Trending
BLANEY VICTORY
HARTFORD -- Dale Blaney’s 25th win at the Sharon Speedway was a family effort Saturday night.
Driving his brother Dave’s 410 sprint car, Dale Blaney captured the 18th annual Lou Blaney Memorial, held in honor of the Blaney’s father.
Dave Blaney, 62, won $12,000 for finishing first in the 35-lap race. He lso won the event in 2019.
Dave Blaney set fast time over the 35-car field in qualifying with a lap of 14.001 seconds.
Erick Rudolph, 34, of Ransomville, N.Y., won the BRP Modifieds for the fourth time at the Lou Blaney Memorial.
He claimed the $2,500 first-place prize for 35-lap feature.
Racing returns to Sharon Speedway on Aug. 13 with NASCAR star Ryan Blaney, Dave’s son, on hand.
FEVER STREAK SNAPPED
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- Rookie sensation Olivia Miles spearheaded an efficient offense with 28 points, Courtney Williams added 27 points, and the Minnesota Lynx won their 10th-straight game with a 108-100 win over the Indiana Fever on Sunday.
There was a rally outside the Target Center that pitted those supporting Fever reserve Sophie Cunningham, who told ESPN last week she believed trans athletes should not play against girls, against those with the opposite feeling. Minnesota coach Cheryl Reeve wore a shirt that read, “Trans kids belong,” and had a pregame conversation with Cunningham, who was booed throughout the game.
“Both of us understand that we have platforms and we both talked about wanting to, more than anything, educate,” Reeve said after the contest.
Minnesota had a 96-82 lead with 6:41 to play before the Fever, who had scored 100 in a record six-straight games, pulled within 100-98 with more than 2 1/2 minutes to go. Miles and Williams both came up with big baskets as the Lynx won their 10th straight for the first time since 2016.
“First time playing each other, so there’s a bit of a feeling out sort of thing,” Reeve said. “And offense definitely had their way with each of the teams’ defense. Certainly knew it probably wasn’t going to be sustained, and it wasn’t. We were hoping at some point our defense could be a separator.
“We felt like we had to really fight to win, and glad we glad we did that. The next time we play them, each team is going to have a lot more information.”
THORBIORNSEN TRIUMPS
DETROIT (AP) -- Michael Thorbjornsen pumped his right fist after making a 26-foot putt for birdie on his last hole to shoot 7-under 63 and reach 18 under to win his first PGA Tour title by two shots at the final Rocket Classic on Sunday.
“Perfect pace, perfect read,” he said.
The 24-year-old Thorbjornsen sealed his spot in the FedEx Cup playoff after rolling into the Motor City No. 69 in the standings. The top 70 advance to the postseason after next week’s Wyndham Championship.
“Just to be in the playoff for the first time is very exciting, he said. “It’s great to be playing against the best players in the world.”
Thorbjornsen started the fourth round three shots behind leader Davis Riley, whose rough start opened opportunities for the field.
“The start got the best of me and kind of put me behind the eight-ball early unfortunately,” Riley said.
Thorbjornsen took advantage, surging into the lead at No. 14 with his third of four birdies in a six-hole stretch and closing with a clutch, curling putt that went in the right side of the cup.
KUWAKI TAKES BRITISH OPEN
LYTHAM ST. ANNES, England (AP) -- Shiho Kuwaki of Japan saved par to stay alive in a sudden-death playoff Sunday and won with a par on the second extra hole to claim the Women’s British Open over Esther Henseleit of Germany for her first major title.
Kuwaki closed with a 1-under 70 and looked like a winner as she waited nearly 30 minutes in the scoring room. Henseleit, in the final group, holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Lytham & St. Annes for a 70 to join Kuwaki at 5-under 279.
Henseleit then had the advantage in the playoff when the 23-year-old from Japan was in deep grass short of a bunker and had to lay up short of the green. Kuwaki hit wedge to 3 feet to save par and got another chance when Henseleit missed a 15-foot birdie putt for the win.
The tables turned on the second extra hole. Henseleit’s tee shot on the 18th drifted far enough to the right that it was beneath a gorse bush. She did well to get that back to the fairway, and hit wedge to about 12 feet. But her par putt stayed left of the cup, and that left Kuwaki to tap in for par.