AUTO RACING: Denny Hamlin earns 57th career win in Michigan and NASCAR heads to Mexico
All Times Eastern
NASCAR CUP SERIES
Viva Mexico 250
Site: Mexico City.
Track: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Race distance: 100 laps, 241 miles.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 1:05 p.m., practice, 3 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, noon; Sunday, race, 3 p.m. (Prime Video and MAX).
Last year: Inaugural race.
Last race: After passing Byron with three to go, Denny Hamlin earned his third series victory alongside his 57th career win in Michigan.
Next race: June 22, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR XFINITY SERIES
The Chilango 150
Site: Mexico City.
Track: Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.
Race distance: 65 laps, 157.3 miles.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 2:05 p.m., practice, 3:30 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 10:30 a.m., race, 4:30 p.m. (CW).
Last year: The previous race, which was held in 2008 and named the Corona Mexico 200, saw Kyle Busch earn the victory after passing Scott Pruett with 7 laps to go.
Last race: Justin Allgaier took the his third series win of the season in Nashville while holding off a late surge from rookie teammate Connor Zilisch.
Next race: June 21, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
NASCAR CRAFTSMAN TRUCK SERIES
Last race: Stewart Friesen held off Enfinger late to secure the victory in Michigan, breaking a 72-race losing streak and grabbing his first win since 2022.
Next race: June 20, Long Pond, Pennsylvania.
Online: http://www.nascar.com
FORMULA ONE
Pirelli Grand Prix du Canada
Site: Montreal.
Track: Circuit Gilles-Villeneuve.
Race distance: 70 laps, 189.6 miles.
Schedule: Friday, practice, 1:25 p.m., practice, 4:55 p.m.; Saturday, practice, 12:25 p.m., qualifying, 3:55 p.m.; Sunday, race, 2 p.m. (ABC).
Last year: Verstappen secured his 60th career win, taking the lead after a restart in a thrilling race that saw rain showers and a string of safety car appearances.
Last race: Oscar Piastri secured the victory and held off teammate Lando Norris in Spain to take back momentum after Norris's previous win at Monaco.
Next race: June 29, Spielberg, Austria.
Online: http://www.formula1.com
INDYCAR
Bommarito Automotive Grand Prix
Site: Madison, Illinois.
Track: Worldwide Technology Raceway.
Race distance: 260 laps, 310.6 miles.
Schedule: Saturday, practice, 11:30 a.m., qualifying, 3 p.m. high line & final practice, 5:30 p.m.; Sunday, race, 8 p.m. (FOX).
Last year: Josef Newgarden took his fifth win out of nine visits to the Madison track, holding off teammate McLaughlin after a late restart with six laps to go.
Last race: Kyle Kirkwood surged ahead on a late restart in Detroit to take his second win of the season.
Next race: June 22, Elkhart, Wisconsin.
Online: http://www.indycar.com
NHRA DRAG RACING
Next race: June 22, North Dinwiddie, Virginia.
Online: http://www.nhra.com
WORLD OF OUTLAWS
Premier Chevy Dealers Clash - Night 1
Site: Knoxville, Iowa.
Track: Knoxville Raceway.
Premier Chevy Dealers Clash - Night 2
Site: Knoxville, Iowa.
Track: Knoxville Raceway.
Next events: June 18-23, Brandon, South Dakota, Pevely, Missouri, Independence, Iowa.
