Australia's Test captain Tim Paine believes that the Newlands scandal and its aftermath served to end what had been a rapidly escalating arms race among international teams in finding methods for ever more rapid and frequent reverse swing - a race that resulted in heavy penalties for Steven Smith, David Warner and Cameron Bancroft when caught in the act.

In a frank admission ahead of the 2019 Ashes series, Paine suggested that numerous international teams had got caught into a cycle of trying to outdo one another in terms of generating reverse swing by different means of looking after the ball, without sufficient consequences for transgressing.

After Cricket Australia responded to the Newlands scandal and subsequent attempted cover-up by banning Smith and Warner for 12 months each and Bancroft for nine months, the ICC followed up by introducing far heavier penalties than had previously been in place for ball tampering. A suspension of up to six Tests or 12 ODIs is now in place, relative to the eight Test matches that Smith and Warner were forced to miss due to their bans under the CA code of conduct, and Paine said the traumas of South Africa had served to see that this area of the game is "cleaned up".

"I think teams are always looking at ways to get the ball to reverse swing," Paine told cricket.com.au. "Whether that's throwing it into [the dirt], or using their fingers to work on the quarter seam, or in England for years it's been talked about mints being used [to impart sheen through players' saliva] - there's always something.

"The worrying trend was that teams were starting to try more and more methods, and getting more adventurous. So the thing I hope will come out of South Africa is that it will be cleaned up, and it will be a more level playing field rather than teams trying to push the boundaries and develop a mentality of 'they're doing this, so we'll try this' and 'they do that, so we'll try it too'. I think for too long, it was allowed."

Australia's ultimate admission that Bancroft had attempted to change the ball's condition by using sandpaper had followed a period where increasingly extravagant reverse swing had been gained by numerous teams in a short space of time, a constant source of speculation and suspicion among opponents as to how such movement was being achieved. The ICC's change in penalties at last year's annual conference reflected widespread acknowledgement that it was not just a problem limited to Australia but a broader pattern of sharp practice.

"I could very easily be in England this summer, but working for Kookaburra, and getting the bats ready for the players" Tim Paine

Paine, who was thrust into the Australian captaincy by Newlands, has also admitted that he was close to retiring from the game for good until a phone call to Ricky Ponting in 2017 led to a longer deal with Tasmania that meant he was available when the national selectors came calling ahead of that year's home Ashes series.

"I had only been offered a one-year contract with Tasmania, which I felt didn't offer me enough security, and so I simply couldn't turn down the chance to start a new career," Paine told foxsports.com.au. "I still loved the game, but for the sake of my family I believed I had to make a sensible decision. It just felt like my time in the game had come to a natural end.

"I phoned Ricky Ponting, who had made the same move [from Hobart to Melbourne] several years earlier. 'Hi mate, could you keep an eye out for me and see if there are any houses in Brighton up for sale?' I asked him. I was sort of joking because I couldn't afford to live in Ricky's neighbourhood in Melbourne, but I thought he could give me some advice about where else was good in the city.

"Ricky was really confused: 'I don't understand. What on earth are you talking about?' he said. I explained my situation, and how I only had a one-year offer from Tasmania, and planned to retire from cricket and take this new job. He listened and just said, 'Just wait, let me make some calls.' Within a few days I had an improved two-year deal with Tasmania, and that changed everything so I decided to keep playing. Things could have been very different if I hadn't made that call to Ricky."

In imparting significant cultural change on the Australian team, Paine has been given perspective by the fact he rose to the captaincy from a position where he could quite easily have been finished with the game.

"I could very easily be in England this summer, but working for Kookaburra, and getting the bats ready for the players, but instead I am captaining them in the Ashes. It feels amazing to say that, and this is all like a dream for me," he said. "I have been dreaming, literally dreaming about this moment since I was a kid. Even during the last Ashes series in Australia, I can remember winning it in Perth, and thinking, 'Imagine going to England in 2019 and trying to win it there too?' I didn't know if I would still be playing, and I would be 34, so probably no chance, but here I am.

"Even now when I am just at home doing regular things with the kids I think to myself, 'Wow I am Australian Test captain' and I have a laugh to myself and say, 'Can you believe this?' Or I can be watching the news or listening to the radio and someone will say 'Australian captain Tim Paine…' and I will just break out in a smile. I love it, and still can't believe it."

