WELCOME, N.C. – Richard Childress Racing announced Wednesday that AstraZeneca, a global science-based biopharmaceutical company, will sponsor select races for Austin Dillon in the NASCAR Cup Series.

AstraZeneca will feature the BREZTRI AEROSPHERE Inhalation Aerosol brand on Dillon’s No. 3 Chevrolet Camaro ZL1 1LE.

BREZTRI AEROSPHERE is a medicine used long term to treat chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both, for better breathing and fewer flare-ups.

Dillon is a two-time NASCAR champion, with titles in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series and the NASCAR Xfinity Series, as well as the 2017 Coca-Cola 600 winner and 2018 Daytona 500 champion.

He is in his eighth full-time season in the Cup Series driving the legendary No. 3 Chevrolet.

“There is a history of COPD in my family, so it’s really important to me to be able to help encourage patients to talk to their doctor about their health goals and to visit BREZTRI.com to learn about a treatment option,” said Dillon, whose paternal grandfather, Stan Dillon, suffered from COPD. “I look forward to running the BREZTRI colors on the No. 3 Chevrolet and thank AstraZeneca for its partnership.”

In addition to primary sponsorship on the No. 3 Chevrolet for select races this year, BREZTRI will also be featured as an associate partner for the full season.

“We’ve enjoyed our relationship with AstraZeneca for several years, so we are happy to continue our partnership in a new and innovative way with BREZTRI,” said Torrey Galida, President of Richard Childress Racing. “This is a special relationship for RCR and we are looking forward to a great season ahead.”

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Ryan Newman has had plenty of time to think about many different things in the year that has passed since his violent crash at the end of last year’s Daytona 500.

He’s reflected on his family, the sport he loves and himself, among other things. But Newman has also spent a sizable chunk of time studying and taking notes about the accident that could have easily ended his racing career.

That thirst for knowledge comes from a desire to make racing — and the NASCAR Cup Series vehicles he and his competitors drive — safer than they were before his car hit the wall, flipped and was impacted at nearly 200 mph by Corey LaJoie’s oncoming car in the final yards of last year’s Great American Race.

Newman, who was racing in the top three exiting turn four headed to the checkered flag, was credited with a ninth-place finish while crossing the finish line upside down.

After Newman’s mangled car came to rest at the exit of the Daytona Int’l Speedway tri-oval, it caught on fire briefly before safety worked extricated him from the race car and he was taken to a local hospital.

Asked by SPEED SPORT if he had watched the accident footage to better understand what had happened, Newman said that was “100 percent” the case.

“I’ve watched every angle that I could possibly watch,” said Newman, a 2001 graduate of Purdue University who has a bachelor’s degree in engineering. “The biggest problem is that I don’t have any memory of my own angle, which is the ultimate angle, and that’s gone and that will always be gone no matter how many times I watch a replay or different variation of that replay. It doesn’t change my personal memory, because it just doesn’t exist (anymore).

“I will continue to study and watch, whether it’s my crash or somebody else’s crashes,” Newman added. “I’ve lost some good friends. If you go back to Kenny Irwin (Jr.) and his crash at New Hampshire (Motor Speedway) years and years ago, there have been improvements made to that wall and (there was) good reason for it. Unfortunately, Kenny is no longer here with us, but we will always continue to learn from those that we lose and those that we don’t lose as long as we keep focused on the things that we need to focus on to increase our level of safety.”

While specifics of Newman’s injuries from that night were never fully disclosed, he did reveal a head injury in a statement given six days after the crash occurred. However, Newman said he “was fortunate to avoid any internal organ damage or broken bones” at the time.

Despite all that he went through, Newman never doubted he would return to a race car, nor did he believe at any point that he wouldn’t get another shot at competing in the Daytona 500.

“I’ve had zero doubts,” he said. “I’ve had people question me about if I’ve questioned it myself, but the reality is that God works in mysterious ways, and one of those mysterious ways that I can’t answer is the deletion of that chapter or that part of my hard drive that was that day to the point that I can’t remember the potential tragedy that wasn’t. I don’t have any fear because I don’t have any memory (of the crash).

