Supercars

Today 9.30am/ tomorrow 9am.

New look for the ITM SuperSprint at Puke but no less anticipation as the V8s strut their stuff. Last year there were two races over 60km and a further 200km one on Sunday. This time there are four 100km ( 35- lap) races which means four rapid- fire qualifying sessions. Jamie Whincup dominated a year ago with two wins and a second. Dave Reynolds won the second race after a podium finish in the first. Shane van Gisbergen was second to Whincup in race one but only managed fifth in the second and ninth in the third. “The Giz” lines up for his 300th Supercars start in tomorrow’s race and takes a 148- point championship lead into the weekend. With 75 points for the first home in each of the races ( down to 16 for 24th place), he could go a long way to wrapping it up in the penultimate round. Whincup holds second ahead of Craig Lowndes — who has done no better than second in 32 attempts at the track — and Scott McLaughlin. Feast of footy across the spectrum but no EPL or Champions League. Into the first round proper in the 136th FA Cup after 736 had entered. Still plenty of Nigel no- names among the survivors from the preliminary rounds. Some interest in the MK Dons who surprised many by reaching the fifth round last season before bowing out to Chelsea. They play Spennymoor Town as they bid for further Cup glory. A- League interest is hot tonight with the Phoenix back at their place to face their demons and the Jets before the “Big Blue” as Sydney FC host Melbourne Victory for the first time this season pitting coaches Graham Arnold and Kevin Muscat against each other. Plenty of small ball action for men and women as the year winds down. Kiwi interest in Lydia Ko as the world No 1 stretches her run atop the Rolex rankings to 54 weeks. Much closer in the season’s money race though as her US$ 2.45m is just $ 4000 more than Ariya Jutanugarn has banked but the Thai leads the Race to the CME Globe by just 51 points. That could change this week as both tee it up in the 54- hole Toto Japan Classic — a tournament Ko has bypassed in the past and in which Jutanugarn finished 5th last year. Both players will then give the Lorena Ochoa Invitational a miss before lining up in the season finale. PGA action in Nevada for the last three rounds of the Shriners Hospitals For Children Open in which Steven Alker, fresh from a hole- inone, and Danny Lee, fly the NZ flag. The tour then heads to Mexico for the OHL Classic from Friday. European Tour in Turkey this weekend then off to South Africa for Nedbank Golf Challenge at the Gary Player Country Club in Sun City.