The USA men's national team players are starting to reap the rewards of gaining ODI status, with a total of 17 players awarded central contracts through funding supplied by the recent investment deal signed with American Cricket Enterprises. However, it has also sparked a tipping point in the club v country debate as some have pulled out of the Global T20 Canada after signing a USA Cricket retainer, while others have opted to forgo a central contract to keep their options open for franchise cricket.

According to multiple ESPNcricinfo sources, two key USA players have turned down central contracts: Ali Khan and Hayden Walsh Jr. They are the only two USA players who were drafted in both the Global T20 Canada - where they will be teammates at Vancouver Knights - and in the Caribbean Premier League. Ali Khan is returning to Trinbago Knight Riders while Walsh Jr. has switched from St Kitts & Nevis Patriots to Barbados Tridents for the 2019 season. Accepting a USA contract would have opened up the possibility that they would be denied No-Objection Certificates (NOCs) to participate in these, and other, T20 leagues. However, both Ali Khan and Walsh Jr can play for USA on a match-fee basis, even though they chose not to accept a contract.

Conversely, five USA players have received one-year central contracts while 12 others have received three-month deals. The five players to secure one-year deals are batsmen Steven Taylor, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel and Aaron Jones, and medium pacer Jessy Singh. Both Taylor and Jones had recently lost their central contracts with Jamaica and Barbados respectively in the Cricket West Indies Professional Cricket League after not being retained in April's PCL draft.

However, USA captain Saurabh Netravalkar and vice-captain Jaskaran Malhotra were not given one-year deals. Instead, they have been given three-month contracts along with the majority of those who made up USA's squad from WCL Division Two in Namibia this past April that secured ODI status for the country through 2022. The only player not offered a contract from that squad was Roy Silva, the 39-year-old allrounder.

Consequently it means that Taylor, Singh and Timil Patel have withdrawn from the Global T20 Canada which starts on July 25 in Brampton, Ontario. It represents a shift in priorities for Taylor, who in the summer of 2015 had withdrawn from USA's squad for the T20 World Cup Qualifier in Ireland to take up a rookie contract with Barbados Tridents and had stated ambitions to one day represent West Indies.

Two other USA players taken in the Global T20 Canada, fast bowler Kyle Phillip and batsman Sunny Sohal, were not offered USA Cricket contracts and have remained in the tournament. The availability of Netravalkar, Marshall and Jones for the CPL - drafted by Guyana Amazon Warriors, Jamaica Tallawahs and St Kitts & Nevis Patriots respectively - is unclear.

Aside from that group, six other players have been given three-month contracts by USA Cricket in the buildup to the T20 World Cup Qualifying. They are former South African international Rusty Theron, former USA vice-captain Timroy Allen, Hampshire medium pace allrounder Ian Holland, former Guyana Under-19 batsman Akshay Homraj, left-arm spinning allrounder Nisarg Patel and batsman Sagar Patel.

The three-month contracts are dated to begin on July 22 when all contracted players will fly to Los Angeles for the start of a three-week training camp at Woodley Park, the site of USA squad trials that were held last month. The training camp is in preparation for the next round of 2020 T20 World Cup Qualifying, when USA travels to Bermuda to take on the host side, Canada and Cayman Islands in a double round-robin event from August 18-25. The top two teams advance to the global T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE from October 11 to November 4.

Following the conclusion of the qualifier in Bermuda, USA's next action is their first home ODIs against Namibia and Papua New Guinea from September 7 to 14.

The series was originally announced by the ICC in May to be hosted at Church Street Park in the Raleigh, North Carolina suburb of Morrisville. But USA Cricket officials have confirmed that Raleigh will no longer host the matches. A new turf facility paid for by ACE funding which is nearing completion in the Silicon Valley town of Morgan Hill, California, is a leading candidate. If the facility does not receive clearance from the ICC in time, then Woodley Park in Los Angeles is the most likely alternative. The most recent international cricket to take place at Woodley was in November 2016 when USA hosted WCL Division Four. ACE hired a full-time groundsman for Woodley Park in June, brought in from India, to get the pitches at the facility back into suitable condition.

