Sports

Byron secures pole, eyes first NASCAR Cup title

Published

2 years ago

November 6, 2023

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Associated Press

Nov 4, 2023, 06:56 PM ET

AVONDALE, Ariz. — William Byron will start from the pole at Phoenix Raceway, trying to win his first Cup Series championship and give the famed No. 24 Chevrolet its first title since Jeff Gordon in 2001.

Byron turned a lap at 132.597 mph Saturday in qualifying to earn the top starting spot. The Hendrick Motorsports driver won the Phoenix race in the spring and a sweep Sunday would give him the Cup in his first appearance in NASCAR’s final four.

“I feel like we have something to race with,” said Byron, who had Gordon watching his qualifying effort from pit road. Gordon won four championships driving the No. 24.

“It’s great to have Jeff here and his support,” Byron said, “but I’m not thinking about [winning in the 24] when I’m driving.”

Kyle Larson qualified fourth in another Chevy from Hendrick, while Christopher Bell will start 13th in a Toyota from Joe Gibbs Racing and Ryan Blaney will start 15th in a Ford from Team Penske. The highest-finishing driver among the final four will be crowned champion.

“I am not counting out Blaney or Bell at all,” Larson said. “It’s a long race, so they will overcome wherever they start from and I’m sure they will drive through the field. It’s the final four and most everybody shows respect on the racetrack and gives a lot of space, so I think they’ll find their way to the front pretty quickly.”

Blaney, winner of two of the past five playoff races, has back-to-back runner-up finishes at Phoenix.

“We have our work cut out for us,” said Blaney, who is trying to give Roger Penske back-to-back titles after teammate Joey Logano won last year.

Bell wasn’t at all bummed about his qualifying effort because he knows his Toyota has speed, and he has never before won a Cup race from the pole.

“I’m probably more optimistic,” Bell said. “I think the starting position is less of a factor because the race is 312 laps and in practice my car showed great pace and that leaves me feeling very optimistic.”

Byron edged Martin Truex Jr., the regular-series champion who was eliminated from title contention last week, for the pole. Truex in his Toyota went 132.509.

Kevin Harvick will start the final Cup Series race of his career from third in a Ford from Stewart-Haas Racing. Harvick, the first driver to win the championship when this elimination format began in 2014, is retiring after the race.

Bubba Wallace will start fifth in a Toyota and will be followed by his team co-owner, Denny Hamlin, who was eliminated from the playoff field last week.

Of the final four, Larson is the only former champion of the group. He won in 2021 by winning at Phoenix. Bell is back in the final four for a second consecutive year, while Blaney and Byron are in the finale for the first time in their career.

The quartet makes up the youngest final four in this format with an average age of 28 and Larson, at 31, the elder statesman of the group.

Byron, at 25, is the youngest driver in the finale and is trying to become the first North Carolina-born racer to win the championship since Dale Jarrett in 1999. It’s a big deal for boss Rick Hendrick, who made Charlotte his home base for NASCAR’s winningest organization.

Byron, who earlier this season gave Hendrick its 300th victory, is a one-time Liberty University student who taught himself how to race cars on a simulator. Hendrick believes his story is an inspiration to young racers across the country.

“To have a guy like William that grew up in Charlotte, is a native of the Charlotte market where all the teams are based, I think it would be a great message for him to win the championship,” Hendrick said. “You take a kid that didn’t grow up in the sport, that had no connections in the sport, that was able to go to college and do all the things he has done, learning how to race on a computer, I think that is kind of like when Jeff Gordon came on the scene and opened the door for a lot of open-wheel guys.

“I think what this can do for a lot of kids that are from anywhere in the country, in the world, that racing on a computer, there’s opportunity if you get in the right spot.”

Sports

D-backs star Marte’s home robbed during break

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2025

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D-backs star Marte's home robbed during break

Associated Press

Jul 17, 2025, 01:35 AM ET

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — A home belonging to Arizona Diamondbacks star Ketel Marte was burglarized during the Major League Baseball All-Star break, according to police.

