Sport

CONCORD, N.C. — NASCAR is trying to inject some excitement into Charlotte Motor Speedway, where recent races have been relatively predictable, even dull: When a lead car breaks free from the pack, it’s been nearly impossible to catch.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko is not a fan of his country’s hockey team right now. (Dmitry Brushko/Associated Press) Russian President Vladimir Putin isn’t the only Eastern European authoritarian leader who plays hockey. So does Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. But unlike Putin, who once gave the entire Russian national hockey team luxury vehicles for winning the world championships, Lukashenko has no love for Team Belarus. During a meeting this week that…

Would Dale Earnhardt, a seven-time NASCAR Cup champion hailed by many as the greatest driver in the sport’s history, be able to land a ride in today’s NASCAR? That question caught Dale Earnhardt Jr. by surprise this week. Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer sat down with the popular driver for a wide-ranging interview, and stumped the driver with that hypothetical question. “That’s a good damn question,” Earnhardt said. “I’ve never been asked…

Perhaps the biggest news from the week leading up to Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 concerns not this season, but the next one. Racing fans in the Northeast had to face the reality that there will not be a September race in Loudon next year as NASCAR unveiled its schedule for 2018. Instead, the playoffs will open at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, a sister track of New Hampshire Motor Speedway. Loudon will…

On Feb. 11, Christopher Barton’s memorial Facebook page was flooded with pictures of strawberry cupcakes with chocolate icing. A communal birthday present, if you will. They were always his favorite, simple and sweet. It’s a small way for his closest friends to remember the Harrisburg native, who died in Afghanistan on May 24, 2010. And in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, driver Reed Sorenson will remember Barton a…

David Wallechinsky, president of the International Society of Olympic Historians, tells NPR’s Lulu Garcia-Navarro that the Rio Olympics wasted money and were plagued by corruption.

On Feb. 11, Christopher Barton’s memorial Facebook page was flooded with pictures of strawberry cupcakes with chocolate icing. A communal birthday present, if you will. They were always his favorite, simple and sweet. It’s a small way for his closest friends to remember the Harrisburg native, who died in Afghanistan on May 24, 2010. And in Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, driver Reed Sorenson will remember Barton a…

In a restart-riddled race with 12 cautions and 12 lead changes, Ryan Blaney took advantage of a late restart to take the checkered flag in the Hisense 4K TV 300 for his first Xfinity Series win since 2015. The High Point native started in third but didn’t see clean air until lap 53, when he took the lead from fifth-place finisher Denny Hamlin. But Blaney finished with 107 laps led…

Jerry Markland/Getty Images After a brief hiatus, the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series returns on Sunday for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. The sport’s biggest names took the track May 20, though the leaderboard didn’t change as Clint Bowyer took a checkered flag in the Monster Energy Open and Kyle Busch did the same at the All-Star race in Charlotte, reeling in a $1 million prize in the process….

Photo Credit: Dmitry Brushko/AP Alexander Lukashenko, the president of Belarus, wasn’t happy with the national hockey team’s performance in the recent world championships. He has no qualms about letting people know that. In a session specially held to discuss the development of ice hockey in the country—which is definitely not just because Lukashenko is personally a huge hockey fan, his press team specifically notes in the write-up on the presidential…

If NASCAR decides to move the annual All-Star Race from the Charlotte area, Texas Motor Speedway would get money to offer a hefty financial incentive under legislature passed Thursday night, the Associated Press and Austin-American Statesman reported. The bill would let the Fort Worth, Texas track use potentially tens of millions of dollars from the state’s Major Events Reimbursement Program to pursue the All-Star Race, now held at Charlotte Motor…

If NASCAR decides to move the annual All-Star Race from the Charlotte area, Texas Motor Speedway would get money to offer a hefty financial incentive under legislature passed Thursday night, the Associated Press and Austin-American Statesman reported. The bill would let the Fort Worth, Texas track use potentially tens of millions of dollars from the state’s Major Events Reimbursement Program to pursue the All-Star Race, now held at Charlotte Motor…

3:09 PM ET Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print comment CONCORD, N.C. — Drivers certainly don’t like to see a back injury, but with the violent nature of the Aric Almirola crash two weeks ago that broke Almirola’s back, there is no groundswell for changes to the cars, nor to the safety systems. Bryan Clauson’s legacy, inspiration lives on through organ donations Bryan Clauson’s death after a race accident…

Ricky Carmichael may have traded in four wheels for two years ago, but his love of NASCAR remains. As a Monster Energy athlete and spokesperson, Carmichael attended the All-Star Race at Charlotte Motor Speedway last weekend. In its first season as the entitlement sponsor of the series, Monster Energy also had the naming rights to the All-Star Race. It was the first of several appearances for Carmichael this year. “I’m…

Gold Medals highlighted his remarkable durability and versatility with a victory in Saturday’s $125,000 The Australian Steeplechase (3400m) at Ladbrokes Park Sandown. Since winning on debut as a two-year-old over 1000m at Warrnambool and later being placed at Stakes level at Flemington over 1400m as a three-year-old, the now seven-year-old son of Elvstroem has always been a talented horse on the flat and this preparation has added a Terang Cup…

“We see a professional team in Dayton as an opportunity for players, coaches, referees and even companies to get involved,” Steven Short, USL Division III vice president, said. “And part of that is, we really see Division III as the league of opportunity — an opportunity for those (amateur) players to move to the next level.”

If NASCAR decides to move the annual All-Star Race from the Charlotte area, Texas Motor Speedway would get money to offer a hefty financial incentive under legislature passed Thursday night, the Associated Press and Austin-American Statesman reported. The bill would let the Fort Worth, Texas track use potentially tens of millions of dollars from the state’s Major Events Reimbursement Program to pursue the All-Star Race, now held at Charlotte Motor…

3:09 PM ET Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print comment CONCORD, N.C. — Drivers certainly don’t like to see a back injury, but with the violent nature of the Aric Almirola crash two weeks ago that broke Almirola’s back, there is no groundswell for changes to the cars, nor to the safety systems. Bryan Clauson’s legacy, inspiration lives on through organ donations Bryan Clauson’s death after a race accident…

STEVE INSKEEP, HOST: Around the world, soccer is played by the rich and poor alike. It’s a cheap sport – no pads, no special equipment, you just need a ball. But in the United States, soccer has become the domain of the white suburban well-to-do. Just registering for a club team can run about $1,500 per year. Immigrant families who played soccer in their old countries can’t always pay. In…

Sometimes, a story just flat out needs to be told. This is one of those times. On Wednesday afternoon in Charlotte, more than 50 members of the NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Panel gathered to select the five individuals who would be inducted into the hall’s Class of 2018. The panel members consist of everyone from NASCAR CEO Brian France to track operators, former racers, representatives of the three automakers…