After the completion of USA's home ODIs in September, all USA contracted players who are not part of CPL squads are expected to be flown to Bangalore for another three-week camp at India's National Cricket Academy. The camp will serve as their final preparation for the T20 World Cup Qualifier in the UAE in October.

USA Cricket 12-month contracts: Aaron Jones, Xavier Marshall, Monank Patel, Jessy Singh, Steven Taylor.

USA Cricket three-month contracts: Timroy Allen, Karima Gore, Ian Holland, Akshay Homraj, Elmore Hutchinson, Nosthush Kenjige, Jaskaran Malhotra, Saurabh Netravalkar, Nisarg Patel, Sagar Patel, Timil Patel, Rusty Theron.

Australia Women 420 for 9 dec (Mooney 51) and 230 for 7 (Perry 76*) drew with England Women 275 for 9 dec (Sciver 88, Jones 64, Molineux 4-95)

As Australia drew their Test with England to retain the Ashes, it was only fitting that Ellyse Perry should still be at the crease late on the final day at Taunton.

Perry's performances have been a shining light in this series, not least in the Test, which ended in the non-defeat the tourists needed after she added an unbeaten 76 to her 116 in the first innings.

Almost as appropriate was the fact Sophie Molineux joined Perry until shortly before the captains shook hands on the draw when Australia lost the wicket of Ashleigh Gardner to close with a lead of 335 runs, which demonstrated their dominance of the match, despite the result. Spinning all-rounder Molineux made a stellar debut in the long format, claiming four wickets to destroy England's hopes of reviving the match after a severely rain-affected second day, and then put on 41 runs in a 50-plus partnership with Perry.

On a pitch offering little to anyone, the draw gave Australia eight points to England's two - they split the four points on offer in the Test - to retain the trophy with six points left to be claimed from the upcoming three T20s.

It kept alive Alyssa Healy's bold claim before arriving in England that Australia would not lose a match in the series and breathed life into the debate about whether women should play five-day Tests. In fact, it raised many questions. Should Australia have been more attacking and pressed for a result, given England's declaration before lunch while still trailing by 145? Should the women's game have pitches prepared specifically to promote attacking cricket? Or did the Australians simply do what they needed to do to achieve the result they came for - to win the Ashes.

Once the follow-on had been avoided, attention turned to a possible England declaration and, when Jess Jonassen trapped Laura Marsh plumb lbw attempting to sweep for her second wicket of the day - and the innings - then Heather Knight made the call to give her team a crack at the Australian batsmen before lunch.

Any sense of damned if she did and damned if she didn't over denying last batsman Kirstie Gordon the chance to have a swing with Sophie Ecclestone needed to be tempered by the realisation that England's hopes of winning the match had been placed in peril long before.

Similarly Australia were faced with the dilemma of whether to put the match too far beyond doubt to be interesting, or press for victory and, incidentally, an exciting end to the Test.

As it happened, two early wickets to Marsh forced Australia to put the shutters up - if they hadn't already - after Ecclestone had begun for England in fine fashion, threatening with every ball of the first over - a maiden - to Rachael Haynes, opening the batting in place of Nicole Bolton, who had injured her thumb while fielding.

Lunch was taken after five overs, by which time Haynes was still not off the mark after facing 15 balls and Healy was not out 13 off 15. Marsh came into the attack at the resumption and struck with her second and sixth deliveries, bowling Healy through the gate with a gem that angled across the right-hander, and then trapping Haynes lbw.

At 15 for 2, Meg Lanning and Perry dug in, building a 48-run partnership before Lanning's remarkable dismissal. Replacing Marsh, debutante spinner Gordon struck in her first over with a full toss which Lanning looked to punish on the on-side but managed to pick out Georgia Elwiss at cover, much to the batsman's disbelief and, possibly, the bowler's as well.

Ecclestone was rewarded when Beth Mooney tried to slog her over mid-wicket and found a cat-like Tammy Beaumont pouncing on the catch at short leg. By that time, Australia had extended their lead to 250 and Perry had a half-century in sight.

Perry, carrying a leg-muscle complaint and who benefited from a favourable but apparently errant lbw decision when on 20, brought up her fifty with a four off Katherine Brunt, who did not return from tea after injuring her right arm while fielding late in the second session. Perry did emerge, with the bat, alongside Jonassen after the break, squashing any hopes of a declaration.

