DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Corvette Racing completed its domination of the GT Le Mans class at the 59th Rolex 24 At Daytona Sunday afternoon with a sweep of the top two positions at Daytona Int’l Speedway.

However, its winning car was a bit of a surprise.

The No. 3 C8.R made a furious rally from a drive-through pit penalty incurred with two hours and five minutes remaining, ultimately defeating the sister No. 4 C8.R by 3.519 seconds after 770 laps of competition in the manufacturer-driven class.

Much of that charge came on the back of Jordan Taylor’s determined efforts down the homestretch of the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.

Taylor took over the car from Nicky Catsburg during the penultimate pit stop, after Catsburg stalled the car earlier and fell to fourth in class due to a subsequent penalty for passing cars in the pit commitment zone. From that point, the charge was on.

Taylor snagged the class lead for good with 20 minutes to go, 14 laps from the finish, after the off-sequence Risi Competizione Ferrari of Alessandro Pier Guidi made its final pit stop.

After that, Taylor held off Tommy Milner in the sister Corvette for his third Rolex 24 class win, adding GT Le Mans honors to overall victories in the event from 2017 and ’19.

Co-driving with Taylor to Sunday’s victory were Catsburg, who celebrated a Rolex 24 class win for the first time, and Antonio Garcia, a three-time Rolex 24 class winner who previously won with Corvette Racing in 2015 and overall with Brumos Racing in 2009.

Garcia was unable to join the post-race festivities because of a positive COVID-19 test that was relayed during the event, ruling him out from roughly 9 a.m. ET to the finish.

The win was particularly special for the 29-year-old Taylor, in part due to the fact that his older brother, Ricky, was part of the overall winning team from Wayne Taylor Racing.

“It was pretty wild that it came down the way it did, with a one-two (finish) for Corvette Racing, but Tommy (Milner) raced me super clean and that was awesome,” Taylor said. “Nicky and Antonio (Garcia) did an amazing job. This is just a great event for Corvette Racing. It’s the first endurance win for the C8.R after our championship last year.

“Great way to start the season, and I’m happy we got Nicky his first Rolex watch, as well.”

Milner was aided in his runner-up finish by co-drivers Nick Tandy and Alexander Sims, with the No. 24 Team RLL BMW M8 of Augusto Farfus, John Edwards, Jesse Krohn and Marco Wittmann completing the GTLM podium after also playing a part in the battle for the win.

The GT Daytona class was ruled by the HTP Winward Motorsport No. 57 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Maro Engel, Russell Ward, Indy Dontje and Philip Ellis, which seized control of the class just before the 20-hour benchmark and commanded the proceedings from there.

The turning point came with four hours and 16 minutes to go, when the Winward Mercedes was battling the No. 21 AF Corse Ferrari 488 GT3 Evo when the two cars made contact, sending the Ferrari — then second with Matteo Cressoni driving — spinning in the first turn.

After making several charges at the class lead, AF Corse was never a factor after that.

Engel drove the No. 57 in the closing stages and bested the No. 75 SunEnergy1 Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Raffaele Marciello, Mikael Grenier, Luca Stolz and Kenny Habul by 16.329 seconds in the end.

It marked a victory in the Rolex 24 for the Winward Motorsport team in its event debut. In addition, three of its four co-drivers had never competed in a Rolex 24 before the weekend.

“I could never have pictured this,” said Ward, who helped assemble the four-man Winward squad together for its run in the Rolex 24. “We came here with just an expectation to drive clean, finish the race without any marks in the car and see where that put us. We did both those things, but we also got the whole cake as well. Hats off to this team.

“As a team, I think we just wanted it more than the rest,” Ward added. “We worked hard at the shop for a couple of months, getting everything ready, and it really paid off. The car was amazing and this is an amazing feeling.”

Finishing third in the GT Daytona class was the No. 1 Paul Miller Motorsports Lamborghini Huracan GT3 Evo co-driven by Bryan Sellers, Corey Lewis, Madison Snow and Andrea Caldarelli.