Online: http://worldofoutlaws.com
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AP auto racing: https://apnews.com/apf-AutoRacing
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Associated Press
38 minutes ago
- Associated Press
Azteca Stadium to feature hybrid field, modern amenities for 2026 World Cup
MEXICO CITY (AP) — A hybrid field, updated locker rooms, elevators and hospitality zones are among the new features of Azteca Stadium for the 2026 World Cup, the owners said Wednesday. Sports entertainment company Ollamani also confirmed the stadium will reopen March 28, which will be 75 days before the start of the World Cup as Mexico City Mayor Clara Brugada announced recently. 'The centerpiece of the stadium's renovation is the people who visit it. Our main objective is to substantially improve their experience in every way,' stadium director Felix Aguirre said in a statement. The iconic venue closed last May for renovations ahead of next year's 48-team competition hosted by Mexico, the United States and Canada. The 83,000-seat Azteca, which recently was renamed, will host five games including the tournament opener. It also hosted the first matches in the 1971 and 1986 World Cups. Ollamani, which is affiliated with Grupo Televisa, Mexico's largest television network, also said the stadium will have bigger capacity, but did not specify how many extra seats it will have. It will be the second time that Azteca has a hybrid pitch — one was installed in 2018 but returned to natural grass a year later. The poor field conditions in November 2018 forced a last-minute change of venue for an NFL game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Los Angeles Rams. 'The pitch, being subjected to intensive use, will have a new ventilation and suction system, thereby achieving better recovery, stability and resistance,' Ollamani said in a statement. The new locker rooms will be located at the center of the stadium under the luxury boxes and with a tunnel leading to the pitch. Before, they were located in the north and south part of it. 'The project includes new facilities in the competition areas, improving the experience of the player, fans and media in line with the most modern stadiums in the world,' the company said. The plan includes installing large LED screens inside and outside the stadium. Before the renovations, the stadium had just two big screens that were installed in 2015. Ollamani did not provided specific details about elevators or escalators. In the past, the only way to move between the lower and upper sections was using an old ramp. The hospitality zones were also a necessity. The old stadium had a small concession area outside the venue, but inside there were no food courts and the fans were forced to buy from the vendors roaming the seating area. Among other renovations, the stadium owners also announced a new press box area, improved restrooms, a 200-unit CCTV surveillance system and a new sound system. Originally, a major renovation was planned including a shopping center and hotel, but residents of Santa Úrsula, a popular neighborhood located south of the capital, opposed them. Ollamani said that the facade and the roof will be renovated 'to improve the stadium appearance without losing its essence.' Earlier in the year, the owners released images of work done on the pitch and the lower seats. The luxury boxes apparently haven't been touched because some owners refuse to release them to FIFA. The box owners recently filed a complaint with Mexico's consumer protection agency seeking clarity over use of the seating for the 2026 World Cup. ___ AP soccer:


San Francisco Chronicle
an hour ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Luzardo returns to form with 10 strikeouts and Phillies bats come alive to end prolonged slumps
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. admired Kyle Schwarber's shot deep into the right-field seats —'that's a bomb!' — and got a thrill when Nick Castellanos came inches away from his own solo homer. Castellanos settled for a triple, showing that in baseball — unlike in Stenhouse's day job in NASCAR — good things happen when a long drive ends with a smack off the wall. Alec Bohm also went deep and teamed with Schwarber and Castellanos to contribute three of the Phillies' five extra-base hits in a win the team can only hope revived an offense that's been punchless this month. Another encouraging sign? Jesús Luzardo put two disastrous starts behind him and struck out 10 in six innings to lead the Phillies past the Chicago Cubs 7-2 on Wednesday. The Phillies had lost nine of 10 games overall headed into the Cubs' series and suffered the double whammy of losing first baseman Bryce Harper to wrist soreness and starter Aaron Nola adding a stress reaction in one of his right ribs. They returned home and split the first two games of the three-game set against the Cubs in underwhelming fashion: Of their 26 hits in two games, 23 were singles. Schwarber hit his 21st homer a Monster Mile — Stenhouse attended to promote the July 20 NASCAR race at Dover Motor Speedway — and Bohm added four RBIs to help the Phillies win the series. Schwarber is averaging one home run for every 10.94 at-bats during June in his career, which ranks third in MLB history with at least 600 at-bats behind Babe Ruth (10.64 AB/HR) and Mark McGwire (10.80 AB/HR). Luzardo handled the rest. The left-hander was an early season success story in his first season since he was acquired from Miami in what looked like the heist of the winter. He struck out 11 in his Phillies' debut and followed in his second start with seven scoreless innings. Luzardo struck out a combined 20 batters in consecutive starts in late May as the Phillies surged to the lead in the NL. Luzardo's next two starts were somehow about as bad as it gets — he was rocked for 12 runs in 3 1/3 innings that skyrocketed his ERA from 2.15 to 3.58 and he gave up eight runs in 2 1/3 innings in his last outing in Toronto. Luzardo insisted he was healthy and still hit the high 90s with his fastball, forcing him to study game film with a bit of a detective's eye to find out why his season soured. He came to the conclusion that he must have been tipping his pitches. How about a tip of the cap from Phillies fans instead? 