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
20 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Knicks denied permission to interview Kidd, Udoka and Finch in coaching search, AP sources say
NEW YORK (AP) — The New York Knicks were denied permission to speak with coaches Jason Kidd of Dallas, Ime Udoka of Houston and Chris Finch of Minnesota in a slow start to find Tom Thibodeau's replacement. All three coaches are under contract and their organizations declined to make them available for interviews with the Knicks, two people with knowledge of the details said Thursday. The people spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the interview process was to remain private. The Knicks fired Thibodeau on June 3, despite reaching the Eastern Conference finals for the first time in 25 years. They reached the playoffs four times in Thibodeau's five seasons and had won at least 50 games in each of the final two. They appear to be trying to find out if any coaches they like who currently have jobs might be added to their list along with the ones who are currently available. The Mavericks confirmed Thursday that a request was submitted and denied. ESPN first reported on all three decisions. Knicks president Leon Rose interviewed Kidd and Udoka in 2020 before hiring Thibodeau. Both also played for the Knicks, with Kidd ending his Hall of Fame career on the team that reached the 2013 playoffs — which was the Knicks' last appearance before Thibodeau's arrival. Kidd led the Mavericks to the 2024 NBA Finals, Finch has guided the Timberwolves to back-to-back trips to the West finals and Udoka took a young Rockets team to the No. 2 seed in the West this season, so none of the organizations is interested in searching for a new coach. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Thibodeau thanked the organization, players, coaches and fans in a New York Times ad on Wednesday, saying the experience with the Knicks was 'something I will never forget.' ___ AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Indianapolis contributed to this report. ___ AP NBA:
Winnipeg Free Press
20 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
Healthier Panthers are nearing full strength in the Stanley Cup Final against the Oilers
FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. (AP) — The bumps and bruises and worse started to pile up midway through the Florida Panthers' third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final. Matthew Tkachuk only returned for the playoff opener after sitting out the final two months of the regular season with the injury he suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off in February and seems to still be gutting through it. Sam Reinhart and Niko Mikkola each missed time during the Eastern Conference final, and A.J. Greer's injury he tried playing through eventually sidelined him. 'It's very hard to win a Cup with unhealthy bodies,' Greer said. The Panthers found that out the hard way two years ago when they were the skating wounded. Tkachuk had a broken sternum, Aaron Ekblad had a broken foot, two shoulder dislocations and a torn oblique muscle, Radko Gudas had a high ankle sprain and they lost to Vegas in five games in the final. While the Edmonton Oilers looked to be in better shape going into this series with the notable exception of injured forward Zach Hyman, Florida has gotten healthier. Coach Paul Maurice said Reinhart is 'back to full health,' Tkachuk, Mikkola and Greer are making a difference and the defending champions are two wins away from hoisting the Cup for a second year in a row. 'It's always good to have a full team that's healthy,' fourth-liner Tomas Nosek said after practice Wednesday. 'It's been good so far, and hopefully it stays that way.' The Panthers will have their ideal lineup for Game 4 on Thursday night in Sunrise after that same group waxed Edmonton 6-1 earlier this week to take a 2-1 lead in the final. Other than do-it-all defenseman Seth Jones, no one played more than 23 minutes in Game 3. That balance, after so much overtime hockey early in what looked to be an evenly matched series, combined with an extra day between games, makes them rested and ready. 'We've been, I think, great the whole playoffs,' center Anton Lundell said. 'It doesn't really matter when we play. It's always fun to play, so we don't really care. But obviously now we have had a couple days off, so it's fun to get the energy back and prepare.' Reinhart scoring Monday night was his first goal since being out for two games in the Eastern Conference final, ending a drought that dated to the second round against Toronto. He had six shots in Game 2 and has been steadily progressing. 'I'm not worried about him,' Maurice said. 'I think his game is getting stronger — quite a bit stronger.' So is Tkachuk's, even if it's clear the tough winger is not moving as well as he does when 100%. But he had an assist and was noticeably better in Game 3, which Maurice called Tkachuk's best of the playoffs. 'It took him a while to build out,' Maurice said. 