go out there and hopefully win Rookie of the Year if we can and if a win comes along, then it comes our way. But when youre racing against good drivers and guys who build the cars, its going to be tough.
While chasing NAPA Rookie of the Year honors along with his first SK victory, Chapman is looking forward to once again sharing the track with his brother Steven, who is heading into his third full season of SK Modified competition.
Were hoping we can get one win this season and its going to be a lot of fun racing with Steven again, said Chapman. Its been a long time since we raced together. I remember once I took him out by accident and then he got me back like 3 years later racing at Thompson so itll be exciting to see what comes along as were racing SK Modifieds.
In preparation for his move into the SK Modified division, Chapman made three SK Modified starts last season, finishing 16th driving Tom Bolles No. 76 car, and Chapman scored his first top-10 behind the wheel of Keith Roccos No. 57 car at the NAPA Fall Final.
Last year was pretty good in the SKs, said Chapman. We finished second in our heat race driving Tommy Bolles car and our plan for that night was just to putt around. We missed the setup a little bit for the feature, but it was good to get a feel of the car and how different it was from an SK Light car. I also got to see how different the racing is between the two divisions. Its a little different from the SK Lights and you really have to depend on your spotter to help you out.
Chapmans three SK Modified starts last season came in cars that he hadnt raced before and was unfamiliar with so he is looking forward to seeing what he can do in his own car that he has been driving for the last four seasons at Stafford.
Im excited to drive my car since Ive been driving the same car for the last 4 years now and I really havent changed much in height or weight, said Chapman. Tommys [Bolles] car was setup to fit him in the car and Im pretty different in size compared to Tommy and we really didnt adjust anything when I drove Keiths car in the last 2 races, so 100% Ill be more comfortable in my own car.
Walker Continuing To Chase His Dream In Third Outlaws Season
CONCORD, N.C. Competing at the highest level of dirt Late Model racing has always been the goal for Polk, Mo.s Dustin Walker.
With his daughter and crew chief Lacey in tow, Walker is ready to continue battling against the best in his third full-time season with the World of Outlaws Late Models in 2025.
We enjoy doing it, Walker said. Thats the biggest thing. If my daughter gets tired of traveling, I guess I wont do it anymore. We enjoy doing it together.
Both father and daughter have been through a trial by fire over the past two years with The Most Powerful Late Models on the Planet, but Walker said hes especially proud of Laceys growth as one of the youngest crew members on tour.
Its funny, when we pit next to people that dont know us and she tries to jump in and help, people try to move her out of the way, Walker said. And then Ryan [Gustin]s guys are like Hey, she probably knows more than all these other people put together, just let her work.
Traveling the country as a small family-run team is what makes racing enjoyable for Walker, but its also what makes it challenging. Increasing work obligations compared to the past two years will limit Walkers ability to focus on racing between events, an issue he hopes to resolve by bringing on additional team members this season.
Only reason we need more crew help is just because Im busy with work, Walker said. Were back to rock drilling for the power co-op down here. So, well probably have to find somebody who can drive my hauler, because theres going to be some of these weeks where Im going to have to fly back and forth.
If a lack of crew help didnt present enough of a challenge, Walker also had to spend much of last season learning the ins and outs of his new Longhorn Chassis machines after switching manufacturers early in the year. With an up-to-date notebook in hand at many of the tracks on the schedule, he feels prepared to make his third season his best one yet.
Since we switched chassis, weve felt better, Walker said. Some of the results arent there because we figured it out too late in the night. You need to unload and be better. We definitely feel better about it.
A prime example of Walkers newfound confidence is Volusia (Fla.) Speedway Park, where the season will commence at DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Jan. 22-25) and Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Feb. 13-15). As a product of bullring racing across the Midwest, the Worlds Fastest Half Mile was unlike anything Walker had ever competed on when he made his first appearance there in 2023. Since then, hes become a fan of the high speeds and looks forward to kicking the year off in strong form.
