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KANNAPOLIS, N.C. — NASCAR team owner Gene Haas will remain in the Cup Series and field one car in 2025 in the wake of the decision to shutter the organization he owns with Tony Stewart at the end of the season.

Haas will keep one of the four charters that belong to Stewart-Haas Racing and will operate next season as the Haas Factory Team. He will also run a two-car NASCAR Xfinity Series team.

Haas did not name any drivers for next season.

“My commitment to motorsports hasn’t changed, just the scope of my involvement,” Haas said. “Operating a four-car Cup Series team has become too arduous but, at the same time, I still need a platform to promote Haas Automation and grow HaasTooling.com.”

Stewart-Haas Racing is a two-time NASCAR championship team with 69 Cup Series victories since its 2009 formation. SHR this year fields Cup cars for Josh Berry, Chase Briscoe, Noah Gragson and Ryan Preece.

Front Row Motorsports said last month it purchased a charter that will expand the NASCAR team to three cars in the Cup Series in 2025. Front Row did not reveal the seller, but the announcement came one day after Stewart-Haas Racing said it was shuttering its four-car Cup team.

NASCAR’s charter system guarantees entry into all 36 Cup races each season and thus guarantees revenue from the series’ television package through participation.

Gene Haas founded Haas CNC Racing in 2002, and the California businessman lured Stewart in as a co-owner ahead of the 2009 season. Stewart had won two Cup championships for Joe Gibbs Racing at the time but couldn’t turn down an equity stake and opportunity to help a small team contend for titles.

Stewart in his 2009 debut season gave the rebranded team its first Cup victory — he won four races that year — and its first Cup title in 2011. Kevin Harvick added a second championship in 2014.

Haas spends most of his time with his Formula 1 team and Stewart is driving a full NHRA schedule, making both absentee owners at NASCAR events. The 71-year-old Haas was also ill for much of last year.

The NASCAR team is primarily run by Joe Custer, the chief operating officer and longtime Gene Haas confidant. His son, Cole, won the Xfinity championship last year for SHR.

Custer will remain president of Haas Factory Team, which will operate out of the existing Stewart-Haas facility in Kannapolis, North Carolina.

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Brewers first in MLB to clinch playoff spot

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Brewers first in MLB to clinch playoff spot

MILWAUKEE — The Brewers have become the first major league team to clinch a playoff spot this season.

According to MLB, the New York Mets’ 3-2 loss to the Texas Rangers on Saturday sealed at least a National League wild card for the Brewers as they got ready to play Saturday night against the St. Louis Cardinals.

The NL Central-leading Brewers own the best record in the majors.

This marks the seventh time in the last eight seasons that the Brewers have qualified for the playoffs, though they haven’t won a postseason series since reaching Game 7 of the National League Championship Series in 2018.

They had made a total of two postseason appearances from 1983-2017.

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Georgia Tech stuns Clemson with walk-off FG

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Georgia Tech stuns Clemson with walk-off FG

ATLANTA — Aidan Birr made a 55-yard field goal as time expired and the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets upset the No. 12 Clemson Tigers on Saturday.

With no timeouts left and the clock running with under 20 seconds to play, the Georgia Tech special teams squad sprinted onto the field and lined up.

And on fourth-and-3, Birr connected and the home crowd rushed the field.

Quarterback Haynes King returned from a lower-body injury that kept him out of Georgia Tech’s Sept. 6 win over Gardener-Webb.

King was 19-for-27 for 216 yards and added 25 carries for 103 yards and a touchdown on a 1-yard quarterback sneak in the fourth quarter for the Yellow Jackets (3-0, 1-0 ACC).

King’s score and the 2-point conversion gave the Yellow Jackets a 21-14 lead.

Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik had an uneven performance in which he turned the ball over twice — one fumble and one interception.

Klubnik was 15-for-26 for 207 yards, including a 73-yard touchdown pass to Bryant Wesco early in the second half to give the Tigers a 14-13 lead. Klubnik added 62 yards and one touchdown on the ground.

For the second straight week, Clemson (1-2, 0-1) had to overcome a slow start and halftime deficit.

The Associated Press contributed to this story.

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Simpson, Williams shine as Tide roll Wisconsin

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Simpson, Williams shine as Tide roll Wisconsin

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Ty Simpson threw for 382 yards and four touchdowns, including two to returning star Ryan Williams, and No. 19 Alabama overpowered Wisconsin for the second consecutive year, winning 38-14 on Saturday.

Simpson completed 24 of 29 passes, with two of his misses being drops by Williams and freshman Lotzier Brooks. Williams finished with five receptions for 165 yards after missing last week’s game because of a concussion.

Simpson, who was equally solid last week against Louisiana-Monroe, joined Mac Jones (2020) as the only quarterbacks in school history to complete at least 80% of their passes and throw three TDs in consecutive games.

The Byrant-Denny Stadium crowd erupted as Williams took a screen pass and went 75 yards on the first play of the second half. It gave Williams his first 100-yard game since facing Georgia last September.

Bray Hubbard‘s two interceptions led an Alabama (2-1) defense that held Wisconsin to 209 yards. The Crimson Tide notched four sacks.

Danny O’Neil, subbing for injured Wisconsin starter Billy Edwards Jr., completed 11 of 17 passes for 117 yards. His 41-yard TD pass to Jayden Ballard was one of the few highlights for the Badgers (2-1). Vinny Anthony II also returned a kickoff 95 yards for a score.

The injury-riddled Badgers couldn’t find a rhythm on either side of the ball and have dropped consecutive games to Alabama by a combined score of 80-24, while the Tide have outscored their last two opponents by a combined score of 111-14 following their season-opening loss to Florida State.

Alabama defensive end LT Overton left the game in the third quarter with an undisclosed injury and did not return. He walked to the locker room without assistance.

Wisconsin returns home to face Maryland next Saturday in the Big Ten opener for both teams.

Alabama gets the week off before opening conference play against No. 6 Georgia.

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