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NASCAR is reinventing itself — again. A new point system may or may not draw new fans to the sport, but it will change how people watch. NPR’s Robert Siegel talks to Scott Fowler, sports columnist for the Charlotte Observer, about the new changes.

RELATED: Race format creates playoff-point incentives | Drivers react NASCAR announced Monday competition format enhancements in all three of its national series — the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.  NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France and NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell delivered the news via press conference alongside drivers Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin….

Chuck Burton NASCAR Media Tour Auto Racing Chase Elliott answers a question during a news conference at the NASCAR Media Tour in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) Chuck Burton NASCAR Media Tour Auto Racing Erik Jones answers a question during a news conference at the NASCAR Media Tour in Charlotte, N.C., Tuesday, Jan. 24, 2017. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton) Posted: Tuesday, January 24, 2017 7:45 pm Hardin:…

Since he joined Stewart-Haas Racing in 2014, Kevin Harvick has been a dominant force in NASCAR, winning the Premier Series title in his first season with the team and finishing second last year.  In his three years with SHR, Harvick has 12 victories, 11 poles and 54 top-five finishes. With the team switching to Ford this year, Harvick expects he and the team to pick up where they left off….

The Kunlun Red Stars, China’s hockey team, warm up before a game. Rob Schmitz/NPR hide caption toggle caption Rob Schmitz/NPR The Kunlun Red Stars, China’s hockey team, warm up before a game. Rob Schmitz/NPR As the Beijing Kunlun Red Stars hit the ice to face off against a team from Moscow, tension is high. A win tonight is crucial to make it to the playoffs in the Kontinental Hockey League,…

CLOSE x Embed x Share During a symbolic ceremony, Cy-Young award-winning pitcher David Price, a Murfreesboro native, gives a push on the large baseball fountain to “get the ball rolling” on the Miracle Field that is still under construction in McKnight Park. Larry McCormack / The Tennessean Buy Photo During a symbolic ceremony, Cy Young Award-winning pitcher David Price, a Murfreesboro native, gives a push on the large baseball fountain…

The MMQB staff writer Emily Kaplan discusses how Erin Andrews was able to keep working while fighting cervical cancer. Her safety belt clicked shut. As her highly public and emotionally draining civil trial entered a weekend break, Erin Andrews sunk into her seat, wishful that her flight—Nashville to Minneapolis to visit her boyfriend—would allow for two hours of solitude. Not so. Her seat neighbor kept glancing over. …

RELATED: Race format creates playoff-point incentives | Drivers react NASCAR announced Monday competition format enhancements in all three of its national series — the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR XFINITY Series and the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.  NASCAR Chairman & CEO Brian France and NASCAR Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell delivered the news via press conference alongside drivers Jeff Gordon, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Brad Keselowski and Denny Hamlin….

Senegal goalkeeper Khadim N’Diaye has quite the situational awareness. He knows what he needs to do to get a result, outside of trying to not concede goals. And he did that on Monday in the Africa Cup of Nations against Algeria, but I’ll warn you that your stomach may hurt from the laughter. With the score 2-2 late, with that result meaning Senegal advances and Algeria heads home, the 32-year-old…

Even baseball’s fiercest defenders will admit the sport went in the wrong direction in 2016: The games ran too long, managers called on too many relievers who took forever. Sitting through nine innings, especially in the postseason, was a test of patience, if not one’s sanity. Even the historic postseason came at a steep price. Game 2 of the World Series lasted four hours, four minutes without even going into…

ATLANTA — At last. At. Freaking. Last. Red, white and black confetti swirled throughout the Georgia Dome on Sunday night, a fitting sendoff for the final game in the 25-year-old arena. The Atlanta Falcons and their tens of thousands of fans —some in suspiciously new-looking jerseys, but we’ll let that ride — celebrated the team’s first Super Bowl berth in a generation. Quarterback Matt Ryan and offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan…

The MMQB staff writer Emily Kaplan discusses how Erin Andrews was able to keep working while fighting cervical cancer. Her safety belt clicked shut. As her highly public and emotionally draining civil trial entered a weekend break, Erin Andrews sunk into her seat, wishful that her flight—Nashville to Minneapolis to visit her boyfriend—would allow for two hours of solitude. Not so. Her seat neighbor kept glancing over. …

KontrolFreek seemingly wants to become the Under Armour for e-sports players. Today the company released its “Performance Gaming Wear,” which it says is the first apparel line specifically designed to make gamers better at gaming. The line, which debuted at the December Major League Gaming Vegas tournament, consists of a hoodie and a pair of “gaming shorts.” While athletes require breathable shorts, or temperature-controlled shirts, e-sports players have different needs….

The reasoning behind NASCAR’s new stage-based race format is pretty basic: Improving competition is a bigger priority than simplifying the math is. In each of NASCAR’s top three segments, the races will be broken into three stages for 2017: The first two stages will each be roughly one-quarter distance with brief breaks in between. The third and final stage will be about half the race distance. Here are the particulars:…

The MMQB staff writer Emily Kaplan discusses how Erin Andrews was able to keep working while fighting cervical cancer. Her safety belt clicked shut. As her highly public and emotionally draining civil trial entered a weekend break, Erin Andrews sunk into her seat, wishful that her flight—Nashville to Minneapolis to visit her boyfriend—would allow for two hours of solitude. Not so. Her seat neighbor kept glancing over. …

9:46 PM ET Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print comment Tony Yoka has signed with Los Angeles-based promoter Richard Schaefer’s Ringstar Sports. Yoka won the 2016 Olympic super heavyweight gold medal for France — meaning he is expected to follow in the footsteps of fighters such as Lennox Lewis, Wladimir Klitschko and Anthony Joshua and win a professional world title. “It is a great pleasure for me to welcome…

During his 45-year TV career, Bryant Gumbel has gained a reputation for being a perfectionist. Even famous friends have to clear a high bar. The late superstar Prince, a big fan of Gumbel from his “Today”  show days, got that pointed message when he offered to compose a theme song for CBS’ “Public Eye With Bryant Gumbel,” his 1998 prime-time magazine. “He took a run at it and I didn’t like it,” Gumbel…

A raider of Dabang Delhi attempts to tag players of Bengal Warriors during the match between Dabang Delhi and Bengal Warriors in the Pro Kabaddi League in New Delhi. (Photo credit:Chandan Khanna/AFP/Getty Images) According to a leading sports scholar Boria Majumdar, Indian athletes who have achieved international success in any form of sports are exceptions and that it has little to do with the country’s sports program. India does not…

Bernie Ecclestone’s reign as the chief executive of Formula One has been brought to a close, after he ran it virtually single-handedly for 40 years. The surprising speed of the decision is a clear signal of the intention of the new owners, Liberty Media, to change the way the sport is run. It represents the most significant shift in Formula One’s management since Ecclestone took over in the late 1970s….

When Los Angeles Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw allowed five runs in Game 6 of the NLCS, his disappointing outing was largely attributed to some combination of the Chicago Cubs’ powerful lineup and the general unpredictability of baseball. Researchers at Northwestern University have another theory: He might have been jet lagged. According to a study published Monday in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, teams traveling…