THE HOT CORNER

1 AUTO RACING:

Three-time MotoGP champion Jorge Lorenzo says he will retire after the season-ending Valencia Grand Prix this weekend. The 32-yearold Lorenzo said Thursday he lost his motivation and didn’t want to keep “defrauding” team Honda any longer.

2 SOCCER:

Japan maintained its perfect record in Asia World Cup qualifying by beating Kyrgyzstan 2-0 while Iran lost a second straight match Thursday. Iran, trying to reach a third consecutive World Cup, fell to Iraq 2-1 in Amman, Jordan.

3 AUTO RACING:

NASCAR and NBC Sports are set to launch a new streaming service that will include exclusive motorsports events and an extensive library of archived documentaries and films. TrackPass will offer more motorsports options, including the ARCA Menards Series, the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour, as well as NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR Xfinity Series practice and qualifying sessions for its half of the schedule. TrackPass also will expand its coverage of IMSA.

4 PRO HOCKEY:

Penguins star Sidney Crosby will be out at least six weeks after what the team said was a successful core muscle injury repair Thursday. General manager Jim Rutherford says the procedure was performed by Dr. William Meyers in Philadelphia.

5 PRO FOOTBALL:

New Orleans Saints starting left guard Andrus Peat had surgery to repair a broken arm and is expected to be sidelined about six weeks, said a person familiar with the situation. The 2018 Pro Bowl selection was injured during the first half of Sunday’s 26-9 loss to Atlanta. Peat was New Orleans’ first-round draft choice in 2015 and has started 59 of the 64 career games he’s played.