MLB, NASCAR stars talk the legends of Bristol as racetrack transforms for historic ballgame
NASCAR driver Ricky Stenhouse Jr. advises the Cincinnati Reds and Atlanta Braves to watch a couple of night races at Bristol Motor Speedway before the Speedway Classic. Once at the racetrack, he recommends a walk up the banked walls to truly appreciate the half-mile bullring.
MLB's Speedway Classic on Aug. 2 means either the Reds or Braves will win at Bristol before Stenhouse reaches victory lane at his favorite track. He still plans to watch as they play an MLB game on a ballpark built inside the Bristol infield.
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New York Times
22 minutes ago
- New York Times
MLB's first half is done. Time for Regression Court. Plus, a busy NHL day
The Pulse Newsletter 📣 | This is The Athletic's daily sports newsletter. Sign up here to receive The Pulse directly in your inbox. Good morning! Remember, half a season is 81 games, not the All-Star break. With the MLB season hitting its halfway mark this week, due to teams having actually played 81 games each (ignore any references to the 'first half' ending at the All-Star break), it's a great time to take stock. Instead of issuing obvious superlatives and telling you that Aaron Judge and Shohei Ohtani are the MVPs, it's trial time at Regression Court. In this courtroom, The Pulse names a handful of players who had surprising first halves (for good or for ill) and asks MLB newsletter author Levi Weaver to issue a verdict on this question: Will the player regress to his mean, will he remain under duress or will he have continued success? We begin with Jeremy Peña, the Astros shortstop who's having a career year at the plate, playing slick defense and just hired Scott Boras to make sure he gets paid for all of it: 💬 I think the breakout is legit. His BABIP is .365, so he should regress a bit, but his hard-hit and line-drive percentages are career highs, and his K-rate is a career low. So are his chase rates and first-pitch swing rates. Verdict: Success. Julio Rodríguez, the Mariners center fielder in his third straight season of offensive slippage: 💬 It has been a year and a half since we saw the breakout-superstar version of Julio Rodriguez. I think this is a fair question not just for this year, but for his career. He's still just 24, so I'm not too concerned long-term, but I haven't seen any reason to believe a rebound is imminent. Verdict: Duress. Pete Crow-Armstrong, Cubs center fielder and defensive whiz who's ridden a powerful season at the plate to a legit MVP candidacy so far: 💬 I'm trying not to nitpick about an OBP in the low .300s, so instead, let's focus on the fact this is a 23-year-old kid who has gone 20/20 more than a month before the All-Star break. Speed doesn't slump (and defense barely does), so I don't know if he has more in the tank, but I do think this season is real. Verdict: Success. Jarren Duran, the Red Sox center fielder who's had a lousy year after defense and offense made him one of the best players in baseball in 2024: 💬 I just (finally) started watching the Red Sox series on Netflix this week, and Duran's story is relatable for me. Perfectionism can drive you to work hard, sure. But ironically, once you get where you're going, it's poison. Did you know Duran was worth 8.7 bWAR last year? Fifth-best in the league. More than Juan Soto or Francisco Lindor. He's extremely talented, but I find myself wondering if he's still insulting himself after every mistake. If he can find some peace, a positive regression is inevitable. Hopeful verdict: Regress. I also asked Levi about a few teams that had odd first halves. He thinks the Braves should consider selling at the trade deadline and that the Rockies are breaking the losses record. Asked to explain the excellent Rays, he only says, 'That's left to God and mystery.' Thanks to Levi, whom you can read all the time in The Windup. Court adjourned. Raptors part ways with Ujiri Masai Ujiri is out as president and vice chairman of the Toronto Raptors after 12 years. The decision to split with the executive who brought the team a championship in 2019 came just one day after the conclusion of the NBA Draft. Ujiri's rocky relationship with Edward Rodgers, Maple Leaf Sports & Entertainment's executive chairman of the board, likely doomed his future in Toronto. But firing Ujiri raises legitimate questions about MLSE's priorities, and leaves the Raptors in murky waters. Advertisement NHL Draft just one part of busy day Yesterday was quite bustling. The Canadiens made a big splash in trading for Noah Dobson, John Tavares took a hometown discount to stay with the Maple Leafs and the Panthers locked up reigning Conn Smythe Trophy winner Sam Bennett for the next eight years. Oh, and the ratification of the new CBA. In case all that didn't satisfy your hockey cravings, we also had the NHL Draft last night. Defenseman Matthew Schaefer went No. 1 as expected, while the NHL's new 'decentralized' draft format made for some incredibly awkward moments. Of course, we also have draft grades for every first-round pick here. More news: Texas State is expected to officially join the Pac-12 on Monday. Read Chris Vannini's full report on the new addition and how the Pac-12 rebuilt itself. Angels manager Ron Washington will miss the remainder of the season with an undisclosed medical issue. The Timberwolves signed center Naz Reid to a five-year, $125 million contract. As Minnesota fans would say, Naz Reid. Dallas Wings guard Paige Bueckers tallied 27 points and six assists last night. She's quietly having one of the best rookie seasons in league history. 