Stenhouse has vowed retaliation on rival Carson Hocevar. Will NASCAR payback be delivered at Pocono?

LONG POND, Pa. — Carson Hocevar walked around Pocono Raceway without a scratch on his face. His polo shirt looked more tailored than tattered and the Spire Motorsports driver was ready to race rather than rumble.
Ricky Stenhouse Jr. hadn't socked Hocevar with a right hook quite yet — hot on the heels of Stenhouse's threat to beat up his racing rival after last weekend's race in Mexico City — leaving the next shot at any potential retaliation inside or outside the cars set for Sunday's NASCAR race.

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Associated Press

31 minutes ago

• Associated Press

Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. wins NASCAR national series debut as crew chief at Pocono

LONG POND, Pa. (AP) — Dale Earnhardt Jr. might already be NASCAR's most popular crew chief. He's certainly an undefeated one. Pressed into unexpected service, Earnhardt called the shots for 18-year-old prospect Connor Zilisch in the No. 88 Chevrolet and they landed in victory lane Saturday in the second-tier Xfinity Series race at Pocono Raceway. 'We had a lot of things going our way,' Earnhardt said. Earnhardt — who won NASCAR's most-popular driver award 15 times — made a pit stop from his day job as team owner at JR Motorsports with normal crew chief Mardy Lindley suspended one race because of a lug nut infraction this month at Nashville. Aside from his duties as team owner, Earnhardt also was at Pocono for his role on the Prime broadcast for the NASCAR Cup Series race Sunday. 'Lot of fun for me today,' Earnhardt said. 'I missed the thrill of competition. I love broadcast, don't get me wrong. But nothing compares to driving or just being part of the team. Being an owner doesn't really deliver like this. This is a lot of fun.' Earnhardt had his wife and two young daughters in tow with him as he made the celebratory walk to victory lane. Oldest daughter Isla Rose clutched the checkered flag while youngest Nicole Lorraine soaked in the scene from her dad's arms. The win continued a banner season for the NASCAR Hall of Fame driver — who swept two races at Pocono as a driver in 2014 — after JR Motorsports and reigning Xfinity Series champion Justin Allgaier qualified for the season-opening Daytona 500 and secured their Cup Series debut. Earnhardt won two Daytona 500s, in 2004 and 2014, and 26 races overall. His side hustle Saturday was made a bit easier with Zilisch behind the wheel. Zilisch, who turns 19 in July, raced to his second Xfinity victory of the season and third of his young career. He won his Xfinity debut last year at Watkins Glen International. Earnhardt even pitched in during the race and tossed tires over the wall during pit stops. Zilisch took the win down to the wire and finally passed Jesse Love with five laps left in the race. Love finished second. 'Dale Junior, not too bad on the box,' Zilisch said. 'Pretty cool to have him up there. Getting him a 1-for-1 win as crew chief is pretty awesome.' ___ AP auto racing:

Yahoo

34 minutes ago

• Yahoo

NHL Free Agency: Top Six Pending UFA Centers

The NHL's free-agency period is almost here, and it's time to look at the key pivots who could be UFAs on July 1. has already looked at the top eight UFA defensemen and the top seven wingers. As for the centers, this is a rather thin class, but there's no doubt which center will be paid the most as a UFA this summer. 1. Sam Bennett, Florida Panthers Bennett was arguably the biggest impact player of the 2025 playoffs, winning the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP. Advertisement Bennett posted an amazing 15 goals and 22 points in 23 playoff games. No other player had more than 11 goals, making Bennett's scoring prowess all the more remarkable. The 29-year-old will get a massive raise on the $4.425 million he earned for the past four years. The Panthers aren't devoid of salary cap space, with $19 million in room. However, they might prioritize re-signing UFA winger Brad Marchand and defenseman Aaron Ekblad, cutting ties with Bennett and sending him to the open market looking for a bigger payday than Florida can afford. There will be a slew of teams – including the Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Columbus Blue Jackets, New York Rangers, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles Kings and many more – who will happily bring Bennett on board with a salary north of $8 million. It's all up to Bennett to choose where he plays next, but he can rest assured he'll be one of the most targeted assets in free agency. Gary Bettman presents Sam Bennett with the Conn Smythe Trophy. (Sam Navarro-Imagn Images) 2. John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs At 34 years old, Tavares is entering the final stage of his tremendous NHL career. But he hasn't let up in terms of offensive production, putting up 38 goals – his best total since 2018-19 – and 74 points in 75 games. There are few players more consistent as a point-per-game producer than Tavares, but he'll be taking a huge pay cut as he does his best to remain with his hometown Maple Leafs. Advertisement Thus, Tavares will be earning far less than the $11 million he earned for the past seven years. Rumored projections have him in the $4-million to $5-million range over a four- or five-year contract term. That should make Leafs fans very happy. Tavares can be part of the solution in Toronto by accepting a massive pay cut and allow the Buds to put together a deeper, stronger roster. 3. Mikael Granlund, Dallas Stars Very quietly, Granlund put together an excellent season, generating 44 assists and 66 points in 83 games split between the Stars and San Jose Sharks. In the playoffs, Granlund amassed another five goals and 10 points in 18 games with Dallas. He was a terrific acquisition, and he guaranteed himself a strong market for his services this summer. Granlund earned $5 million annually for the past six years, but at 33 years old, his next contract will likely be for three or four years. He'll probably want to sign on a bona fide Cup contender, but a developing team might offer him more money to come in and provide leadership and offensive consistency to their lineup. Regardless, once Bennett and Tavares come off the board, Granlund will quickly garner major attention and sign very soon on July 1. 4. Pius Suter, Vancouver Canucks For the first four years of his NHL career, Suter posted either 14 or 15 goals. But in 2024-25, he had a career-high 25 goals and 46 points in 81 games. The 29-year-old's agent had to be ecstatic with the timeliness of Suter's offensive outburst, because he's going to be the focus of teams that lose out on Bennett, Tavares and Granlund. Advertisement Suter was a serious bargain this year in particular, earning just $1.6 million. He'll easily double that amount this summer, as many teams – including the Canucks, which have the cap space to bring him back to Vancouver – will be jockeying for Suter's attention. We'll see who winds up with him, but there's no question he'll be in high demand. NHL Free Agency: Top Seven Pending UFA Wingers NHL Free Agency: Top Seven Pending UFA Wingers The NHL's free-agency period is fast approaching, so it's time to break down the key free agents who will soon be on the open market. 5. Christian Dvorak, Montreal Canadiens Dvorak has had trouble staying healthy, as he appeared in 82 games this past season for the first time in his nine-year NHL career. But as a third-line center option, he's going to be intriguing. Advertisement Dvorak posted 12 goals and 33 points last season – numbers that don't knock your socks off but aren't anything to sneer at, either. He won't match or better his 2024-25 salary of $4.45 million, but on a playoff-bound team, he could be a nifty little acquisition who is hungry and determined to be part of a winning organization. 6. Adam Gaudette, Ottawa Senators In parts of seven NHL seasons, the 28-year-old Gaudette has had to scratch and claw for opportunities in hockey's best league. Before this past season, his career high in games played was 59, back in 2019-20. But in '24-25, the Senators took a chance on him for just $775,000, and in return, Gaudette put up 19 goals and 26 points. So, once the other players on this list have signed a new contract, Gaudette is bound to get multiple offers for his services. The Sens aren't swimming in cap space, so Gaudette could be moving on to a different team next year. But as a third- or fourth-line option, he could fit in very well with a team intent on being a playoff contender. Get the latest news and trending stories by following The Hockey News on Google News and by subscribing to The Hockey News newsletter here. And share your thoughts by commenting below the article on