Patrick Reed blocked out the noise – again – to win the Farmers Insurance Open on Sunday at Torrey Pines. Here’s everything you need to know:

Leaderboard: Patrick Reed (-14), Viktor Hovland (-9), Tony Finau (-9), Xander Schauffele (-9), Ryan Palmer (-9), Henrik Norlander (-9)

What it means: A day after a controversial drop from an embedded ball in the rough on the 10^th hole, Reed was unflappable (OK, so no fans helped) as he pulled ahead early and led the entire way. Not even a minor rules situation for a moving ball on the 17^th green – it turned out to be nothing after Reed carefully called for an official – could stop Reed, who now owns nine PGA Tour wins, the same number as Bobby Jones, Seve Ballesteros and Nick Faldo. Reed also has at least one win in seven or more seasons since 2013 (only Dustin Johnson, with nine, can claim that).

How it happened: Reed began his day tied for the lead at 10 under with Carlos Ortiz. While Ortiz quickly faded, Reed parred his first five holes before making a 46-foot eagle putt at the par-5 sixth hole. He then sandwiched his only bogey, at the eighth, with birdies at Nos. 7 and 9. Hovland, a group ahead, got within a shot early on the back nine, but he hooked his second at the par-4 14^th into the hazard for the second straight day for his first of three bogeys in a four-hole span that also included a missed 2-footer for par at No. 17. Meanwhile, Reed made eight straight pars on the back before sinking a 10-footer birdie to close out his 4-under 68 and five-shot victory, his largest ever on Tour.

Rounds of the day: Luke List and Francesco Molinari each fired 6-under 66 to finish T-9. It’s Molinari’s second straight top-10 finish after he hadn’t recorded one since the 2019 Masters. But the lowest round was way down the leaderboard, as Sepp Straka carded a 65 to move into a share of 32nd.

Shot of the day: Reed’s eagle bomb on the sixth hole, where he also drained a 40-plus-footer on Saturday.

Drop of the day: This “drop” by Hovland at the 14^th hole that didn’t ever seem like it was going to end.

Most disappointing: Ortiz. Tied for the lead to start the day, Ortiz's bid at his second win of the season ended in a closing 78. He finished 10 back.

Quote of the day: "Mentally, I hung in there and stayed the course. With everything that transpired yesterday ... I felt fine, I felt great throughout the day, and at the end of the day I wouldn't have felt any other way. I was able to go out there, shoot a good number and get the job done."

Patrick Reed cruised to victory at the Farmers Insurance Open, winning by five shots. Here's a look at what Reed and the rest of the players who made the cut at Torrey Pines earned in prize money and FedExCup points:

Pep Guardiola says Bernardo Silva is back to his best after struggling to cope with the fallout from his FA ban more than a year ago.

Silva was suspended and fined in November 2019 for sending a tweet that referenced the race for team-mate Benjamin Mendy.

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The incident coincided with a dip in Silva's form, but after starting 10 of the City's last 12 games -- all wins -- Guardiola says the Portugal international "is back."

"It has been a tough period for him," said Guardiola. "When he was being accused of something he's not, it was so hurtful for him -- still I cannot understand it.

"He struggled mentally as a humble guy. I'm delighted he's back, he can do everything. Another top player who always does the service of the team."

City will look to extend their winning run to 13 games when they travel to Burnley on Wednesday.

Victory over Sheffield United on Saturday was their ninth win in all competitions in January, setting a new record for the most wins in a single month.

"To achieve this is quite remarkable, I didn't expect it," said Guardiola.

"I said to the players we've finished the first leg, it's remarkable what you've done and now keep going. Now go home and rest and prepare for Burnley."

The Philadelphia 76ers will be without All-Star center Joel Embiid Sunday night against the Indiana Pacers due to lingering back tightness in the wake of taking a hard fall against the Los Angeles Lakers on Wednesday night.

"I don't know if he took a step backwards," Sixers coach Doc Rivers said after Embiid was ruled out Sunday after finishing with 37 points and 11 rebounds in a dominant effort in Minneapolis against the Minnesota Timberwolves Friday. "[He's] just still sore from the fall."

Embiid had been dealing with back issues on and off for a while heading into Wednesday's win against the Lakers, but he took a hard fall after being fouled by LeBron James in the third quarter of that game, a play for which James was assessed a level one flagrant foul.

