Page 23 - ARUBA TODAY

A23
SPORTS Thursday 5 March 2020

New York Islanders defenseman Johnny Boychuk (55) takes a
skate to the face as Montreal Canadiens left wing Artturi Leh-
konen (62) falls to the ice in front of the goal during the third
period of an NHL hockey game, Tuesday, March 3, 2020, in New
York. Islanders defenseman Ryan Pulock (6) and Canadiens
center Jordan Weal (43) are nearby.
Associated Press
Isles' Boychuk gets

90 stitches after Ryan Newman (6) goes airborne after crashing into Corey LaJoie (32) during the NASCAR Day-
tona 500 auto race Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach,
taking skate to face Fla. Newman did not suffer life-threatening injuries in the incident. Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — New lid. It took 90 stitches to fix; Daytona tweaks Speedweeks,
York Islanders defenseman a plastic surgeon took care
Johnny Boychuk needed of it. I don't want to exag- moves Clash onto road course
90 stitches to his eyelid after gerate with the stitches be-
being hit in the face with a cause they do very small
skate but suffered no dam- stitches, but there were 90 By MARK LONG Daytona 500 than running day will be sprinkled in
age to his eye, president of them." AP Sports Writer the road course under the throughout the week.
and general manager Lou Both players were in front NASCAR will hit the road for lights?" Pole qualifying, the Clash
Lamoriello said Wednes- of the Islanders' net during its first race in 2021, part of NASCAR teams have and the ARCA race typi-
day. Boychuk was cut Tues- the third period when Leh- a schedule shakeup that pushed for a shorter season cally run the weekend be-
day night when he was hit konen fell, causing his legs starts at Daytona Interna- for years, arguing that the fore the 500. But NASCAR
by Artturi Lehkonen's skate to go into the air and his tional Speedway. 12-week offseason is too is starting the Daytona 500
as the Montreal Canadiens right skate to connect with The track announced sev- short given how little down- a week earlier than normal
left wing fell forward. Boychuk under the visor. eral changes to the start time there is during the rac- in 2021. It will run on Valen-
"Johnny Boychuk is OK. Boychuk was down on the of the annual racing sea- ing calendar. tine's Day, one week after
There's been no damage ice briefly before he got up son Wednesday. They in- The sanctioning body is the Super Bowl.
to his eye," Lamoriello told and skated off the ice with clude running the exhibi- expected to make signifi- Since it was unlikely NAS-
reporters. "He felt the skate his hand covering his face. tion Busch Clash on the cant changes to its 2021 CAR would go head-to-
blade get his eye, but for- There is no timetable on his 3.56-mile road course that schedule, which could in- head against the Super
tunately, it just got the eye- return.q winds through the Daytona clude more short tracks, Bowl, it seemed like the
infield and packing seven mid-week races and dou- obvious choice would be
Smoke returns: races as well as Daytona ble-headers. Overhaul- to cram Speedweeks into a
500 pole qualifying into a ing Speedweeks is the first single week.
of what's expected to be "We're not condensing the
six-day span.
Stewart plans to race The tweaks eliminate two many new looks ahead. schedule," Wile said. "We're
traditional "dark days" at The week will shape up like being more efficient. We'll
on Indy road course the track during Speed- this: the Clash will run Tues- have the same number of
weeks and should provide day night, Feb. 9, followed track activities and track
a better fan experience the next day by Daytona days. We're just doing it
INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Brickyard 400s, five India- leading into NASCAR's pre- 500 pole qualifying that sets consecutively instead of
Smoke is hoping to kiss the napolis 500s and four IROC mier event, the Daytona the front row for "The Great over two weekends."
bricks one more time. Series races at the famed 500. American Race." Qualify- Traditionalists surely will
NASCAR Hall of Famer track. He is a two-time "This has been in the works ing races that set the rest of gripe. After all, some wel-
driver Tony Stewart an- Brickyard 400 winner (2005, with NASCAR for a while," the field, called the "Duels," comed the allure of spend-
nounced plans Wednes- 2007) and a member of the track President Chip Wile will remain a Thursday sta- ing two weeks in sunny Flori-
day to drive in the Xfinity Indianapolis Motor Speed- told The Associated Press. ple and be run under the da, where drivers often can
Series race at Indianapolis way Hall of Fame. He re- "We really want to con- lights for the eighth con- be spotted at Disney World,
Motor Speedway on July tired from full-time NAS- tinue to evolve. Obviously, secutive year. the beach and other tourist
4. The three-time NASCAR CAR racing after the 2016 there's a ton of fan inter- The Trucks Series season spots.
Cup Series champion and season. "Everyone knows est around road-course opener will run Friday night, "I'd miss it," driver Austin Dil-
2020 Hall of Fame inductee what Indy means to me, racing. We've had a road as usual, with the ARCA lon said before the 500,
will headline the race held so I can't think of a better course here since 1959 and and second-tier Xfinity Se- anticipating changes. "I
on the 14-turn, 2.44-mile place to race on Fourth of we feel like what better ries openers running as a like being down here for
road course. July weekend," said Stew- way to showcase the prop- double-header Saturday. this long. I enjoy this week. I
The 48-year-old Indiana art, who grew up 45 min- erty and differentiate that Practices, qualifying runs think it's a great start to our
native has competed in 18 utes from Indy. q race even more from the and Daytona 500 media season."q