Joe Clarke, the Nottinghamshire batsman, is set to sign for Perth Scorchers in the Big Bash League.

Clarke, 23, was the fifth highest run-scorer in this year's Vitality T20 Blast. His strike-rate - 175.00 runs per 100 balls - was better than anyone else in the top 50 run-scorers in the competition.

While he is yet to represent England at senior level and has never previously appeared in a T20 franchise competition, he has long been thought of as one of the most exciting talents in the English game.

He made five Championship centuries in his first full season - a season which started while he was still a teenager - and might well have already graduated to the international cricket had his career not been temporarily derailed after he was considered unavailable for selection due to disciplinary issues.

He is understood to have been considered for a place in England limited-overs squad for the tour to South Africa but, with the likes of Dawid Malan, the No.1-ranked T20I batsman at present, and Joe Root, England's Test captain, fighting for their places in one format or another, Clarke has been obliged to bide his time.

Clarke is understood to be a temporary replacement for Jason Roy at Perth Scorchers although teams can field three overseas players in their XI for the next two seasons. Roy has England responsibilities during the tournament.

The NFL competition committee expects to present a resolution to owners that includes a 16-team playoff scenario in the event games are lost because of the coronavirus pandemic, league sources told ESPN's Chris Mortensen.

The contingency plan -- which could become more likely as bye weeks disappear -- would feature eight playoff teams from each conference.

The competition committee met via video conference Monday, according to sources.

The contingency, if necessary, would take four division champions and four wild-card teams from both the AFC and NFC. The playoff seeds would be 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5.

NFL team owners already had approved a plan in March to expand the postseason to 14 teams beginning with the 2020 season. That plan increased the number of wild-card teams per conference to three, up from two.

Information from ESPN's Kevin Seifert was used in this report.

Daryl Morey, speaking Monday for the first time as president of basketball operations of the Philadelphia 76ers, expressed excitement about the championship potential of a roster built around All-Stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons.

"My goal is to win a championship, so whatever gets us there is what we'll do," Morey said during a virtual news conference officially announcing his hiring. "But I would say to have two star-plus players in 24 and 26 years old, that is why I couldn't get Doc Rivers to come interview in Houston.

"He saw this roster and he said, 'It's amazing,' and 'Sorry I couldn't fly to Houston to meet with you, Daryl.' And then, obviously, I end up here a couple weeks later. ... It was pretty cool."

Last month Morey agreed to leave the Houston Rockets, where he had run the team's basketball operations for more than a decade. At the time, he said he was planning to take a "gap year."

But on Monday he found himself sitting alongside Rivers (hired as coach last month after a departure from the LA Clippers), general manager Elton Brand (whom Morey is now ahead of on the organizational depth chart) and owner Josh Harris.

"That was my plan," Morey said of taking a gap year, before adding with a smile, "My kids are giving me a lot of crap about it.

"I'm a pretty competitive guy, but that was my plan. My wife was actually urging me to do that. But Elton and Doc and Josh were relentless, just relentless, as soon as I stepped away. Frankly, the more you look at what Elton has put together, on this roster with Joel and Ben as the headliners but with great players -- Al [Horford], Josh [Richardson], Tobias [Harris] and some of the younger players brought in last year -- I'm with Doc.

"He and I have been chatting a lot, and the more you dig into the players that are here, the more you get excited about what this team can do."

In the span of a month, the Sixers have landed one of the best and most respected coaches and executives in the NBA. Harris said that, in both cases, when he and the rest of the Sixers' ownership had an opportunity to pursue both men, doing so was a no-brainer.

"You have to be self-reflective," Harris said. "When we came out of the bubble, we were self-reflective. It didn't work last year. We were disappointed. And also, it's hard. People like Doc Rivers, or coaches like Doc Rivers, executives like Daryl Morey, they're under contract. It's very hard to get them out of their current situations. It's very rare they leave current situations, or you have availability to talk to them.

"So, the minute they were available, we jumped on it, and yeah, I think we're now really well set up with great leadership and great people. I think it is a new dawn, a new era, and I hope it lasts for a long, long time. And I think hopefully it will yield success on the court. I believe that it will."