After the game, Embiid called the play "dangerous" and said he felt James should've gotten a flagrant two, which would've resulted in an ejection.

Embiid has been an MVP candidate this season, averaging 28.3 points and 11.1 rebounds per game. The Sixers, who entered Sunday's game with the Eastern Conference's best record of 14-6, have gone 14-2 with Embiid but are 0-4 without him.

Though one of those games came against the Denver Nuggets when Philadelphia had only seven healthy players because of a raft of absences due to the NBA's health and safety protocols, the other three came against lesser opponents -- the Memphis Grizzlies, Cleveland Cavaliers and Detroit Pistons -- and with both Ben Simmons and Tobias Harris healthy.

"A win," Rivers said when asked what he wants to see from his team against the Pacers with Embiid once again sitting out. "I mean, really. You got to win games without Joel. We haven't done that.

"We haven't played well. Forget the winning part. Yeah, I feel like [Hall of Fame NFL coach] Dick Vermeil right now. We haven't even played well without him, you know? ... And we're going to have to."

DENVER -- Nikola Jokic matched his career high with 47 points and the fast-starting Denver Nuggets beat Utah 128-117 on Sunday to end the Jazz's winning streak at 11.

Jokic was 17 for 26 from the field, hit all four of his 3-point attempts, made 9 of 10 free throws and had 12 rebounds and five assists. He scored 33 points in the first half.

Will Barton added 18 points, and Jamal Murray had 16 to help the Nuggets win for the sixth time in seven games.

Utah lost for the first time since Jan. 6 at New York. Bojan Bogdanovic led the Jazz with 29 points, and Donovan Mitchell had 13 in 31 minutes after missing two games while in concussion protocol.

Denver hit all eight of its 3-point attempts and shot 80% in the first quarter. The Nuggets kept it going in the second, going 13 of 24 from the field and finishing 15 of 17 from long range in the first half to take a 79-54 halftime lead.

The Nuggets' 88.2% mark from deep was the best 3-point field goal percentage in a half (minimum 15 3-point attempts) in the last 20 seasons, according to the Elias Sports Bureau.

The lead was 86-58 with 8:11 left in the third quarter when Utah made a big run. The Jazz hit eight 3-pointers and outscored Denver by 18 to get to 99-91.

JaMychal Green had all 11 of his points in the fourth quarter when the Nuggets got the lead back to 20. Jokic matched his career high with a layup with 2:05 left.

TIP-INS

Jazz: Derrick Favors had seven points and six rebounds in his return. He missed the previous two games because of soreness in his lower back. Utah outscored every opponent but one by double digits during the 11-game winning streak. The only close game was a 109-105 victory over Denver on Jan. 17. The winning streak was the team's longest since a 12-gamer Feb. 11-Mar. 10, 2009. The franchise record is 15 in 1996.

Nuggets: G Gary Harris (left adductor strain) didn't play after the first quarter. He didn't attempt a shot in 8:45 of court time.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

The Major League Baseball Players Association is mulling over a proposal by MLB to delay the start of the 2021 season, and if the union does not provide a counteroffer early next week, spring training is likely to start in mid-February as scheduled, sources familiar with the situation told ESPN.

After months of scattered dialogue, the parties find themselves in a similar position to last year when the coronavirus pandemic shut down the season: disagreeing over the proper path forward. The league's proposal to push back the start of spring training to late March and the beginning of the season to late April includes a 154-game schedule that would pay players their full 162-game salaries, according to sources.

The proposal concerns the MLBPA on multiple fronts, players and union sources told ESPN. With pitchers having ramped up to start spring training around Feb. 17, they are reticent to shut down and start again by the proposed March 22 spring training start for a season that would begin April 28, according to sources. Further, players believe language in the proposal would grant commissioner Rob Manfred power beyond what he currently has to cancel games and, accordingly, potentially cut into players' pay.

The league disagrees with that interpretation. While Manfred had the right under the March 26 deal struck by the sides in the wake of the pandemic's early days last year to cancel games or shut down the sport -- something he considered amid early outbreaks -- he never did so once the season began. The proposal, league sources said, is intended to protect MLB from a worsening national situation, whether it's a COVID-19 variant being resistant to the vaccine or an unexpected uptick in cases.

