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San Francisco Chronicle
6 days ago
- Automotive
- San Francisco Chronicle
Today in Sports - Rickey Henderson steals record 893rd base, breaking Ty Cobb's record
May 29 1922 — The Supreme Court rules organized baseball is primarily a sport and not a business and therefore not subject to antitrust laws and interstate commerce regulations. 1946 — Two-year-old fillies Chakoora and Uleta become the first thoroughbreds to complete a transcontinental flight. They're flown from New York to Inglewood, Calif., by the American Air Express Corp., a 2,446-mile trip that lasts 20 hours due to bad weather. 1968 — European Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London: Bobby Charlton scores twice as Manchester United beats Benfica, 4-1; first English club to win the trophy. 1971 — Al Unser wins his second straight Indianapolis 500 with a record mark of 157.735 mph and finishes 22 seconds ahead of Peter Revson. The pace car, ridden by Eldon Palmer, crashes into the portable bleachers and injures 20 people. 1977 — A.J. Foyt becomes the first driver to win four Indianapolis 500s and Janet Guthrie becomes the first woman in the race. Guthrie is forced to drop out after 27 laps with mechanical problems. 1977 — Australian Sue Prell first female golfer to hit consecutive holes-in one; 13th and 14th holes at Chatswood Golf Club, Sydney. 1980 — Larry Bird beats out Magic Johnson for NBA rookie of year. 1983 — After three second-place finishes, Tom Sneva wins the Indianapolis 500 by 11 seconds over three-time champion Al Unser. 1985 — 29th European Cup: Juventus beats Liverpool 1-0 at Brussels. 1988 — Rick Mears overcomes an early one-lap deficit, then overpowers the rest of the field on the way to his third Indianapolis 500 victory. Mears gives team-owner Roger Penske an unprecedented seventh victory and fourth in five years. 1989 — Philadelphia Phillies 12-time All Star 3rd baseman Mike Schmidt retires from MLB at 39. 1990 — Stefan Edberg and Boris Becker, the top two seeds, are bounced in the first round of the French Open by two European teenagers, the first time the top two men's seeds are eliminated in the first round of a Grand Slam tournament. Edberg is swept easily in straight sets by 19-year-old Sergi Bruguera of Spain, and Becker loses to 18-year-old Yugoslav Goran Ivanisevic. 1990 — Rickey Henderson steals record 893rd base, breaking Ty Cobb's record. 1991 — 35th European Cup: Red Star Belgrade beats Marseille (0-0, 5-3 on penalties) at Bari. 1993 — Wayne Gretzky's overtime goal gives the Los Angeles Kings a 5-4 win over the Toronto Maple Leafs in the Western Conference finals. The Kings become the first NHL team to play the full 21 games in the first three rounds. 1998 — Eighteen-year-old Marat Safin, ranked 116th in the world and playing in his first Grand Slam tournament, beats defending champion Gustavo Kuerten, 3-6, 7-6 (7-5), 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 in the second round of the French Open. 2002 — Roger Clemens records the 100th double-digit strikeout game of his career, fanning 11 in seven innings against Chicago. Only Nolan Ryan (215) and Randy Johnson (175) have more games with 10 or more strikeouts. 2005 — Dan Wheldon wins the Indianapolis 500 when Danica Patrick's electrifying run falls short. Patrick is the first woman to lead at Indy, getting out front three separate times for a total of 19 laps. But Wheldon passes her with seven of the 200 laps to go and easily holds on. 2006 — Rafael Nadal passes Guillermo Vilas as the King of the clay courts and begins his pursuit of a second successive French Open trophy. Nadal earns his 54th consecutive win on clay, breaking the Open era record he shared with Vilas by beating Robin Soderling in straight sets in the first round at Roland Garros. 