Instead, the height of excitement through the final session was watching Player of the Match Perry in action again, and seeing what Molineux could do with the bat. Gardner also chimed in with the only six of the match before she was out for 7. The only other action of note, and it was certainly not positive, was seeing England wicketkeeper Sarah Taylor struck on the shoulder by an Anya Shrubsole delivery to Perry that spat up off a full length. Taylor remained behind the stumps for some time before leaving the field for treatment, replaced by Amy Jones.

Earlier, Jonassen had claimed the wicket of Natalie Sciver, upon whom England's hopes had fallen late on day three, only growing as she neared her ton. But Sciver added only 26 runs to her overnight score before she was out for 88 chopping on.

Molineux had claimed the first wicket of the day when she tempted Shrubsole to try and hit her over the leg side, only to find herself out of her ground for a stumping by Healy. That gave Molineux match figures of 4 for 95.

Shane Lowry has won The Open for his first major title.

The Irishman held on through a wet and windy day at Royal Portrush to beat Tommy Fleetwood by 6 strokes.

Lowry, 32, entered the day with a 4-stroke lead. He shot 1-over 72 and finished with a 15-under 269 total.

It was the second time Lowry went into the final round of a major with a 4-stroke lead, but he ended up in a tie for second at the 2016 U.S. Open after shooting a 6-over 76.

There was never any major scare on Sunday at the first Open in Northern Ireland since 1951. Fleetwood got within 3 strokes after the first hole but never got any closer, finishing with a 3-over 74.

NEW YORK -- When he was first hit by a pitch from Colorado's Chad Bettis, Yankees slugger Luke Voit said he was scared. He remembered when Giancarlo Stanton's jaw was broken by a pitch from Milwaukee's Mike Fiers five years ago.

"I thought broken jaw. My teeth were going to be all scattered everywhere," Voit said Sunday. "I grabbed my face. So I was like, 'Uh-oh.' ... But then, it wasn't as bad as I thought. Just a scary thing."

Voit was back in the New York Yankees' lineup at first base for Sunday's series finale against Colorado. He said his jaw was "super sore" when he awoke, but after icing it, there was only a little swelling. He said it felt as if he had been punched, and there was a slight cut on his chin. Concussion tests were negative.

Part of the force of the 91 mph pitch was absorbed when the ball grazed Voit's shoulder before hitting his chin. He also was able to turn his face slightly to avoid direct contact.

"I dodged a bullet, got lucky," said Voit, who planned to try a protective chin strap on his helmet before the game.

Left fielder Brett Gardner was scratched from the lineup because of a knee that was "barking," according to manager Aaron Boone, and he was replaced by Mike Tauchman. Boone said he expects Gardner will be available for Monday night's road trip opener at Minnesota.

Stanton, limited to nine games this season, is not close to returning from his latest injury. He strained his left biceps on March 31 in his third game, strained a shoulder and calf during his rehabilitation and returned June 18. In his sixth game back, he strained the posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee during an awkward headfirst slide into third base against Toronto on June 25.

"Better, but still slow. Not baseball activities yet," Boone said. "He feels like he is making some progress, where I think the first couple of weeks was a little frustrating in that it was slow moving."

Stanton is hitting .290 with one home run and seven RBIs, and he has been pretty much a nonfactor in the Yankees' season.

Outfielder Cameron Maybin, sidelined since straining his left calf on June 21, is to start a minor league injury rehabilitation assignment with Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes Barre on Tuesday.

Ace Luis Severino and setup man Dellin Betances, both sidelined since spring training by lat injuries, started throwing on flat ground Monday but are not yet ready to begin bullpen sessions, making returns before late August unlikely.

"I would say sometime in the early part of next month they should be on the mound if everything continues to go well," Boone said.

CLEVELAND -- Corey Kluber threw 30 pitches in a bullpen session Sunday as the Cleveland right-hander continues his comeback from a broken forearm.

Kluber threw off the mound for the second time since being struck on the right arm by a line drive on May 1 against Miami.

Manager Terry Francona said the two-time AL Cy Young Award winner is scheduled to throw off the mound again Wednesday.

Kluber has thrown breaking pitches off flat ground, but has gone with only fastballs in the bullpen. Francona said Kluber will begin throwing breaking pitches off the mound in upcoming sessions.

The Indians have climbed back in the AL Central race without Kluber and right-hander Carlos Carrasco, who was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukemia in June.

Carrasco has been throwing in the bullpen, but told reporters earlier this month he doesn't know whether he'll pitch again this season.

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. -- The Tampa Bay Rays placed oft-injured center fielder Kevin Kiermaier on the 10-day injured list Sunday with a sprained left thumb and recalled outfielder Guillermo Heredia from Triple-A Durham.

Kiermaier is hopeful of missing just a couple of weeks after an MRI exam Sunday found the ligament intact and no surgery required.

"It's the best news I could have received given what happened," Kiermaier said. "I'm going to be OK. I'm going to be back out on the field sooner than later."

Kiermaier was hurt diving headfirst into first base on an infield single in the eighth inning of the Rays' 2-1, 11-inning loss to the Chicago White Sox on Saturday night.

The Rays lost for the 21st time in 36 games and have fallen behind Cleveland and Oakland in the AL wild-card race.

"Everything I do on the field I do for a purpose," Kiermaier said. "Right now we have a struggling team and things haven't been going our way a whole lot lately. This is when I want to play harder; I want to play with more passion."

This is the fourth consecutive year the standout defender has been sidelined by sliding or diving injuries.

Kiermaier missed 57 games last season due to a torn right thumb ligament that occurred while sliding into second base.

He missed 61 games during the 2017 season after fracturing his right hip sliding awkwardly into first base on an infield hit attempt.

Kiermaier fractured his left hand diving for a ball in 2016 and missed 48 games.

Hellen Obiri runs world-leading 5000m as Sifan Hassan breaks European record at Anniversary Games

Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce is close to being in the form of her life as the two-time Olympic champion won the Müller Anniversary Games women’s 100m easily in 10.78 to just miss her six-year-old meeting record of 10.77.

Her reaction time was a modest 0.155 but her pick up was sensational and the Jamaican won by a well over a metre from Dina Asher-Smith.

The Briton ran 10.92 to maintain her consistent sub-11 form, while Marie-Josee Ta Lou was third in 10.98.

World 200m champion Dafne Schippers was disqualified with a reaction time five-thousandths within the limit.

In the heats, Asher-Smith was mightily impressive, winning her race in 10.91 for her equal second fastest ever time in comfortably repelling the challenge of Ta Lou’s 10.96.

Daryll Neita was a non-qualifying fifth in 11.24.

In the opening heat, Fraser-Pryce won into a light headwind in 10.95 with Imani Lansiquot the leading Briton in a non-qualifying sixth in 11.24.

“At first I was a bit put off by the false start but I was glad I was able to go back and reset myself,” said Fraser-Pryce.

“I am definitely happy. It’s a long season and I’ve been training and training. To come out here and run 10.78 is a fabulous time.”

Asher-Smith said: “I wanted to go 10.8 today, so seeing that time in the final was a bit frustrating. But I really can’t be disappointed with two 10.9s and I’ll definitely look to push to faster times as the season progresses. ”

Also on the track, all eyes were on the women’s 5000m to see if Sifan Hassan could add to her record-breaking 2019.

She did as she set an European record but she was well beaten by world champion Hellen Obiri.

The pace was never really fast enough for a world record. Natalie Rule led through 1000m in 2:53.90 and Winnie Nanyondo passed 2000m in 5:48.44. Gloriah Kite led at 3000m in 8:46.22 as the pace slowed and the world record now looked impossible.

Hassan had sat at the back of the leading group of 10 but she powered past 4000m in 11:39.09 and her laps of 66.94 and 65.48 meant she had just Obiri and Tirop for company.

Obiri kicked past down the back straight and Hassan stayed close but she could not produce her usual kick and she was picked off by Tirop down the straight.

Obiri won in a world-leading and meeting record 14:20.36, with Tirop second in a PB 14:20.68.

“I am so happy because this is my favourite track and I have done my best and I ran the way I wanted to,” said Obiri. “In the last lap I was thinking ‘work hard’ and I said to myself when I went past Hassan: ‘let me go and see if you can catch me’.”

Hassan struggled across the line in 14:22.12 which marginally improved her European record of 14:22.34.

“I went out fast but I’m still very tired from the mile in Monaco last week, both physically and emotionally,” Hassan said following her world record there. “But I still ran a PB, so I’m happy.”

