Latest news with #Cup
NBC Sports
4 minutes ago
- Automotive
- NBC Sports
Good news, bad news for NASCAR Cup drivers ahead of Dover weekend
After back-to-back weekends on road courses, the NASCAR Cup Series returns to an oval with a trip to Dover Motor Speedway this weekend. The last eight Cup points races on ovals have been won by a different driver. Those winners have been Austin Cindric (Talladega), Joey Logano (Texas), Kyle Larson (Kansas), Ross Chastain (Coca-Cola 600), Ryan Blaney (Nashville), Denny Hamlin (Michigan), Chase Briscoe (Pocono) and Chase Elliott (Atlanta). Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup teams heading into Sunday's race. 23XI Racing — Good news: Tyler Reddick advanced in the In-Season Challenge and faces Ty Gibbs in the semifinals this weekend at Dover. … Reddick has finished sixth or better in each of the last three races. … Bubba Wallace continues to hold the final playoff spot. Bad news: Wallace has been on the playoff bubble (16th or 17th in the standings) more than any other driver in the Next Gen era (22 times). … Wallace has never finished in the top 10 in 10 starts at Dover. … Riley Herbst, making his first Cup start at Dover, did not have a top-five finish in seven Xfinity starts there. Dustin Long, Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Zane Smith has four top-15 finishes in the last seven races. … Smith has the last two top-10 finishes scored by Front Row Motorsports this season, placing seventh at Atlanta and Michigan. Bad news: Noah Gragson has finished 23rd or worse seven consecutive races. … Todd Gilliland has never placed better than 25th in three Cup starts at Dover. Haas Factory Team — Good news: Cole Custer has never finished worse than 15th in four Cup starts at Dover. … Custer's average finish of 11.5 is his best among tracks where he's had multiple Cup starts. Bad News: Custer has not finished better than 19th in the last seven oval races on the Cup schedule. Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: Hendrick Motorsports has had at least one car finish in the top 10 in each of the last 25 Cup races at Dover, a streak that goes back to September 2010. … Chase Elliott has four top-five finishes in the last five races. … Elliott has 10 top-five finishes at Dover, his most top-five results at any Cup track. … All six of Alex Bowman's top-10 finishes at Dover have come in his last seven starts there, including five top-five finishes. … Bowman has finished 11th or better in four of the last five races. … Kyle Larson has finished sixth or better in five of his last six Dover starts, including a runner-up result last year. … Larson ranks second in all-time average finish at Dover at 8.2, just off David Pearson's mark of 8.0. … Points leader William Byron ranks first in the series this season in speed and restarts, second in defense and third in passing, according to Racing Insights data. Bad news: Larson's average finish in the last eight races is 19.8, which is 10 places worse than his average finish in the season's first 12 races (9.8). … Byron has only two top-five finishes in the last 10 races. Hyak Motorsports — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has made 384 consecutive starts in. Cup. Bad news: Stenhouse has three top-10 finishes through 20 races this season (he had five top 10s at this point a year ago). … Stenhouse has three finishes of 30th or worse in the last four races. Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Denny Hamlin won last year's race at Dover. … Hamlin is the only repeat winner in the last seven Dover races. … Hamlin has led 542 laps in the last seven races at Dover, most of all drivers. … Ty Gibbs advanced in the In-Season Challenge and goes against Tyler Reddick in the semifinals this weekend at Dover. … Gibbs has six top-15 finishes in a row. … Gibbs' average finish in his last six races is 8.5, compared to his average finish of 21.6 in the previous 14 races. … Chase Briscoe has led 149 laps in the last seven races compared to having led 75 laps in the previous 59 races. … Both of Christopher Bell's top 10s at Dover have come in the last three races there. Bad news: Bell has placed 16th or worse in four of the last six races. Kaulig Racing — Good news: Ty Dillon, the last seed in the 32-driver In-Season Challenge, is two races away from claiming the $1 million prize. … Dillon is paired against John Hunter Nemechek at Dover. … Dillon has averaged 26.7 points a race in the past three events (he averaged 9.0 points a race in the previous six events). … Dillon has three consecutive top-20 finishes for the first time since August 2022. … AJ Allmendinger has three top-15 finishes in the last five races. … Allmendinger has led 152 laps at Dover, his most at any Cup track. Bad news: Allmendinger was seven points below the cutline after Nashville in June but has lost 43 points to the cutline in the last six races and is now 50 points from the last playoff spot. Legacy Motor Club — Good news: John Hunter Nemechek goes against Ty Dillon at Dover in the In-Season Challenge for the right to race for $1 million later this month at Indianapolis. … Erik Jones has six top-15 finishes in the last 10 races. Bad news: Nemechek has five finishes of 25th or worse in the last eight races. … Jones has made 99 Cup starts since his last series win, which came in the 2022 Southern 500 at Darlington. Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Kyle Busch has scored 76 points in the past two races — more than he scored in the previous four races (65 points). … Busch has gained 35 points on the playoff cutline in the last two races and is 37 points back with six races left in the regular season. … Busch leads all active drivers in wins (three), top fives (14) and top 10s (22) at Dover. Bad news: Austin Dillon has finished 19th or worse in the last nine races. Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Cody Ware has finished 26th or better in three of the last six races. Bad news: Ware placed 34th at Sonoma after losing a wheel for his lowest finish since Bristol in April. … Ware has not finished better than 31st in five Cup starts at Dover. RFK Racing — Good news: Brad Keselowski has four top-10 finishes in the last eight races after having no top 10s in the season's first 12 races. … Chris Buescher makes his 350th career start this weekend at Dover. … Both of Buescher's top-10 finishes at Dover have come in the last three races there. … Buescher's average start of 10.5 this season is best of all drivers. … Ryan Preece has eight top-15 finishes in the last nine races. Bad news: Preece has never placed better than 17th in eight Cup starts at Dover. Spire Motorsports — Good news: Justin Haley scored the bonus point for the fastest lap last weekend at Sonoma. … All three of Spire's drivers have won the bonus point for the fastest lap in a race at least once this season. … Michael McDowell has claimed the bonus three times, while Carson Hocevar and Haley have done so once each. Bad news: Hocevar has finished 29th or worse in four of the last six races. … McDowell has not placed better than 17th in 24 Cup starts at Dover. Team Penske — Good news: Joey Logano makes his 600th career Cup start this weekend at Dover. … At 35 years, 1 month and 26 days, Logano will be the youngest driver to make his 600th career series start (Richard Petty holds the record at age 35 years, 7 months, 23 days). Bad news: Team Penske last won at Dover in September 2012 with Brad Keselowski. … None of Team Penske's current group of drivers has a Cup victory at Dover. … Ryan Blaney has a series-high seven DNFs after he did not finish last weekend's race at Sonoma due to an accident. … Austin Cindric has finished 25th or worse in six of the last 10 races. … Logano has not finished better than 16th at Dover in the Next Gen car. Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Shane van Gisbergen led 64.2% of the laps run in his victories at Mexico, Chicago and Sonoma. … Ross Chastain's average finish of 5.7 in the Next Gen car at Dover is tied with Chase Elliott for the best among active drivers. Bad news: Chastain has finished 24th or worse in three of the last four races. … Daniel Suarez has only one top-10 finish in his last eight Dover starts. Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Josh Berry has finished 12th in three of the last five Cup oval races. Bad news: Berry has finished in the top 10 only once in the 15 races since his Las Vegas victory. … The Wood Brothers last won at Dover in 1981 with Neil Bonnett.
Herald Sun
3 hours ago
- Business
- Herald Sun
Owner has faith teen rider can pull off miracle result in Grafton Cup in $101 outsider
Don't miss out on the headlines from Horse Racing. Followed categories will be added to My News. 'Fairytales don't happen unless you allow them to happen.' This is the creed that Pure Deal owner Peter Wood lives by and why he has placed his trust in teenager Bella Youngberry to ride the seven-year-old gelding in the $200,000 Listed Grafton Cup (2350m) on Thursday. • PUNT LIKE A PRO: Become a Racenet iQ member and get expert tips – with fully transparent return on investment statistics – from Racenet's team of professional punters at our Pro Tips section. SUBSCRIBE NOW! The 19-year-old Youngberry rode Pure Deal to a narrow victory in a diving finish at $61 odds in the Grafton Cup Prelude (2230m) on July 6 to book a spot in the main event, where the daughter of Queensland Channel 9 weather presenter Garry Youngberry is ready to step up again. The son of Dundeel is a $101 chance in the Grafton Cup but that won't stop Wood, Gold Coast hoop Youngberry and trainer Brett Bellamy from believing that fairytales can happen to them. Wood already has a Grafton Cup on his CV after Rednav saluted in the 2016 edition at $31 after winning the cup prelude the week before. • 'Took my breath away': How Angela Jones wowed Gai Waterhouse 'Bella has got good ability and I like to back the apprentices,' said Wood, who lives in the tiny village Coramba, just a 15-minute drive from Coffs Harbour racetrack. 'If you watch the way she rode that horse in the prelude, you couldn't knock the ride in any shape or form. 'I never even thought about whether or not to put her in the (Grafton) Cup. I simply said to her 'if you want the ride, it's yours'. 'She's got the horse happy and the horse goes for her. It responds to everything that she wants it to do.' Pure Deal's owner Peter Wood (centre) with his brother John (left) and son Daniel at Eagle Farm last September. The last five Grafton Cups have been won by Group 1-winning jockeys but Wood sees the glass as half-full, saying it's overdue for a lesser light to grab the spoils. Blake Shinn, with 31 Group 1s to his name, is undoubtedly the star hoop in Thursday's field and will ride $4.40 chance Belvedere Boys for trainer Matt Dunn. • 'No dodging Via Sistina': Gollan keeps focus on Cox Plate 'Just the ride itself for Bella and the experience is going to help her tenfold,' Wood said about Youngberry, who is in only her second season of riding. 'We need to let these apprentices experience what it's all about. They can't do it if they don't get the chance. 'There's absolutely no way I would have considered another jockey given the work that Bella has already put into the horse. 'You've got to weigh 54kg so that limits who you can get as well. In the end it wasn't a hard decision. She won't let us down, whether we win, lose or draw.' Bella Youngberry riding a winner at Cairns in September last year. Picture: Brendan Radke Wood paid just $1500 last month from an online Inglis Sale for Pure Deal, who raced across southeast Queensland from 2020 to 2022 for Brisbane trainer Bevan Laming before being sent to Victoria to compete, mainly in jumps and hurdles races. His previous race before the Grafton Cup Prelude was a 3400m hurdle event at Sandown Lakeside on June 1. • Childhood memories fuel Gibbons' Ramornie dream Wood said he was cashed up after winning his first Highway race as an owner when Lordster saluted over 1200m at Rosehill on July 5, and he took the $61 odds on offer for Pure Deal the following day in the cup prelude. 'He's been rejuvenated working on the beaches at Coffs Harbour,' Wood said. 'There's no reason not to run him on Thursday at Grafton. He's an outsider and you'd have to say it'll be a huge ask. 'But we've got a horse who's feeling good and he'll definitely run the distance.' Originally published as Owner Peter Wood has faith teen rider Bella Youngberry can pull off miracle result in Grafton Cup in $101 outsider Pure Deal
Time of India
7 hours ago
- Sport
- Time of India
'If this happens...": Alex Ovechkin gives his honest take on Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin fantasy trade scenario
