Sport

Brian France was named chairman of NASCAR in October of 2003 as his father’s health failed.(Photo: Sam Sharpe, USA TODAY Sports) HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Brian France was digesting a hurried lunch and morsels from a just-concluded media forum as a helicopter was prepped to whisk him from Homestead-Miami Speedway. At the other helipad was a business meeting with family members that could alter the sport his clan had overseen since 1948….

For a list of all the latest deals, check out the transfers page. Barcelona could sell some of their biggest stars to Premier League clubs to balance the books. Forwards Lionel Messi, 28, Neymar, 23, and Luis Suarez, 28, could all be made available. (Sun) Bayer Leverkusen midfielder Lars Bender, 26, is on the shortlist of players Arsenal want to sign in January. (Evening Standard) Liverpool and Spain left-back Alberto…

By ANDREW DAMPF, AP Sports Writer Actively seeking to avoid the kind of doping scandal engulfing track and field, USA Swimming is teaming up with the man who brought down Lance Armstrong. U.S. Anti-Doping Agency CEO Travis Tygart will join former USA Swimming president Jim Wood for a meeting with FINA executive director Cornel Marculescu in Lausanne, Switzerland, next month to check in on the anti-doping actions of the sport’s…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 2, 2015) — NASCAR announced today that Scott Miller has joined the organization as Senior Vice President of Competition, responsible for managing all competition efforts related to technology, inspection, rule development and officiating across NASCAR’s wide portfolio of racing. Miller will report directly to Executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer Steve O’Donnell, and work closely with Senior Vice President of Innovation and Racing Development…

Of all the numbers in the top 10 in NASCAR, the No. 8 might be the most puzzling of all. In its history in NASCAR Premier Series races — from Strictly Stock to Sprint Cup and everything in between — 93 different drivers have wheeled the No. 8 in competition, a decent total, to be sure. But only three of them ever won races with the No. 8: Joe Weatherly…

It’s just as well the Portland Timbers have North American soccer’s most fervent and unwavering support behind them, because there’s certainly no shortage of haters. Sure, their magnificent tifos are a bona fide work-of-art – and their attendance figures are mightily impressive, too – but that hasn’t bought them much favour in MLS circles. The Columbus Crew will be getting plenty of neutral support in Sunday’s MLS Cup final. “Timbers…

Connor McDavid signed a sponsorship deal with CCM.Photo: AP Adidas is preparing to put hockey equipment maker Reebok-CCM up for sale early next year as it simplifies its business, a source close to the situation said. The German sneaker-maker recently put its TaylorMade golf club brand on the market and with the CCM sale will continue to exit the sports equipment space. Adidas tried unsuccessfully to sell CCM in 2013…

NASCAR announced Wednesday morning that Scott Miller has joined the organization as senior vice president of competition, replacing Robin Pemberton whom it was announced Tuesday is stepping down from the position at year’s end. Miller, a garage area veteran who was most recently Michael Waltrip Racing’s executive vice president of competition, will be responsible for managing all competition efforts related to technology, inspection, rule development and officiating across NASCAR’s wide…

PHOTOS: ‘Rowdy’ takes Las Vegas LAS VEGAS—Kyle Busch returned to his Las Vegas roots on Tuesday afternoon—but not his racing roots. Busch kicked off NASCAR Sprint Cup Champion’s Week with a visit to a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) class in room 709 at Clifford J. Lawrence Junior High School on the west side of the city, less than a 20-minute drive from the middle school he attended as a boy,…

MUST WATCH The plan currently calls for 65,000 police and troops to secure the Games in Rio and key locations where competitions will take place, with a contingency force of 15,000 personnel that can be called upon. In London, 40,000 agents were used. “At this point our understanding of the level of risk hasn’t changed,” said Beltrame, though he admitted that they could turn to the contingency force if delegations…

Even the glory of being a elite athlete couldn’t shield Abby Wambach from the reality of the gender pay gap, an inequality that dogs many women—including soccer stars. Now that she’s about to wrap up her professional soccer career and retire, the legendary player has decided she will focus much of her time and energy on closing the gender equality gap—not only in soccer and sports, but in as many…

It’s just as well the Portland Timbers have North American soccer’s most fervent and unwavering support behind them, because there’s certainly no shortage of haters. Sure, their magnificent tifos are a bona fide work-of-art – and their attendance figures are mightily impressive, too – but that hasn’t bought them much favour in MLS circles. The Columbus Crew will be getting plenty of neutral support in Sunday’s MLS Cup final. “Timbers…

NASCAR announced Tuesday that senior vice president of competition Robin Pemberton will leave the organization at the end of 2015. Although a replacement was not named, multiple sources say that former Michael Waltrip Racing executive vice president of competition Scott Miller will take over Pemberton’s old position. A NASCAR spokesperson told FOXSports.com that an announcement on Pemberton’s replacement wouldn’t come Tuesday, but “as soon as possible.” With a racing career…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2015) — The sport fittingly crowned a first-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch, in what was a transformational season that saw the championship format produce a series of records, milestones and firsts on and off the track. The Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship Race on NBC and NBCSN was the most-watched finale since 2005 – peaking with nearly 12.4 million average viewers. This concluded a successful…

HINGHAM, MASS. — Charlie Davies’ dad was gone. It happened again. He went off drinking, using maybe, with those friends from around town in Manchester, New Hampshire, those friends who weren’t really his friends. It had been days since his dad disappeared, but Charlie wasn’t sure how many. Two days. Maybe three. His mom looked at Charlie and his brother, Justin, two years younger, and shook her head. “I can’t…

In the earliest days of NASCAR, the No. 7 was a lucky number. Bob Flock, a member of one of the sport’s pioneering families, won the third race of the inaugural NASCAR Strictly Stock season behind the wheel of the No. 7 Oldsmobile at Occoneechee (N.C.) Speedway in 1949. Flock also won the year’s final race at North Wilkesboro Speedway, making him one of only two drivers to win twice…

Quicken Loans announced Tuesday that it will join Kasey Kahne and the Hendrick Motorsports No. 5 Chevrolet team next season in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series. Quicken plans to be a primary sponsor for three races and an associate sponsor for the remaining events on the 2016 calendar. One of the primary races will be part of a joint promotion with Hendrick Automotive Group, according to a news release provided by the Detroit-based…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (Dec. 1, 2015) — NASCAR announced today that Senior Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton will leave the organization at the end of 2015.   With a racing career that has spanned five decades, Pemberton joined the sanctioning body in August of 2004. Since that time, he has overseen all areas of NASCAR competition and been credited as a key component in bridging the gap between the sanctioning…

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FOOTBALL GOSSIP Celtic and Swansea are keeping tabs on St Johnstone forward Michael O’Halloran. Sun  Anthony Stokes, out of the first-team picture at Celtic, is wanted by Cardiff City in the January transfer window. Daily Record  Former Celtic captain Tom Boyd is adamant frustrated Stokes has a future at the club after Sunday’s social media rant, saying it shows his…