Laura Weightman set a PB of 14:51.78 in 12th to go sixth all-time in the UK.

Just behind her Eilish McColgan was 13th in 14:51.89, despite suffering from a cold.

Jessica Judd and Rosie Clarke set PBs of 15:16.47 and 15:19.75 to gain Doha World Championships qualifiers back in 17th and 18th but Melissa Courtney dropped out.

Lynsey Sharp won the 800m in her fastest time for two years as she confirmed her good form from Monaco.

The early pace was fast – probably too much so as Aneta Lemiesz led through 400m in 56.91 with Sharp third in 57.3.
Natoya Goule was ahead at 500m in 72.5 and 600m in 87.7.

The Jamaican, who ran 1:57.90 in Monaco, surprisingly faded in the closing stages and Sharp kicked ahead with 100m to go.

She lost a little momentum in a painful 15.4 last 100m but her reward was a fine 1:58.61 which might have been even quicker but for the the fast early pace.

The Scot said: “It was a good race. It’s so nice to be in this stadium in London. Everyone has been saying how fast the track is so it was good to make the most of it today with a season’s best. I’m happy with my time. Last week was good but it was so nice to back myself up here as well.”

Behind her, Catriona Bisset was just over a metre back in an Australian record 1:58.78.

In third, Alex Bell improved her PB to 1:59.82 just ahead of European indoor champion Shelyana Oskan-Clarke who improved her season’s best from 2:01.47 to 1:59.83.

In sixth, Hannh Segrave, who paced the 1500m on Saturday, took over two seconds off her PB with 2:00.18.

While Goule was a rare Jamaican disappointment on the weekend, there was success in the 400m hurdles.

Rushell Clayton won in a huge PB of 54.16 to defeat double world champion Zuzana Hejnova, who ran 54.33.

In sixth, European bronze medallist Meghan Beesley strengthened her Doha claim with a UK lead and world qualifying 55.20.

The women’s long jump was a high-quality affair. World leader Malaika Mihambo won in a meeting record 7.02m and had further jumps of 6.96m and 6.93m to underline her superiority.

Brittney Reese finished strongly to jump 6.82m and finish second.

Lorraine Ugen was fifth in 6.62m with Katarina Johnson-Thompson not at her very best this weekend finishing seventh in 6.47m.

World champion Stef Reid won the T44-T64 long jump with a 5.36m leap.

The Club Connect relay saw wins for Shaftesbury Barnet’s under-20 women in 46.31 to go third all-time, Blackheath and Bromley’s under-17 team in 47.61, Croydon’s under-15s in 48.67 and Reading’s under-13 team in 52.06.

Men’s events report to follow.

Results can be found here.

WATSONVILLE, Calif. — Bud Kaeding won the 30-lap feature which honors his legendary grandfather Howard at Ocean Speedway on Friday night.

The NARC-King of the West presented by Fujitsu 410 Series event paid $5,000 to the winner.  Kaeding drove the famous No. 0 Morrie Williams-owned car to victory in the Howard Kaeding Classic.

Shane Golobic brought the Matt Woods No. 17w Nos Energy Drink sponsored car home in the runner up spot after leading prior to being passed by Kaeding. Willie Croft would finish third in his No. 29 after being in the hunt for most of the race.

Jonathan Allard and Billy Aton brought the 24-car field to the green with Aton taking the early lead when Allard stumbled in the first turn. The race would go three laps before a caution for a Jeremy Chisum and Danny Faria spin in the middle of the third and fourth turns. Aton was leading Croft and Golobic.  On the seventh circuit, Golobic took over the second spot. Three laps later, sixth place starter Kaeding, who slowly advanced each lap, would pass Golobic for second.

A caution on lap 16 for a Sean Watts spin in the third turn would bunch the field back up.  Aton was still leading at that point, but the restart proved costly as he would fade under pressure from Kaeding, Golobic and Croft.

A three-wide traffic jam in the third turn would bring out the caution flag on lap 24. The shunt left Allard with a flat left rear tire and Dominic Scelzi with a bent front wing among other things, forcing him to pit for repairs.

The restart quickly turned back to yellow when Kyle Offill spun in the middle of the third and fourth turn. The caution proved costly for Justin Sanders who had just passed Croft for third but got put back a spot.