2010 — Philadelphia's Roy Halladay pitches the 20th perfect game in major league history, beating the Florida Marlins 1-0. Halladay strikes out 11 and goes to either 3-1 or 3-2 counts seven times, twice in the game's first three batters alone. 2011 — JR Hildebrand, one turn from winning the Indianapolis 500, skids high into the wall on the final turn and Dan Wheldon drives past to claim an improbable second Indy 500 win in his first race of the year. 2011 — Roger Federer sets another record by reaching the French Open quarterfinals, and Novak Djokovic closes in on a pair of his own. Federer extends his quarterfinal streak at major tournaments to 28 with a 6-3, 6-2, 7-5 victory over Stanislas Wawrinka. Djokovic maintains his perfect season to 41-0 and stretches his overall winning streak to 43 matches by beating Richard Gasquet of France 6-4, 6-4, 6-2. 2012 — Serena Williams loses in the first round of a major tournament for the first time, falling to Virginie Razzano of France 4-6, 7-6 (5), 6-3 at the French Open. Williams enters the day with a 46-0 record in first-round matches at Grand Slam tournaments. 2016 — Alexander Rossi wins the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500. 2017 — Tiger Woods is arrested and charged with driving under the influence in Jupiter, Florida. 2021 — UEFA Champions League Final, Porto: Kai Havertz scores just before halftime to give Chelsea a 1-0 win over Manchester City in an all-English final; Blues' second CL title. _____
San Francisco Chronicle
26-05-2025
- Sport
- San Francisco Chronicle
Today in Sports - Julius Erving becomes only player to win MVP award in NBA and ABA
May 27 1823 — A $20,000 match race between American Eclipse (representing The North) and Henry (representing The South) is held at Union Course, Long Island, N.Y. American Eclipse wins in two-of-three heats, after his original jockey, William Crafts, is replaced by Samuel Purdy before the second heat. The race, witnessed by 60,000 spectators, is the first to have been timed by split-second chronometers, which were imported for the event. 1873 — Survivor is the winner of the first Preakness Stakes. 1882 — Trainer Robert Walden wins his fifth consecutive Preakness Stakes, with Vanguard. Walden would win a total of seven Preaknesses, a record for a trainer. 1961 — Fiorentina of Italy win 1st European Cup Winner's Cup against Glasgow Rangers 4-2 in Florence (2nd leg). 1964 — European Cup Final, Praterstadion, Vienna: Internazionale beats Real Madrid, 3-1 for their first title. 1965 — 10th European Cup Final, San Siro, Milan: Jair da Costa scores winner as defending champions Internazionale beat Benfica, 1-0. 1968 — 'Papa Bear' George Halas retires as head coach of the Chicago Bears. 1972 — Mark Donohue wins the Indianapolis 500 over two-time defending champion Al Unser with a record average speed of 162.962 mph. 1975 — The Philadelphia Flyers win their second straight Stanley Cup with a 2-0 victory over the Buffalo Sabres in Game 6. 1981 — Willie Shoemaker wins his 8,000th race and then three more. Shoemaker gets the milestone on top of War Allied in the first race at Hollywood Park. 1981 — Julius Erving of the Philadelphia 76ers is named the NBA's Most Valuable Player, making him the only player to win MVP honors in both the NBA and the ABA. 1981 — 25th European Cup: Liverpool beats Real Madrid 1-0 at Paris. 1982 — The Los Angeles Lakers, despite an 11-day layoff, beat Philadelphia 124-117 in Game 1 of the NBA Finals for their ninth consecutive victory. The nine straight wins sets the NBA record for consecutive wins during one postseason. 