“If you’ve ever been in a car accident or know somebody who has been in a car accident and they were conscious the whole time, they will always carry that fear with them. I have no memory, therefore, I have no fear, but (racing) is also my passion and my love and what I enjoy doing,” Newman added. “It’s a paid hobby. It’s the most amazing job you could ever have and that’s where my focus is. I just am doing my best to continue and to try to become a Cup champion.

“The way I feel is that I still have another opportunity and God has given me that opportunity and I’ll enjoy it with my two beautiful girls and our team together.”

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The National Women's Hockey League is suspending its Isobel Cup playoffs in Lake Placid, New York, due to "new positive COVID-19 tests and resulting safety concerns for players," it announced Wednesday.

The season, which started Jan. 23, has not been canceled. The league is holding out hope that the tournament could be finished at a later date.

NWHL commissioner Ty Tumminia said positive tests began coming in around 9:30 p.m. Tuesday and that the trends were "not heading in the right direction."

The decision to stop playing was made with input from the Olympic Regional Development Authority, which manages the Lake Placid facilities.

The NWHL had gathered its six teams in Lake Placid for a multiweek tournament and postseason. Two teams -- the Metropolitan Riveters and the Connecticut Whale -- had withdrawn from the tournament because of positive COVID-19 tests and concerns about further exposure.

The four remaining teams were scheduled to compete in the single-elimination Isobel Cup semifinals Thursday, followed by the Isobel Cup Final on Friday. Those games were scheduled to air on NBCSN, giving the NWHL the largest platform it has had in six seasons of operation.

"The fact that we didn't get these athletes on their deserved platform on [national television], that's the most heartbreaking part," Tumminia said.

Anya Packer, director of the NWHLPA, said the players were saddened by the end of the tournament but that "we are respecting the players' safety and well-being" by suspending the season.

The Riveters pulled out of the tournament this past Thursday, confirming multiple cases of COVID-19. The NWHL revised its schedule for the remaining teams: Connecticut, Boston, Buffalo, Minnesota and Toronto. On Monday, the Whale announced the forfeiture of a game against Minnesota and subsequently pulled out of the tournament due to concerns about being exposed to COVID-19.

Toronto Six president and coach Digit Murphy said other teams were concerned about the risks, but her team wanted to play.

"Coming into the bubble from where we were in complete lockdown in Canada was a huge risk for us," Murphy said. "Our players had no problem coming in. We felt 100 percent safe. All we wanted to do was play the game. We would have died if we could have played the game. We would have died if we could have played against Minnesota [for the Cup].

"Our kids just wanted to play hockey. They were safe. They were looked after. We knew when we came in, that it was a risk, because we were going from like 100 cases to 100 million cases. But we wanted to play. We're here. We're bummed. But we want to come back."

Sources told ESPN there had been concerns around the Lake Placid "restricted zone," enforcement of team personnel quarantines and social distancing before and during the tournament.

"It wasn't a true bubble," one source told ESPN. "A lot of error comes from [poor] communication."

The NWHL has not disclosed the players who have tested positive or the number of positive tests for each team, citing a privacy pledge with the players and privacy laws.

The suspension of play comes at an unfortunate time for the NWHL, as the league had seen significant audience growth in its streamed games on Twitch heading into the playoff games on national television.

Several NHL teams had players added to the league's COVID-19 protocol list on Wednesday.

Five Minnesota players were added, making it six for the Wild. Colorado, which most recently played Minnesota, had one player added.

Four more New Jersey players appeared on the list to get to 17. Buffalo, which played the Devils last weekend, has two more players on it and is up to four.

The Devils had games postponed through Saturday and the Sabres through Monday.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Minnesota Wild on Wednesday became the third team this week to postpone multiple games due to the NHL's COVID-19 protocols, while adding five players to the league's growing list of absent players.

Minnesota postponed Thursday night's game at the Colorado Avalanche, two games at home against the Arizona Coyotes on Saturday and Sunday, and their home game against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday.