The language, according to sources, gives Manfred the right to act if government restrictions prevent more than five teams at once from playing, if travel is restricted or if "competitive integrity is undermined" by players sitting due to COVID-19. Both sides, sources said, would retain their rights to pursue legal action. The disagreement on the broadness of the language could be changed if the sides continue bargaining.

MLB's desire to delay the season, according to league sources, is based on the recommendation of health experts and the likelihood that doing so would enable the 2021 season to be held when COVID-19 cases have dipped -- particularly in Arizona, which currently has the country's highest rates and where half of the league holds spring training. Cases in Arizona and Florida have recently dropped, and health officials project they will go down even more between now and the proposal's start date.

The potential for an agreement is possible, but the animus and mistrust between the sides is deep enough that sources were dubious about the likelihood of a deal. Something as simple as the timing of the offer is a point of contention. League officials were frustrated at the union when in December it rejected the possibility of a delay unless players were paid for 162 games -- something the league believes it acceded to in its proposal. In messages sent Sunday by player representatives to the union's rank and file obtained by ESPN, they called the proposal this close to spring training a "tactic" by MLB.

The last deal the sides made led to months of back-and-forth as to when the 2020 season should start, and Manfred wound up implementing a 60-game season when they couldn't come to an agreement. Both sides accused the other of bad faith, and the detritus of those negotiations remains palpable today as baseball figures out what its 2021 season is going to look like.

The union's eight-player executive council and player representatives were briefed on the offer that was delivered Friday, according to sources, and were skeptical about the pathway to a deal. They believe, sources said, that because players are entitled to 162 games' pay by the collective bargaining agreement, the terms of the offer -- which would include expanding the postseason from 10 to 14 teams and adding the designated hitter to the National League -- do not offer enough to push back the season.

In the absence of an agreement, there are two possibilities.

The first, and likeliest, according to sources, would be for teams and players to show up at spring training sites on their report dates and proceed as scheduled. The other is that Manfred invokes the national-emergency clause in the collective bargaining agreement and suspends the uniform player contract -- a possibility but one that would guarantee the sides face one another in court, a prospect that's unappealing to both, according to sources.

MLB's desire to push back the season has been clear for months. Currently, there are nearly twice as many daily COVID-19 cases than there were July 24, 2020, when MLB's 60-game season began. The possibility of an outbreak affecting individual teams remains acute. The Miami Marlins and St. Louis Cardinals last year missed long stretches because of outbreaks and needed to cram doubleheaders into their schedules to near their full complement of games.

It's not just the fear of an outbreak that fuels the owners' desire to delay the season. Doing so would allow greater proliferation of the coronavirus vaccine and heighten the likelihood that fans go to stadiums -- and that local health officials allow a larger number of fans into stadiums. In discussions with the union, the league claimed it lost billions of dollars last season -- a figure that has not been verified. With regular-season, in-stadium revenues nonexistent in 2020, revenues unquestionably were down.

MLB's frustration with the reaction to what it believed to be a reasonable compromise was palpable Sunday. Discussions with the union have been scattershot, and at this juncture, two players said, it's likely too late in the process to come to an agreement. While the players said they recognize a delay could be pragmatic, doing so when some players are already in spring training cities -- and all of them have housing they would need to cancel, likely costing thousands and even tens of thousands of dollars -- would be impractical.

"We're ready to play," one player said. "The NFL is playing. The NBA is playing. The NHL is playing. Colleges are playing. Why shouldn't we play?"

The NBA shortened its season by 10 games in early November -- about three weeks before training camps opened and six weeks before its first games were played. The NHL cut its season by about one-third. Both were coming off shortened seasons that ended later than usual. MLB's season ended on time after an expanded postseason, something the league would like to implement again.

The union has expressed skepticism, fearful that expanding the playoffs would have a negative effect on the free-agent market because teams would be likelier to play for a win total in the 80s instead of the 90s. The league, and team executives, disagree, arguing that the expanded postseason -- in this case three wild-card series in each league -- is better for the sport's long-term health. In the proposal, MLB guaranteed an $80.9 million pool for players who participate in the postseason.

