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NORTH WILKESBORO, N.C. – Joey Logano has won 30 poles in his Cup Series career.

This one meant something extra to him.

Logano will start up front for the NASCAR All-Star race after turning a lap of 1:29.75 on Saturday during qualifying at North Wilkesboro Speedway.

The two 60-laps heats that were to determine the remainder of the field for Sunday night’s race were postponed Saturday after heavy rains pounded the area, leaving portions of the track under about a foot of water. NASCAR is determining how the remainder of the field for the All-Star race will be set, so Kyle Larson‘s starting position remains unclear.

The weather was so severe that it brought down power lines on the road outside of the racetrack, cutting off power and internet access to the track.

The Trucks Series race was postponed until 11:45 a.m. Sunday.

Earlier in the day, Logano was all smiles after winning his first All-Star race pole.

“It’s a very special pole, maybe the most special pole I’ve ever had because it’s a great example of how hard everybody works and I’m proud of that,” Logano said. “It’s a lot of work that goes into the minute-and-a-half out there.”

William Byron, one of the final drivers on the track, appeared to beat Logano’s time, but was assessed a 10-second penalty for speeding on pit road during the stop.

Logano, driver of the No. 22 Ford, turned the top lap even on the .625 short track though his pit crew only had the fifth-fastest stop, which means he made up significant time on the track.

But Logano called it a team win and a “momentum booster.”

“This qualifying session is the most fun session of the year,” Logano said. “And it really takes the whole team. The car has to go fast. We have to execute getting onto pit road, the spotter has to do a good job of getting everyone on the same page and the pit crew has to do their part, and then it’s back on to the track (to finish). So it really takes every crew member.”

Christopher Bell’s team won the pit crew challenge for the second straight year and the No. 20 Toyota team will have its choice of the top pit stall for the $1 million race on Sunday night.

Bell’s pit crew earned $100,000 for winning the pit crew challenge.

“What can you say about these guys, it’s two in a row,” Bell said as his crew celebrated around him. “They have been awesome and I’m incredibly happy for them. It’s an honor to be their driver.”

Twenty drivers will participate in the All-Star race, 17 of which have already earned their way in through past accomplishments. The top two finishers from Sunday’s preliminary Open race and the winner of the fan vote will also advance into the All-Star Race.

As part of the pit crew challenge, drivers took the green flag, ran one full lap at speed, and on the second lap proceeded to one of two NASCAR designated pit stalls for a four-tire stop with mock fuel delivery. Then the cars exited pit road and raced back to the checkered flag. The qualifying time was determined by the total elapsed time from green flag to checkered flag.

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QB Castellanos exits after losing BC starting job

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QB Castellanos exits after losing BC starting job

Boston College quarterback Thomas Castellanos, who lost his starting job earlier this week, will not be returning to the team, he announced Thursday night.

Castellanos, who started 12 games last season and retained the top job under new coach Bill O’Brien, wrote on X that “unfortunately, all good things come to an end, even though it’s sooner than I would like.” He did not mention the transfer portal in his departing message and has not officially entered it. The junior from Waycross, Georgia, started his career at UCF and appeared in five games in 2022.

O’Brien said Tuesday that Grayson James, who replaced Castellanos in last week’s win against Syracuse, will start Saturday when Boston College visits No. 14 SMU. Castellanos “wasn’t real thrilled” with the decision, O’Brien said, adding that the quarterback decided to step away from the team for several days.

Castellanos had 2,248 passing yards and 1,113 rushing yards last season under coach Jeff Hafley, passing for 15 touchdowns and adding 13 on the ground. He had 18 touchdown passes and only five interceptions this season, but his accuracy dipped in recent weeks, and he completed only 2 of 7 passes against Syracuse before being replaced.

In his statement, Castellanos thanked both coaching staffs he played for at Boston College and wrote that he had “some of the best experiences of my life in the Eagles Nest and I will truly cherish these memories forever.”

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Gators’ Lagway ‘ready to play,’ will start vs. LSU

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Gators' Lagway 'ready to play,' will start vs. LSU

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — Florida quarterback DJ Lagway is “ready to play,” coach Billy Napier said Thursday on his weekly radio show.

Napier removed Lagway from the team’s injury report and penciled him in to start against No. 21 LSU in the Swamp on Saturday.

Lagway practiced every day this week while progressing from a strained left hamstring. The highly touted freshman was carted off the field against Georgia on Nov. 2. Tests revealed a “less significant” injury than initially feared, and now he’s back in time to face the Tigers.

The Gators (4-5, 2-4 Southeastern Conference) need him. They have to win two of their final three regular-season games to become bowl eligible.

LSU (6-3, 3-2) has struggled mightily against dual-threat QBs, including Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, who ran for 185 yards and four touchdowns last week.

Lagway returns after walk-on and Yale transfer Aidan Warner started in his place against Texas. Warner threw two interceptions and was 12-of-25 passing for 132 yards in a 49-17 loss.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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Georgia leading rusher Etienne ruled out vs. Vols

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Georgia leading rusher Etienne ruled out vs. Vols

No. 12 Georgia will be without leading rusher Trevor Etienne for Saturday’s showdown against No. 7 Tennessee.

Etienne was downgraded from questionable to out on Thursday night’s SEC availability report.

Etienne left Georgia’s win over Florida with an upper-body injury on Nov. 2 and did not return. He played limited snaps in last week’s 28-10 loss at Ole Miss, carrying the ball six times for 24 yards.

Etienne leads the Bulldogs with 477 rushing yards and seven touchdowns this season.

The loss is another blow to Georgia’s banged-up backfield. Cash Jones is also listed as questionable while Branson Robinson remains out after missing the past three games with a knee injury.

That leaves true freshman Nate Frazier as the only healthy Bulldogs running back who has played meaningful snaps this year. Frazier is second on the team with 333 rushing yards and three touchdowns.

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