Sports
Sammy Smith uses last-lap pass to take Talladega
NASCAR Xfinity Series driver Sammy Smith speaks at NASCAR Experience in the fan zone at NASCAR Summer Race Weekend on Friday, June 14, 2024, in Newton. TALLADEGA, Ala. — Sammy Smith used a last-lap pass in overtime to win the United Rentals 250 at Talladega Superspeedway on Saturday and advance to the next round of the NASCAR Xfinity Series Playoffs
It was a huge turn of fortune for the 20-year old Iowa native, who came into the race ranked last among the 12 playoff drivers and winless on the season. He started his No. 8 JRM Chevrolet 27th in the 38-car field but moved forward rapidly from the fall of the green flag.
“It’s been a really tough year,” said Smith, who was able to avoid multiple multi-car accidents and grab one of the eight spots in the next round. “It’s been a while and it’s been a struggle, but I’m very happy to be here and looking forward to getting better on these ovals and road courses.”
It was a high-stakes, clutch performance for the young talent, whose only other victory came in April 2023 at the Phoenix Raceway one-miler. Just this week with playoff elimination a possibility, he piqued his team co-owner’s brain for tips on racing on the Talladega 2.66-mile high banks — his team co-owner being Dale Earnhardt Jr., who won six NASCAR Cup Series races at Talladega, including an unprecedented four in a row.
“We sat down Wednesday,” Smith said. “It wasn’t a whole lot, but asking him what he would do in certain situations (on the big track). Feels really good to win again.”
Smith beat RSS Racing’s Ryan Sieg to the line by a slight 0.177-second with a three-wide battle on track right behind featuring Stewart-Haas Racing’s Riley Herbst and Joe Gibbs Racing teammates Sheldon Creed and Chandler Smith rounded out the top five.
Herbst was leading with a lap remaining, only to get passed in a massive push forward that included a run by Chandler Smith — ultimately both losing out to Sammy Smith and Sieg. Frustrated, after the race Herbst immediately walked over to Chandler Smith’s car and had words with the young driver.
“I was just telling him, he had his teammate behind him and was in the best spot you want to be in and I told him he made a right move but in the wrong place,” Herbst said. “He would have won the race and all he did was kill his run, my run and his teammate’s run and let the 8 (Sammy Smith) get away.”
Pole-sitter and series rookie Jesse Love led a race-best 28 of the 98 laps in the No. 2 Richard Childress Racing Chevrolet, finishing sixth in a race marked with six cautions, a brief red flag, 11 race leaders and 28 lead changes.
Although relatively calm through the early goings — Chandler Smith won the opening stage and RCR’s Austin Hill won the second stage — the final laps lived up to Talladega expectation. Only three of the 12 playoff drivers managed to avoid being caught up — in varying degrees — in accidents on the afternoon.
Two perennial championship favorites and current playoff drivers, Kaulig Racing’s AJ Allmendinger and JR Motorsports Justin Allgaier, were among those that led laps — as expected — but were also collected in multicar accidents.
Allmendinger still rallied to an 11th-place effort after his No. 16 Chevy suffered minor damage in a 12-car accident with three laps remaining that triggered a nearly 10-minute red-flag stoppage and forced overtime. Allgaier’s No. 7 JR Motorsports Chevrolet suffered more damage in the crash and he finished 25th.
Reigning series champion Stewart-Haas Racing’s Cole Custer was also caught up in the accident and finished 26th. Fellow playoff competitor Kaulig Racing’s Shane van Gisbergen — a three-race winner this season — was part of a multicar accident earlier with 18 laps remaining and finished 35th.
Jeb Burton finished seventh with David Starr, Brennan Poole and Kyle Sieg rounding out the top 10.
–By Holly Cain, NASCAR Wire Service. Special to Field Level Media
Sports
Guardians vs. Reds Monday Prediction: Best Bets for the Battle of Ohio
The Cleveland Guardians (54-53) and the Cincinnati Reds (49-55) meet at Great American Ball Park on the banks of the Ohio River in the battle of the Buckeye State. First pitch is scheduled for 7:10 p.m. ET, and the game can be viewed or streamed on ESPN.
As luck has it, I am in the Queen City this week, and if the kids get tired of Kings Island Amusement Park in the next couple of days, I wouldn’t mind finding our way over to the yard for some ball, dogs with Skyline Chili and other various ballpark snacks.
The Guardians had a rough time on the Suncoast of Florida, as the Tampa Bay Rays not only swept Cleveland, but the Guards were shut out in each of the final two games of the series. The Cleveland pitching staff bounced back after an 11-3 loss Friday, as it allowed just four runs in the past two outings. However, the offense needs to do something, or management needs to go out and grab a bat.