Scottsdale, Arizona, police confirmed that the department is investigating a “high-dollar residential burglary” that is believed to have happened on Tuesday night, which is when Marte was playing for the National League in its All-Star game win in Atlanta.

Numerous personal items and jewelry were stolen. No one was at home when the burglary occurred.

Police said the home is “reportedly” owned by Marte. Maricopa County Assessor’s Office records show Marte owns a home on the block near the investigation.

Police say the investigation is ongoing.

Marte hit a two-run double in the first inning of the NL’s win, which was secured after a home run contest at the end of the game after the score was tied after nine innings.

The burglary is the latest in a series of thefts from the homes of high-profile athletes across the country this year. Players have been targeted because of the high-end products believed to be in their homes and sometimes the thefts occur when they are away with their teams for road games.

The FBI has warned sports leagues about crime organizations targeting professional athletes. The NFL and NBA have issued security alerts to athletes.

A Seattle man was charged last month in connection with a string of burglaries at the homes of prominent active and retired professional athletes in the area.

Sports

Cubs icon Sandberg ‘continuing to fight’ cancer

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2025

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Cubs icon Sandberg 'continuing to fight' cancer

Field Level Media

Jul 16, 2025, 01:09 PM ET

Chicago Cubs legend Ryne Sandberg said Wednesday he is “continuing to fight” cancer and is prioritizing time with those closest to him.

He posted a letter addressed to his fans and extended baseball family on Instagram.

“I wanted to share an update regarding my health,” wrote Sandberg, 65. “It’s been a challenging few months as I have been going through treatment on a regular basis.

“While I am continuing to fight, I’m looking forward to making the most of every day with my loving family and friends.

“I haven’t been to Wrigley Field as much as I hoped in the first half but I’m watching every game and am excited for the second half.”

He threw out the first pitch, surrounded by fellow Cubs greats, before the home opener on April 4.

In January 2024, Sandberg announced he had been diagnosed with prostate cancer, then last August announced he was cancer-free. In December, he said the cancer had recurred and spread. He vowed to “continue to be positive, strong, and fight to beat this.”

Sandberg spent 15 of his 16 major league seasons with the Cubs, along with 13 games at the start of his career for the Philadelphia Phillies (1981).

Sandberg was the 1984 National League MVP, when he batted a career-high .314 with a major-league-leading 19 triples and 114 runs scored as well as 19 home runs, 84 RBIs and 32 stolen bases.

The second baseman also earned the second of his nine career Gold Glove awards that year. He was a 10-time All-Star selection and a seven-time Silver Slugger honoree, batting .285 with 282 home runs and 1,061 RBIs in his 2,164-game career.

Sandberg, who was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2005, also spent parts of three seasons (2013-15) as the Phillies’ manager.

Sports

Rangers give All-Star bonus to snubbed Eovaldi

Published

2 hours ago

July 17, 2025

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Rangers give All-Star bonus to snubbed Eovaldi

Jul 16, 2025, 02:10 PM ET

Despite an excellent first half to the season, Texas Rangers starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi wasn’t selected as an All-Star this year, but the team made sure that he’ll be paid like one.

Despite the snub, Eovaldi was given the $100,000 All-Star bonus in his contract by the Rangers after he posted a 1.58 ERA with 94 strikeouts over 91 innings. Teammate Jacob deGrom, who was selected as an All-Star, also received a $100,000 bonus.

Eovaldi, in his 15th major league season, would lead the majors in ERA, but after missing a month due to a triceps injury, he fell six innings short of the necessary 97 innings to qualify among leaders for individual statistical categories.

Eovaldi, a two-time All-Star, won his third straight game on Sunday to improve to 7-3, giving up five hits and a run with eight strikeouts in 7 2/3 innings against the Houston Astros.

The right-hander ranks second only to Detroit Tigers ace Tarik Skubal among MLB starting pitchers in WHIP (0.85) and strikeout-to-walk ratio (6.71). Opposing batters are hitting a paltry .194 with a .237 on-base percentage, .286 slugging percentage and .523 OPS against Eovaldi.

Eovaldi is scheduled to make his first start of the second half at home on Sunday against Skubal and the Tigers at Globe Life Field.