Sports

Stenhouse Jr. wins Talladega to end 65-race skid

Published

7 months ago

October 7, 2024

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Associated Press

Oct 6, 2024, 06:45 PM ET

TALLADEGA, Ala. — A 27-car crash that involved eight of NASCAR’s 12 title contenders. A chaotic cleanup that infuriated competitors. And a surprise winner.

Just a regular race at Talladega Superspeedway.

Ricky Stenhouse Jr. snapped a 65-race losing streak by winning in overtime at Talladega on Sunday after a late crash collected more than half the field. Stenhouse is not in the playoffs and his victory marked the second consecutive week a driver not competing for the Cup Series title has won.

“It’s so tough to win these races. It’s so tough to miss the wrecks,” Stenhouse said. “These races are just chaos when it comes down to the end.”

The victory was the first for Stenhouse and his JTG Daugherty Racing team since he won the season-opening Daytona 500 to start 2023. He’s the 18th different Cup Series winner this year.

“It felt really good. This team has put a lot of hard work in, obviously we haven’t won since the 500 in ’23. It’s been an up-and-down season,” Stenhouse said. “We knew that this track is one of ours to come get.”

Stenhouse’s first career victory came at Talladega in 2017 and his four career Cup Series victories have come at either the Alabama superspeedway or Daytona International Speedway.

Stenhouse won in a three-wide finish between Brad Keselowski and William Byron, who with his third-place finish became the only driver locked into the third round of the playoffs.

Four drivers will be eliminated from the playoffs next Sunday on the hybrid road course/oval at Charlotte. Joey Logano, Daniel Suarez, Austin Cindric and Chase Briscoe are all below the cutline.

Cindric was the leader with five laps remaining in regulation when Logano, two rows back, gave Keselowski a hard shove directly into Cindric. It caused Cindric to spin and 27 of the 40 cars in the field suffered some sort of damage in the melee.

Even Stenhouse had a chunk of sheet metal missing from the driver side door area when he drove his car into victory lane. In the chaos of the cleanup, with teams fuming post-race over how NASCAR navigated the crash scene, some argued that Stenhouse’s door was missing some safety foam and he should have been forced to pit for repairs.

“I bet they did. I didn’t see any missing foam,” said winning crew chief Mike Kelly, who suspects NASCAR will review how it handled the chaotic cleanup in which some cars were towed back to pit road and repairs began for them as others were still stranded on the track. “They were put in a tough situation with that many cars involved in the wreck, and that many [tow trucks]. It’s a tough situation.”

Stenhouse later acknowledged there indeed was foam hanging out of the gaping hole.

The race was red-flagged for nearly nine minutes of cleanup, and 22 cars remained on the lead lap for the two-lap overtime sprint to the finish. Many of those 22 cars were damaged.

Keselowski finished second in a Ford for RFK Racing and was followed by Byron in a Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet. Byron is the points leader headed into Charlotte and his cushion is large enough to earn him an automatic spot into the round of eight.

Kyle Larson of Hendrick was fourth and followed by Erik Jones of Legacy Motor Club in a Toyota. Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing was sixth in a Toyota and followed by Justin Haley of Spire Motorsports. Austin Dillon of Richard Childress Racing finished eighth, Bubba Wallace was ninth with 23XI Racing co-owner Michael Jordan in attendance, and Denny Hamlin, the other co-owner of the team, rounded out the top 10.

Only four drivers still active in the playoffs finished inside the top 10.

Late crash salvages Blaney’s day Ryan Blaney, who used his win at Talladega a year ago to spark his run to his first Cup Series title, was involved in a crash racing for points on the final lap of the second stage.

Blaney was pushed too hard from behind by fellow playoff driver Alex Bowman and the shove forced Blaney’s Ford to take a sharp left and then bounce up the track into the wall and Ross Chastain.

Blaney tried to keep his battered car out on track but the engine eventually failed, ending his race. He was second in the playoff standings entering the race and feared his career-high seventh DNF of the season would drop him to the verge of elimination.

“I don’t know if [Bowman] ever lifted and just drilled me from like three car lengths back. The worst possible spot you could do it, so it’s pretty dumb on his part and it figures that he gets away scot-free per usual,” Blaney said.

Because so many drivers wrecked late, Blaney only dropped to sixth in the playoff standings.

Suarez struggles all day Daniel Suarez was already trying to work his way above the elimination zone when his race was derailed as it started.

