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SPORTS Thursday 21 december 2023

Penske threepeat a potential theme for NASCAR in 2024

By PETE IACOBELLI Elliott had shoulder surgery
AP Sports Writer to repair a torn labrum and
Roger Penske achieved he believes he’ll be ready
something this season the for next year. He missed six
pioneering motorports races in 2023 after injuring
magnate had never done his leg snowboarding.
in his long, accomplished A healthy Elliott should
career with back-to-back make Hendrick Motors-
NASCAR championships. ports as strong as ever. Past
Ryan Blaney gave Penske champion Kyle Larson and
consecutive series titles at William Byron combined
Phoenix last month after for 10 victories and finished
teammate Joey Logano’s second and third in the se-
title-winning run in 2022. ries standings.
“You win one, and you start TUNING IN
all over again,” Penske NASCAR fans will have sev-
said. “They don’t give you eral new streaming ways to
an extra lap ahead of ev- watch after the sport’s sev-
erybody after you win one. en-year media rights deal
Last year, Joey did a great that includes Amazon, TNT
job, and by the way when and Max.
you think about it, last year The new arrangement is
at Phoenix, if you watched worth $7.7 billion when a
it, Ryan was a good wing Roger Penske, center, speaks with drivers Joey Logano, left, and Ryan Blaney before practice previously announced $1.1
man. He had a fast car at for the NASCAR auto race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Saturday, July 30, 2022, in billion contract with CW
Phoenix, so we knew that Indianapolis. is figured in, according to
he had the speed.” Associated Press the Sports Business Journal.
That showed throughout 600 to combine with Josef Count on Blaney and Lo- Hamlin had said 2023 was NASCAR has not detailed
this past season as Blaney Newgarden’s Indianapolis gano to go hard after a his year before getting the contract’s value.
won three times, including 500 win on Memorial Day Penske three-peat when eliminated from contention BIGGEST SURPRISE
twice in the playoffs and weekend and then earning the season kicks off next in the next-to-last race of Roush Fenway Keselowski
was fastest when it count- that NASCAR crown. season. the season. He had shoul- Racing’s revival under ex-
ed most with eight top 10 “You don’t get to do that BANGED UP der surgery in November series champion Brad Ke-
finishes in the final 12 races. often, do something for A couple of other title con- that he said was more selowski, an owner who
Blaney was gushing after Roger that he hasn’t done tenders in Denny Hamlin complicated than expect- helped Jack Roush’s once-
his championship after star- before, and to be able to and Chase Elliott will bear ed. Hamlin said it will affect great program return to
ring in a pair of Penske firsts: bring that to him is definitely watching after offseason offseason preparations prominence this season. q
Winning the Coca-Cola very special,” Blaney said. surgeries. headed into next year.

U.S. Soccer Federation refuses MLS attempt to pull top rosters from

U.S. Open Cup

CHICAGO (AP) — The U.S. of all of our members, in- connection with the tour- ami star Lionel Messi was only team not from the first
Soccer Federation refused cluding MLS, and other nament, including devel- injured and missed the tier to win the competition
Major League Soccer’s at- stakeholders to enhance oping young professional match. was the 1999 Rochester
tempt to pull its top rosters and improve the U.S. Open players and providing them The U.S. Open Cup began Raging Rhinos of the USL’s
from next year’s U.S. Open Cup.” with greater opportunity to in the 1913-14 season, and second-tier A-League,
Cup, the sport’s oldest MLS issued a statement play before fans in mean- MLS started play in 1996. which beat the Colorado
competition in the nation. four minutes later saying it ingful competition in a tour- Since the start of MLS, the Rapids 2-0 in the final.q
While MLS announced in a “is committed to finding a nament setting, prioritizing
statement at 6 p.m. EST Fri- viable solution for the 2024 player health and safety,
day that its board of gov- tournament and is working reducing schedule con-
ernors decided to send to find a pathway that ad- gestion for MLS clubs, and
teams to the tournament dresses its goals and con- enhanced investment from
from its third tier MLS Next cerns.” U.S. Soccer.”
Pro rosters, the USSF char- “Moving forward, MLS will The United Soccer League,
acterized the league’s ac- remain focused on increas- which entered 46 of the 99
tion only as a request that ing opportunities for up- teams in this year’s tourna-
had been turned down. and-coming players, a key ment, said in a statement:
“As we move forward, we component of the league’s “We stand with fans across
will continue our review of player development strat- the country who want to
the Open Cup to ensure egy that ultimately benefits see it remain an authentic
it aligns with the U.S. Soc- the U.S. national team pro- and inclusive competition.”
cer strategic pillars,” the gram.” Houston beat Inter Miami
USSF said in a statement MLS added “it believes this year in the U.S. Open
Wednesday. “We remain that there are several es- Cup final, earning a berth Inter Miami forward Lionel Messi attempts a penalty kick during
the second half of a club friendly soccer match against New
committed to addressing sential goals and concerns next year in the CONCA- York City FC, Friday, Nov. 10, 2023, in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
the needs and concerns that must be addressed in CAF Champions Cup. Mi- Associated Press