Getting to that juncture, of course, is the imperative, and the league believes a delay makes it likelier to occur -- and likelier that players will play the scheduled games to receive their full salaries. Absent an agreement, the expanded playoffs might well be off the table until 2022, and the universal DH, seven-inning doubleheaders and a runner starting on second base in extra innings would be up in the air.

Olympic gold medallist achieves his first six-metre clearance since 2016 and attempts 6.20m world record on day of great pole vault action, while Ryan Crouser again impresses in Fayetteville

Coverage of Keely Hodgkinson’s world under-20 indoor 800m record in Vienna can be found here, while a report on Dina Asher-Smith’s 60m PB-equalling season debut in Karlsruhe is here.

A round-up of ISTAF Indoor Düsseldorf action, including Mondo Duplantis’ 6.01m pole vault and Asher-Smith’s 7.12 60m win, can be read here.

Other recent highlights are below.

Perche en Or, Tourcoing, France, January 31

Just a few hours after Mondo Duplantis cleared a pole vault world lead of 6.01m in Düsseldorf, Renaud Lavillenie went one centimetre higher in Tourcoing.

Lavillenie, the former world record-holder with 6.16m, managed heights of 5.63m, 5.80m, 5.91m and then 6.02m on his first attempts and then even had a go at 6.20m which would have added two centimetres to Duplantis’ world record set in Glasgow last year and was one centimetre higher than Duplantis had a single attempt at in Düsseldorf.

Booouummmm@airlavillenie
6m02
World lead
???? pic.twitter.com/3zlObrV7zx

— benjamin soreau (@benjaminsoreau) January 31, 2021

Ethan Cormont was second with 5.72m.

Olympic champion Katerina Stefanidi won the women’s competition with a clearance of 4.61m. Femke Pluim was second with 4.52m.

American Track League 2, Fayetteville, USA, January 31

Ryan Crouser equaled Randy Barnes’ previous world indoor shot put record mark of 22.66m for victory, one week after he improved the record to 22.82m at the same venue. Five of his six throws were beyond 22 metres and included marks of 22.65m and 22.43m.

On the track, Bryce Hoppel ran 1:44.37 for an 800m time just 0.15 off Donavan Brazier’s US indoor record which puts him sixth on the world all-time list. Charlie Da’Vall Grice clocked a PB of 1:45.62 in second place to move to fourth on the UK indoor all-time list.

In the women’s pole vault, world indoor champion Sandi Morris cleared a world-leading 4.81m and also had three attempts at an indoor PB height of 4.96m.

Olympic 400m champion Shaunae Miller-Uibo ran 22.40 to improve the Bahamian indoor 200m record and move to joint ninth on the world indoor all-time list. The men’s race was won by Jereem Richards in 20.74.

Mikiah Brisco ran 7.17 and Maurice Eaddy 6.63 in the 60m, while Trevor Bassitt clocked 7.71 in the 60m hurdles.

Close 600m races were won by Sammy Watson in 1:28.29 and Nicholis Hilson in 1:19.14.

Kendell Williams leapt 6.60m in the long jump.

Texas Tech Classic, Lubbock, USA, January 30

KC Lightfoot added one centimetre to the US indoor collegiate pole vault record he set earlier in the month by clearing 5.95m on his second attempt before three tries at 6.00m.

Ancona, Italy, January 30

Gianmarco Tamberi soared over a world-leading 2.32m to win the high jump.

#atletica VOLA GIANMARCO TAMBERI! 2,32 ad Ancona all'esordio, è la migliore prestazione mondiale dell'anno @gianmarcotamber ??? Miglior debutto dal 2016 (foto Carloni/FIDAL Marche)@Coninews @ItaliaTeam_it @EuroAthletics @WorldAthletics pic.twitter.com/ZVr9azGCaM

— Atletica Italiana (@atleticaitalia) January 30, 2021

Osaka Women’s Marathon, Japan, January 31

Mao Ichiyama ran 2:21:11 to break the event record. Because of coronavirus restrictions, the course was altered to a 2.8km loop route.

Honami Maeda was second in a 2:23:30 PB and Yukari Abe third in a 2:24:41 PB.

Mariko Yugeta set a world over-60 marathon record of 2:52:13 in finishing 48th.