49ers cornerback Deommodore Lenoir was arrested for obstruction of justice in Los Angeles. More details here. 📺 CWC: SL Benfica vs. Chelsea 4 p.m. ET on DAZN The FIFA Club World Cup is into the round of 16. Is this tournament a bit weird? Yes, definitely. But is the bracket quite a thing to look at, with a mixture of clubs that rarely or never see each other? Also yes, in a cool way. Benfica, the big Portuguese side, have faced Chelsea just twice, both in the Champions League quarterfinals in 2012. (Chelsea won both legs.) 📺 MLB: Cubs at Astros 7:15 p.m. ET on FOX Two first-place clubs with two of the year's most exciting players in the aforementioned Crow-Armstrong and Peña. It's a homecoming series for ex-Astro Kyle Tucker. Another great read from Rustin Dodd for our new desk, Peak, on the power of walking. Inspiration to get outside today. The New York Times survey on your 10 favorite movies of this millennium produced some brutal choices. 'Mean Girls' vs. 'Mulholland Drive'? How could I possibly? (The final top 100 is here.) — Jason Kirk The Athletic's weekly sports news quiz. Got turned on to 'Common Side Effects' on HBO this week. It's an animated show and a Cartoon Network Adult Swim show, but leans more dramatic than comedic (though the humor is still there). I'm still only four or five episodes in, but I'm definitely hooked. — Levi Weaver Advertisement Love it or loathe it, Jake Paul — set to fight tonight — has become the biggest draw in American boxing. What does that say about the sport? Iced tea, simply. I started cold-brewing my own with leftover fruit from the week (toddlers waste a lot of fruit). A delight. — Chris Branch John Hollinger on the worst and weirdest moves of the 2025 NBA Draft. Click. This chocolate chia pudding, with a sweetness level that's adaptable to your breakfast, snack or dessert preferences. — Torrey Hart Thursday's USWNT win offered a poetic checkpoint for coach Emma Hayes one year into the job, as Tamerra Griffin writes. No longer thinking of boiling water for anything from tea to pasta as a test of patience is a little kitchen miracle. Our cheap Cosori is splendid. The cousins at Wirecutter have more. — Chris Sprow Most-clicked in the newsletter yesterday: Dan Pompei's feature on the unique relationship between 22-year-old Bucky Irving and 86-year-old Tom Moore. Most-read on the website yesterday: The NHL Draft live blog. Ticketing links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.
Newsweek
42 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Tony Stewart's NHRA Top Fuel Car Explodes At Norwalk: Driver Shares Update
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. NASCAR legend Tony Stewart has provided an update after his Top Fuel car exploded during his first qualifying run at the NHRA Summit Racing Equipment Nationals at Norwalk, Ohio. As he took on Shawn Langdon in qualifying, Stewart got off the line only for his engine to explode. The three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion was able to avoid crashing into the barriers and exited the dragster without assistance. "I'm going to be babysitting everybody's kids and mowing everybody's yards before this is over," Stewart said to the media. "It's been a tough day for us. I'm proud of our Dodge Direct Connection team. To sit there after Q1 and get it put back together and get us ready for Q2 here. Fox host Tony Stewart looks on during the NTT IndyCar Series109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana. Fox host Tony Stewart looks on during the NTT IndyCar Series109th Running Of The Indianapolis 500 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway on May 25, 2025 in Indianapolis, Indiana."Great effort by these guys. Proud of our guys. It's just we're going to have to sit and figure out what the hell is going on. This shit is getting expensive real quick." He also shared an update for his fans on social media, writing: "It's been an expensive day. After a huge explosion during our Q1 pass, my Direct Connection team got it all back together for Q2, throwing down a 3.755 ET @327.11 MPH to put us in the provisional 3rd qualifying position, but banged the blower. We'll get things sorted out and be back at it tomorrow at 12pm for the Mission Foods US #2Fast2TastyChallenge." It's been an expensive day. After a huge explosion during our Q1 pass, my #DirectConnection team got it all back together for Q2, throwing down a 3.755 ET @327.11 MPH to put us in the provisional 3rd qualifying position, but banged the blower. We'll get things sorted out and be… — Tony Stewart (@TonyStewart) June 28, 2025 Stewart went on to qualifying in third behind Justin Ashley and Antron Brown, respectively. John Force Racing driver Brittany Force qualified just behind Stewart in fourth. Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals: Top Fuel Qualifying results
New York Times
an hour ago
- New York Times
Yankees first-half awards: Aaron Judge for MVP, but who's LVP?
