Takuma Sato Qualifies 2nd for the Indy 500
Reporting on Takuma Sato and the 109th Indy 500, the launch of the Asian University Basketball League, and the upcoming French Open.
Takuma Sato participates in qualifying for the Indy 500 on May 18, 2025, in Indianapolis. (©AP/via KYODO)
Two-time Indy 500 champion Takuma Sato qualified for the 109th running of America's most famous auto race. He earned the second spot on the starting grid.
The 33-car, 200-lap spectacle is on Sunday, May 25, at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Sato, driving for Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing, has competed 15 times in the Indy 500. He won the race in 2017 (when he qualified second) and triumphed for a second time in 2020 (when he qualified third).
In qualifying on May 18, Sato had a four-lap average speed of 232.478 mph. Tel Aviv native Robert Shwartzman of Prema Racing won pole position (232.790 mph) for his Indy 500 debut, the first driver to do so since Teo Fabi in 1983.
Sato is 48. Shwartzman, 25, represents the up-and-coming generation of drivers.
"We made it!" Sato exclaimed, reacting after he qualified second. "We're back on the front row. I'm very, very happy for the team and very proud of everyone."
Sato added, "Unfortunately, it was this close to Robert Shwartzman. Huge congrats to him. I'm very proud of HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) and Honda and proud to put them on the front row. I think we finally got the near perfect balance, got all of the pieces together, so huge credit to the team. I'm looking forward to the Indy 500."
Look for Sato's No 75 Honda-powered car in the Indy 500. Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing driver Takuma Sato is seen at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 19. (Kristin Enzor/USA TODAY NETWORK via IMAGN IMAGES)
On April 24, during a practice session in Indianapolis, Sato's car suffered considerable damage during a crash before Turn 2.
After that, Sato's quest to compete in the Indy 500 took on an added dimension. His racing team's expertise was on full display as it built him a new car.
Sato praised Rahal Letterman Lanigan Racing's teamwork that took place in the garage to make it possible for him to participate in qualifying.
"I'm very happy for the team who put my car, the 75 car, on the front row, which is [an] amazing result because I think we were kind of [in] a rollercoaster situation," Sato said on May 18, according to frontstretch.com. "Not just today, but through yesterday and probably the last two weeks."
Sato described Eddie Jones, the team's race engineer, as an invaluable resource.
"Very happy for my engineer, Eddie Jones, who should [have] retired five years ago. But I keep pulling him back from Ireland," Sato told the media, Front Stretch reported. Highlighting Jones' work and the rest of the racing team's effort, Sato added, "It's amazing the people, just their dedication and meticulous job." AUTO RACING | Takuma Sato Wins Indy 500 for Second Time
The inaugural 2025 Asian University Basketball League season will be held August 18-24 in Hangzhou, China, it was announced on Wednesday, May 21.
Twelve universities from China, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan will participate in the seven-day tournament. A total of 24 games are scheduled, and the league is sanctioned by the Asian University Sports Federation, the governing body of university sports on the continent.
The 2025 AUBL season is the launching pad for a bigger, more ambitious plan for 2026, when a home-and-away format will be implemented and the competition will last for six months, wrapping up with a Final Four at a TBA site.
For August's competition, China's participating schools are Peking University, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Taiyuan University of Technology, Tsinghua University, University of Hong Kong and Zhejiang University.
Representing Japan are Hakuoh University and Nippon Sport Science University.
South Korea's scheduled participants are Dongguk University, Konkuk University and Yonsei University.
Taiwan's tourney entrant is National Chengchi University.
The launch of the AUBL includes financial backing from Blue Pool Capital (co-founded by Brooklyn Nets owner Joe Tsai) and Avenue Capital Group (former Milwaukee Bucks co-owner Marc Lasry's firm).
Clearly, having a current and a former NBA owner involved in this project adds financial stability and gravitas.
"As a former student-athlete, I appreciate the value of college sports for both participants and their communities," said Tsai, the Alibaba Group chairman, in a statement. "In Asian society, top-tier universities are among the most recognized brands, and they easily translate into sports through the spirit of competition between schools. That's why I believe in the AUBL's vision.
"Asia's growing basketball market, rising talent, and increasing institutional support create the right conditions for a successful collegiate league."
Lasry also shared his viewpoints on the launch of the Asian University Basketball League.
"Avenue Capital's experience in basketball investing tells us Asia's collegiate scene is ripe for transformation ― and the AUBL has the right model to lead it," Lasry said, according to a news release. "Basketball is a universal language, and Asia's fans are ready to embrace college basketball with the same energy that defines March Madness in the US." Kei Nishikori competes in the first round of the Geneva Open on May 19 in Geneva, Switzerland. (KYODO)
Kei Nishikori was assigned to play reigning men's singles champion Carlos Alcaraz of Spain in the first round of the French Open. The draw was released on Thursday, May 22, and the Grand Slam tournament gets underway on Sunday in Paris.
Alcaraz is the No 2 men's seed. Italian Jannik Sinner is the top seed.
Nishikori, who is 62nd in the latest world rankings, is an unseeded player. The 35-year-old has never faced Alcaraz in a singles match.
In Nishikori's most recent match, he retired with back pain in a second-round encounter with Russia's Karen Khachanov at the Geneva Open on Wednesday.
Nishikori has advanced to the French Open quarterfinals three times (2015, 2017 and 2019). His best result at a Grand Slam was a runner-up finish at the 2014 US Open. Naomi Osaka in a May 2025 file photo. (Yves Herman/REUTERS)
On the women's side, former world No 1 Naomi Osaka is penciled in to face 10th-seeded Spaniard Paula Badosa in the opening round in Paris.