Kenyan Police Cross Country Championships, Nairobi, January 29

Racing over 10km, Geoffrey Kamworor returned to competitive action by winning his eighth title in this event in 29:22.3. Josphat Kiprotich was second in 29:52.6.

Sheila Chelangat won the women’s race in 33:34.6 from Hyvin Kiyeng in 33:39.8.

Kenyan Defence Forces Cross Country Championships, Nairobi, January 29

Hellen Obiri won over 10km in 33:25.1 ahead of Joyce Chepkemoi with 33:32.6.

Kibiwott Kandie won the men’s race in 29:24.5 from Collins Koros with 29:32.5.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Wayne Taylor Racing won its third-straight Rolex 24 at Daytona Sunday afternoon at Daytona Int’l Speedway as the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship season opened in thrilling fashion.

Driving the No. 10 Acura ARX-05 Daytona Prototype international, Filipe Albuquerque posted a 4.704-second win over the No. 48 Ally Cadillac DPi-V.R of Kamui Kobayashi in the 59th edition of the twice-around-the-clock endurance classic.

However, up until the final few minutes of the event, it appeared Chip Ganassi Racing was poised to snatch the set of Rolex Oyster Perpetual Cosmograph Daytona watches from the grip of the WTR team, courtesy of an inspired drive by Renger van der Zande.

CGR’s No. 01 Cadillac DPi-V.R was chasing down the WTR No. 10 following the final set of pit stops with 35 minutes remaining. The Taylor team pitted a lap later, and due to an earlier strategy call, was able to take less fuel than its challengers to hold the lead.

Albuquerque cycled out to a 6.477-second gap, but van der Zande rapidly closed the deficit, inspired to chase down the team he’d won the Rolex 24 with in both 2018 and ’19.

Lap after lap, Albuquerque’s leading margin shrank, in part considering the fact he only had two fresh tires from his leaner final pit stop.

With 20 minutes to go, the gap was less than two seconds, and less than three minutes later, the No. 01 was right on the rear wing of the No. 10 in the fight for the victory.

Nearly identical lap times over the next few minutes meant that neither team was able to showcase any sort of a true advantage. However, van der Zande remained lurking and applying pressure as Albuquerque tried to hang on to his narrow lead.

Finally, however, the right-rear tire on van der Zande’s car shredded with eight minutes left on the clock. As the Ganassi-owned Cadillac limped to pit road, the Taylor-owned Acura was able to cruise home over the waning moments.

Albuquerque held off a charging Kobayashi to the finish, sealing his second overall win in the Rolex 24 alongside co-drivers Ricky Taylor, Alexander Rossi and Helio Castroneves.

“I could almost see his (van der Zande’s) eyes in my mirrors,” said Albuquerque of the battle for the lead over the final stint. “He was so hungry for this, especially with the story of him leaving Wayne Taylor (Racing) and having to go to another team.

“He was faster, definitely, but it’s one thing to catch … it’s another thing to pass,” added Albuquerque of van der Zande. “He was really pushing hard. I was lucky they had a puncture, but he was really pushing hard in that bus stop (backstretch chicane). Still, congratulations to Chip Ganassi, Renger and all of them (for keeping us honest). They ran a really strong race.

“I think this was a hell of a show, probably the hardest race of my life. Beautiful.”

Sunday’s triumph marked the second overall win at the Rolex 24 for Ricky Taylor – son of WTR owner Wayne Taylor – and his 25th total WeatherTech Championship victory.

Taylor made the decision to step out of the No. 10 Acura during a pit stop with one hour, 33 minutes to go, putting Albuquerque in for the run to the finish.

As it turned out, the late driver change paid dividends in the form of another Rolex 24 win.

“He’s a superstar,” said Taylor of Albuquerque. “He won the world championship last year, in WEC, and we always knew he was the one we wanted in our car for a situation like that. We couldn’t ask for a better teammate. He had all the pressure in the world on him, and he took it like a champion.

“We’re living a dream; you can’t ask for any more than this.”

While Albuquerque and Taylor celebrated repeat Rolex 24 titles, it was the first overall win in the event for both Rossi and Castroneves. It was also the first Rolex 24 title for Acura.

