Kyle Larson won the Brickyard 400 on Sunday, but it didn't come without a little bit of controversy.
With Ryan Blaney and Brad Keselowski lined up for an overtime restart, Keselowski's Ford Mustang, which was low on gas, started sputtering, forcing Keselowski to take his car down pit road. Larson, who was originally lined up third suddenly found himself on the front row.
On restarts, NASCAR designates the race leader as the "control car" — meaning the car that is supposed to accelerate first in the restart zone. With Keselowski being the leader before coming to pit road, Blaney only had a matter of seconds to realize that he was now the control car.
On what turned out to be the race's second-to-last restart, Larson appeared to accelerate early and ended up grabbing the lead before the caution came out in turn one. On the next restart, Larson pulled away from Blaney, who had to yield the second spot to Tyler Reddick.
Did the 5 jump the start? https://t.co/avwyNxrqda
— Couch Racer (@CouchRacerShop) July 21, 2024
Christopher Bell and Bubba Wallace rounded out the top five, while Todd Gilliland and Daniel Suarez finished sixth and seventh, respectively. Austin Cindric, Noah Gragson and Chase Elliott rounded out the top 10.
Other notable finishers from Sunday's race include Ross Chastain in 15th, Keselowski in 21st, Chris Buescher in 22nd, Denny Hamlin in 32nd and William Byron in 38th.
Only four races remain in the Cup Series regular season, with the series' next race taking place at Richmond Raceway on Aug. 11.
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What a weekend it was in Indianapolis. Saturday’s Xfinity Series race certainly delivered plenty of major talking points for the sport. Connor Zilisch once again proved to be arguably the best young talent seen in years. Not to mention his team celebrated a memorable milestone following his win. Plus, Austin Hill sure put himself in some hot water. JRM Reaches 100 Xfinity Series Victories. Meanwhile, Austin Hill is Becoming a Problem JR Motorsports had a lot of hope coming into Indianapolis, with their rookie star Connor Zilisch having won the last two races. He was looking for a third-straight win and also to score that 100th victory for Dale Earnhardt Jr’s team. As were teammates Justin Allgaier, Sammy Smith, and Carson Kvapil. It wasn’t an easy task for any of those drivers on Saturday, as Kyle Larson was also in the field. As was Aric Almirola in the No. 19 for Joe Gibbs Racing. However, Almirola had a very unfortunate ending to his day in the closing laps of the race, but more on that later. Would it have been great to see Allgaier get win #100? Sure, but a late race restart saw him and Kyle Larson make contact, and Allgaier ended up wrecked. That opened the door for the freshly turned 19-year-old phenom Zilisch to strike once again. Not only did Connor score his fifth win of the season, but it was his third in a row. Plus, his third win on an oval this season. Connor has all but proven he’s more than just a road course driver. What does 100 victories mean for JRM? JRM has made itself into one of the biggest teams the NASCAR Xfinity Series has to offer, and Zilisch’s win at Indy further proved that. The victory marked the 100th win for JRM, and they certainly don’t look like they will be slowing down anytime soon. It’s not easy to win races in NASCAR, let alone 100 as a team, and JR Motorsports has had some huge names take them to victory lane. From the first in 2008 with Mark Martin in Las Vegas, to Connor’s win on Saturday. Dale Jr has built a machine, and they have created a lot of great drivers. Zilisch is going to be the next one. Suspension or Not? While Zilisch and JRM were taking control in the closing laps, a little further back in the field, a mess was brewing. On lap 91, Aric Almirola was battling with the No. 21 of Austin Hill for position. Almirola made a bit of an aero move, which knocked Hill up the track. Hill saved it but then proceeded to right hook Almirola head-on into the wall. It wasn’t a good move at all by Hill, and it was clearly intentional, as shown in the video. Hill eventually got a penalty from NASCAR, as he was held for five laps. But if that wasn’t enough, he continued to dig himself a bigger hole, honestly. His radio communication was full of profanity, and he told NASCAR itself to f-off. Certainly made a mess of himself. It’s pretty clear that Austin did that intentionally, and the fact that he stands by it, and his car owner, Richard Childress, also defended his actions, isn’t playing into his innocence. Aric could have been hurt. Precedence says Hill won’t be racing at Iowa, but that’s NASCAR’s call. One thing is for sure: this right hooking nonsense is going to get someone hurt. Hill has been known to throw temper tantrums. Look no further than his antics at Martinsville. Great racing at the front and the 100th win for JRM, overshadowed by a driver acting stupid, what else is new?
Only eight plate appearances into his New York Yankees career, Ryan McMahon has already been more productive than the team’s previous third base options. What might sound hyperbolic or outright false at first glance is actually true, at least from a certain point of view. Analytics — specifically, Wins Above Replacement — proves that argument, and it’s one that Yankees manager Aaron Boone should be ashamed of. McMahon went 2-for-3 with a two-run double in Sunday’s victory over the Phillies, giving him four hits in his first eight at-bats. FanGraphs ruled that McMahon is already worth 0.2 fWAR through two games in a Yankees uniform. Amazingly, McMahon has a higher fWAR than the trio of DJ LeMahieu, Oswald Peraza, and Jorbit Vivas, who have played a combined 148 games in the infield thus far. LeMahieu provided -0.1 fWAR over 45 games before being unceremoniously cut earlier this month, while Vivas (-0.2) is currently at Triple-A. Peraza and his -0.6 fWAR remain on the active roster, though he’s shifted into a bench role. Baseball-Reference has been slightly more generous, giving Peraza -0.2 bWAR. Boone stuck with LeMahieu and Peraza until he couldn’t anymore, and it’s partly why the Yankees have dropped to 5 1/2 games back in the AL East. Injuries and age took their toll on LeMahieu, who only played second after returning from calf and hip problems. Peraza owns a .152 average and .452 OPS in 170 plate appearances. We’ll see if McMahon can elevate the Yankees, who open a pivotal four-game set with the rival Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Luis Díaz’s move to Bayern Munich for a reported €75 million (around £65.5 million, including add-ons) wasn’t just a blockbuster summer transfer; it was a prime example of Liverpool playing the market smartly. While fans might feel watching the Colombian winger leave after three impactful years at Anfield, the reality is that the Reds cashed in at the right time, on their own terms. Bayern’s earlier bid of €67.5 million was turned down, but when Díaz made it clear he was ready for a new challenge, and Liverpool saw contract extension talks stalling, they took control of the situation. The club chose to sell at full market value rather than risk losing a valuable asset for less down the line. In today’s climate, getting top dollar for a player pushing 30 with no new deal in sight is no small achievement. They signed him from Porto in January 2022 for £37.5 million, rising to £50 million with add-ons. The sale now not only brings in profit but also helps Liverpool enhance their galactic transfer window even further. The Reds Played This Window Like Pros Liverpool has had a busy, record-breaking summer of high spending, with over £300 million spent on fresh faces like Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Milos Kerkez, and Hugo Ekitike. Those names don’t come cheap, but while many clubs overextend during rebuilds, Liverpool has kept things tidy on the financial front. Offloading Díaz, along with departures like Trent Alexander-Arnold, Caoimhin Kelleher, and Jarell Quansah, has brought in nearly £125 million in total, helping to balance their books and avoid falling foul of FFP regulations. Liverpool found the sweet spot between emotion and economics in a transfer market where clubs either panic-buy or cling onto stars for too long. No Room For Stalemates Let’s not forget, this wasn’t just about money. Behind the scenes, Díaz’s future was uncertain for months. Liverpool made two attempts to extend his contract, but neither went anywhere. Sources close to the player had hinted at his decision to leave as early as summer 2024, especially after his stock rose following a strong 2023/24 campaign. Bayern came knocking with a better deal in July 2025, and the writing was on the wall. The club’s decision to leave Díaz out of the pre-season friendly against AC Milan, despite no injury concerns, was a clear sign that things were moving quickly. Rather than drag the saga out and risk it affecting the dressing room, Liverpool acted decisively. A Big Departure, But Vision Remains Since his Liverpool debut, Díaz has made 148 appearances, scoring 40+ goals and providing around 23 assists. He was electric, unpredictable, and crucial for the club during the 2024-25 season, notching 17 goals and eight assists in 50 games as the Reds lifted the Premier League title. He offered more than just stats; his flair on the left wing, defensive work rate, and ability to change games were undeniable. Liverpool has a long history of letting stars go when the timing is right, and this move feels consistent with that tradition. A Squad Ready To Evolve With Díaz gone and Darwin Núñez also rumored to be on his way out, Liverpool’s front line is undergoing a reshuffle. The likes of Cody Gakpo, Mohamed Salah, and new boy Ekitike give Slot plenty to work with, but the real excitement lies in the club’s pursuit of Alexander Isak. The Newcastle striker is being lined up as a potential record-breaking signing, with Liverpool preparing a huge bid to bring the Swedish international to Anfield, and they’re thinking of breaking the British transfer record for the second time in a single window. Isak has reportedly rejected offers from Saudi Arabia, making Liverpool his preferred destination. The Díaz funds could prove vital in landing him, proof that Liverpool aren’t just cashing in, they’re already preparing the next chapter.
CLEVELAND — Emmanuel Clase is officially off the trading block, and not for the reasons the Cleveland Guardians might have hoped. After Clase was placed on non-disciplinary paid leave as part of MLB’s sports-betting investigation on Monday, Guardians president of baseball operations Chris Antonetti acknowledged that the high-profile closer wouldn't be a part of any trades before the upcoming MLB trade deadline later this week. "No," Antonetti responded to reporters on Monday afternoon when asked if Clase would potentially be traded. It's a blow to the Guardians, who likely could have received a loaded return had they chosen to move the 27-year-old right-hander. However, with MLB's investigation underway, Clase is now on leave until Aug. 31. It is Major League Baseball's second look at the franchise in terms of potential sports betting following Luis Ortiz being placed on the same kind of leave earlier in July. That means Cleveland is down two relievers, including Clase and his 24 saves posted so far this season. "I think what's important is that we understand what the reality is and figure out how do we move forward from here," Antonetti said. "That's really the focus. "Both guys won't be available to us in the near term, and we need to figure out a way to overcome that. It's not too dissimilar to the moment when players are injured and they're not available to us. We have to find the next group to step up and shoulder a load and find a way to win games. That's really what we're focused on." Antonetti also told reporters that the two relievers will be the last Cleveland players investigated for this type of potential infringement. "We've been informed by Major League Baseball. They were very clear to let us know that they don't expect any other players or staff members," Antonetti said. While Clase may not be off the trading list, Antonetti told reporters it was still very "active" in terms of other teams reaching out to the Guardians around the 6 p.m. (Eastern) Thursday trade deadline. "We're in constant dialogue with a lot of teams," Antonetti said. "We had a lot of dialogue up through this morning and certainly had dialogue over the last few hours. My expectation is that it will continue over the next few days." Antonetti didn't offer a timeline in terms of when Cleveland might hear official rulings from MLB on the investigations. "What I know is that the suspensions are in place through August 31 and then we'll have to see where things are happening," Antonetti said. "Obviously, for everyone, I think you'd prefer to have the clarity sooner rather than later. But I recognize it's a complicated issue and usually baseball has a number of steps they need to work through to complete that investigation." All quotations obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.
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