Sadaharu Oh, global pro baseball's all-time home-run king, celebrated his 85th birthday on Tuesday, May 20.
Oh played his final game for the Yomiuri Giants in 1980. He smacked 868 homers in his legendary career.
Nowadays, Oh serves as chairman of NPB's Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks.
Author: Ed Odeven
Find Ed on JAPAN Forward' s dedicated website, SportsLook . Follow his [Japan Sports Notebook] on Sundays, [Odds and Evens] during the week, and X (formerly Twitter) ＠ed_odeven .
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Winnipeg Free Press
28 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Bills quarterback Josh Allen shows off new ring following marriage to actor Hailee Steinfeld
ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. (AP) — Josh Allen's broad grin was familiar. The wedding band on the quarterback's ring finger was brand new. As much as Allen hoped to talk about the Buffalo Bills on Tuesday, the newlywed couldn't escape questions about his headline-grabbing marriage to actor/singer Hailee Steinfeld in Southern California on May 31. 'We're back to football,' he said, before pointing to his ring finger. 'Got some hardware now. So, good to go.' Allen was otherwise short on details as part of his longstanding bid to maintain a semblance of privacy, even though pictures from the outdoor wedding were posted on social media mere minutes after the couple exchanged 'I do's.' There were pictures of Steinfeld wearing a strapless white gown walking down the aisle, the couple sharing a kiss, and Allen, in a black tuxedo, posing with friends and Bills teammates. It wasn't until being asked about what the past four months have meant to him — in which Allen was named NFL MVP in February, signed one of the league's richest contracts in March and got married in May — that Allen finally opened up. He called Steinfeld his best friend, and said she makes everything easier. 'That was the most important decision I'll make in my life and I made the right one,' Allen said. Western New York and the NFL have a new power couple, both of whom happen to be from California and began dating two years ago. There's the 29-year-old Allen, who in seven seasons has set most of the Bills scoring and passing records. His star has continued to rise while he has transformed the Bills into an AFC power, also building his profile through various national commercials. And then there's Steinfeld, 28, who first gained fame by earning an Oscar nomination for best supporting actress for her role as Mattie Ross in the Coen brothers' 2010 remake of 'True Grit.' She has since enjoyed numerous starring roles, most recently in the movie 'Sinners,' while also branching out into music. Amid the buzz, Allen brought the focus back to football as Buffalo opened a three-day mandatory set of practices. The quarterback skipped the team's voluntary sessions last week. Aside from taking his familiar spot leading the offense on the field, Allen spent time after practice being filmed to measure his footwork and mechanics. It's something Allen does several times a year to ensure he's not picking up bad habits. 'Making sure we're staying on top of those things and if there's something that we need to tweak for the better, we are going to try to do it,' he said. The same could be said of Allen's unflinching approach to dealing with the spotlight. Coach Sean McDermott credits the quarterback for staying true to himself. Winnipeg Jets Game Days On Winnipeg Jets game days, hockey writers Mike McIntyre and Ken Wiebe send news, notes and quotes from the morning skate, as well as injury updates and lineup decisions. Arrives a few hours prior to puck drop. 'What I've seen is this truly genuine, authentic person who, yes, is in the limelight, yes, is one of the top players in our league, and maybe the top player in the NFL,' McDermott said. 'But he is so authentic, so down-to-earth, so relatable. I think that's really the connection and the cool piece about Josh is because he is who he is.' And yes, McDermott was among those in attendance at the wedding. 'I was very grateful to be there, No. 1,' McDermott said. 'Two, it was what you would expect of a wedding. Just great to see, and two really special families coming together.' ___ AP NFL:
Winnipeg Free Press
28 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Royals place Michael Massey on injured list, recall Tyler Tolbert before series-opener vs Yankees
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Royals placed second baseman Michael Massey on the 10-day injured list with a sprained left ankle and recalled utility man Tyler Tolbert from Triple-A Omaha before starting a three-game series against the Yankees on Tuesday night. Massey had served as the designated hitter on Saturday against the White Sox but did not finish the game, and he was out of the lineup for the series finale. He is hitting just .202 with two homers and 14 RBIs in 56 games this season. 'The same ankle injury that he's been dealing with since the last homestand. It's just not getting any better, or it's not improving enough to go out there and play at a high level,' Royals manager Matt Quatraro said. 'He got an MRI to show that things weren't healing as well as we would like. So, we needed to make a move to get him some rest.' In other news, the Royals expect to have reliever Lucas Erceg back before they wrap up their series against New York. He threw a clean inning against Omaha on Sunday night as he works his way back from a lower back strain. Erceg has appeared in 24 games with a 1.96 ERA for Kansas City this season. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP MLB:
Winnipeg Free Press
28 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Aaron Rodgers is off the free agent and dating markets. Steelers QB says he recently got married
PITTSBURGH (AP) — Aaron Rodgers added another ring to his collection before he even signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers. The four-time NFL MVP quarterback and Super Bowl champion said Tuesday after his first practice with the Steelers that he got married 'a couple months ago.' Rodgers was spotted wearing a ring on his left ring finger in a photo the Steelers shared after the 41-year-old signed a one-year deal to join the team for the 2025 season. When asked if the ring was an indication he was married, Rodgers replied, 'Yeah, it's a wedding ring.' He wore the ring on Tuesday while participating in drills with his new team. Rodgers has revealed little about his bride. During an appearance on 'The Pat McAfee Show' last fall, he mentioned he was dating a woman named Brittani but offered no other details. His previous dating history includes long-term relationships with race car driver Danica Patrick and actors Olivia Munn and Shailene Woodley. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. ___ AP NFL:
