Auto Racing
NASCAR makes a few new rules for 2015 season
CHARLOTTE, N.C. – NASCAR announced a new rules package Tuesday that will ban all private testing in 2015, including the annual Daytona 500 test, and will levy the stiffest penalty possible on any team caught conducting its own sessions.
The only testing allowed next season will be sessions conducted by Goodyear or NASCAR. Any team caught testing on its own will receive a P6 penalty, the highest on NASCAR’s new punishment scale. It carries a loss of 150 points, a minimum $150,000 fine and a six-week suspension for the crew chief and other crew members.
Among other changes to the rules package are updated qualifying formats, including at the Daytona 500. The front row now will be set through group qualifying instead of the traditional single-car runs. The rest of the field will be set by a pair of qualifying races later in Speedweeks.
NASCAR also is reducing engine horsepower through a tapered spacer from 850 to 725 and is cutting the rear spoiler from 7.25 inches high to 6 inches. The horsepower reduction should slow cars from 5 mph to 7 mph and is aimed to create more passing through the field over the course of a long green-flag run.
NASCAR also now will use rain tires in the Sprint Cup Series at Sonoma and Watkins Glen.
As for qualifying, the formats will be shortened at all types of tracks, mostly to cut the length of time in the first segment. The first segment on short tracks and intermediate tracks will be 15 minutes, followed by a break, then 10 minutes, a break, and a final 5-minute session. At superspeedways, the field will be divided into two groups for the first 5-minute session, followed by two more 5-minute sessions. Road-course qualifying will consist of one 25-minute session, followed by a 10-minute session.
Baseball
Mo’ne to donate her jersey to baseball’s Hall of Fame
COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. – Mo’ne Davis’ performance in the Little League World Series has earned her a place in baseball’s Hall of Fame.
The 13-year-old Davis plans to donate the jersey she wore last month when she pitched a two-hit shutout, becoming the first girl to win a game at the LLWS. She is set to visit the Hall on Thursday with her Little League teammates from Philadelphia’s Taney Dragons and the Anderson Monarchs, her longtime travel team.
Football
Hawkins, the ex-CU coach, to lead USA at worlds
USA Football chose former Boise State and Colorado head coach Dan Hawkins to lead the senior national team during the American football world championships to be played July in Sweden.
Hawkins was 53-11 at Boise State from 2001 to 2005, winning four consecutive Western Athletic Conference titles. He also spent five seasons at Colorado, going 19-39 with one bowl appearance. He currently is a college football analyst for ESPN and SiriusXM satellite radio.
The championship is a 12-nation football tournament held every four years since 1999. All games in 2015 will be played at Tele2 Arena in Stockholm on July 4-18.
Soccer
MLS postseason will break for international games
NEW YORK – Major League Soccer will take a week off in the middle of its playoffs during the FIFA fixture period for international matches.
MLS said Tuesday that its playoffs will start with conference knockout games Oct. 29-30. The first legs of conference semifinals will be Nov. 1-2, and the second legs of the home-and-home, total-goals series will be Nov. 8-9.
The league then will take off, as many players report to national teams. European Championship qualifiers are scheduled Nov. 14-16, and the U.S. has an exhibition game Nov. 18 at Ireland.
The first legs of conference semifinals will be Nov. 22-23 and the second legs Nov. 29-30. The MLS final will be Dec. 7.
Associated Press
