Sport

The world champion U.S. women’s national soccer team asked a federal judge on Thursday to clear the way for it to strike over alleged pay inequities just two months before the start of the Summer Olympic Games. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, who heard arguments in Chicago from lawyers for the players’ union and for the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), didn’t say when she might rule, The Associated Press…

(Photo: The Associated Press) CONCORD, N.C. (AP) — Martin Truex Jr. put himself in good position for another strong showing at the Coca-Cola 600, a race he thought he should have won last year. Truex turned a lap of 192.328 to grab the pole away from Joey Logano on his final lap of qualifying Thursday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Logano, who had the top time in the first two…

Martin Truex Jr.’s expectations were pretty low entering the final round of qualifying Thursday for Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Truex’s Toyota was 12th fastest in the first round and fifth in the second round. Then came the final round, during which Truex’s No. 78 Toyota found enough speed to overtake Joey Logano. Truex’s lap of 192.328 mph was good enough for the pole. [Our annual list of…

The world champion U.S. women’s national soccer team asked a federal judge on Thursday to clear the way for it to strike over alleged pay inequities just two months before the start of the Summer Olympic Games. U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman, who heard arguments in Chicago from lawyers for the players’ union and for the U.S. Soccer Federation (USSF), didn’t say when she might rule, The Associated Press…

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Victoria Pendleton has claimed she would have performed better at the London Olympics, where she won silver and gold medals, and could now be heading to compete in Rio if it was not for the corrosive culture at British Cycling that forced her to quit. The former track cyclist, who successfully switched to jump racing in an experiment backed by a leading bookmaker, has been outspoken in her support for…

RELATED: 2016 Cup schedule | Memorial Day weekend schedule Changes to the rear spoiler, front splitter and rear deck fin will be put into play for two upcoming NASCAR Sprint Cup Series races as the sanctioning body continues to reduce aerodynamic downforce and sideforce in an effort to promote closer competition on the race track.   The changes, announced Thursday morning, will be in effect only for upcoming races at Michigan International Speedway…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (May 26, 2016) — NASCAR® is collaborating with Academy Award-winning director Steven Soderbergh on a feature film entitled Logan Lucky, starring Channing Tatum alongside Katherine Heigl, Daniel Craig, Riley Keough, Adam Driver and Seth MacFarlane. Depicting a theoretical heist at Charlotte Motor Speedway, the project will mark Soderbergh’s first feature film since announcing his retirement from the film industry in 2013. Soderbergh, who also directed heist film Ocean’s Eleven,…

RELATED: Photos of Voting Day, inductees   NASCAR.com was privileged to have two ballots cast as part of NASCAR Hall of Fame Voting Day on Wednesday. Senior writers Kenny Bruce and Holly Cain each submitted their five nominations for induction in the Class of 2017 and a vote for the Landmark Award for Outstanding Contributions to NASCAR.   A spirited discussion and voting process created one of the most intriguing…

RELATED: More on the Hall of Fame | See all of the nominees   CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two phenomenally successful contemporary car owners, a champion driver-turned-beloved-broadcaster, a driver with a prolific winning history and the man described as NASCAR racing’s “original car owner” are the newly elected members of the 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.   NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France introduced the new inductees on Wednesday at…

RELATED: More on the Hall of Fame | See all of the nominees   CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Two phenomenally successful contemporary car owners, a champion driver-turned-beloved-broadcaster, a driver with a prolific winning history and the man described as NASCAR racing’s “original car owner” are the newly elected members of the 2017 NASCAR Hall of Fame class.   NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France introduced the new inductees on Wednesday at…

Joe Kenny has owned Finley Dunne’s, a “hockey bar” on Lincoln Avenue in West Lakeview, for about 20 years. Then last week something unusual happened. Nearly two dozen patrons actually wanted to watch a Stanley Cup playoff game that did not involve the Blackhawks. “That doesn’t sound like a lot,” Kenny said. But normally when the Hawks are out of the playoffs, interest in the NHL plummets. It marked, he…

William Wegman, the photographer and painter most famous for his photos of dressed-up and elegantly posed Weimaraners, works from his multilevel home in New York City’s Chelsea neighborhood. It has a photo studio, a sunlit room for painting, storage for props and costumes, a terrace garden where his dogs, Flo and Topper, can roam and indoor parking for several cars. But Mr. Wegman’s favorite spot is the roof, where he…

Photo via Getty The tiny island kingdom of Bahrain is something like a smaller Qatar: extremely rich, friendly with the United States, and run by a single family. While Qatar (allegedly) purchased the World Cup—bringing with it thousands of dead slaves—Bahrain, being smaller, appears to have set its sporting ambitions a notch lower. Rather than try to buy an Olympics or a World Cup, Bahraini royalty appears to be headed…

When masses of people from around the world descend on a city for the Olympics, public health experts get a bit jittery. It’s easy to understand why: Thousands of tourists cramped into stadiums and bars inevitably swap bacteria and viruses. In the past, this has led to outbreaks of measles and norovirus. This year, there’s an extra layer of anxiety shrouding the upcoming Summer Games in August in Rio…

On this date 41 years ago, Dale Earnhardt made his first NASCAR Premier Series start in the World 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway. After much convincing by Earnhardt, explained in the video above, car owner Ed Negre put him in the No. 8 1974 10,000 RPM Speed Equipment-sponsored Dodge for NASCAR’s longest race. In a race won by Richard Petty with only three cautions for a total of 12 laps,…

When masses of people from around the world descend on a city for the Olympics, public health experts get a bit jittery. It’s easy to understand why: Thousands of tourists cramped into stadiums and bars inevitably swap bacteria and viruses. In the past, this has led to outbreaks of measles and norovirus. This year, there’s an extra layer of anxiety shrouding the upcoming Summer Games in August in Rio…

The U.S. Men’s National Team continues its series of friendlies in preparation for the Copa America Centenario against Ecuador in Frisco, Texas on May 25 at Toyota Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m. CT, and the match will be broadcast live on ESPN2, UniMas and Univision Deportes Network. Following tonight’s match, the MNT will host Bolivia on May 28 at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City, Kansas (7…

Today at 12:30 p.m., the NASCAR Hall of Fame voting panel will meet in the Charlotte Convention Center to pick five individuals who will comprise the hall’s class of 2017.   As one of the voting panel members, it is both an awesome responsibility and a tremendous challenge to take part in the process. All 20 nominees are worthy to be in the NASCAR Hall of Fame and chances are…