The Sixers entered last season with sky-high expectations, only to fall short. The team was hindered by injuries -- most notably to Simmons in the NBA bubble in Orlando, Florida -- while the trio of Simmons, Embiid and Horford, in particular, struggled to fit together.

But while Embiid and Simmons are about as big of a departure as one could find from the small-ball, 3-point-shooting team Morey and Mike D'Antoni built with the Rockets, his long-standing philosophy has not been to chase 3-point shooting, but to chase stars. And, repeatedly, Morey went out of his way to praise Embiid's potential, in particular, during Monday's news conference.

"Well first I would say, how we play is going to be up to Doc," Morey said. "But that's one reason I'm very excited to be here is to work with a championship coach like Doc. I think -- and I think he agrees with me, he can jump in -- the best way to win in the NBA is to take your talent and figure out how to utilize them the best. Right? It's not to take your talent and hammer it into a particular system. It's to try to get the most out of who you have.

"It doesn't take much to look at when Joel is on the floor and healthy, and he's been in here twice a day for quite a while, he's very focused and motivated, this is an unbelievable defensive team. The fact that he's also an extremely good offensive player ... Joel is the kind of player you win championships with if you look back through NBA history. We were trying to build our best team around our talents in Houston, but here Doc is going to take the talent we have and use them to the best of our ability."

While no one doubts the individual talent of both Embiid and Simmons, questions remain about their fit together on the court -- particularly in today's NBA, where shooting and spacing are crucial. But both Morey and Rivers attempted to quash any notion that Philadelphia should move on from either of them.

"I absolutely think they can work together," Morey said.

"I have no doubt they can," Rivers said. "Again, I haven't been in the lab with them yet, but I know they can.

"I think we have to change the narrative. They haven't won yet, not that they can't win. The 'can't' should be taken out. But there's a lot of combinations of players around the league that haven't won yet, and they're just two other ones. I'm really looking forward to the challenge."

Part of that challenge will land on Morey's shoulders -- specifically, trying to sort out how to make a roster full of talented, but seemingly ill-fitting, pieces fit better. Or, more likely, changing some of those pieces in order to accomplish that goal.

But while Morey has a well-earned reputation as being the most active executive in the league, he stressed the importance of finding the right mix around the team's stars, as well as patience.

"One thing I think organizations make mistakes is they try to make sure the roster is perfect on Game 1 [of the season]," Morey said. "The players who are going to thrive under Doc and how Doc utilizes them is going to teach Elton and I a lot about how best to fit the players around them.

"If there's a great opportunity, obviously we're going to do it early. But the main thing is, you want to do great moves when they are available. But often the best move is not a move that is done right away.

"We want to increase our understanding before we start to make those moves."

RUNNEMEDE, N.J. -- A Honus Wagner rookie baseball card has sold for more than $1.4 million.

The price was a record for the rare T-206 card of the Pittsburgh Pirates great, the highlight of the Goldin Auctions October Legends Auction. Also fetching a record price was the basketball rookie card of Michael Jordan, which sold for $124,230.

Other notable sales included a 1952 Topps Mickey Mantle baseball card that sold for $584,250 and a 1958 Pele card that went for $295,200, a record for a soccer card.

Several items from Cal Ripken Jr.'s personal collection netted $1.2 million, with the money going to the family foundation. The jersey the Hall of Famer wore for the final game of his record 2,632 consecutive-game streak sold for $184,500.

The auction netted more than $16 million. Ken Goldin, founder and CEO of Goldin Auctions, said the October session set a record for an online sports auction.

Cleveland Indians ace Shane Bieber moved one step closer to winning the AL Cy Young Award when he was announced Monday as one of the top three finishers in balloting by the Baseball Writers' Association of America.

Bieber joined Minnesota Twins right-hander Kenta Maeda and Toronto Blue Jays left-hander Hyun-Jin Ryu on the list of finalists. But Bieber, 25, is considered the favorite after the right-hander went 8-1 with a 1.63 ERA and 122 strikeouts in 77⅓ innings, leading the major leagues in wins, ERA and strikeouts.

