Sports
Ross Chastain wins at Kansas; Kyle Larson finishes 26th
Sep 29, 2024; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Ross Chastain (1) races during the Hollywood Casino 400 at Kansas Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Amy Kontras-Imagn Images Ross Chastain opened the Round of 12 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs Sunday by racing away from William Byron in a 20-lap dash to win the Hollywood Casino 400 Presented by ESPN BET at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City, Kan.
A non-championship competitor, the Alva, Fla., native used his No. 1 Trackhouse Racing Chevrolet to hold off Byron’s No. 24 by 0.388 seconds for his fifth career victory in 217 starts and first of 2024.
Martin Truex Jr., Ryan Blaney and Ty Gibbs completed the top five, which featured three drivers ineligible for the title.
Of the championship contenders, polesitter Christopher Bell was seventh while Denny Hamlin was eighth. Chase Elliott, who started last in the field after an engine change, gridded ninth.
Title contender Tyler Reddick, the defending Kansas race winner, came home 25th in his No. 45 Toyota in the 10-caution race. Kyle Larson was 26th.
To open the 267-lap race and the Round of 12, Bell showed the way for the first 19 laps. Problems arose immediately for points leader Larson, who entered with a 39-point advantage.
After dominating the field last week by leading 462 of 500 laps in a win at Bristol, Larson cut a right-rear tire and smacked the Turn 1 wall to force the second caution on Lap 20.
The 2021 champion restarted in the back of the field and ran a consistent second slower than Bell’s race-leading pace, but Bell himself had problems as 80-lap Stage 1 neared its end.
With eight laps left, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver bounced off the wall and turned the lead over to Byron, who went on to win the segment. Joey Logano and Blaney finished behind him, and Bell gathered it up to come in fifth.
Hamlin, who advanced at Bristol out of the bottom four, had to return to pit road after service, while fellow title contender Austin Cindric spun on the backstretch on Lap 167 for the seventh caution.
Just as he did at the end of the first stage, Bell slid up into the wall in the final laps as Stage 2 wound down. Alex Bowman got the maximum 10 bonus points with his first segment win this season, while Gibbs and Blaney finished second and third, respectively.
With 32 laps left, leader Kyle Busch brought out the ninth caution when he spun off Turn 2 in a one-car incident while racing closely with Chase Briscoe, who finished 24th.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Cards extend manager Oliver Marmol through '28 season
Feb 22, 2026; West Palm Beach, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol (37) looks on from inside the dugout against the Houston Astros during the fifth inning at CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches. Mandatory Credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images St. Louis Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol received a two-year contract extension through the 2028 season, the team announced Sunday.
Financial terms were not disclosed by the team, which holds an option for the 2029 season.
“As I’ve gotten to know Oli, I’ve seen someone who cares about this organization and knows what has made the Cardinals special over time — and who understands that for us to get where we need to go, we must compete relentlessly to set new standards in everything that we do,” president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said.
“He is invested in the progress of our young core and is unafraid to challenge himself and to help those around him grow. I am energized to continue working with him towards the on-field success that we expect and that our fans deserve.”
Marmol, 39, has guided the Cardinals to a 325-323 record during his four seasons as the skipper. He led St. Louis to the National League Central title in 2022 before the team fell in the wild-card series to the Philadelphia Phillies.
Last season, the Cardinals posted a 78-84 record to finish in fourth place in the NL Central.
Marmol was a coach with St. Louis from 2017-21 under previous managers Mike Shildt and Mike Matheny.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Tyler Reif treated for heat exhaustion after Trucks race
Oct 31, 2025; Avondale, Arizona, USA; NASCAR Truck Series driver Tyler Reif (41) during the NASCAR Truck Series Championship race at Phoenix Raceway. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series rookie Tyler Reif was treated for heat exhaustion after Saturday night’s street race in St. Petersburg, Fla.
Reif, 18, was transported to an area medical facility after finishing 16th in the race in the No. 42 Niece Motorsports Chevrolet. He was later released.
“Tyler and his family would like to express their gratitude to the NASCAR officials, track medical workers and the local medical facility staff for their care,” Niece Motorsports said in a release.
Reif made his debut in the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series in 2025. Saturday’s race was just his third on the circuit, including a 17th-place finish at Atlanta on Feb. 21.
–Field Level Media
Sports
Report: RB David Montgomery 'wants out' of Detroit
Dec 25, 2025; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Detroit Lions running back David Montgomery (5) looks on before the game against the Minnesota Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeffrey Becker-Imagn Images Lions running back David Montgomery “wants out” of Detroit after three seasons, ESPN reported on Sunday.
Montgomery, however, immediately appeared to refute the report on X, posting: “Damn, Dmo told you that?”
The ESPN report claims the Lions would want “a decent Day 3 pick (possibly a fifth-rounder)” in the 2026 NFL Draft in return for Montgomery, who turns 29 in June and is owed $6 million next season.
The report follows general manager Brad Holmes’ remarks after the season about Montgomery being unhappy with his playing time in 2025. Sharing a backfield with Jahmyr Gibbs, Montgomery rushed for a career-low 716 yards and eight touchdowns in 17 games (no starts).
“Those are conversations that we’re going to have to have because I’ve got a lot of respect for that player,” Holmes said of Montgomery in January. “He deserves to be in a situation where his skillset can be utilized, and so yeah would love for it to be here, but if it can’t be here then you’d just love to see where could work out best for him.”
At the NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis on Tuesday, Holmes said the situation with Montgomery is “fluid.” He signed a two-year extension during the 2024 season that runs through the end of the 2027 campaign.
“Yeah, I have been in touch with David’s agent, and his representation,” Holmes revealed. “Obviously, we love David, he’s a great player, we love to have him, you know, kind of want to put last year in the rear view, and just move forward. But, obviously, a player has to want to be at a certain place as well. The conversations are still fluid, but we’ll see how it goes.”
Montgomery has rushed for 2,506 yards and 33 touchdowns in 45 games (28 starts) in three seasons with Detroit (2023-25). He has 76 catches for 650 yards in that span.
He began his career with the NFC North rival Chicago Bears, who drafted him in the third round in 2019. Montgomery rushed for 3,609 yards and 26 scores in 60 games (51 starts) with the Bears (2019-22).
–Field Level Media
Cards extend manager Oliver Marmol through '28 season
Tyler Reif treated for heat exhaustion after Trucks race
