Sports
NASCAR's All-Star Race making Northeast debut at Dover
Aug 22, 2020; Dover, Delaware, USA; The statue of “Miles the Monster” out of Dover International Speedway hold a car of NASCAR Cup Series driver Jimmie Johnson (not pictured) before the NASCAR Cup Series race. Mandatory Credit: Peter Casey-Imagn Images Watkins Glen’s incredible closing run Sunday by Shane van Gisbergen and the NASCAR All-Star Race this weekend at Dover Motor Speedway represent the complete opposite ends of certainty in the Cup Series.
After winning for the sixth time in seven road races, van Gisbergen has established himself as perhaps the greatest road-course driver in NASCAR history, though Fox Sports announcer Mike Joy mentioned Dan Gurney — a five-time winner in the 1960s.
That’s good company for van Gisbergen to keep, though the New Zealander has won seven of his 14 starts (50%) compared to Gurney’s five of 16 (31.3%).
If van Gisbergen shows up in adequate equipment at the next two road courses, he will be the prohibitive favorite at San Diego and Sonoma in consecutive weekends to end June.
Folks may have thought his Chicago Street Race win in 2023 was a one-off fluke, but the masterful pedal work and curvy asphalt ownership by the veteran driver has been obvious from Race 1.
The 37-year-old No. 97 pilot just has a driving style that is a cut above — far better, really — anyone else’s when it comes to his heel-toe technique.
“I just don’t see anyone coming up the ranks who are volunteering to learn that style and stick with it,” Denny Hamlin said on his podcast, adding that there’s a “large likelihood” that van Gisbergen wins the remaining two road events.
A successful future isn’t as guaranteed on Sunday in Delaware at the Monster Mile, which is hosting its first All-Star Race in a 350-lapper — a race length as out of sorts and odd as the concrete track’s situation.
What lies ahead for the one-mile track, a high-banked, Bristol-on-steroids oval that challenges drivers from the first green flag, is completely up in the air for now.
Dover’s future grew cloudy when NASCAR put a refurbished North Wilkesboro Speedway back on the schedule in 2023 for the past three All-Star Races.
The joy in Wilkes County, N.C., multiplied when it received its first points race since 1996 with the scheduled 450-lapper on July 19 — another odd distance.
The feeling around NASCAR is that North Wilkesboro is heading up the elevator toward the penthouse.
However, that’s not the popular opinion regarding Dover, as NASCAR removed a points race for an exhibition one in the daytime.
Unlike North Wilkesboro, has Dover taken the elevator to the ground floor, awaiting a ding, a door opening and an exit from the building?
Track president and general manager Mike Tatoian doesn’t think so and is excited about Sunday’s first All-Star Race in the Northeast.
“The reason why we like it is because we’ve never had it before,” he told the Delaware News Journal. “Any time you get a new product, I think it’s good for the fans. … We’ll get a points race back.
“But as it relates to what happens in 2027 and 2028 and beyond, I really don’t know what is in store. I know we’ll have a race. I don’t know if it’ll be a points race or an All-Star Race.”
The drivers want one major change: a bigger All-Star champion’s check than $1 million, the same amount of the winning purse since 2003.
“I would like to see the prize money go up, to match the inflation for the past two years,” RFK Racing’s Brad Keselowski said. “I know the TV money (for NASCAR) has.”
It may not go as far it did, but a seven-figure payday is still worth it.
Dover is certainly banking on it.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Romelu Lukaku makes Belgium's World Cup roster
Belgium’s Romelu Lukaku celebrates scoring their first goal in the a Nations League playoff game against Ukraine on March 20, 2025. Romelu Lukaku was named to Belgium’s 26-man World Cup roster on Friday despite the team’s all-time leading scorer being limited to only five appearances for Napoli this season due to injuries.
Lukaku, 33, has 89 goals in 124 appearances for Belgium, but has not featured for the Red Devils since June of last year. He will make his fourth World Cup appearance along with Napoli teammate Kevin De Bruyne, whose season has been disrupted by a hamstring injury.
“Romelu has recovered, but he’s out of shape, and I’m not sure he’ll be able to start the matches. But he’s our best striker, Belgium’s all-time leading scorer,” coach Rudi Garcia told reporters at Friday’s press conference.
Lukaku and De Bruyne will be joined on Garcia’s team by fellow stars Thibaut Courtois, Thomas Meunier and Axel Witsel.
Garcia announced his roster on Friday, with notable omissions highlighted by 20-year-old winger Mika Godts. Godts has 17 goals and 12 assists for Ajax this season. Garcia also went with Starsbourg’s Mike Penders as his third goalkeeper ahead of Nottingham Forest’s Matz Sels.
Meanwhile, forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo received his first call-up for Belgium after a strong season with Ligue 1’s Lille. He will gain experience from the likes of Witsel, the 37-year-old who was included to help balance a fairly young roster.
“The concept of team spirit was important; we needed to stick with a squad that had performed well in the qualifiers, taking into account how the players complement each other and striking a balance between experience and youth,” Garcia told reporters at a press conference.
“This squad is built around playing well and getting on well together. We need to distinguish between our objective and our ambition. Ambition knows no bounds; we all dream of going all the way.