NEW YORK — Will Warren didn't seem worried at all. The bases were loaded. The count was full. Gio Urshela was at the plate, and it was the first inning. Warren reached back and ripped a 94 mph sinker that dotted the outside corner. Urshela didn't swing, the umpire called strike three, and it set the New York Yankees' starting pitcher on a path to yet another big night. Advertisement Warren threw five scoreless innings, striking out seven while walking four, in a 3-0 win over the Athletics at Yankee Stadium on Friday night. The game represented the halfway mark of the regular season for the Yankees, who at 47-34 hold a 1 1/2-game lead in the American League East. And Warren's showing was another example of why he's been the Yankees' rookie of the year for the first half of the 2025 season. Warren has a 5-4 record and a 4.37 ERA, giving the Yankees at least the chance to win just about every day, though he usually offers even more. Over his last four starts, he has a 1.96 ERA. He's allowed three or fewer runs in 13 starts. Warren leads MLB rookies in starts (17) and strikeouts (103). Will Warren, Disgusting Sweeper. 🤮 — Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) June 28, 2025 Manager Aaron Boone said he wasn't losing faith in the 26-year-old as he walked three of the first five batters he faced Friday, though he did tell the bullpen to have Allan Winans warm up in case Warren couldn't right the ship. 'Honestly a lot of confidence that we don't have to trick 'em,' Boone said. 'He's got the stuff to go right after them.' The biggest difference for Warren this season? 'I feel like he's really starting to use his sinker and his four-seamer really well with a lot of faith in it and in the strike zone,' Boone said. 'He knows he can go in the strike zone with both of those pitches if he executes. He doesn't have to run from contact. Those two pitches really play for him.' Warren has shown that he deserves to remain in the rotation when Luis Gil returns from the injured list sometime after the All-Star break. Here are our other first-half awards for the Yankees. Who else? Judge is in the midst of one of his best seasons, and that's saying something. The 33-year-old is leading MLB in the following categories: batting average (.358), on-base percentage (.458), slugging percentage (.712), OPS (1.170) and fWAR (6.1). Judge's 28 homers are the third-most in baseball. And he hasn't missed a full game. When he was announced as the biggest vote-getter for this year's American League All-Star team, he became the fourth player since fan balloting returned in 1970 to lead the majors in voting at least three times (Ken Griffey Jr., 5; Rod Carew, 4; Ichiro Suzuki, 3). The best player in the game, of course, is the most valuable player on the team. Advertisement LeMahieu brings leadership to the Yankees' clubhouse. He sets an example of how to prepare every day. He has also been the Yankees' least productive everyday player. He didn't debut until May 13 after missing the beginning of the season with a left calf strain. When he first returned, he appeared to be moving better than he had at any point over his last two injury-plagued years. But he's struggled significantly of late. Over 13 games entering Friday, he had posted just a .384 OPS with only one extra-base hit. His season marks of a 92.5 mph average exit velocity and 50 percent hard-hit rate are encouraging. His expected weighted on-base percentage of .304 is not. Fried might start for the AL All-Star team. When the Yankees signed Fried to an eight-year, $217 million deal, the move was almost universally applauded, though some eyebrows were raised at the length. Nobody's questioning it now. The lefty leads MLB in wins with 10, and his 1.92 ERA is second among starting pitchers. He's top 10 in WHIP (0.94) and batting average against (.204). Fried has also become a clubhouse leader in a mold similar to Gerrit Cole. 'Ten wins in half a season is not easy to do, in any era, especially now,' Boone told reporters in Cincinnati this week. 'It's just a testament to how good he's been and how efficient he's been. Needless to say, he's been enormous for us, whether it's coming off a loss or extending a streak. His consistency's been great.' Carrasco's stay was brief but impactful, in the wrong way. The 38-year-old was 2-2 with a 5.91 ERA in eight games (six starts), and it seemed like he just didn't have it anymore in the 16th season of an otherwise impressive career. He made his last Yankees appearance on May 4. Then the team designated him for assignment. He's since hung around Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre, but he hasn't been good there either, with a 4.95 ERA in six games. Carrasco was a positive force inside the Yankees' clubhouse during spring training and at the beginning of the season, but he didn't get it done on the field.