'There's a lot of things we tinkered with,' Luzardo said. 'The biggest thing was attention to detail, attention to where we want to go, pitch selection that comes from me.' Luzardo fanned two batters in the first inning to get the gem of a start going. He didn't walk a batter in six innings and allowed his only run with the Phillies up 4-0. Luzardo gave up consecutive singles to open the second inning before he struck out the side. 'He studies himself and he wants to address what he's doing wrong,' Schwarber said. 'That's the impressive thing about him. We were all excited to watch him get out there on the mound today and see what was going to happen. Never a third time.' Max Lazar worked two innings of relief and Michael Mercado tossed a scoreless ninth for the Phillies. Luzardo recorded his fourth double-digit strikeout game in his 15th start of the season, the first Phillies pitcher with four or more double-digit strikeout games in their first 15 starts with the team since Steve Carlton had five in 1972. Yes, the Hall of Famer with the 10-foot statue outside Citizens Bank Park. Not all stats, of course, are usually measured against Hall of Famers. Luzardo was the first Phillies left-hander with at least 10 strikeouts and no walks in a game since Drew Smyly struck out 10 in 2019 at Washington. Up next, an off day and a home weekend series against a Blue Jays team that outscored the Phillies 11-2 in consecutive losses last weekend. Schwarber was willing to bet the past two weeks were just a blip in a long season for a playoff-tested team rather than the start of a summer swoon. 'We know what we have,' Schwarber said. 'We've been in a little rut and we're finding our way out of it. We know that if we do what we need to do, we're know that we're not going to be losing many games overall.' ___


Fox Sports
an hour ago
- Fox Sports
Luzardo returns to form with 10 strikeouts and Phillies bats come alive to end prolonged slumps
Associated Press PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Ricky Stenhouse Jr. admired Kyle Schwarber's shot deep into the right-field seats —'that's a bomb!' — and got a thrill when Nick Castellanos came inches away from his own solo homer. Castellanos settled for a triple, showing that in baseball — unlike in Stenhouse's day job in NASCAR — good things happen when a long drive ends with a smack off the wall. Alec Bohm also went deep and teamed with Schwarber and Castellanos to contribute three of the Phillies' five extra-base hits in a win the team can only hope revived an offense that's been punchless this month. Another encouraging sign? Jesus Luzardo put two disastrous starts behind him and struck out 10 in six innings to lead the Phillies past the Chicago Cubs 7-2 on Wednesday. The Phillies had lost nine of 10 games overall headed into the Cubs' series and suffered the double whammy of losing first baseman Bryce Harper to wrist soreness and starter Aaron Nola adding a stress reaction in one of his right ribs. They returned home and split the first two games of the three-game set against the Cubs in underwhelming fashion: Of their 26 hits in two games, 23 were singles. Schwarber hit his 21st homer a Monster Mile — Stenhouse attended to promote the July 20 NASCAR race at Dover Motor Speedway — and Bohm added four RBIs to help the Phillies win the series. Schwarber is averaging one home run for every 10.94 at-bats during June in his career, which ranks third in MLB history with at least 600 at-bats behind Babe Ruth (10.64 AB/HR) and Mark McGwire (10.80 AB/HR). Luzardo handled the rest. The left-hander was an early season success story in his first season since he was acquired from Miami in what looked like the heist of the winter. He struck out 11 in his Phillies' debut and followed in his second start with seven scoreless innings. Luzardo struck out a combined 20 batters in consecutive starts in late May as the Phillies surged to the lead in the NL. Luzardo's next two starts were somehow about as bad as it gets — he was rocked for 12 runs in 3 1/3 innings that skyrocketed his ERA from 2.15 to 3.58 and he gave up eight runs in 2 1/3 innings in his last outing in Toronto. Luzardo insisted he was healthy and still hit the high 90s with his fastball, forcing him to study game film with a bit of a detective's eye to find out why his season soured. He came to the conclusion that he must have been tipping his pitches. How about a tip of the cap from Phillies fans instead? 'There's a lot of things we tinkered with,' Luzardo said. 'The biggest thing was attention to detail, attention to where we want to go, pitch selection that comes from me.' Luzardo fanned two batters in the first inning to get the gem of a start going. He didn't walk a batter in six innings and allowed his only run with the Phillies up 4-0. Luzardo gave up consecutive singles to open the second inning before he struck out the side. 'He studies himself and he wants to address what he's doing wrong,' Schwarber said. 'That's the impressive thing about him. We were all excited to watch him get out there on the mound today and see what was going to happen. Never a third time.' Max Lazar worked two innings of relief and Michael Mercado tossed a scoreless ninth for the Phillies. Luzardo recorded his fourth double-digit strikeout game in his 15th start of the season, the first Phillies pitcher with four or more double-digit strikeout games in their first 15 starts with the team since Steve Carlton had five in 1972. Yes, the Hall of Famer with the 10-foot statue outside Citizens Bank Park. Not all stats, of course, are usually measured against Hall of Famers. Luzardo was the first Phillies left-hander with at least 10 strikeouts and no walks in a game since Drew Smyly struck out 10 in 2019 at Washington. Up next, an off day and a home weekend series against a Blue Jays team that outscored the Phillies 11-2 in consecutive losses last weekend. Schwarber was willing to bet the past two weeks were just a blip in a long season for a playoff-tested team rather than the start of a summer swoon. 'We know what we have,' Schwarber said. 'We've been in a little rut and we're finding our way out of it. We know that if we do what we need to do, we're know that we're not going to be losing many games overall.' ___ AP MLB: recommended