NASCAR penalized Trackhouse Racing for making a modification to the No. 99 after inspection so Suarez had to serve a pass-thru penalty at the start of the race that dropped him off the lead lap. When the pack came upon him to put him a second lap down on lap 11, Suarez tried to preserve position and ended up running into another car.

It caused him to spin into the grass and the Chevrolet had to pit for repairs. He tried the entire race to get back on the lead lap, couldn’t make it, and then was one of the drivers in the late crash.

He finished 26th, somehow, and gained one spot in the standings to 10th. Suarez is only 20 points below the elimination cutline.

“It was a very difficult day. We put ourselves in a little bit of a hole with the pass-through penalty,” Suarez said. “I just made a mistake. I tried to block when they were coming, but they were just coming too fast. That was on me. We put ourselves in a hole, and unfortunately we weren’t able to recover. And then in the last wreck, obviously that finished killing our chances.”

Up Next

The playoff field will be cut from 12 drivers to eight when four are eliminated next Sunday at The Roval at Charlotte Motor Speedway. AJ Allmendinger won the race a year ago.

Sports

2025 Kentucky Derby: Date, time, horses, odds, format, purse

Published

3 hours ago

April 30, 2025

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2025 Kentucky Derby: Date, time, horses, odds, format, purse

Keith Jenkins

Apr 29, 2025, 08:15 PM ET

The 151st running of the Kentucky Derby is set to deliver yet another exhilarating race to the finish. From the field to the favorite, here is everything to know about the first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown.

When is the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

The 2025 Kentucky Derby will take place Saturday at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky.

What time does the 2025 Kentucky Derby begin?

The post time for the 2025 Kentucky Derby is 6:57 p.m. ET.

How can fans watch?

Coverage of the 2025 Kentucky Derby begins at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC. Peacock will stream early coverage beginning at noon ET.

How many horses run in the Kentucky Derby?

Twenty horses have the chance to compete in the Kentucky Derby.

How do horses qualify for the Kentucky Derby?

To earn a spot in the starting gate of the Kentucky Derby, a horse must compete in a series of designated races from September through mid-April. Points are awarded to the top five finishers in each race. The 20 horses with the most points, or the horses who win their international series, earn a spot in the starting gate in Louisville on the first Saturday in May.

Who is the favorite in the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

Journalism, trained by Michael McCarthy, opened as the 3-1 favorite.

What are the post positions for the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

Post 1: Citizen Bull (20-1 morning line odds)

Post 2: Neoequos (30-1)

Post 3: Final Gambit (30-1)

Post 4: Rodriguez (12-1)

Post 5: American Promise (30-1)

Post 6: Admire Daytona (30-1)

Post 7: Luxor Cafe (15-1)

Post 8: Journalism (3-1)

Post 9: Burnham Square (12-1)

Post 10: Grande (20-1)

Post 11: Flying Mohawk (30-1)

Post 12: East Avenue (20-1)

Post 13: Publisher (20-1)

Post 14: Tiztastic (20-1)

Post 15: Render Judgment (30-1)

Post 16: Coal Battle (30-1)

Post 17: Sandman (6-1)

Post 18: Sovereignty (5-1)

Post 19: Chunk of Gold (30-1)

Post 20: Owen Almighty (30-1)

Alternate: Baeza

Which post has produced the most Kentucky Derby winners?

Post 5 has produced the most winners, with 10.

What three races make up horse racing’s Triple Crown?

The Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes and Belmont Stakes are the three races needed to accomplish the Triple Crown.

Who won the 2024 Kentucky Derby?

Mystik Dan, trained by Kenny McPeek, won last year’s Kentucky Derby at 18-1 odds.

What is the purse for the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

Since 2024, $5 million in prize money has been guaranteed for the Kentucky Derby.

Check out the ESPN horse racing hub page for the latest news and notes ahead of the big race.

Sports

Panthers’ Ekblad suspended 2 games for Hagel hit

Published

5 hours ago

April 30, 2025

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Panthers' Ekblad suspended 2 games for Hagel hit

Associated Press

Apr 29, 2025, 07:28 PM ET

NEW YORK — Panthers defenseman Aaron Ekblad has been suspended for two games for elbowing Lightning forward Brandon Hagel in the head midway through Game 4 of Florida’s first-round series against Tampa Bay.