“The objective is simply to finish top of the group and progress from the group stage; we’ll then see who we’re drawn against in the next rounds. We’re not favorites, but I prefer this underdog position, which doesn’t stand in the way of ambition.”
Garcia’s current contract expires at the end of the World Cup, and Belgium is seeking to rebound after failing to get out of the group stage at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
Belgium is scheduled to play friendlies against Croatia on June 2 and Tunisia four days later. The team’s World Cup base camp is in Renton, Wash., with the Red Devils opening their Group G play against Egypt in Seattle on June 15. They also will play Iran in Los Angeles on June 21 and New Zealand in Vancouver on June 26.
BELGIUM WORLD CUP ROSTER
Goalkeepers: Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid), Senne Lammens (Manchester United), Mike Penders (Strasbourg, on loan from Chelsea).
Defenders: Timothy Castagne (Fulham), Zeno Debast (Sporting CP), Maxim De Cuyper (Brighton), Koni De Winter (Milan), Brandon Mechele (Club Brugge), Thomas Meunier (Lille), Nathan Ngoy (Lille), Joaquin Seys (Club Brugge), Arthur Theate (Eintracht Frankfurt).
Midfielders: Kevin De Bruyne (Napoli), Amadou Onana (Aston Villa), Nicolas Raskin (Rangers), Youri Tielemans (Aston Villa), Hans Vanaken (Club Brugge), Axel Witsel (Girona).
Forwards: Charles De Ketelaere (Atalanta), Jeremy Doku (Manchester City), Matias Fernandez Pardo (Lille), Romelu Lukaku (Napoli), Dodi Lukebakio (Benfica), Diego Moreira (Strasbourg), Alexis Saelemaekers (Milan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal).
–Field Level Media
Sports
Manon Rheaume joins PWHL as GM of Detroit expansion team
Feb 23, 2025; Los Angeles, CA, USA; Olympic silver medalist Manon Rheaume (33) is introduced for the Los Angeles Kings Celebrity Charity Game for LA Wildfire Relief at Crypto.com Arena. teams. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images The PWHL hired women’s hockey legend Manon Rheaume on Friday to be the general manager of the Detroit expansion team.
The PWHL recently announced plans to expand to Detroit, Las Vegas and Hamilton (Ontario) for the 2026-27 season, with a 12th team reportedly planned for San Jose, Calif.
“I’m incredibly honored and excited to join the PWHL and help build something special in Detroit,” Rheaume said. “This city has such a deep hockey tradition, and the passion for hockey here is truly special. The growth of women’s hockey has been incredible to watch, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to help shape the future of the sport alongside the PWHL. I can’t wait to get started and build a team that Detroit fans will be proud of.”
Rheaume, 54, made history in 1992 by signing with the NHL’s Tampa Bay Lightning and becoming the first woman to compete in an exhibition game in any of the four major North American sports. A goaltender, she also won two world championships with Canada’s women’s team (1992, 1994) and a silver medal at the 1988 Nagano Olympics.
“Manon is a pioneer whose impact on the game extends far beyond the ice,” said Jayna Hefford, PWHL executive vice president of hockey operations.
“She brings an unmatched hockey resume, a championship mindset, and a lifelong commitment to growing the women’s game. Her experience at every level of hockey, combined with her leadership and vision, makes her the perfect person to lead PWHL Detroit into its inaugural season.”
–Field Level Media
Sports
Emma Raducanu reunites with coach from '21 U.S. Open run
Emma Raducanu gets set to serve to Amanda Anisimova during their third-round match at the BNP Paribas Open in Indian Wells, Calif., Sunday, March 8, 2026. Emma Raducanu is reuniting with the coach who guided her to her only career title — the U.S. Open in 2021.
That is Andrew Richardson, a veteran coach and former singles player on the ATP Tour. Raducanu said in a statement issued Friday that she is “grateful to have reconnected with someone who has known me for over a decade now and looking forward to building together one iteration at a time.”
Raducanu was an 18-year-old qualifier when she captured the Grand Slam championship in New York. Soon after, she split with Richardson.
Their new partnership begins immediately. Richardson will be in Raducanu’s corner at the Strasbourg International, a 500-level WTA Tour event that starts Sunday in France.
Richardson, 52, most recently worked at the Ferrer Tennis Academy in Spain. Like Raducanu, he is from Great Britain.
The Tennis Podcast reported that Raducanu and Richardson worked together at the academy in April.
Raducanu, 23, has had nine coaches but has not had a permanent one since January, when she and Francisco Roig split after her loss at the Australian Open.
She has not played many matches this season, recently pulling out of the Italian Open because she did not feel well. ESPN reported Friday that she has a “post-viral illness.”
She last took the court for the third round at Indian Wells in March and faced Amanda Anisimova, losing 6-1, 6-1.
At Strasbourg, Raducanu will have the opportunity to practice on the clay courts to prepare for the French Open at Roland Garros in Paris, which will run May 24-June 7.
Raducanu will fall from No. 30 to No. 37 in the rankings next week.
–Field Level Media
NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for May 17, 2026
Romelu Lukaku makes Belgium's World Cup roster
