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Following his NASCAR win at Martinsville, Denny Hamlin took out a blue flag with the words “11 Against the World” on it. The new motto for the No. 11 team of Joe Gibbs Racing is now undefeated, 2-0, since making its debut.
So, who is behind this flag? Did Denny Hamlin have a bright idea to get it made in case he won a race this season? Well, it came from a fan. This fan knew that Denny’s friends were Ohio State fans, and the Buckeyes were using “Ohio Against the World” during their CFP Championship run.
Will Signor, the fan behind the flag, is now proudly taking credit. Martinsville was one thing. Now Darlington? That flag is definitely good luck and the new motto is for sure working.
“All I’m saying is since I gave [Denny Hamlin] that 11 against the world flag. [sic] We’re 2-0 against the world,” Signor posted on X/Twitter.
All I’m saying is since I gave @dennyhamlin that 11 against the world flag.
— Will Signor
We’re 2-0 against the world#DennyHamlin #11againsttheworld pic.twitter.com/MtC2RwF7d7
(@WillSignor5) April 7, 2025
Denny Hamlin is on quite a hot streak. He has had three really good weeks in a row with two wins to cap it. Heading to Bristol, a track Denny won at last season, can he keep the train rolling and win a third race in a row?
The last time multiple drivers won three races in a row during a single season was in 2018. That season, Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, and Brad Keselowski had three-peats. Earlier this year, Christopher Bell won three in a row with wins at Atlanta, COTA, and Phoenix.
Denny Hamlin gets win thanks to his pit crew
Had Denny Hamlin not had such a perfect pit stop before overtime on Sunday, he wouldn’t have won the race. This purely goes to his pit crew when you list the reasons why Hamlin won. Sure, he had the car in position when it needed to be there, but the pit crew made it all happen.
Well, I guess you could thank one more person. Denny sure did during his postrace celebration on the frontstretch.
In the end, Denny Hamlin stole the win in overtime. He’ll take that 56th checkered flag home without any second thoughts. 11 Against the World, after all.
After the race, Hamlin had one thing to say. “There’s two people I really love right now, my pit crew and Kyle Larson. Had a little assist there. So, thank you.”
Isn’t it nice he would think of his friend Kyle Larson at a time like that? A big win and another memorable postrace quote from Denny Hamlin.
More must-reads:
- Denny Hamlin has revealing comments about his future after signing extension
- Why as many as 100 NFL players are facing fines and potential suspension
- The 'NBA Summer League MVPs' quiz
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Why William Byron Is More Excited for San Diego Than He Was for the Chicago Street Race
To some people, life’s a beach. NASCAR Cup driver William Byron appears to be one of those, as the former points leader (he’s now second in the standings) is more excited about next season’s planned temporary street course race on Naval Base Coronado in San Diego than he was about the last three street races in downtown Chicago. Granted, the Chicago course skirted the edge of Lake Michigan and nearby beaches, but San Diego brings a number of advantages over the Windy City. That includes over 300 days of sunshine a year (the first two street races in Chicago were impacted by rain), it’s a new market for NASCAR and returns racing to Southern California for the first time since 2022, is just a few miles from the U.S.-Mexico border (which should draw a lot of fans from south of the border to cheer on Daniel Suarez — if he signs with a new team for 2026), and the afore-mentioned San Diego beaches. “Oh yeah, it’s awesome,” Byron said of going to San Diego during Friday’s media availability at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. “It’s a big deal. I got really excited when we went there and promoted it and did that video (the promotional video NASCAR released to promote the race). “I was actually really excited about the race when I left (after filming the promo video at the navy base),” Byron said. “If (the event) pans out the way it looks, it’s going to be amazing.” It’s not that Byron hated racing in Chicago. On the contrary. But his most recent outing last month, he qualified 38th and then crashed out on the first lap, ending his day with a last-place (40th) finish, after finishes of 8th and 13th in the two previous Chicago street races. “I’m definitely more excited about (San Diego) than I was Chicago,” Byron said. “Chicago is a great event, but it seemed like at times like some of the people there didn’t necessarily buy into it. “And I feel like San Diego, everyone there is going to be bought into it, and it’s going to be just an exciting summer event. So, I’m pretty pumped for it.” San Diego Seems to Have More Local Support Than Chicago Did Yes, Chicago residents seemed mixed in their feelings about the street race. They were forced to endure street closings of major parts of the downtown area, as well as a complete blockage of the southbound lanes of Lake Shore Drive to accommodate part of the track layout. And then there was fear about crime, a major issue in Chicago. Just days before the race, four people were shot and killed, and 14 others were injured in a drive-by shooting at a club about one mile from the street race layout. “It seemed like around the Chicago event, you always heard like positive and negative reviews and a lot of skepticism,” Byron said. “When we announced San Diego, it doesn’t seem like any skepticism. “It seems like a lot of positivity and excitement, people are appreciative, and that’s what makes me excited. It’s like everyone’s going to look forward to that event on the schedule, and that’s just going to make it fun.”