'The speed of the Carolina series was probably a really, really good thing. Some of these injuries I'm sure they're dealing with it, you can't condition them and rehab them at the same time. They need some time. And he was out for such a very long time that I would say the last month, but certainly the last three weeks, he's back to form now.' That spells trouble for the Oilers, playing without Hyman and with top-line forward Ryan Nugent-Hopkins dealing with an undisclosed injury that has him relegated him to game-time-decision uncertainty. Their longest-tenured player not being 100% is a major blow after Nugent-Hopkins, Connor McDavid and Hyman were such an effective trio getting to this point. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. Coach Kris Knoblauch foreshadowed a lineup change that may or may not be injury related. Either way, his team's depth is being tested. The same has been the case for the Panthers, who have used 22 skaters in the playoffs following 30 during the season. They've grown accustomed to shuffling players in and out and chugging along like some of the NHL's best teams have to do. 'With our depth this year, even when guys are injured or guys are out of the lineup, there's just so much depth on our team that guys can fill in seamlessly and it doesn't change our lineup that much,' Bennett said. 'That's definitely a huge factor for us.' ___ AP NHL playoffs: and
Winnipeg Free Press
35 minutes ago
- Winnipeg Free Press
49ers and Bryce Huff hope the pass rusher will be a perfect fit in San Francisco
SANTA CLARA, Calif. (AP) — Bryce Huff went into the offseason expecting a trade after failing to produce in a new role in his one year in Philadelphia after signing a lucrative contract as a free agent. Ending up in San Francisco seems to be a perfect fit. After being a proverbial square peg in a round hole with the Eagles when he was used as a standup outside linebacker instead of a pass rusher off the edge, Huff has reunited with his former coach Robert Saleh in a scheme that caters to his strength of being able to get off the ball quickly and disrupt opposing quarterbacks. 'I learned a lot about myself throughout that experience,' Huff said Wednesday about his season with the Eagles. 'It just didn't work out at the end of the day. So you live and you learn. All I focus on is what I'm doing right now and that's being a 49er and doing everything I can to help this team win.' The Niners are counting on Huff to be able to do just that, believing that he can be the bookend speed rusher across from star Nick Bosa that the team has been seeking ever since a back injury sidelined Dee Ford after he helped the team reach the Super Bowl in 2019. Ford had 6 1/2 sacks in 11 games that season when Saleh was defensive coordinator but played only seven games the next two seasons because of the injuries, leaving a void in the defense that the 49ers believe Huff can fill. 'He affects the quarterback,' coach Kyle Shanahan said. 'When you talk about just getting off the ball and how fast he does it. He will be our best get off the ball guy we've had since Dee Ford. So in terms of that, it's good to beat tackles that way, but also widens tackles to help with the inside pass rush and things like that and he affects the quarterback.' The Niners got Huff on the cheap a year after he signed a $51.1 million, three-year deal with Philadelphia. San Francisco traded a conditional fifth-round pick last month for Huff and are on the hook for only $7.95 million of salary this season. Huff had his best success as a pro under Saleh with the New York Jets, He was initially as an undrafted free agent in 2020 and began to emerge as a key player after Saleh took over as head coach the following year and turned him from a linebacker into a defensive end. Huff put on about 20 pounds of muscle and began to show flashes quickly before breaking through with a 10-sack season in 2023 that led to the big free-agent contract. 'Speed off the edge,' Saleh said of Huff's biggest strength. 'I think highly of him as a pass rusher. Thought he was very productive, obviously, with the Jets. He wins at such a high rate. A lot of times we look at pass rushers, we look as sacks and sacks are important. They end drives. It's what ultimately gets these guys paid. But his disruption rate in getting the quarterback off the spot and the way he can do it now. … He wins so quickly so often that coordinators have to account for his presence on the field.' Huff had 67 pressures on just 334 pass rush snaps in 2023 for the Jets, according to Pro Football Focus, as he became one of the most efficient pass rushers in the game. Thursdays Keep up to date on sports with Mike McIntyre's weekly newsletter. The Niners were in need of another pass rusher after cutting Leonard Floyd early in the offseason. They drafted Mykel Williams 11th overall in April but had no other defensive end who had a season with at least five sacks in the NFL. Yetur Gross-Matos is the only other edge rusher on the roster with extensive experience. Gross-Matos had four sacks last season in his first year with San Francisco. 'He's going to bring that speed demon off the edge, that's going require a running back or a chip opposite of Nick,' left tackle Trent Williams said. 'I think he adds that the kind of that Dee Ford effect that they had in '19 that took them to the Super Bowl. One of the reasons we had a really, really good defense for those couple years is having that guy who can actually make that quarterback step up by getting a good jump off the ball and being able to bend the edge.' ___ AP NFL:
