Connect with us

Published

on

BRISTOL, Tenn. — Noah Gragson held off Brandon Jones over the closing laps Friday night at Bristol Motor Speedway to win his third consecutive Xfinity Series race.

Gragson won his series-high sixth race of the season driving a Chevrolet for JR Motorsports. He was aided when teammate Justin Allgaier was flagged for speeding during the final pit stops under caution; Gragson did not pit and restarted the race in the lead.

Gragson and his JRM crew climbed the Bristol fence in celebration, then a breathless Gragson sat on the wall to collect himself.

“Man, three in a row. I appreciate Brandon Jones racing us clean,” Gragson said, noting he won at Bristol in 2020 during the pandemic in front of a limited crowd.

“What a great opportunity to race here in front of fans. I had a blast.”

The Xfinity Series playoffs begin next week at Texas Motor Speedway and Gragson is the top seed.

Jones, who is replacing Gragson next year in the No. 9 when Gragson moves to a Cup ride, had several good looks at passing Gragson for the win. Jones never tried to move him and settled for second in his Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Austin Hill was third in a Chevrolet for Richard Childress Racing and was followed by Sam Mayer and then Riley Herbst in fifth as the highest-finishing Ford driver.

AJ Allmendinger finished sixth to clinch his second consecutive regular-season championship.

Ryan Sieg claimed the last spot in the Xfinity Series playoff field when Landon Cassill had mechanical issues that sent Cassill behind the wall for more than 100 laps.

Cassill got back on track but finished 35th. Sieg was 10th to edge Cassill for the final playoff berth by five points.

Gragson earlier in the race took out a pair of contenders when he hit the back of Ty Gibbs as Gibbs was racing side-by-side with leader Sheldon Creed. The contact turned Gibbs hard into Creed and both cars crashed.

It eliminated Creed from the playoff field and cost Gibbs the regular-season championship.

“It’s been my year all year, I’m right in the middle of everyone’s mess,” Creed said. “I don’t know where Noah was going to go, you know?”

Gibbs was a long shot for the regular-season title before the race, anyway, and trailed Allmendinger by 38 points. The race-ending crash for Gibbs handed Allmendinger his second consecutive regular-season Xfinity crown before the end of the second stage.

Continue Reading

Sports

Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

Published

on

By

Canucks, Boeser agree on new seven-year deal

The Vancouver Canucks have come to terms with forward Brock Boeser on a new seven-year contract, carrying a $7.25 million AAV.

Canucks GM Patrik Allvin announced the deal on Tuesday during the first hour of NHL free agency. Boeser, 28, was an unrestricted free agent on a previously expiring contract.

Drafted by Vancouver 23rd overall in the 2015 NHL draft, Boeser has collected 204 goals and 434 points in 554 games with the Canucks to date. A top-six scoring threat, Boeser has elite playmaking skills and the potential to produce big numbers offensively. He had his best year offensively in 2023-24, producing 40 goals and 73 points in 81 games.

Boeser didn’t hit those marks again last season — settling for 25 goals and 50 points in 75 games — but was still second amongst teammates in output. He also plays a prominent role on Vancouver’s power play and when he can generate opportunities at 5-on-5, he is a true difference-maker up front for the Canucks.

The extension is a happy ending for Vancouver and Boeser. When the regular season ended, Boeser admitted “it’s tough to say” whether he’d be back with the Canucks. Boeser reportedly turned down a previous five-year extension offer with the club and Allvin subsequently looked into deals for him at the March trade deadline, with no takers. Boeser looked — and sounded — poised to explore his options on the open market.

Ultimately, Boeser decided to stay put by committing the best years of his career to the Canucks.

Continue Reading

Sports

Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

Published

on

By

Jake Allen agrees to 5-year deal with the Devils

Jake Allen, one of the top goaltenders available entering free agency, is not heading to the market after agreeing to a five-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, sources told ESPN on Tuesday.

Allen’s average annual value on the deal is $1.8 million, sources told ESPN. That AAV allows the Devils to run back the same goaltending tandem for next season.

Jacob Markstrom has one year remaining on his contract for $4.125 million. Nico Daws is also under contract for next season, before becoming a restricted free agent next summer.

Several teams were interested in the 34-year-old veteran, whom sources said could have made more money on the open market. However, the deal with the Devils gives Allen long-term security. Allen has played for the Blues, Canadiens and Devils over his 12-year-career. He has started in 436 career games.

Last season, Allen started 29 games for the Devils, going 13-16-1 with a .906 save percentage, 2.66 GAA and four shutouts.

Continue Reading

Sports

Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, $42M extension

Published

on

By

Capitals sign Fehervary to 7-year, M extension

Washington Capitals defenseman Martin Fehervary signed a seven-year extension through the 2032-33 season that is worth $6 million annually, the team announced Tuesday.

Fehervary, who had one year of team control remaining, will enter the final season of a three-year bridge deal that will see him make $2.675 million before his new contract begins at the start of the 2026-27 season.

He finished the season with five goals and a career-high 25 points while logging 19 minutes. Fehervary also played a crucial role in the Capitals’ penalty kill by finishing with 245 short-handed minutes for a penalty kill that was fifth in the NHL with an 82% success rate.

Securing the 25-year-old Fehervary to a long-term deal means the Capitals now have seven players who have more than three years remaining on their current contracts.

It also means the Capitals front office has one less decision to make ahead of what is expected to be an active offseason in 2026 that will see the club have what PuckPedia projects to be $39.25 million in cap space.

That’s also the same offseason in which captain and NHL all-time leading goal scorer Alex Ovechkin‘s contract will come off their books along with that of defenseman John Carlson.

But until then, the Capitals have their entire top-six defensive unit under contract as they seek to improve upon a 2024-25 season that saw them finish atop the Metropolitan Division with 111 points before they lost in the Eastern Conference semifinal to the Carolina Hurricanes in five games.

Continue Reading

Trending