‘In What World Does This Make Sense?????’: Oilers and $63M Forward
According to some, throw out the idea that the Edmonton Oilers should pursue Max Pacioretty. A veteran forward who has earned over $63 million over the course of his NHL career has yet to sign an NHL contract and was recently mentioned in a post by David Staples as a possible fit. In a recent post, the Journal noted, “All of the top NHL unrestricted free agents have already signed contracts, but there’s one big name player still available that makes good sense for the Edmonton Oilers to pursue.” Responses have been varied, with a few quite vocal about the Oilers not following Staples’ advice. “In what world does this make sense?????” writes a commenter on a recent post for The Hockey Writers. Another commenter wrote, “Pacioretty is a good journeyman player but he is injury prone now, late in his career. Oilers might be lucky to get 40 games out of him. They should look elsewhere instead of taking a chance on Patches.” Tyler Yaremchuk of Oilers Nation chimed in and said, “He scored five goals in 37 games last year with the Toronto Maple Leafs. Can’t stay healthy, very old, very slow.” Yaremchuk then went on a rant, listing several Oilers forwards who would be better than Pacioretty. What About Pacioretty on a PTO? Is there any reason that a team that is looking to get younger and faster, and move out depth pieces that were older and less productive than expected, would revert back to last summer’s strategy? It seems like an odd choice on the surface. Something would have to happen that would make giving Pacioretty a look risk-free. That means only a PTO. Even at that point, should he agree, it would require him to be willing to sign a two-way contract for the league minimum.
Naomi Osaka admits if she wants to face Emma Raducanu again after Washington Open defeat
Emma Raducanu brought Naomi Osaka’s Washington Open campaign to an end with a performance full of confidence. Raducanu, enjoying her best form in some time, has looked sharp since crossing over from Wimbledon to the US hard courts and is now putting together a strong run on both sides of the draw. Her timing couldn’t be better, with the summer swing in full flow and eyes already turning towards Flushing Meadows later in August. For Osaka, though, this was another frustrating defeat by a player she might have expected to beat. In the aftermath, she was even asked whether it was worth facing Raducanu again anytime soon. Naomi Osaka shares thoughts on Emma Raducanu after defeat at Washington Open After the loss, Osaka took time to break down her performance and also spoke about what impressed her about Raducanu’s game. Starting with her own play, she mentioned: “I think honestly I have been working on my return a lot, and ironically I don’t think it was that bad today. I think she served quite well. I guess just keep working on that, working on my serve. I know it’s one of my biggest weapons. “Today the percentages were off, so hopefully improving that. Then I guess just baseline tennis. I feel like from the baseline, like, I was doing pretty well. I think there are certain situations where she got one more ball back and I was kind of just looking and waiting. So kind of getting more accustomed to being comfortable being aggressive. When asked how facing Raducanu compared to watching her previously, Osaka said: “Oh. So when I say I watched her, it might not have necessarily been her tennis. Might have been like interviews and stuff like that. “Yeah, I mean, I watched her in Wimbledon, but I think it is different playing someone in real life than playing them or seeing them on TV. “So I think for me, honestly, it was really good to get the experience, to feel how her ball is. Yeah, hopefully we meet again.” Naomi Osaka comments on her relationship with fellow players Osaka didn’t just talk about the match itself – she also shared how she’s been interacting with other players off the court. For example, the Japanese star was asked if she’d like to get to know Raducanu or other players better, to which she replied: “I mean, yes, but I don’t know. “I don’t know if I’m, like, I look scary or something, but I have been saying hi to everyone for the past year and a half since I have been back, and I think they still think I’m kind of like extremely introverted and/or have RBF. So we haven’t really, like, proceeded past the ‘Hi, how are you doing’ phase.” Osaka admitted she felt confused after her defeat to Raducanu, having played much better than the scoreline suggested. It’s Raducanu who moves forward into the quarter-finals while Osaka once again finds herself reflecting on what comes next.
Athletics' Nick Kurtz makes MLB history vs. Astros
Athletics rookie first baseman Nick Kurtz already had an impressive start to his career. Kurtz entered Friday having posted a .288/.360/.622 batting line in 265 plate appearances, hitting 19 homers and 17 doubles. Despite making his major league debut on April 23, Kurtz has been the A's most valuable player, leading the team with 2.6 bWAR. He appeared to be on the cusp of becoming the superstar the A's needed to sell the team to the residents of Las Vegas. That performance set the stage for what may have been the most impressive game for any rookie in major league history. Kurtz became the 20th player in MLB history to have a four-home run game and the first rookie to achieve that feat. Kurtz's performance also put the 2025 season into baseball history. Diamondbacks third baseman Eugenio Suarez had a four-home run game on April 26, making this the third time that there have been two four-homer games in a season. That had happened in 2002 (outfielders Mike Cameron and Shawn Green) and 2017 (utility man Scooter Gennett and left fielder J.D. Martinez). Kurtz did not stop with those four homers. He was 6-6 in the A's 15-3 victory over the Astros, with a double and eight runs batted in. The favorite to win the AL Rookie of the Year award, Kurtz put an emphatic stamp on an already impressive season with his barrage on Friday.
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