The winner of each BBWAA award will be announced next week.

The top finishers in voting for AL Manager of the Year are Tampa Bay's Kevin Cash, Toronto's Charlie Montoyo and Rick Renteria, who was let go by the Chicago White Sox after the team made the playoffs for the first time since 2008.

Cash was roundly criticized for pulling ace left-hander Blake Snell in the sixth inning of the decisive Game 6 of the World Series against the champion Los Angeles Dodgers. Balloting for the BBWAA awards was completed before the start of the postseason.

The finalists for AL Rookie of the Year are Houston Astros right-hander Cristian Javier and center fielders Kyle Lewis of the Seattle Mariners and Luis Robert of the White Sox.

Philadelphia Phillies infielder Alec Bohm, San Diego Padres infielder Jake Cronenworth and Milwaukee Brewers reliever Devin Williams are the top finishers for the NL rookie award.

A look at some of the latest results in athletics

Be Fit Today Track Academy Open, Dagenham, October 31

In less than favourable conditions, National and Inter-Counties cross-country runner-up Shaikira King just missed her 1500m PB of 4:38.46 set in September, which ranked her third all-time in the UK under-13 age group, running a top class 4:38.67.

Herne Hill Halloween Harriers Endurance Meeting, Battersea, October 31

While the earlier heavy rain had relented in windy conditions, Herne Hill’s Kiwi Georgie Grgec just missed her PB with a 9:21.7 3000m.

The 2019 UK masters athlete of the year, Clare Elms, ran 10:32.1 in her race to top the UK outdoor W55 rankings by nearly a minute as she scored over 100 per-cent on age-grading.

ATW Cross Country, Merchant Taylors School Series, Rickmansworth, Herts, October 31

Former under-20 Inter-Counties bronze medallist Luke Prior (25:28) was fastest senior man from Alex Lepretre by three seconds Martin Duff reports.

Runners started in waves of six every 15 seconds and the women were mixed in with the men. Hannah Viner was comfortably the quickest with 28:59.

In younger age groups, Inter-Counties fourth-placer Aimi Weightman took the U17 women’s plaudits from Kiya Dee, who had won that race, while U13 National champion Alden Collier was beaten into third in the U15 boys’ standings led by Thomas Redmond.

RunThrough Olympic Park 5km & 10km, Olympic Park, November 1

M45 Will Levett’s 5km victory in 16:11 was the pick of the performances.

Braganica, Paulista, Brazil, October 31

Felipe Bardi Dos Santos won the 100m in a windy 10.04/2.6 after a 10.03/2.8 semi-final.

Lucas Carvalho won the 400m in 46.40.

European Masters Championships, Funchal, Portugal, October 31

Former world and European marathon champion Martin Fiz from Spain won the M55 title on a hilly course and hot conditions in 79:08.

The overall race winners were M40 Miguel Ferrer Muro from Spain (72:39) and W45 Miriam Paurat from Germany (86:47).

Shelby Township Half Marathon, USA, October 28

Keira D’Amato won the women’s race in a PB 68:57 from Emma Bates (69:44).

Triathlete Morgan Pearson won an exciting men’s race in 62:15 from Tyler Day and Frank Lara (both 62:17).

Wuxi City, China, November 1

London Marathon Olympian Li Zicheng won in 2:14:52 from Yang Dinghong (2:15:40) while world championships participant Li Dan won the women’s race in 2:33:16.

Yao Miao (2:35:08) and Li Zhixuan (2:36:52) completed the top three.

ElShorbagy brothers power through in Qatar
By SEAN REUTHE – Squash Mad Correspondent

World No.6 Marwan ElShorbagy has booked his spot in the third round of the 2020 Qatar Classic, PSA World Tour Platinum tournament after getting the better of former World No.1 Gregory Gaultier at the Khalifa International Tennis and Squash Complex in Doha today.

ElShorbagy had beaten Gaultier in their last meeting all the way back in 2017 and controlled the match masterfully, refusing to get drawn into any discussions with the referee in a match that went through its scrappy periods.