In total, 22 games in the NHL have been postponed since the season started Jan. 13. Around 90 players have appeared on the league's COVID-19 protocol-related absences list during that time.

The Wild added five players to that list Wednesday, as centers Nick Bjugstad, Nick Bonino, Joel Eriksson Ek and Marcus Johansson, as well as defenseman Jared Spurgeon, joined forward Marcus Foligno, who was added to the list Jan. 30.

The Wild's training facilities have been closed, effective immediately, and will remain so until further notice.

Minnesota joins the Buffalo Sabres and New Jersey Devils as teams that were forced to postpone multiple games due to COVID outbreaks this week.

The Devils, who have 17 players currently on the COVID-19 protocol-related absences list for everything from positive tests to travel quarantines, had their games postponed through Saturday.

The Sabres, who played the Devils in a series last weekend and have four players on the list, are out through Monday.

Barcelona needed a rousing comeback and extra time to beat Granada, 5-3, and advance to the Copa del Rey semifinals on Wednesday.

Despite Barca dominating the opening half-hour, Granada scored totally against the run of play in the 33rd minute when a Samuel Umtiti giveaway in the Barca box led to a cross and easy tap-in finish for Newcastle loanee Kenedy.

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The home side then doubled their advantage immediately after restart when veteran forward Roberto Soldado raced in behind the Barca defense and confidently beat Marc-Andre ter Stegen.

Ronald Koeman threw on Sergino Dest, Ousmane Dembele and Martin Braithwaite in hopes of turning his side's fortunes around.

Antoine Griezmann helped pull a goal back two minutes from time when his lunging poke of a lobbed Messi pass hit the post and then goalkeeper Aaron Escandell before crossing the line.

Messi hit the post moments later but Barca found a dramatic equaliser in the second minute of stoppage time. Jordi Alba nodded home Griezmann's cushioned header of another inch-perfect cross from Messi.

The game then went into extra time where Barca struck first through Griezmann but Fede Vico answered back from the penalty spot three minutes later after Dest barged down Carlos Neva in the area.

But Barca finally took the lead for good in the 108th minute -- Frenkie de Jong sweeping home after Escandell parried a right-footed shot from Messi into his path -- and then put the finishing touches on a satisfying win two minutes from time when Alba wonderfully volleyed home from an angle.

Southampton have contacted the police after midfielder Alexandre Jankewitz was racially abused on social media.

Jankewitz, 19, was red carded after two minutes during Southampton's 9-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford on Tuesday.

"Southampton Football Club can confirm that it has identified a number of posts on social media directing racial abuse at our 19-year-old midfielder Alex Jankewitz, following last night's result at Manchester United," a Southampton statement read.

"Abuse of any form will never be tolerated at Southampton. Our club prides itself on its inclusive nature, and supporters who stoop to such abhorrent and archaic standards are not welcome as Southampton supporters, or anywhere else within football.

"The club will continue to fight every day to remove such people from our sport and our community in order to protect our players, our staff, Southampton fans and football supporters around the world who recognise and celebrate the diversity that makes football special.

"The club is passing on all abusive messages to Hampshire Police and hope they are able to permanently remove those individuals from our football community."

It is the latest in a recent spate of incidents involving players being abused on social media after United pair Axel Tuanzebe and Anthony Martial were targeted following the club's 2-1 defeat to Sheffield United.

Teammate Marcus Rashford spoke out after he received racist abuse following United's 0-0 draw with Arsenal.

West Ham United's new signing Jesse Lingard scored twice on his debut as they beat Aston Villa 3-1 at Villa Park to stay in touch with the top four in the Premier League on Wednesday.

Villa had the better chances in the first half but it was West Ham who went ahead six minutes into the second as Michail Antonio held the ball up before finding Said Benrahma and he picked out Tomas Soucek who rifled the ball into the far corner.

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Lingard, who joined West Ham on loan from Manchester United this week, scored five minutes later, chesting down Antonio's cross and firing home a stinging left-foot shot.