Castroneves’ win, in particular, was special after he earned the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship points title last season with Acura Team Penske.

“What an incredible opportunity this was, to be driving with Acura again and keep rolling what we had last year,” noted Castroneves. “I think this was the tougher achievement, with the conditions we had to face. I can’t thank Wayne enough, though, for getting this group together.

“Absolutely incredible. What a day.”

The winning team completed 807 laps, a race distance of 2,876.14 miles around Daytona.

Kobayashi brought the Ally Cadillac home second for Action Express Racing, co-driving with Simon Pagenaud, Mike Rockenfeller and seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson.

After being three laps down with seven hours to go, the No. 55 Mazda Motorsports RT24-P co-driven by Jonathan Bomarito, Harry Tincknell and Oliver Jarvis completed the overall and DPi class podiums. Tincknell drove the car to the checkered flag over the final stints.

Meyer Shank Racing’s No. 60 Acura ARX-05 was fourth, while the Ganassi Cadillac ended up fifth after its late issues. The top five overall finishers were all on the lead lap.

The LMP2 class was won by the No. 18 Era Motorsport Oreca of Paul-Loup Chatin, who finished 19.513 seconds ahead of the No. 8 Tower Motorsport Oreca after a drive-through penalty was assessed to the No. 8 team for jumping the final restart of the race.

Chatin co-drove to the LMP2 honors with Kyle Tilley, Dwight Merriman and Ryan Dalziel, a previous overall winner of the Rolex 24 in 2010 with Action Express Racing.

“I’m not sure how we did that, to be honest,” said Tilley, who serves as the Era Motorsport team manager. “We knew we were strong all week, and had good race pace, but to actually put it together over 24 hours is amazing. I’m kind of speechless; it doesn’t happen often.”

DragonSpeed, the two-time defending LMP2 winners at the Rolex 24, finished on the class podium in third with the No. 82 of Christopher Mies, Devlin DeFrancesco, Eric Lux and Fabian Schiller.

Riley Motorsport dominated the Rolex 24 debut of the LMP3 class, winning by three laps over its nearest competitor with the No. 74 Ligier JS P320 co-driven by Spencer Pigot, Oliver Askew, Scott Andrews and Gar Robinson.

“An amazing race for us, just a flawlessly-executed race,” said Pigot, who was behind the wheel at the finish. “The team did an amazing job. No mistakes and the crew was amazing on pit lane. I can’t believe we did it!”

Liverpool manager Jurgen Klopp said he substituted experienced midfielder James Milner in the second half of their 3-1 win at West Ham United because of his concern about more injuries.

Klopp and Milner were involved in a minor tiff on the touchline when Klopp sent on Curtis Jones, but a minute later they were all smiles as Jones was involved in the build-up to Mohamed Salah's opening goal.

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It was easy to understand Klopp's concern given the amount of injuries to key players this season -- namely in defence with Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez long-term absentees and now Joel Matip also unavailable.

Striker Sadio Mane missed Sunday's game too, while Roberto Firmino was not risked from the start.

"My mood is constantly concerned about injuries ... and we try to save everybody, like it was with Millie as well," Klopp said.

"But as far as I know in the moment, today nothing happened injury-wise. We played a good game and got three points, which was absolutely great."

Klopp explained that he took Milner off because he was running too much.

"So the thing is, in half-time we changed the formation, offensive formation, so the set-up. Millie was now slightly deeper. We told Millie, because he had this hamstring [that] stiffened up slightly, so we told him, 'Be controlled, more passing than running with the ball' and stuff like this.

"Then I saw the last long, long sprint Millie had and I thought, 'Oh, we missed the point, we missed the moment' and I was really, really worried.

"Then he came off and said, 'You told me I had to play deeper, now I run less and now you take me off.' Then he left and came back and said, 'Yeah, by the way, good point, good decision!' All fine."

Liverpool's win, their second of the week in London after a midweek win over Tottenham Hotspur, put them into third place, four points behind leaders Manchester City who they host next weekend.

"If you want to win the league, you have to win every game," Salah, who scored twice having not registered in the league since mid-December, said. "This year City were struggling in the beginning and now we were struggling three or four games ago.

"So, we just need to carry on and keep winning."