Alex Ovechkin breaks silence on wild Crosby-Malkin trade talk (Imagn Images) Sidney Crosby's legacy with the Pittsburgh Penguins could soon face a turning point—and it may all depend on Evgeni Malkin's plans. As speculation mounts over what lies ahead for the Penguins' aging core, Crosby's future with the franchise has come under fresh scrutiny. With Malkin nearing the end of his contract and no retirement date officially set, the question isn't just whether the Penguins can rebuild, but whether Crosby would be part of that next chapter without his longtime teammate. Evgeni Malkin's next move could trigger major changes Evgeni Malkin, who turns 39 this July, enters the final year of his contract with the Penguins. Though he's been noncommittal about retirement, he has made one thing clear: 'When I retire, it's here. This is my only team.' Those words, spoken to The Athletic earlier this year, reflect Malkin's unwavering loyalty to Pittsburgh. Should The Pittsburgh Penguins Move On From Sidney Crosby? | SDP Yet even that clarity leaves uncertainty swirling. Penguins GM Kyle Dubas admitted the organization hasn't finalized any decisions regarding Malkin's future. 'We'll meet at the Olympic break this year and see where Geno's at, and meet at the end of the year,' he stated. The Penguins seem to be playing the waiting game—but what happens if Malkin walks away next summer? According to ESPN's Greg Wyshynski, Crosby's decision could be directly tied to Malkin's. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Could Be the Best Time to Trade Gold in 5 Years IC Markets Learn More Undo 'I've heard from many people that kind of know him and know that situation tell me he's there as long as Geno's there,' Wyshynski shared during The Jeff Marek Show. 'So if Geno's there for one more year — which it could entirely be that — then all bets are off as far as where Sid's going to end up.' Alex Ovechkin reacts to Crosby-Malkin fantasy trade scenario While Crosby is signed through the 2026-27 season after inking a $17.4 million extension, Wyshynski suggested that Montreal could be a surprising but fitting destination if Crosby ever leaves. 'I've long believed that Sidney Crosby will end his career in Montreal,' he said, noting the appeal of joining the Canadiens' legendary lineage. Meanwhile, Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin added fuel to the fire, albeit in a light-hearted fashion. Asked by Match TV whether acquiring Crosby or Malkin could help Washington's Cup chances, he replied, 'If this happens, it would be wonderful. If not, we will fight on our own.' Though the trade scenario remains unlikely, the very mention highlights how uncertain—and intriguing—the Penguins' future has become. Despite missing the playoffs for three straight seasons, Pittsburgh's front office seems intent on keeping the core together—for now. But if Malkin calls it quits, don't be surprised if Crosby's next chapter takes an unexpected and historic turn. Also Read: NHL Trade Buzz: Will Nazem Kadri team up with Auston Matthews again? Flames star responds to Maple Leafs reunion rumors Catch Rani Rampal's inspiring story on Game On, Episode 4. Watch Here!
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
The Chicago Blackhawks Could Get A Reality Check In Season Opener
The Chicago Blackhawks' rebuilding squad will get quite the test on the opening night of the NHL regular season. To kick off the tripleheader on Tuesday, Oct. 7, the Blackhawks are in Sunrise to take on the back-to-back defending Stanley Cup champions, the Florida Panthers. Chicago, meanwhile, finished second-last this past season. Advertisement One game won't tell the whole story, but it will set a first impression of how close these rebuilding Blackhawks are to competing against teams of the Panthers' caliber with the pieces each squad has. Suffice it to say, Chicago has a ways to go to end the rebuild as it develops its young talent. The Panthers' top two defense pairings can compete with that of any team, especially after they acquired Seth Jones from the Blackhawks around the 2025 trade deadline. It's another story for the Blackhawks. When their highest-scoring blueliner this past season is youngster Alex Vlasic, whose 30 points were a career high, they can't expect any sufficient offensive production from the back end. As for Connor Murphy, whose 117 hits and 160 blocked shots led Hawks blueliners, he's entering the final year of his contract and could be trade bait. Only the Anaheim Ducks allowed more high-danger chances against than Chicago this past season, according to That's not to say there isn't some talent in the pipeline, as Chicago has youngsters including Kevin Korchinski, Artyom Levshunov and Sam Rinzel who can grow into important NHL roles. NHL Prospect Pool Overview '25-26: Chicago Blackhawks Brought In A Stellar Draft Haul NHL Prospect Pool Overview '25-26: Chicago Blackhawks Brought In A Stellar Draft Haul The Chicago Blackhawks are next up in Tony Ferrari's NHL prospect pool overview series. Advertisement Similarly, comparing the Hawks' forwards with the Panthers' forwards tells you how long their road to respectability truly is. Yes, the Blackhawks have cornerstone center Connor Bedard as their most important player and prospects Anton Frondell, Sacha Boisvert and Nick Lardis in the system. Teuvo Teravainen and Ryan Donato had 58 and 62 points this past season, while Frank Nazar, 21, established his spot in the NHL full-time. They'll need Bedard to continue to grow as a difference-maker with help from his supporting cast, but they're still over a season away from the wave of prospects taking this team to the next level. Right now, they don't have enough true needle-movers to be in the same breath as a legitimate Cup contender like the Panthers, which are very deep at every position. Anton Lundell, Connor Bedard and Dmitry Kulikov (Jim Rassol-Imagn Images) In net, the Hawks have a young goalie in Spencer Knight, who came over from Florida in the Jones trade, as well as veteran Laurent Brossoit. No goalie will be able to bail out the defensively lacking Blackhawks players in front of them. There may come a day when Knight can thrive between the pipes for Chicago, but that day isn't likely going to come next season. Advertisement Chicago has about $22.3 million in salary cap space, and they used that room to acquire Andre Burakovsky from the Seattle Kraken for an upgrade on offense. But it's unlikely they can weaponize much more of their cap space at this point to get the type of players that will make them beat teams like the Panthers more often than not. The truth is the Hawks are a dog's breakfast of assets at this stage, and many of their current players include veterans past their prime, like captain Nick Foligno, and second-tier NHLers, such as Tyler Bertuzzi, Teravainen and Burakovsky. It's clearly easy to see why the Hawks will be a long shot to play meaningful hockey down the stretch in 2025-26. The Panthers are likely to make it clear in Game 1 next year how far the Blackhawks have to go next season. After another year or two, the Blackhawks will be much better built to take the next step. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Katherine Legge adds Brickyard 400 to 2025 NASCAR schedule
Katherine Legge has once again expanded her 2025 NASCAR schedule, adding the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. She will again pilot the No. 78 Live Fast Motorsports Chevrolet in her fifth Cup race of the year. The effort will be backed by Desnuda Organic Tequila and Indiana-based venture studio Droplight. Advertisement Legge was already planning to run the No. 32 Jordan Anderson Racing Chevrolet in Saturday's Xfinity race. She has plenty of experience at the IMS oval, but not in stock cars. Legge has four starts in the Indianapolis 500 between 2012 and 2024, finishing as high as 22nd. Legge has also removed the Richmond Raceway Cup race from her 2025 plans, replacing it with the Las Vegas Motor Speedway event on October 12th. That is expected to be her final start of the 2025 season, ending the year with 13 starts between the Cup and Xfinity Series. Katherine Legge, Chevrolet Katherine Legge, Chevrolet The IMSA GTD winner made her Cup debut at Phoenix in March, but that ended in a crash. By starting that race, she became the first woman to run a Cup race since Danica Patrick took part in the 2018 Daytona 500. Her best result came at the Chicago Street Course, finishing 19th after beating 23XI Racing's Corey Heim for the final open spot on the grid in qualifying. She also ran the road course races in Mexico City and at Sonoma Raceway. Advertisement Legge also has five starts in the Xfinity Series this year, but four DNFs due to crashes so far. In the one race she did reach the checkered flag, Legge finished 32nd. She will be aiming to improve on that in a big way when the series rolls into IMS next weekend. Read Also: Trackhouse appoints former Joe Gibbs Racing executive to critical role NASCAR calls out 23XI and FRM for "inappropriate" legal motion in fight to keep charters Winners and losers from SVG's dominant NASCAR Cup win at Sonoma To read more articles visit our website.