Yahoo

38 minutes ago

• Yahoo

U.S. Open 2025 weather updates: Play resumes rain delay in final round at Oakmont

The final round of the 2025 U.S. Open is underway at Oakmont Country Club, as players look to cap off an exciting week with what figures to be an exhilarating Sunday. But another story that has been a key to this week's narrative could once again come into the picture during the final round: Weather. Stay up-to-date on the forecast and conditions for the finale of the 2025 U.S. Open right here with live updates from Oakmont Country Club. Play resumes at the 2025 U.S. Open Heavy rain forced a suspension of play Sunday at the 2025 U.S. Open, but after 1 hour and 36 minutes, players are back out on the course at Oakmont to (hopefully) finish up the final round. The final group has 11 holes remaining. Driving range open, final round to resume at 5:40 p.m. ET The rain has begun to subside at Oakmont and play will resume at 5:40 p.m. ET, according to an update from the USGA that came just before 5 p.m. when they reopened the practice facilities for players to begin warming up. Advertisement Members of the grounds crew are out in droves with squeegees to push as much excess water off the playing surfaces as possible. Standing water on the greens at Oakmont The heavy rainfall has brought standing water on many of the greens at Oakmont Country Club. Play remains suspended as of 4:25 p.m. ET. U.S. Open final round action suspended due to heavy rain at Oakmont Play has been suspended in the final round of the U.S. Open due to heavy rain falling at Oakmont Country Club. The horn sounded at 4:01 p.m. ET Sunday — the signal for players to get off the golf course as torrential downpour ensued. The leaders have played seven holes. Rain begins to fall at Oakmont Heavy started to come down at Oakmont Country Club just before 4 p.m. ET on Sunday. Players broke out rain jackets and caddies brought out the umbrellas. Radar indicates that the rain will only get worse before it gets better, but play continues. Storm clouds moving in, no rain delay yet at the U.S. Open The skies are getting dark at Oakmont, but final round action continues as of 3:40 p.m. ET. Rain approaching Oakmont as final round action continues The final group was through four holes as of 3:20 p.m. ET, and everyone is still dry for now, but there's rain on the way. Radar shows storms moving up from the south and starting to encompass into the Pittsburgh metro. There's a weather warning being displayed on the grounds at Oakmont, where players are competing in the final round of the U.S. Open. What's the weather forecast Sunday at Oakmont? More rain is likely on the way, and it seems as if it will arrive right when the action gets into full swing as the last few pairings tee off. Advertisement There's a 50 percent chance of storms from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. ET on Sunday, according to WTAE in Pittsburgh, and radar predictions indicate that the heaviest rain will fall around 4 p.m. The showers will likely be spotty, though, with intermittent sunshine between. Fans walk along the course in front of a weather warning sign during the final round of the 125th U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club on June 15, 2025 in Oakmont, Pennsylvania. Weather has been an issue all weekend at the U.S. Open Golfers dealt with heavy rain Friday night, forcing a suspension of play with just five groups left on the golf course. They had to return Saturday morning to finish. The storms continued throughout the night and even prompted the USGA to offer refunds on tickets, citing "extremely wet conditions." Advertisement Then, players endured more rain as storms rolled through Saturday afternoon, but fortunately, the action never had to pause and it even provided uber-soft conditions that welcomed aggressive birdie plays late in the third round. Who's leading the U.S. Open? Sam Burns entered Sunday with the solo lead at 4 under, one shot clear of Adam Scott and J.J. Spaun. Track all the scores with the official 2025 U.S. Open leaderboard, or keep tabs on scores and highlights with our live updates page. This article originally appeared on Golfweek: US Open 2025 final round weather forecast, live updates