The NHL’s Department of Player Safety announced its ruling after a phone hearing with Ekblad earlier Tuesday. He will be out for Game 5 and either Game 6 of this series or the Panthers’ first game in the next round.

No penalty was called when Ekblad hit Hagel in the chin with his right elbow and forearm with just under nine minutes left in the second period on Monday night. Hagel left the ice and did not return, and Ekblad scored the first of two goals in 11 seconds late in the third to give the defending Stanley Cup champions a comeback victory and a 3-1 series lead.

Coach Jon Cooper said Hagel would not play in Game 5. Hagel was suspended for Game 3 for his late hit that knocked Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov out of Game 2.

Ekblad missed the first two games of the playoffs and the final 18 of the regular season after being suspended for violating the league and NHLPA’s performance-enhancing drug policy. Florida got accustomed to playing without Ekblad.

“If it’s the first time it happens, there’s even questions from the coaching staff about what’s the right adjustment to make in your lineup and how will that play out — there’s a lot of unknown,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Because we’ve been through it so much when Aaron’s out, we know what the D-pairs are — let’s assume — if he’s out of the lineup.”

Another Florida defenseman, Niko Mikkola, was fined $5,000 for boarding Tampa Bay’s Zemgus Girgensons. Mikkola was given a five-minute major and ejected for the play early in the third period of Game 4.

Sports

Tocchet quits; Canucks 8th team seeking a coach

Published

5 hours ago

April 30, 2025

admin

Tocchet quits; Canucks 8th team seeking a coach

Ryan S. ClarkApr 29, 2025, 05:05 PM ET
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Add Rick Tocchet to the list of available coaching options on the open market with the Vancouver Canucks announcing Tuesday that Tocchet left the team.

There had been a belief that Tocchet’s time with the Canucks could be coming to an end. Last week saw the discussion of Tocchet’s future with the franchise come under greater focus, with Canucks president of hockey operations Jim Rutherford saying they weren’t exercising their option on Tocchet’s contract before adding that they offered him a new, more lucrative deal to remain in Vancouver.

But now? Tocchet joins the list of sought-after coaching candidates and the Canucks become the eighth NHL team that will use this offseason to go through a coaching search.

“After a very long and thorough process, unfortunately Rick has decided to leave the Vancouver Canucks,” Rutherford said in a statement. “This is very disappointing news, but we respect Rick’s decision to move to a new chapter in his hockey career. We did everything in our power to keep him but at the end of the day, Rick felt he needed a change.”

In the same news conference in which Rutherford said the team offered Tocchet a new deal, he also said that Tocchet “may have his mind somewhere else” before adding that he felt Tocchet and his staff did “a good job coaching this team this year” as they did in their first full campaign.

Tocchet was a midseason hire during the 2022-23 season. His first full year in charge saw the Canucks win 50 games, finish with 109 points and win the Pacific Division. He led the Canucks to their first postseason appearance since the 2019-20 season and was a win away from advancing to the Western Conference finals.

Entering this season, the Canucks had most of their players from their playoff team. They started strong with a 15-8-5 record but encountered numerous on-ice and off-ice problems that would prove too large.

Among them was the friction between star forwards J.T. Miller and Elias Pettersson. The tension between Miller and Pettersson reached a stage in which Canucks captain Quinn Hughes publicly acknowledged there was an issue with Miller and Pettersson denying such issues.

Miller would be traded to the New York Rangers before the trade deadline, and the Canucks struggled to find someone who could replace his production. They would finish six points behind the St. Louis Blues for the final Western Conference wild-card spot.

Still, Tocchet had the support of Hughes, along with others within the organization who wanted him to stay.

As for what it all means going forward for both parties? Tocchet is among those who will join Mike Sullivan, who parted ways with the Pittsburgh Penguins on Monday after winning two Stanley Cups in 10 seasons, as one of the most attractive names for teams seeking a new bench boss.

Then there are the teams that need a coach. It’s a list that includes the Anaheim Ducks, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, Rangers, Philadelphia Flyers, Seattle Kraken, plus the Penguins and now the Canucks.

“I’m choosing to move on from the Vancouver Canucks,” Tocchet said. “Family is a priority, and with my contract lapsing, this becomes an opportune time. While I don’t know where I’m headed, or exactly how this will play out for me over the near term, I feel like this is the right time for me to explore other opportunities around hockey.”