Vegas hits NASCAR jackpot
LAS VEGAS — Las Vegas Motor Speedway will host two top-tier NASCAR races beginning next year. The Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority board of directors approved a race sponsorship agreement with the track and parent company Speedway Motorsports Inc., on Wednesday, with this year’s race coming up Sunday. Las Vegas’ win is New Hampshire Motor Speedway’s loss, with SMI shifting one of the New England track’s two NASCAR Cup Series races to Nevada. “Las Vegas and Las Vegas Motor Speedway have become great destinations for NASCAR fans,” said Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR executive vice president and chief racing development officer. “The experience is unique to any other in our sport. We look forward to having NASCAR racing there for two race weekends in 2018.” SMI said it will move its September race date at New Hampshire to Las Vegas to create the second race. The company will also move the Truck Series race from New Hampshire, as well as a stand-alone Xfinity Series race from Kentucky Speedway to create a tripleheader weekend. LVMS will become the first facility on the NASCAR schedule to host two yearly weekend events with all three national series. The race dates will be announced later by NASCAR as part of the full 2018 schedules.
BASKETBALL
› KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Long before John Stockton
became synonymous with the Utah Jazz and Tim Duncan
became known for playing for the San Antonio Spurs, they established themselves as household names thanks to their exploits in college. Duncan starred at Wake Forest. Stockton headlined Gonzaga. Now, they are being honored for it. Duncan and Stockton are the headliners of the latest class that will be inducted into the National Collegiate Basketball Hall of Fame later this year. They’ll be joined by former Duke star Jay Williams, Winston-Salem State’s Cleo Hill, Indiana’s Scott May, Purdue star Rick Mount and Creighton’s Paul Silas. Longtime coach Bo Ryan, who led Wisconsin to a pair of Final Fours, will also be inducted during a ceremony Nov. 19 in downtown Kansas City.
GOLF
› PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Charl Schwartzel withdrew from the Valspar Championship pro-am after 10 holes because of something that has never happened to him: He got hit by a golf ball. On his first hole at Innisbrook on Wednesday, a shot by one of his amateur partners ricocheted off a tree and struck him in the left wrist as he instinctively moved his arms below his waist to avoid it being more painful. He said his left hand went numb and he eventually reached a point he couldn’t hold the club. Schwartzel still expects to play the tournament that starts today.