1984 — Rick Mears wins the Indianapolis 500 by the largest margin in 17 years with a record-setting 163.612 mph. Mears beats Roberto Guerrero and Al Unser by two laps. Fifteen of the 33 drivers are eliminated during two crashes. 1985 — Scott Wedman sinks four three-point field goals without a miss and shot 11-for-11 overall from the field, both NBA Finals records, as Boston routs the Los Angeles Lakers 148-114 in Game 1. Boston's 148 points and 62 field goals are NBA Finals records. 1987 — 31st European Cup: Porto beats Bayern Munich 2-1 at Vienna. 1990 — Arie Luyendyk wins the fastest Indianapolis 500 by overpowering former winner Bobby Rahal over the final 33 laps, for his first Indy car victory in 76 races. His average speed of 185.984 mph breaks Rahal's record of 170.722 in 1986. Luyendyk becomes the first to finish the race in under three hours. 1998 — In one of the biggest upsets in Grand Slam history, Pete Sampras is ousted at the French Open by 21-year-old Ramon Delgado of Paraguay, ranked 97th in the world, 7-6 (8-6), 6-3, 6-4. 2001 — Hicham El Guerrouj runs the fastest outdoor mile ever in the United States, and high school sensation Alan Webb breaks four minutes outdoors. El Guerrouj wins in a sizzling 3 minutes, 49.92 seconds, shattering the U.S. all-comers' record of 3:50.86. Webb, the 18-year-old from Reston, Va., puts on a brilliant last-lap burst and finishes fifth at 3:53.43, smashing the high school record of 3:55.3 set by Jim Ryun in 1965. 2001 — Senior PGA Championship, Ridgewood CC, NJ: 5-time British Open champion Tom Watson wins first of 6 Champions Tour major titles with a 1 stroke win over Jim Thorpe. 2004 — Brad Richards' goal in Tampa Bay's 4-1 victory over Calgary is the game-winner — his record-tying sixth of the postseason. 2007 — Dario Franchitti gambles on the rain and wins the Indy 500. Franchitti inherits the lead by staying on the track when the leaders pit for fuel and then drives slowly to the checkered flag in a downpour when the race is stopped 10 laps later after 415 of the scheduled 500 miles. 2007 — Senior PGA Championship, Kiawah Island Golf Resort, Ocean Course: Denis Watson of Zimbabwe wins his lone major title by a 2 stroke margin from Eduardo Romero of Argentina. 2009 — UEFA Champions League Final, Rome: Barcelona beats Manchester United, 2-0; first Spanish treble of La Liga, Copa del Rey and Champions League. 2011 — Top-ranked Caroline Wozniacki loses to Daniela Hantuchova 6-1, 6-3 in the third round of the French Open. It marks the first time in the Open era that the top two seeded women fail to make the round of 16 at a Grand Slam tournament. Kim Clijsters, the No. 2 seed, lost on May 26. 2012 — Dario Franchitti wins the Indianapolis for the third time, taking advantage when Takuma Sato crashes on the final lap. 2012 — Manu Ginobili scores 26 points and San Antonio wins its 19th in a row to tie the NBA record for longest winning streak kept alive in the playoffs. The Spurs beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 101-98 to open the Western Conference finals. 2014 — The University of Wisconsin-Whitewater becomes the only school in NCAA history to win championships in football, men's basketball and baseball ni the same school year. 2017 — English FA Cup Final, Wembley Stadium, London: Arsenal beats Chelsea, 2-1; Aaron Ramsey scores 79′ winner as Arsène Wenger becomes most successful manager in FA Cup history, winning his 7th title. 2018 — Chris Frome wins the Giro d'Italia to join cycling greats Eddy Merckx and Bernard Hinault with his third consecutive Grand Tour victory.