West Ham did well to shackle Villa playmaker Jack Grealish but he eventually found the space to set up Ollie Watkins to net his 11th goal of the season and reduce the deficit in the 81st.

Watkins almost had a second goal a minute later as Grealish picked him out again but West Ham defender Craig Dawson's diving challenge averted the danger.

Having only appeared in three games in cup competitions for Manchester United all season, Lingard was not in the mood to be upstaged in his first league game of the year, and it was not long before the 28-year-old was celebrating again.

Antonio picked out the onrushing Lingard to his right and the midfielder lashed a shot that squirmed though the grasp of keeper Emiliano Martinez to seal the victory.

"I started tonight, scored two goals and (we) got three points. I was smiling before the game and during, I just enjoy playing football," Lingard told BT Sport.

"It has been a long time. I have come here to get game time and scored two goals but... three points is the most important."

The win lifted West Ham to fifth on 38 points from 22 games, two points behind fourth-placed Liverpool. Villa stay ninth on 32 from 20 matches

Liverpool left-back Andy Robertson ruled the reigning champions of the 2019-20 Premier League title race following their 1-0 defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion at Anfield on Wednesday.

The defeat -- Liverpool's second successive loss at home after a run of 68 Premier League matches unbeaten at Anfield -- left Jurgen Klopp's side seven points adrift of leaders Manchester City, who have a game in hand.

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Liverpool and City, who occupied the top two spots in each of the past two seasons, meet at Anfield on Sunday, though Robertson said this is not a clash between two title contenders this season.

"Any game against Man City is a big one," Robertson said after the defeat to Brighton. "As this moment stands, we're not in the title race. We are seven points behind them and they have a game in hand.

"I'm sure they'd say the same if they were potentially 10 points behind. We need to get back to the Liverpool everyone knows. We're still a good team. We don't turn into a bad team overnight."

Robertson said he cannot understand why Liverpool aren't finding their rhythm and accepted Brighton deserved their victory.

"Brighton were the better team," he added. "We were hugely disappointing all over there park. You have to give the the team credit for playing well.

"They created chances, pressed us -- did everything we wanted to do. We didn't really do anything of note. With a long record of going unbeaten we've lost two. When you don't show up you don't get results.

"We prepare for every game different. It's just not clicking. We need to find a way to get results, especially at home. You can do everything in training."

Klopp was equally disappointed and blamed the defeat on fatigue caused by successive away matches before this game, 3-1 wins for Liverpool against Tottenham Hotspur and West Ham United, which Liverpool won 3-1 before this game.

"Disappointed, nothing to smile about really," Klopp said. "Tough one to take.

"A really tough week, two away games, two very intense games and tonight we looked really like we weren't fresh enough mentally and physically. A lot of moments where we gave the ball away too easily, in moments the boys looked tired mentally.

"I know they can pass the ball from A to B but it didn't happen, we made it easy for Brighton but they also did really well. Brighton deserved to win, no doubt about it."

Liverpool have not won a league game at home since Dec. 16 and have scored just once in that time. Since Sadio Mane netted against West Bromwich Albion, the champions have played 348 goalless minutes..

"For me it's more important to find an explanation for why we lost this game and understand what happened here tonight," he said. "We didn't look convincing.

"Nothing good to say about it, it's over. Whatever set back we have to try and come back but we make more changes and then we have no rhythm so it's a problem. This week was hard, we lost our second home game in a row, but we can't change anything now we have to work with it."

It took Liverpool 30 years to end their wait to be champions of England, but Jurgen Klopp's team are on the brink of surrendering their crown just seven months after lifting the Premier League trophy for the first time. In fact, fail to beat Manchester City at Anfield on Sunday and Liverpool can forget about retaining their title.

That is the brutal reality facing Klopp's team after relegation-threatened Brighton inflicted a second successive home defeat on the faltering champions on Wednesday, with Steven Alzate's second-half goal the difference.