This is going to be the first time Im actually excited about going there, Walker said. The first year, we went there with all new stuff. Never been anywhere that big. Werent that great, updated that car and werent that great last year. But we got in a Longhorn and a different shock package and were just better at bigger places. We didnt really have any great results at Charlotte, but we had a couple of things that were just wrong. Went to a different bird cage and had the wrong arrangement of stuff.
Once we straightened that out for our [Last Chance Showdown] that night we were pretty good, started 16th and made it to fourth or fifth. So, for me that was pretty good. Were just hoping to keep making the baby steps.
The World of Outlaws Late Models season begins with six nights of racing at Volusia Speedway Park, beginning with DIRTcar Sunshine Nationals (Jan. 22-25) followed by Federated Auto Parts DIRTcar Nationals (Feb. 13-15).
Golden Isles Super Bowl of Racing Schedule Adjusted
WAYNESVILLE, Ga. With an outlook for cold temperatures during the evening hours on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series together with Golden Isles Speedway, has made the following schedule adjustments.
Tuesdays open practice for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing, 602 Late Models, 604 Late Models, Enduro, Mini Late Models and Crown Vic will now shift to Thursday, Jan. 16 from 5:00 8:00 p.m.
Wednesdays program has been canceled entirely.
Thursdays Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series, presented by FloRacing event, paying $10,000 to win, will shift to Jan. 19. The 604 Late Models, Mini Late Models and Crown Vic will also be on the racing card for Jan. 19.
Fridays $12,000 program for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing will go as scheduled. Joining the program on Friday, January 17 will be the 602 Late Models, Mini Late Models and Crown Vic.
Saturdays $25,000 to win event for the Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series presented by FloRacing will also remain as scheduled. The racing program includes 604 Late Models, Mini Late Models and Enduro.
AL DUWADIMI, Saudi Arabia Belgian Guillaume De Mévius earned his first stage win of the Dakar Rally on Saturday to move to 15th in the Ultimate standings as Mattias Ekström, Nasser Al-Attiyah, Mitch Guthrie Jr. and Seth Quintero all cemented their places in the top 10.
Getting back into the rhythm of racing after Fridays Rest Day proved a struggle for some on the special stage to Al Duwadimi, but De Mévius excelled.
Thats a good day for us, De Mévius said. We had a bad first week, so we push during this second week. Our target is to pick up World Championship points and also secure a top-10 spot.
The biggest push at the top of the Ultimate class came from five-time Dakar champion Al-Attiyah in his Dacia Sandrider, after taking more than four-and-a-half minutes out of race leader Henk Lategan.
On the dunes it was not easy, but we did a good job, Al-Attiyah said. Im sure we can be even faster to try and get back the time weve lost.
Australian Daniel Sanders retained his overall bike lead with the Red Bull KTM Factory Racing rider looking to use a favourable starting position on Stage 7 to press home his advantage. KTM riders Luciano Benavides and Edgar Canet decided not to risk it all on the arduous route.
Its tough to get back on the rhythm after the rest day, Sanders admitted.
Another stage win in the SSV class has lifted Francisco Chaleco López onto the overall podium with the Chilean left with six stages to grab another title in his illustrious Dakar career.
We drove the final kilometers at night-time and this was difficult, López said. This race has been a real adventure and we still have the Empty Quarter to come.
The Challenger class also finished after the sun set with American Corbin Leaverton of the Red Bull Off-Road Junior Team claiming second to lie seventh overall.
I probably enjoyed that stage more than any Ive raced since Ive been here, Leaverton said. Shoutout to my co-driver Taye (Perry), it was a faultless day from her in the navigators seat.
Sundays Stage Seven sees the two-wheel and four-wheel competitors take divergent paths with the first Ultimate class crews on the Al Duwadimi special stage having no bike lines to follow in the sand.