Kaeding was not to be denied the final six laps holding off both Golobic and Croft.  The Campbell, Calif., third-generation driver did a patented Kaeding victory donuts in the fourth turn to celebrate the victory.  The No. 0 stalled after doing no less than a dozen spins, so Kaeding jumped out of the stopped car and ran across the finish line in “Ricky Bobby” style.

Thirty-five cars signed into the pit area with several cars racing their 360 motored cars against their bigger 410 brothers.

The finish:

Bud Kaeding, Shane Golobic, Willie Croft, Justin Sanders, Colby Copeland, Jason Statler, Cole Macedo, Ryan Bernal, Jeremy Chisum, D.J. Netto, Billy Aton, Brad Furr, Kyle Offill, Nathan Rolfe, Danny Faria, Kenny Allen, Sean Watts, Geoff Ensign, James Ringo, Trent Canalas, Jonathan Allard, Mitchell Faccinto, Dominic Scelzi, Chase Johnson

GREENWOOD, Neb. — Bobby Pierce got his redemption at I-80 Speedway, winning Saturday night’s Imperial Tile 9th annual Silver Dollar Nationals.

Pierce’s first Lucas Oil Late Model Dirt Series win of the season came exactly one year after he suffered the heartbreak of losing the race lead with three laps to go due to mechanical issues.

Pierce took the lead from Chris Madden for the final time on lap 66 and cruised on for the victory to become the twelfth different winner this year on the tour. Madden wound up in second. Brandon Sheppard got around Scott Bloomquist late in the race to take third ahead of Bloomquist and hard-charging Dale McDowell in fifth.

The event continued the tradition of exciting racing at I-80 Speedway with nine lead changes during the 80-lap affair. Tim McCreadie led the first 30 laps until Pierce took over the point for one circuit. Pierce who started sixth then yielded the lead back to McCreadie on lap 32.

Madden was on the move early on reaching third on lap 32 after starting fourteenth on the grid. Madden then went for the lead, taking it away from McCreadie on lap 33. Madden held the top spot until lap 39 when Pierce regained control. Pierce was on top of the scoring pylon for six laps until once again Madden flexed his muscles and wrestled away the lead. Madden started to pull away from Pierce momentarily, but Pierce regrouped and tracked Madden down, finally overhauling him on lap 59.

A caution with 20 laps to go allowed Madden to once again pick up the lead over Pierce. Pierce picked up his speed and momentum for the final time using the outside to pass Madden with fourteen laps remaining in the race and sailed on to the win.

“I felt really good,” Pierce said. “I had some trouble on the restarts. My dad was showing me different signals and wanting me to do more stuff out there. Luckily there wasn’t a caution with a few laps to go because it really could have been interesting. It’s the biggest win of my career. There were times tonight I didn’t think it was going to happen. Thanks to my crew for keeping the bolts tight on everything.”

Madden came home the runner-up after leading for 26 laps.

“It feels good to be back in the car,” Madden said. “Cody Sommer and Scott [Bloomquist] have put their hearts into this giving us everything we needed. What an awesome job they have done the last three days down here in this heat. We never gave up and to come home with a second-place finish I am proud of everyone with the team. He [Pierce] puts his car in positions I am not sure anyone else can. He earned the win.”

After starting eighth, Sheppard rallied in the final 14 laps to claim a podium finish.

“My car just wasn’t where I wanted it to be on the cushion,” he said. “I felt like we couldn’t run down low on the track, like several could. The restarts definitely helped me out. We were good when we restarted on the top, but on the bottom, we weren’t nearly as good. Congrats tom Bobby and Chris, it was a lot of fun racing out there.”

The finish:

Bobby Pierce, Chris Madden, Brandon Sheppard, Scott Bloomquist, Dale McDowell, Jonathan Davenport, Tim McCreadie, Mike Marlar, Devin Moran, Dennis Erb Jr., Jimmy Owens, Shanon Buckingham, Stormy Scott, Ricky Weiss, Hudson O’Neal, Josh Richards, Earl Pearson Jr., Kyle Bronson, Ben Schaller, Corey Zeitner, Cody Laney, Tyler Bruening, Billy Moyer Jr., Tyler Erb, Mason Zeigler.