Sport

Ahead of Sunday’s big Daytona 500, racing legend Roger Penske dismissed claims that his sport is faltering. “I see the sport as stronger than ever from a competitive standpoint,” he said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.” As the Nascar season kicks off at Daytona 500, new questions have emerged about the state of stock car racing as both viewership numbers and admissions are seeing major declines. Nascar’s television viewership…

Ahead of Sunday’s big Daytona 500, racing legend Roger Penske dismissed claims that his sport is faltering. “I see the sport as stronger than ever from a competitive standpoint,” he said on CNBC’s “Squawk on the Street.” As the Nascar season kicks off at Daytona 500, new questions have emerged about the state of stock car racing as both viewership numbers and admissions are seeing major declines. Nascar’s television viewership…

A young Mexican driver is making the leap to NASCAR’s top level this year, and he’s looking to bring more Latino fans with him. Along with the addition of Daniel Suárez, NASCAR is pursuing efforts to become more diverse.

Mexican-born Daniel Suarez relaxes in a chair at Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters, just feet away from the orange-and-white race car that is, by far, the finest he’s ever driven. A rookie with the personality and potential to be NASCAR’s next star, he is still two weeks from driving that car, the No. 19 Toyota, in the Super Bowl of NASCAR’s Monster Energy Cup Series, Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International…

Photo credit: Gerardo Mora/NASCAR If Cars 3’s grim reminder of your slow descent into old age in trailer form didn’t already convince you that this is the must-see kids’ movie of the summer, maybe its cast will, if you’re a NASCAR fan. NASCAR announced that legends Richard Petty and Jeff Gordon will be voicing anthropomorphized cars in Cars 3, along with other current drivers and personalities. “Cars 3’ very much…

Several former National Hockey League players have joined the growing number of pro athletes who have pledged their brains to research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a devastating brain disease that has been linked to repetitive head trauma. The Concussion Legacy Foundation announced that four former professional hockey players plan to donate their brains to the organization. They include Stanley Cup Champion Shawn McEachern, who played in the NHL…

Mexican-born Daniel Suarez relaxes in a chair at Joe Gibbs Racing headquarters, just feet away from the orange-and-white race car that is, by far, the finest he’s ever driven. A rookie with the personality and potential to be NASCAR’s next star, he is still two weeks from driving that car, the No. 19 Toyota, in the Super Bowl of NASCAR’s Monster Energy Cup Series, Sunday’s Daytona 500 at Daytona International…

“Cars 3” opens in theaters nationwide on June 16 and it will have a huge NASCAR presence. Actor Owen Wilson, who will be the grand marshal for the 59th running of the Daytona 500 (Sunday 2 p.m. ET, FOX) will again voice the star character in the film, Lightning McQueen. But check out all the NASCAR personalities who’ll have a role in the film: USA TODAY NETWORK Romain…

Several former National Hockey League players have joined the growing number of pro athletes who have pledged their brains to research on chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) — a devastating brain disease that has been linked to repetitive head trauma. The Concussion Legacy Foundation announced that four former professional hockey players plan to donate their brains to the organization. They include Stanley Cup Champion Shawn McEachern, who played in the NHL…

Here is the lineup for the Daytona 500, Sunday’s Cup series race, at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Fla. Fox is scheduled to broadcast the race beginning Sunday at 2 p.m. [THURSDAY’S RACES: Chase Elliott, Denny Hamlin win Daytona duel qualifiers] [NEW LOOK: Will recent changes improve NASCAR? Time to find out.] [DAYTONA 500: What you need to know] The Field (Car number in parentheses) 1. (24) Chase Elliott,…

The professional cycling peloton is currently wrapping up its preseason at the Abu Dhabi Tour, the last of the Middle East races. The first cobbled classic of the season takes place this weekend, but for now, the best sprinters in the world are enjoying the warm temperatures and flat roads of the United Arab Emirates one last time. Advertisement Marcel Kittel dominated the Dubai Tour, but British superstar Mark Cavendish…

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From Athens to Sochi and on to Rio, stadiums and arenas in varying stages of decay are symbols of the crisis facing the International Olympic Committee. Budapest’s decision on Wednesday to withdraw its bid for the 2024 summer games leaves just two cities — Los Angeles and Paris — competing to play host to sport’s biggest event. The decision by the Hungarian capital came after thousands signed a petition urging…

NASCAR has made a series of changes for the 2017 season ranging from a new top-series sponsor to how the cars are set up to race. It’s a continuing effort to reverse a trend that has seen the sport’s profile dip in recent years, with television ratings and attendance in a steady decline. With the season set to begin in Sunday’s Daytona 500, it’s worth looking at what’s changed –…

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12:31 PM ET Facebook Twitter Facebook Messenger Pinterest Email print comment DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Daniel Suarez had a pillow he slept on as a teenager. It had the image of the “Cars” movie character Lightning McQueen on it. Now 25 years old, the Mexican driver will get to share the screen with one of his boyhood idols. Danny Swervez will be his name. NASCAR driver Daniel Suarez, who describes…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As a native of Mexico, rookie Daniel Suárez has had a lot of firsts in NASCAR. Two years ago, he became the first driver of Latino descent to race full-time in the XFINITY Series, then the first Mexican-born driver to win a race in the series and, at the end of the 2016 season when he claimed the XFINITY Series championship, he was the first foreign-born…

From Athens to Sochi and on to Rio, stadiums and arenas in varying stages of decay are symbols of the crisis facing the International Olympic Committee. Budapest’s decision on Wednesday to withdraw its bid for the 2024 summer games leaves just two cities — Los Angeles and Paris — competing to play host to sport’s biggest event. The decision by the Hungarian capital came after thousands signed a petition urging…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – As a native of Mexico, rookie Daniel Suárez has had a lot of firsts in NASCAR. Two years ago, he became the first driver of Latino descent to race full-time in the XFINITY Series, then the first Mexican-born driver to win a race in the series and, at the end of the 2016 season when he claimed the XFINITY Series championship, he was the first foreign-born…

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Ever since its birth on Daytona Beach in 1948, NASCAR has for decades been one of the most thrilling, unpredictable and dangerous sports Americans love to watch. But enthusiasm for the sport has been sputtering in recent years and now NASCAR is facing record declines. In 2004, 8 million people tuned in to NASCAR’s Sprint Cup series. Last year, only 4.6 million did, a decrease of…