Meanwhile, the Reds did a good job at Busch Stadium II in St. Louis, picking up two wins in three at-bats to win the series. That’s the third consecutive series victory for Cincinnati, who improved to 6-3 in the past nine games, all on the road.
The last time we saw Cincinnati at GABP, it suffered a series loss to the division-rival Chicago Cubs July 10-12. In fact, while the Reds have won three straight series on the road, they’ve dropped four consecutive series at home, going 3-9 in the past 12 outings, including two series losses against division rivals.
Cleveland turns to RHP Slade Cecconi (4-7, 4.60 ERA, 1.45 WHIP) to snap the team’s skid. The Guardians are in a tailspin, losing each of the past five games, while scoring just four total runs in the past four outings. As luck has it, the last time it had an offensive eruption, it scored six for Cecconi at home against the Minnesota Twins last Wednesday, but the Twins dropped a 10-spot.
Cincinnati counters with RHP Chase Burns (12-1, 2.42 ERA, 1.11 WHIP) across his 19 starts this season. He has been a godsend for the Cincinnati rotation, especially since he has accounted for 24.5% of the team’s victory total.
The Reds need Burns to stay hot, as Cleveland won two of three meetings with Cincinnati at Progressive Field May 15-17, with the Guardians averaging 7.7 runs per game (RPG) in the three-game set. It’s baseball, and Cleveland is due after getting blanked in back-to-back games. But, it still seems rather improbable it will explode against one of the best pitchers, statistically, in the National League.
While the Over cashed in the first three meetings in Cleveland in mid-May, the lean is to the UNDER 8.5 (-105).
And while you’ll be eating a little bit more chalk than I’d like, REDS ML (-174) is a strong play based on the red-hot Burns, and the ice-cold Cleveland offense. Let’s just hope Cecconi doesn’t get tuned up. The Reds have won four of five games, with the Under going 4-1 in that span. Cincinnati has totaled 18 runs in the past six games (3.0 RPG), while allowing just 17 runs (3.4 RPG) in the past five outings. A same-game parlay (SGP) is a solid +183, which is worth a roll of the dice.
Sports
Report: Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy's wife shot at home
Nov 7, 2021; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy looks on during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Kansas City Chiefs offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy’s wife is hospitalized in stable condition in Virginia following a shooting in their home on Sunday night, ESPN reported.
A woman identified by the outlet’s sources as Mia Bieniemy, 57, was being treated for “serious injuries” in Loudoun County, where a spokesperson for the sheriff’s office said police responded to a call at 7:32 p.m. ET Sunday in Ashburn, Va.
The Chiefs said they are aware of the incident involving the “family” of their 56-year-old assistant coach, who was with the club for training camp Sunday in St. Joseph, Mo. No further details were provided.
Bieniemy rejoined head coach Andy Reid’s staff in January after previous stints with Kansas City as the running backs coach (2013-17) and offensive coordinator (2018-22). He helped the Chiefs win Super Bowls LIV and LVII.
He coached the Chicago Bears’ running backs in 2025 and previously served as the OC for UCLA (2024), the Washington Commanders (2023) and his alma mater Colorado (2011-12).
–Field Level Media
Sports
North Carolina places top Bill Belichick aide on leave
UNC football general manager Michael Lombardi North Carolina placed football general manager Michael Lombardi, one of head coach Bill Belichick’s top aides, on paid administrative leave.
The school announced Monday that the move is effective immediately but declined to provide further details. The Tar Heels open their second season under the legendary coach on Aug. 29 against TCU in Dublin, Ireland.
“As is standard procedure with personnel matters, leadership, staff, and student-athletes are prohibited from addressing this topic further, and has no reflection on the merits,” UNC said in a statement.
ESPN reported that a former front office employee at the university filed a human resources complaint against Lombardi and there is a pending investigation into the situation.
Lombardi, 67, joined Belichick in Chapel Hill in December 2024. He previously worked with the six-time Super Bowl-winning coach in New England, serving as an assistant to the coaching staff from 2014-16.
Lombardi was the general manager and vice president of the Cleveland Browns in 2013 and previously worked in the front offices of the Denver Broncos, then-Oakland Raiders and Philadelphia Eagles.
North Carolina was 4-8 in Belichick’s debut season in 2025.
–Field Level Media
Guardians vs. Reds Monday Prediction: Best Bets for the Battle of Ohio
Report: Chiefs OC Eric Bieniemy's wife shot at home