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Until Burnley won at Anfield two weeks ago, Liverpool had gone 68 games unbeaten at home in the Premier League, a sequence stretching back to Apr. 2017. Now they have lost two on the spin, with league leaders City due to visit on Sunday, aiming to stretch their more positive recent run to 14 straight wins over all competitions.

For Liverpool defender Andy Robertson, the stakes couldn't be higher.

"Any game against Man City is a big one," Robertson said. "As this moment stands, we're not in the title race. We are seven points behind them and they have a game in hand. We need to get back to the Liverpool everyone knows."

It isn't just the back-to-back home losses that will worry Klopp and his players as they prepare to take on Pep Guardiola's team.

Since beating Tottenham with a last-minute Roberto Firmino winner at Anfield on Dec. 16, Liverpool have taken two points from four home games and scored just once in that run. The defeat against Brighton -- a deserved victory for Graham Potter's suddenly in-form side -- saw the Reds fail to score in three successive home games for the first time since Oct. 1984.

There are few positives for Liverpool to cling to right now. Perhaps they should just be thankful for the away wins at Spurs and West Ham during the past week that have at least kept them in the top four. But if they lose again against City on Sunday, they will be 10 points behind the leaders, having played a game more, and with precious little hope of Guardiola's men allowing them back into the race.

"The solution is always the players," Klopp said after the defeat against Brighton. "It has been a tough week and tonight it was not enough.

"The only explanation is that we are a fatigued team, mentally more or less. But City are flying and we have to find solutions."

If, or more likely when, Liverpool admit defeat in their bid to hold onto their title, there will be many reasons for their failure to defend it.

Injuries have clearly hit hard. Against Brighton, Klopp was without Alisson, Virgil van Dijk, Joe Gomez, Joel Matip, Fabinho, Naby Keita, Sadio Mane, and Diogo Jota. The defensive crisis, which prompted the Deadline Day signings of Preston North End's Ben Davies and Schalke's Ozan Kabak, has led to Klopp using Jordan Henderson at centre-half, which doubly has depleted the champions' midfield.

Davies, who has never played at a level higher than the EFL Championship, was an unused substitute against Brighton, with Kabak not in the squad. But at some point, they will have to play because Klopp needs Henderson, last season's FWA Player of the Year, back in midfield, organising and driving his team.

All clubs suffer injuries, however, and Liverpool are not alone in having had to cope without key players this season. But the season-long injuries to Van Dijk, Gomez, and now Matip have been hammer blows.

Also against Brighton, just as against Burnley, the absence of fans inside Anfield because of the COVID-19 pandemic worked against Liverpool. So often in recent seasons, the noisy, passionate urging from the Liverpool fans has carried Klopp's men to victory - even when the odds have been stacked against them. City have been on the receiving end of the Anfield experience too in recent seasons, with the home crowd helping Liverpool blow Guardiola's team away on more than one occasion.

Anfield, just like every other stadium, is silent this season, but the lack of noise has taken the edge off Liverpool's performances. Home advantage has been lost to Klopp's team. But despite the injuries and empty stands, Liverpool still have quality and depth, so they should have done much better in defending their title.

Losing to teams like Brighton can happen, especially in a season made so unpredictable by the effects of the pandemic, but dropping points against struggling teams has become a worrying trend for Liverpool. They have now dropped 16 points against teams in the bottom half of the Premier League and 11 to sides in the bottom six. The failure to beat Fulham, West Brom, Newcastle, Burnley, and now Brighton twice is why Liverpool are about to face City with their grip on the title having become so precarious.

Liverpool struggled to create chances against Brighton and Burnley. It was the same story against Newcastle and West Brom. They lack imagination and energy -- and energy was a huge factor in their title success last year. Without it, Liverpool are not the same team. It is why Burnley were able to record their first Anfield victory since 1974 and why Brighton left Liverpool victorious in the league for the first time since 1982.

City haven't won a league game at Anfield since 2003, but if they end that run on Sunday, the title will be heading to Manchester.

Time will tell whether it ends up with City or United, but whichever way it goes, Liverpool will be watching from afar.