The 37-year-old Gaultier lost his focus at times – even receiving a conduct stroke for ball abuse – and his frustrations contrasted with that of ElShorbagy, who cut a cool, composed figure on court as he closed out a confident 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 victory in 40 minutes.

“When I saw the draw, I knew that playing him would be really tough,” said ElShorbagy.

“Mentally, it is the toughest first match you can get because of what he has achieved. I watched him in 2006 when he played the World Championships [at the Great Pyramid of Giza] and he is someone who really inspired me. He was my role model, he still is my role model.

“I admire what he has done for the game and just seeing the way he moves, the way he plays, for me, he is one of the greatest players of all time. I am really happy to be on court with him. It is a pleasure for me and I hope that we see him for many years to come.”

ElShorbagy will play Germany’s Raphael Kandra in the last 16 after the World No.33 toppled India’s Saurav Ghosal to reach the third round of a Platinum event for the first time in 13 months.

Ghosal, the World No.13, took the opener but picked up a groin injury during the second game. He played on, but his movement was clearly inhibited as Kandra came back to win three games without reply.

“Altogether, this is definitely not how you want to win,” Kandra said. “Of course, he played on and he was still kind of moving but wasn’t at his best and I wish him a quick recovery, he probably has time now since COVID-19 is kind of taking us back. Overall, I’m super happy, it has been a while since I’ve been in the third round and I’m really looking forward to continue.”

Top seed Mohamed ElShorbagy will join younger brother Marwan in the last 16 after he got the better of England’s George Parker in the final match of the day, winning 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 in 61 minutes.

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ElShorbagy, a three-time Qatar Classic champion, lost his World No.1 spot to Ali Farag yesterday but can reclaim top spot if he wins the tournament and Farag fails to make it to the final. The 29-year-old will take on compatriot Youssef Ibrahim in the next round.

“He played really well, that’s the way he plays and it was up to me to respond and up to me to find a way to win,” said ElShorbagy.

“The fourth was very tight and it could have easily gone to a fifth game. He is such a great player and I have trained with him a few times down in Bristol. I know what he can do, I know how dangerous he is. He has so much potential, and I don’t think he knows how much potential he actually has.”

Ibrahim advanced following the retirement of Cesar Salazar due to injury, while Germany’s Simon Rösner became the first top 10 player to exit the tournament after falling to a peerless performance from World No.12 Fares Dessouky.

The pair had only faced each other twice on the PSA World Tour before, but they had an average match time of over 75 minutes. This clash, though, was only just over half of that time as Dessouky dominated throughout, beating the World No.8 by an 11-3, 11-9, 11-8 scoreline.

“Obviously, it was not an easy match,” Dessouky said. “I know it was 3-0 but it was very close. I had to dig really deep to get every single point and to play at a fast pace, which wasn’t easy at all, I am happy to be through.”

Dessouky will play Spanish veteran Borja Golan in the next round after the 37-year-old defeated World No.16 Omar Mosaad. There were also wins for World No.5 Paul Coll and Frenchman Gregoire Marche, respectively.

Round two continues tomorrow (November 3) when defending champion and World No.1 Farag will begin his tournament. Play starts at 11:00 (GMT+3) and will be shown live on SQUASHTV and the official Facebook page of the PSA World Tour (excluding Europe & Japan). 

2020 Men’s Qatar Classic, Khalifa Tennis and Squash Centre, Doha, Qatar.

Second Round (Top Half):
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) bt George Parker (ENG) 3-1: 11-8, 11-6, 9-11, 11-8 (61m)
Youssef Ibrahim (EGY) bt Cesar Salazar (MEX) 3-1: 4-11, 11-3, 12-10 retired (35m)
Borja Golan (ESP) bt Omar Mosaad (EGY) 3-1: 11-7, 6-11, 11-6, 13-11 (68m)
Fares Dessouky (EGY) bt [7] Simon Rösner (GER) 3-0: 11-3, 11-9, 11-8 (39m)
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) bt [WC] Gregory Gaultier (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-4, 11-6 (40m)
Raphael Kandra (GER) bt Saurav Ghosal (IND) 3-1: 10-12, 11-9, 11-4, 11-7 (46m)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) bt Mohamed ElSherbini (EGY) 3-0: 11-8, 11-7, 11-5 (42m)
[4] Paul Coll (NZL) bt Baptiste Masotti (FRA) 3-0: 11-7, 11-5, 11-8 (38m)