Stewarts Comfort In Top Fuel Came Earlier Than I Even Anticipated
NASCAR Hall of Famer Tony Stewart is set to embark on his second full season behind the wheel of a Top Fuel dragster.
Stewart, who shocked the motorsports world in late 2023 with the announcement of filling in for his wife, Leah Pruett, for the full NHRA Mission Foods Drag Racing Series slate in 2024 as they planned to start a family, was jumping off the deep end.
The driver nicknamed Smoke had been a circle track racer for decades. During that time, he reached the pinnacle in multiple series as a multi-time champion and countless race winner on dirt and asphalt.
However, transitioning to drag racings premiere series was a new beast to conquer.
Heading into 2024, Stewart was prepared as one could be following a runner-up season competing for NHRAs National Top Alcohol title.
While question marks loomed on how the racing legend would adapt to 330-plus mph passes in a Top Fuel car, Stewart admitted his comfort level rose earlier than I even anticipated.
I think by the third race, I was starting to feel a little bit more comfortable and I would say for sure, by midpoint of the season, Stewart said.
I know theres scenarios that havent happened yet that Im going to have to deal with on a run. But for the most part, I felt like Id been through enough stuff that I felt comfortable in the team meetings at the end of the weekend, the crew chief and the guys are telling you youre doing a good job driving the car.
As long as youre getting that endorsement from those guys, because theyre the ones that are putting all the labor into it.
An added bonus for Stewart was having two built-in driver coaches at his side in wife Pruett and Funny Car driver Matt Hagan.
Having Leah and Matt as coaches, I mean, I had all the resources available to me to have a successful rookie season, Stewart said.
With those guys help, I got comfortable very quick.
While Stewart was unable to hoist a Wally in his first year of Top Fuel competition, he earned rookie-of-the-year honors. Ironically, it was Stewarts first rookie award in 26 years when he took the NASCAR Cup Series tour by storm in 1999.
The 53-year-old rookie reached the final round twice and earned four semifinal appearances. On top of that, Stewart averaged the fourth-best reaction time (0.070 seconds) out of all Top Fuel drivers.
As someone whose roots are deeply tied in side-by-side racing on oval tracks, any tendencies Stewart learned in his extremely successful open-wheel or stock car career are practically useless.
I think the drag racing side is so drastically different from everything else that you havent had to worry about breaking bad habits because you didnt have any habits over here, Stewart said.
It literally was starting from a blank sheet of paper. Having the ability to watch for a couple years and be Leahs boyfriend and then Leahs husband and be at the race track and watch her and watch Matt.
That kind of led into my opportunity to run in the alcohol class and still having Leahs mentorship there, Stewart continued. Leah, a lot of times, was able to come watch my alcohol run.
I think that really made the learning process much, much easier and much more enjoyable.
Theres very, very few times that I feel like the things that really made me good in circle track racing really applies to the drag racing side now. Its just a totally different discipline.
Stewart will head into this season with a large part of the learning process behind him and plenty to look forward to as he showed flashes of whats to come.
CHICAGO -- The Chicago Blackhawks placed defenseman Connor Murphy on injured reserve Saturday because of a groin injury.
The 31-year-old Murphy hasn't played since he logged more than 19 minutes in a 6-2 loss to St. Louis in the Winter Classic on Dec. 31. He has one goal and 12 assists in 38 games this season.
Murphy's IR stint was made retroactive to the loss to the Blues, and interim coach Anders Sorensen said he didn't have a timeline for his return.
"It's longer than a couple days," he said.
Defenseman Alec Martinez was activated from IR after he was sidelined due to a neck injury. The 37-year-old Martinez was in the lineup Saturday against Edmonton, replacing Wyatt Kaiser.
Veteran forward Craig Smith missed his second straight game because of a back injury. Sorensen described Smith as day-to-day.
Chicago (14-26-2) had dropped seven of nine going into the matchup with Edmonton.
After the 5-3 loss at Detroit, Sorensen also adjusted his lines for the game against the Oilers. The changes included putting Lukas Reichel, 22, on a line with Frank Nazar and Colton Dach, 22.