Indianapolis Star
22-05-2025
- Automotive
- Indianapolis Star
Who won the first Indy 500? Every Indianapolis 500 winner since 1911
The 109th Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for May 25, 2025, on the 2.5-mile Indianapolis Motor Speedway oval. Josef Newgarden won in 2023 and '24, becoming the first to win consecutive races since Helio Castroneves in 2001-02. No driver has won the race three years in a row. In other 3-peat attempts: Mauri Rose finished 13th in 1949; Bill Vukovich was killed in a crash during the 1955 race; Al Unser finished 2nd in 1972; and Helio Castroneves finished 2nd in 2003. Helio Castroneves (2001, '02, '09, '21), Rick Mears (1979, '84, '88, '91), Al Unser (1970, '71, '78, '87) and A.J. Foyt (1961, '64, '67, '77) share the record with four Indy 500 wins each. Ray Harroun won the first Indianapolis 500 in 1911, with an average speed of 74.602 miles per hour. In 1987, Al Unser won at 47 years, 360 days old. In 1952, Troy Ruttman won at 22 years, 80 days old. Starting grid: A complete guide to the 33-car lineup for the 2025 Indianapolis 500
Yahoo
21-05-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Hoosiers that have shared success at the Indianapolis 500
HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) – The Indianapolis 500. The Greatest Spectacle in Racing. It's the one race of the year where every driver has dreamed of winning. It's the yearly tradition on the Sunday before Memorial Day that 350,000 fans descend to watch the world's fastest drivers competing against not just each other but the track and machine for a chance at immortality. Winning the 500 fulfills a childhood dream that only one can describe, and winning multiple Indy 500s also puts you in the pantheon of champions like Al Unser, Rick Mears, AJ Foyt and Helio Castroneves. According to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway's website, over the race's 108-year history, over 800 different drivers have suited up to race the hallowed grounds of motorsport, but only 74 have tasted ultimate glory in the 500. That 74 includes seven that was born in the Hoosier state with the last one tasting victory back in 1940. 1912 – Joe Dawson, Odon 1919 – Howdy Wilcox, Crawfordsville 1924 – L.L. Corum (co-winner), Jonesville 1927 – George Sounders, Lafayette 1931 – Louis Schneider, Indianapolis 1934 – Bill Cummings, Indianapolis 1937, 1939, 1940 – Wilbur Shaw, Shelbyville Racers now and have come from all over the world to make their mark on the sport such as New Zealand, Scotland, Brazil, England, France, Italy, Japan and Canada. Other Indiana natives might not have experienced the ultimate thrill of winning the Indy 500 but have good races to their name. Columbus, Indiana native Tony Stewart ran the Indy 500 five times, 1996-1999 and 2001. While being competitive and having solid races, Stewart never finished first in the storied race. In 1996, he started on the pole and finished 82 laps before retiring with a mechanical issue. In '97, he started second and led a race high 64 laps before finishing 5th. In '98, he started 4th before crashing 22 laps in. In '99, he started 24th before climbing back to 9th. That was also the first time that Stewart attempted the Memorial Day Double, racing in the Indy 500 before flying to Charlotte Motor Speedway and competing in NASCAR's Coca Cola 600 in the same day. To complete the feat, Stewart had to complete all 1,100 miles. While he finished both races, he failed in '99 because he finished the Indy 500 four laps down. That would be different in 2001. Stewart would qualify 7th for the 500 and would finish in 6th on the lead lap. He flew to Charlotte and would finish 3rd in the 600, becoming the first and to date the only driver to complete all 1,100 miles. Present day IndyCar driver Conor Daly is from Noblesville, Indiana, currently residing in Indianapolis. He has run the famous race since 2015 and has yet to win so far but has led some laps around the famous speedway. In the 2021 running, he led 40 laps and finished 13th. He led seven laps in 2022 and finished 6th. Daly also led 22 laps in 2024 and finished 10th. Other drivers that might've been born outside of Indiana but now consider the Hoosier state home. Ed Carpenter is a current day Hoosier that also competes in the NTT IndyCar series. Originally from Paris, Illinois, he is an owner driver that races for and owns Ed Carpenter Racing. While never winning the Indy 500, Carpenter has won three poles in 2013, 2014 and 2018. He finished 2nd in the 2018 running to winner Will Power. Former IndyCar driver James Hinchcliffe was born in Ontario, Canada but now resides in Indianapolis. He has competed in the 500 nine times and winning the pole in 2016. Who will cross the Yard of Bricks first? Who will get the honor of having their name etched onto the Borg-Warner Trophy, getting the wreath bestowed and celebrate with a drink of milk? The green flag for the 109th running of the Indianapolis 500 is scheduled for 12:45 p.m. ET. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Independent