Second Round (Bottom Half, November 3):
[3] Tarek Momen (EGY) v Youssef Soliman (EGY)
James Willstrop (ENG) v Greg Lobban (SCO)
Tom Richards (ENG) v Lucas Serme (FRA)
Mohamed Abouelghar (EGY) v [8] Joel Makin (WAL)
[5] Diego Elias (PER) v Abdulla Mohd Al Tamimi (QAT)
Shahjahan Khan (USA) v Miguel Rodriguez (COL)
Eain Yow Ng (MAS) v Declan James (ENG)
Richie Fallows (ENG) v [2] Ali Farag (EGY)

Third Round (Top Half, November 4):
[1] Mohamed ElShorbagy (EGY) v Youssef Ibrahim (EGY)
Borja Golan (ESP) v Fares Dessouky (EGY)
[6] Marwan ElShorbagy (EGY) v Raphael Kandra (GER)
Gregoire Marche (FRA) v Paul Coll (NZL) 

Pictures courtesy of PSA 

Cardiff Blues were beaten 11-7 at a wet and windy Rodney Parade as Ulster won their fourth consecutive Pro14 match.

Michael Lowry crossed for the visitors with the last play of the first half to give Ulster a 8-7 lead at the break.

John Cooney's second penalty was the only score in the second half, maintaining Ulster's unbeaten start.

Ulster climb to the top of Conference A while Cardiff Blues, who have now won two and lost two, remain second in Conference B.

Blues had Wales back-row Josh Turnbull back from suspension following a frustrating defeat to Munster last time out, while Will Boyde returned after injury.

Ulster had fly-half Billy Burns back from injury to captain the side alongside scrum-half John Cooney, who had been released to play by Ireland, while flanker Matty Rea made his 50th appearance for the Irish province.

The Irish visitors started the game strongly with their forwards carrying hard. Their sustained pressure was rewarded with Cooney slotting a penalty after Will Boyde was penalised at a ruck on 16 minutes.

The hosts responded well and seven minutes later crossed for the evening's opening try, excellently taken, during a rare foray into their opponents' half.

From a lineout midway inside the Ulster half, the Blues went through a couple of phases before Jarrod Evans put in a perfectly placed chip for Lee-Lo to pounce on and cross to score, with Evans converting.

Mounting penalties

Ulster then controlled the rest of the first 40 minutes with virtually all the territory and possession, forcing Blues to defend phase after phase of attack.

With replacement Olly Robinson in the sin-bin, and paying the price for a mounting penalty count, the visitors' dominance was finally rewarded with full-back Lowry picking up a loose ball to dance through.

Cooney missed the fairly straight-forward conversion, which meant Ulster's lead was just one point at half-time.

Blues started the second period positively and gained a foothold in the visitors' half, but were left empty-handed as Evans pulled a penalty attempt wide.

With the game evenly poised as the final quarter approached there were worrying scenes, with Lee-Lo stretchered off after taking a heavy bang to the head in making a tackle on Luke Marshall.

The game opened up somewhat in the latter stages with both sides trying to show adventure as the conditions improved, but ultimately it was Cooney's boot that proved the difference as he slotted a penalty on 64 minutes after a breakdown offence by Blues.

Despite both sides' efforts that was the final score of the game and as the Irish side maintained their 100% start to the season, Cardiff Blues had to settle for a losing bonus point.

Cardiff Blues: Matthew Morgan; Aled Summerhill, Rey Lee-Lo, Willis Halaholo, Hallam Amos; Jarrod Evans, Lewis Jones; Corey Domachowski, Kristian Dacey (capt), Dmitri Arhip, James Ratti, Rory Thornton, Josh Turnbull, Jim Botham, Will Boyde.

Replacements: Ethan Lewis, Brad Thyer, Scott Andrews, Ben Murphy, Ollie Robinson, Jamie Hill, Jason Tovey, Garyn Smith.

Ulster: Michael Lowry; Craig Gilroy, Stewart Moore, Stuart McCloskey, Louis Ludik; Billy Burns (capt), John Cooney; Eric O'Sullivan, Adam McBurney, Marty Moore, Alan O'Connor, Kieran Treadwell, Matty Rea, Jordi Murphy, Nick Timoney.

Replacements: John Andrew, Jack McGrath, Ross Kane, Sam Carter, Sean Reidy, Alby Mathewson, Luke Marshall, Ethan McIlroy.

Referee: Sam Grove-White (SRU)

Assistant Referees: Adam Jones, Ben Breakspear (both WRU)

TMO: Ian Davies (WRU)

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — With 96 laps to go in Sunday’s All American 400 super late model feature at Fairgrounds Speedway Nashville, a collective gasp came from around the facility, followed quickly by shock and silence.

Illustrating just how quickly things can change in motorsports, Derek Thorn — the race’s dominant driver, who led 202 of the first 204 laps — suddenly found his car smashed against the turn-one wall.

Contact with Carson Hocevar, as the pair battled for the lead following a restart, led to the shunt. Hocevar was penalized for aggressive driving and put to the tail of the field, but retired from the race a few laps later after his crew determined there was too much front-end damage to repair.

In a flash, it was a whole new ballgame, with Casey Roderick eventually emerging as the winner.

However, for Thorn, the disappointment of having “a race-winning car” and leaving the .596-mile Tennessee oval empty handed was weighty.

It was understandable, then, that he needed a few minutes to gather his thoughts before speaking to reporters following the crash.

“I’ll have to go back and look at the video. It felt like he just hooked us into the fence, but without looking at the video, it’s hard to say,” Thorn said. “The thing was unbelievably fast. It was the best car I’ve ever had, especially here. It was our race to lose. I don’t know what the 14 (Hocevar) did or how all that unfolded.

“To have it end like this is just unfortunate, because we had a rocket.”

Instead of his first crown jewel win, Thorn was left with a DNF and a 22nd-place finish.

Hocevar was chasing his third marquee victory of the year, having previously won the Redbud 400 at Anderson (Ind.) Speedway and the Winchester 400 at Winchester (Ind.) Speedway.

He was the first driver since Erik Jones in 2015 to have won the first two legs of the unofficial super late model “Grand Slam” and appeared poised to add the third jewel to his résumé.

That, too, vanished in a flash.

“He just came up in front of me in turn four,” Hocevar said of Thorn. “I was expecting a lane and it never came. I said on TV that I wasn’t lifting … and that sounds bad, like I intentionally did it, but that’s not the case. It’s late in the race, and if I lift, I lose three or four spots there.

“That happened off turn two earlier in the race and I told myself I wouldn’t lift if it happened again. I think he would tell you that he threw this race away as much as I did. It’s racing, just part of it.”

As Thorn was asked to reflect on the ache of losing out on what could have been one of the biggest wins of his career, the California ace and four-time SRL Southwest Tour champion sighed and shook his head.

“You can’t put it into words,” he said of the disappointment. “You just can’t.”

INDIANAPOLIS – Porsche Motorsport North America has partnered with the United States Auto Club to launch the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama.

Following the Sept. 25 unveiling of the Porsche Carrera Cup North America as the premier one-make championship in the United States and Canada, the new series, which will utilize previous generations Porsche 911 GT3 Cup race cars and current generation GT4 cars, will take its place as the direct feeder to Carrera Cup beginning in 2021.

USAC has been commissioned to manage all aspects of the 16-race schedule. Yokohama has been selected as the series official tire partner and presenting sponsor of the Porsche Sprint Challenge. Erik Skirmants has been appointed Series Manager.

“Our goal with the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama is to create a clear first step up from club level racing while establishing a direct path to the new Porsche Carrera Cup North America,” said Skirmants. “The series will be an excellent mix of a destination series for gentlemen drivers as well as a development platform for new drivers. We are taking the best of what we have learned in North America’s prior Challenge and Trophy series, and features of some global Sprint Challenge series to create the best competition environment possible.

“A key to success is the choice to have Yokohama as our tire and series partner. We needed world class tires and technical support and Yokohama has always exceeded expectations as a partner.  All of this results in the ideal opportunity for USAC to return to road racing and we are pleased that Porsche gets to start this new era with them. All series partners have worked closely with our teams and drivers to build a model with a clear intent to lead the North American market in balancing cost while maintaining a professional racing environment. We are excited to get underway in 2021.”

The Porsche Sprint Challenge by Yokohama will be a stepping stone on the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid North America between the Clubsport/club racing entry stage and the Carrera Cup North America. The series will be broken into three classes: Platinum for Porsche 911 GT3 Cup (type 991.2) race cars, Gold for type 991.1 generation Porsche 911 GT3 Cup cars and the Silver Class for the mid-engine Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport.

Driver and team championships will be awarded with the Platinum and Silver Driver champions being invited the Porsche Night of Champions in Weissach, Germany.

“The addition of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America by Yokohama to the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid continues our effort to offer a clear and competitive path for everyone wishing to race GT cars,” said Daniel Armbruster, president and CEO, Porsche Motorsport North America. “We believe that this step provides a place to compete whether you are moving up the steps or want to find a more structured and competitive environment than track days or club racing can provide. Additionally, this gives us the opportunity to continue our long relationship with Yokohama. They have been a tremendous partner and we believe will continue to play an instrumental part in the development of young drivers.

“We are also pleased to have our first partnership with USAC. They have shown to be the stepping-stone in American open wheel racing for generations and will now play that role in sports car racing. We will have a very busy 2021 and I am excited for Porsche, our partners, customers and fans.”

The North American championship is the seventh Sprint Challenge to compete worldwide. The series joins Porsche Sprint Challenge Great Britain, Sprint Challenge Middle East and Asia as well as Porsche Sprint Challenges in the North European Zone, Central Europe and Benelux.

USAC is one of the leading motorsports organizations in the USA with series oversight on many racing fronts including circle track, rally, off-road, snowmobile, karting and youth racing in its portfolio. While widely known as the pinnacle short-track and dirt racing series in the country, USAC previously conducted the United States Road Racing Championship from 1958 – 1962 and makes its return to road racing with the Porsche Sprint Challenge.

“The United States Auto Club is proud to partner with Porsche and Yokohama Tire to bring the global Porsche Sprint Challenge to North America,” said Kevin Miller, president and CEO of USAC. “USAC has a 65-year heritage in recognizing national championships. We are looking forward to adding the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America champions to our storied list in 2021.”

The inaugural season of the Porsche Sprint Challenge North America will kick-off at Florida’s Sebring Int’l Raceway in March 2021 and hold its finale in October at Indianapolis Motor Speedway – just yards from USAC headquarters in Speedway, Ind. Eight event venues will offer two races per weekend for competitors. Seven of the eight weekends will count toward the championships in Platinum, Gold and Silver as well as the Team title chase. The Mont Tremblant weekend will not count towards the championship. This round is a  prelude event to introduce Canadian competitors to the Porsche Sprint Challenge.

Four of the eight event weekends are paired with SRO World Challenge, a USAC-sanctioned series, where customer teams can compete with Porsche 911 GT3 R and Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport race cars. The 911 GT3 R fits as the highest level of Porsche customer racing on the Porsche Motorsport Pyramid in North America. Other event weekends include pairing with IndyCar and IMSA events.

2021 Porsche Sprint Challenge by Yokohama Schedule (provisional)

March 12-14 – Sebring Int’l Raceway – Sebring, Fla.
April 9-11 – Barber Motorsports Park – Leeds, Ala.
April 30-May 2 – Circuit of the Americas – Austin, Texas
June 11-13 – Virginia Int’l Raceway – Alton, Va.
July 23-25 – Mont Tremblant – Mont Tremblant, Quebec
July 30-Aug. 1 – Road America – Elkhart Lake, Wis.
Sept. 17-19 – Watkins Glen Int’l – Watkins Glen, N.Y.
Oct. 15-17 – Indianapolis Motor Speedway – Indianapolis, Ind.