Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Tuesday 10 March 2020
IN THE PITS: NASCAR off to fast start through first month

By JENNA FRYER and his own performance
AP Auto Racing Writer will dictate what kind of
A busy first month for NAS- deal he ends up with.
CAR came to a close with Hendrick Motorsports will
a three-race West Coast have at least one open-
swing marked by both a ing at the end of the year
surprise appearance from when Jimmie Johnson calls
injured driver Ryan New- it quits on full-time NASCAR
man and a successful pre- racing and Keselowski may
view of the rules package test the market for a shot at
that will decide this year's the No. 48 Chevrolet with
Cup Series champion. his former team. But Hen-
Attention has been fixed drick got some breathing
on the sport since New- room two races ago when
man's terrifying accident Alex Bowman, another free
on the final lap of the Day- agent, won at California
tona 500 last month raised to prove he wants to keep
questions about the safety his seat. If Rick Hendrick
of the sport and the sanity can get a deal done with
of its competitors. Bowman and limit his job
What initially appeared to openings to the No. 48, he
be NASCAR's first fatality may not need to spend
in a Cup race since Dale the money on a veteran
Earnhardt was killed in the Joey Logano (22) races Tyler Reddick (8) out of Turn 4 during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at such as Keselowski. Hen-
2001 Daytona 500 instead Phoenix Raceway, Sunday, March 8, 2020, in Avondale, Ariz. Associated Press drick is also aided by an
was what Newman called apparent improvement in
"a miracle." He walked out ue set to host the champi- season shuffle at Team Pen- went to Phoenix as the Cup the Camaro the Chevrolet
of a Florida hospital less onship race, NASCAR could ske. All three Penske drivers Series points leader. He be- teams are driving this sea-
than 48 hours later and not afford a lackluster af- swapped crew chiefs and came the first driver on a son. Rolled out in 2018, the
made the trek to Phoenix fair. The series reduced Logano got Paul Wolfe, long list of free agents to car simply wasn't competi-
last weekend to support the size of the rear spoiler, who won a championship take his name off the mar- tive and Chevy has failed
his Roush Fenway Racing Goodyear worked on an with Brad Keselowski. The ket, signing an extension to to put a driver in the final
team. Newman's crash improved tire and the trac- pairing already has two remain with Penske another four championship round
brought new eyes to the tion compound typically Cup wins, a guaranteed three years. Keselowski has the last two years.
series and presented an applied to racing surfaces spot in the playoffs and a not seen the same benefits Bowman got Chevrolet
opportunity to kick-start the was altered. It made for a victory in a Daytona quali- from the Penske shakeup. a victory in just the third
story lines that will follow far more entertaining race fying race. His best chance at a victo- race of the season (it took
NASCAR into November. won by Joey Logano, who Ryan Blaney also seemed ry came Sunday at Phoenix 10 races last season) and
Most important was the rallied after falling to 18th to do quite well in the swap. when he didn't pit to take a showed the Camaro modi-
action Sunday at Phoenix on a botched pit stop. He had the opportunity to late lead, but his worn tires fications have given the
Raceway, which will host "I think everyone in this win the first three races of didn't hold up and he had Chevy teams a chance to
the championship finale whole facility took a sigh of the season, including finish- to give up track position for compete. It's most evident
for the first time. A new relief," said Logano. "Even if ing second to Denny Ham- a stop before overtime. He for Johnson, the seven-time
rules package introduced we didn't win I would have lin in the second-closest fin- wound up 11th after lead- champion who had back-
last season ruined the rac- said that was a pretty cool ish in Daytona 500 history. ing 82 laps. NASCAR's 2012 to-back top-seven finishes
ing at short tracks and the race." It was contact from Blaney champion is a free agent out West. His fifth-place fin-
snoozefest at Phoenix last Logano won for the sec- that triggered Newman's who has not started serious ish at Las Vegas was his first
year forced the issue for ond time in four races as he crash but both have contract talks with Penske; top-five since Daytona last
NASCAR. With a new ven- benefits from a major off- bounced back, and Blaney a changing market rate July. q

MLB: No plans to alter schedule

because of virus outbreak

fluidity of this rapidly evolv- iting Dodger Stadium. Academy in Annapolis,
ing situation, our current The Seattle area has been Maryland, and Sacramen-
intention is to play spring hit hard by the virus out- to, California, among other
training and regular season break. Rangers general sites.
games as scheduled," the manager Jon Daniels said "The health and safety of
league said in a statement. there hasn't been any dis- everyone in our communi-
Commissioner Rob Man- cussion with MLB or the ties is of the utmost impor-
fred held a conference call Mariners about swapping tance to us. We have been
with the 30 teams Monday home dates for that open- engaging on an ongoing
to discuss the health crisis. ing series, but said Texas' basis with a wide range of
The Los Angeles Angels and the Seattle Mariners play during All clubs are set to open the new ballpark would be public health experts, in-
the fourth inning of a spring training baseball game Wednesday, season March 26. Among ready if it came to that. fectious disease specialists,
March 4, 2020, in Tempe, Ariz. the games are Texas at Spring training games are and governmental agen-
Associated Press Seattle, the World Series continuing in Florida and cies, including the Centers
NEW YORK (AP) — Ma- schedule because of the champion Washington Arizona. There are exhibi- for Disease Control and Pre-
jor League Baseball says coronavirus outbreak. Nationals at the New York tions set for later this month vention, to obtain the latest
it doesn't plan to alter its "While MLB recognizes the Mets and San Francisco vis- in Montreal, the U.S. Naval information," MLB said.q