20-05-2025
- Automotive
- The Independent
Reimagined and reopened museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway aims to be more than just a museum
Rick Mears spent some time recently walking through the reimagined, rebuilt and recently reopened museum at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, which houses some of the cars and artifacts from his long and distinguished career in motorsports. It was on the new lower level, though, which had been used as storage and off limits to guests, where the four-time Indy 500 winner had to pause. The only other drivers to win that many times are A.J. Foyt, Al Unser and Helio Castroneves, and together one of the smallest clubs in auto racing had an entire wing dedicated just to them. 'It's unbelievable. It really is,' Mears said. 'First of all, I never dreamed of being included in a list like that to begin with, period, and to be there with all the four winners and the way it's done up, and watch videos of all four races and be involved with it — it brings back a lot of memories, to begin with. But it's just an honor to be a part of it.' The museum, tucked inside the 2.5-mile oval between Turns 1 and 2, closed for nearly 18 months as it underwent its first major renovation in four decades, and the product of the $60.5 million project was revealed to the public on April 2. With the Indianapolis 500 on deck this weekend, thousands of fans are expected to flood through the seven permanent galleries, three rotating galleries and roughly 40,000 square feet of new space that houses new immersive and dynamic experiences. 'We wanted the museum to be more than just a gallery,' said museum president Joe Hale, who spearheaded the fundraising and construction effort. 'We wanted this to be a space that people can come back to over and over again.' The old museum was primarily of a large, cavernous space that allowed guests to meander through cabinets full of fire suits, trophies and other relics, which told the story of a speedway that not only has hosted the Indy 500 since 1911 but also NASCAR races, motorcycle races, the Red Bull Air Race and even gas-filled balloon competitions. Of course, there are still extensive spaces showcasing artifacts from more than a century of racing at the speedway, and dozens of cars from the museum's vast collection are on display. But the rebirthed museum represents more than that, from cutting-edge interactive technology to STEM spaces that can be used for school field trips and summer camps. It begins by taking visitors on a guided tour through a recreation of the garage area, known as Gasoline Alley, as it has looked over the years. There are the old, wooden stalls from the early 1900s, antiquated spaces used by Foyt and Mario Andretti in the '60s and '70s, and more modern spaces that teams have used to prepare their cars for this weekend. Then, visitors flood into the 'Starting Line Experience." There, replicas of the cars making up the front row of the Indy 500 sit as if they are on the starting grid. Video boards running along the walls and ceiling make guests feel as though they are right there on race day, preparing to take part in "The Greatest Spectacle in Racing.' Eventually, visitors spill into three levels of gallery spaces: the new mezzanine dedicated to non-vehicle artifacts, including the fire suit of reigning IndyCar champ Alex Palou; the main level, featuring numerous cars and a wing dedicated to IndyCar and Indianapolis Motor Speedway owner Roger Penske and his accomplishments in racing; and the lower level, where the four-time winners are celebrated and a rotating gallery includes cars from Chip Ganassi Racing. Last month, the museum used proceeds from the sale of 11 vehicles unrelated to Indianapolis Motor Speedway — including a rare Mercedes W 196 R — to help purchase 14 cars from the Ganassi team, including five Indy 500 winners. 'I was very pleased that for many years, our Indy-winning cars have been in our race shop, sitting up there on the wall,' Ganassi said. 'Forty-seven people a year would see them up there, and it was kind of a, 'Hey, that's our Indy winners up there on the wall.' But the fact of the matter is it dawned on me one day that they should be among other Indy winners.' Now they are on display for thousands of visitors every day. There was still money left over from the sale of the museum's other cars, though, and that will provide a sizeable boost to its endowment. The plan eventually is to build a separate preservation shop near the track to not only work on its 200-plus cars, most of which are running, but also display more of them along with some of the other 55,000 items in the collection. 'It's really a special place,' Ganassi said. 'I would encourage you to go see it. It's going to take this — I think it's going to add a lot to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. It's going to add a lot to the race. It's going to add a lot to the community.' ___