Reichel, Nazar and Dach are three of the team's youngest players. Nazar turns 21 on Tuesday.
"I want to get the young guys together but I also want to move Reichel to the wing," Sorensen said. "He's played a lot in the middle here, so want to see if we can get him going that way."
Canadiens' Laine scores in 'pretty decent' return
MONTREAL -- Montreal Canadiens forward Patrik Laine returned to the lineup Saturday night, scoring his club's lone goal in a 2-1 shootout loss to the Dallas Stars.
Laine, who missed the previous four games due to an illness, notched his ninth power-play goal of the season in just 14 games, but couldn't prevent the Stars from registering their seventh consecutive victory.
"It's always not fun to miss games," said Laine, who blasted a one-timer during a 5-on-3 power play late in the second period. "So, it was good to be back, and it didn't feel awful. It felt like I had a pretty decent game."
After the veteran sat out the season's first two months because of a knee injury, Laine now has nine goals and 11 points this season, his first with Montreal. Before Saturday, Laine, who was named Montreal's player of the month for December, last played on New Year's Eve.
Last season, while with the Columbus Blue Jackets, the 26-year-old was limited to only 18 games while rehabbing a broken clavicle. He then spent time in the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program from January to July.
Jamie Benn scored his 12th of the season for Dallas in the win, and Jason Robertson's snap shot past Sam Montembeault was the only puck to land in the net during the shootout.
"Obviously, they have a really good team," Laine said of the Stars. "And they play hard, and they forecheck hard, so there's not too much time. But I feel like, after the first (period), we improved, and we had every opportunity like they did."
Dallas goaltender Jake Oettinger stopped Laine, Cole Caufield and Nick Suzuki in the shootout, and made 30 saves overall. On the other side of the ice, Montembeault made 34 saves for Montreal, which lost for only the third time in 12 games.
"Our job as a staff is to make sure we're all on the same page on the ice," Montreal coach Martin St. Louis said. "After that, I feel they can coach themselves on the ice, and when you have that, it's clear. Guys are vocal on the bench, and we're going to try to keep growing that."
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Alex Ovechkin is just 21 goals shy of tying Wayne Gretzky's hallowed career record after scoring in the Washington Capitals' 4-1 win over the Nashville Predators on Saturday night.
Ovechkin blocked a shot and went the length of the ice with 58 seconds left to set up his No. 873 career goal, an empty-netter to seal the win. He added an assist in the game as well.
Ovechkin, 39, entered the season 42 short of breaking Gretzky's career record of 894 goals. The Russian, in his 20th NHL season, was on pace to get to 895 in February before breaking his left leg in a shin-on-shin collision in November. He missed 16 games but resumed his pursuit at Toronto in the Capitals' first game out of the Christmas break.
For the Capitals on Saturday, Ethen Frank got his first NHL goal; Tom Wilson and Andrew Mangiapane were responsible for the two others. Logan Thompson stopped 32 shots as the Capitals won for the second time in three games.
Filip Forsberg scored and Juuse Saros made 12 saves for the Predators, who have lost two straight.
One day after getting an assist in his NHL debut, Frank gathered a stretch pass from Matt Roy at the Nashville blue line and drove down the right side before beating Saros with a wrist shot from the lower part of the right faceoff circle at 8:30 of the third period to put the Capitals up 2-1.
Wilson scored the game's first goal at 9:03 of the second period.
Forsberg tied it with 3:46 remaining in the second. After going 18 games without scoring, Forsberg has goals in consecutive games.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
AC Milan's uphill battle to close the gap to the top of Serie A continued when they were held to a 1-1 draw at home by relegation-battlers Cagliari on Saturday in new head coach Sérgio Conceição's league debut.
Cagliari stunned the hosts in the 55th minute when defender Nadir Zortea scored from a counter-attack four minutes after Álvaro Morata's opener for Milan from close range.
Conceicao, who was appointed on Dec. 30 to replace sacked Paulo Fonseca, led Milan to Italian Super Cup success on Monday against Inter Milan, becoming the manager who needed the fewest games (two) to win a trophy with the club since 1929-30.
It may take time, however, for the Portuguese coach to turn around their Serie A fortunes, with Milan having won one of their last five league games.
They sit eighth in the standings on 28 points, eight points behind fourth-placed Lazio but have two games in hand.
The hosts dominated the entire match and midfielder Tijjani Reijnders should have put them in front after 20 minutes but his low attempt was denied by Cagliari goalkeeper Elia Caprile.
Milan keeper Mike Maignan stretched to keep out Mattia Felici's lofted effort from the edge of the box just before the break.
The hosts were strong after the restart with Christian Pulisic hitting the bar from the edge of the area and Morata finding the side netting before the Spaniard broke the deadlock in the 51st minute.
Theo Hernández found Pulisic inside the box with a stunning diagonal ball and the American's effort was deflected onto the post by Caprile before Morata scrambled the rebound home.
Zortea, however, levelled for Cagliari four minutes later with a low shot from outside the box for his fourth league goal of the season, the joint most goals by a defender in the big five European leagues this campaign.
Milan were still in control and Pulisic had a great chance to restore their lead but was thwarted by Caprile after the hour-mark before Hernández fired a terrific shot over the bar.
But the 23-year-old Caprile brilliantly denied further shots by Tammy Abraham and Hernández, before saving the France defender's free kick deep into stoppage time.
Cagliari, who snapped their losing streak of five games across all competitions last weekend when they won 2-1 at bottom side Monza, are 18th with 18 points.
Manchester City avoided a potential FA Cup banana skin with an 8-0 home thrashing of fourth-tier Salford City on Saturday -- a club with strong connections to local rivals Manchester United.
A much-changed City side were totally dominant with Divin Mubama marking his senior debut with a goal, Jack Grealish ending a year-long goal drought with a penalty and James McAtee bagging a second-half hat-trick.
Mubama doubled City's lead with a tap-in after Jérémy Doku had given the hosts the lead in the eighth minute and City were out of sight when Nico O'Reilly scored before halftime.
Grealish got in on the act when he earned and then converted a penalty in the 49th minute before McAtee scored three times inside 20 minutes and Doku slotted home a penalty.
Salford are co-owned by Manchester United teammates Gary Neville, Ryan Giggs, Phil Neville, Paul Scholes, Nicky Butt and David Beckham, but while they have made great strides and are pushing for promotion from League Two, they were given a 90-minute schooling by a slick City.
"Man City and Pep have never disrespected anybody and tonight they showed us why they are what they are and why he is who he is," Salford boss Karl Robinson said.
His side had conceded no goals in their last six games but City proved a much tougher hurdle as Butt and Scholes watched on from the director's box and Giggs from the technical area in his role as the club's football director.
Gareth Copley/Getty Images
"I have told the players if someone had told me we would concede eight goals in seven games I would have taken it," Robinson joked. "I just didn't expect it to be all in one match."
City manager Pep Guardiola made nine changes to the line-up that beat West Ham United last weekend but his big guns were all stacked on the bench in case of an emergency.
That never looked like materialising once a counter-attack in the eighth minute saw Matheus Nunes drive forward and pass to Grealish who in turn played in the over-lapping Doku to send a left-foot shot in off the post.
Mubama made it 2-0 with a tap-in from a Nunes pass and it was game up for Salford just before the interval when O'Reilly controlled a Doku pass to steer home a shot for his first goal for the club.
Grealish scored his first goal since Dec. 16, 2023 when he was hacked down in the area just after half-time and got up to convert the penalty.
The excellent Doku set up McAtee for his first goal just past the hour and the Belgian converted a spot kick before being substituted. McAtee then put the icing on the cake with two more well-taken goals.
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