One year later, NASCAR reflects on a COVID-changed sport

AVONDALE, ARIZ. >> The big story at Phoenix Raceway one year ago was the remarkable recovery of veteran driver Ryan Newman, who strolled around the infield sipping a soft drink just weeks after a horrific crash in the Daytona 500 had everyone fearing the worst.

It was an entertaining race on a beautiful Sunday afternoon with Joey Logano holding off Kevin Harvick for his second win of the season. Kyle Larson finished fourth, continuing his rise with Chip Ganassi

Racing.

Then came COVID-19, and everything in auto racing — and the world — changed.

“Gosh, it doesn’t feel like a year ago,” driver Ryan Blaney said.

After 12 long months, it’ll be a much quieter scene for this year’s spring race in the desert, with a smaller crowd, masks, social distancing and everything else that’s been deemed necessary for sports to continue during a pandemic. It’s a compromise that’s become somewhat normal, even if it’s less than ideal.

“I miss a lot,” Logano said. “Obviously, the fans not being at the racetrack, the energy that they bring is second to none, so that quietness is awful. I like hearing the cheering, the booing and everything in between. I like that. I like having our sponsors at the racetrack and people walking through the garage thinking it’s the coolest thing they’ve ever seen when they see these cars up close.”

NASCAR’s season was paused for two months after Logano’s win at Phoenix. The sport was one of the first in the nation to return on May 17 in Darlington, South Carolina, during a one-day event in front of no fans.

The slow march to normalcy continues in Phoenix.

“Hopefully, we’re making progress on this thing of getting the world healthy again, but it’s changed the way that our sport has operated,” Blaney said. “It’s changed the way everything has operated, from sports to businesses and things like that, and I’m looking forward to the day we can all get healthy again and put this all behind us and get back to normal life.”

Larson’s return

Little did anyone know that Larson’s fourth-place finish in Phoenix would be his last race with Chip Ganassi

Racing.

The driver’s use of a racial slur while participating in an online race last April cost him his job, his reputation and his ability to attract the corporations that fund a race team. Larson wasn’t sure he’d race in NASCAR again until Rick Hendrick took a chance on a him.

Last weekend at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Larson raced to his first NASCAR victory since he was reinstated from a nearly yearlong suspension. He was hired by Hendrick Motorsports when NASCAR said the suspension would lift at the start of this year.

Bubba Wallace, NASCAR’s only Black fulltime driver, was one of the first competitors to congratulate Larson.

“It meant a lot for Bubba to come to victory lane,” Larson said. “He’s always believed in me. That was special.”

Homecoming for McDowell

Daytona 500 winner Michael McDowell will be racing close to his hometown of Glendale, Arizona, where he grew up racing karts before moving to North Carolina to pursue his NASCAR dreams.

Marvelous Marvin Hagler stopped Thomas Hearns in a fight that lasted less than eight minutes yet was so epic that it still lives in boxing lore.

Two years later he was so disgusted after losing a decision to Sugar Ray Leonard — stolen, he claimed, by the judges — that he never fought again.

One of the great middleweights in boxing history, Hagler died March 13 at the age of 66.

His wife, Kay, announced his death on the Facebook page for Hagler’s fans.

Golf WESTWOOD LEADS TPC >>

One week later, the two leading characters and the roles they play are the same. Only the stage has changed. Lee Westwood went from surprise to delight when his tee shot to the island green on the par-3 17th stayed on the top ridge, and then he trickled in a 25-foot birdie putt that carried him to a 4-under 68 at The Players Championship. Bryson DeChambeau made a 15-foot par putt on the 18th hole, giving him a 67 and leaving him two shots behind and in the final group with Westwood.

Riverside wrestling coach Justin Toth cried both tears of joy and happiness March 13.

The years of joy came for Tyler Wittreich. The tears of sadness came for the rest of his wrestlers.

While Wittreich, the Beavers’ 160-pounder, put together a 2-0 day to clinch a berth in the state semifinals, Riverside’s two other wrestlers (120-pounder Chris Rocha and 152-pounder Danny Martich) failed to qualify with losses in the second consolation round.

“It’s mixed emotions up and down all day. I came in thinking we had a great shot at getting all of our guys on the podium. The high of getting Tyler into the semifinals was awesome, but the losses made it a bittersweet day.”

Witterich’s day started with a 13-1 major decision win over Maple Heights’ Daniel Eggleton before he picked up a second win with a pinfall victory over Dublin Coffman’s James Baumann in 5:17.

“Making it to the semifinals is an amazing feeling,” Wittreich said. “Not a ton of people make it to the state tournament and even fewer place. I’ve been trying to push the pace and gas my opponents out and it’s been working.”

Wittreich was joined in the day’s first session by Rocha, who opened up his day with a 6-0 win over Moeller’s David Gelman. An 8-5 loss to St. Edward’s Sean Seefeldt (the No. 2 wrestler in the state) dropped him to the consolation bracket, where his high school career ended with a 12-6 loss to Mount Vernon’s Colt Spurgeon. Rocha finished the year 39-17 and ranked fifth in the state.

With Wittreich and Rocha wrestling so close to each other, Toth had to balance both sides of the state tournament.

“I haven’t had to deal with anything like this in my short career as a coach,” Toth said. “We’ve had ups and downs but nothing like what we’re going through at the state level. It’s been very difficult and it’s something I don’t think I’ll ever get used to.”

After opening his day with a 6-4 loss to Elyria’s Erich Trinski, Martich beat Westerville Central’s Gary Steele 3-2 in his opening consolation round matchup. He wrestled Marysville’s Erryl Will in the second consolation round, where he lost 6-4 in the first overtime period. With the tournament split into two sections, Wittreich and Martich watched on a big screen in the parking lot.

“Those guys are the epitome of teammates,” Toth said.

With the OHSAA unable to use the Schottenstein Center to host the state tournament, this year’s tournament is hosted at three different high schools across Ohio, with Hillard Darby hosting the Division I tournament. While it might have lacked the normal spectacle, the muted location also came with some advantages.

“When we walked out to the mats Tyler said he wasn’t nervous anymore because it looked like any other tournament,” Toth said. “But then in the grand scheme of things I wish they would have experienced it how it normally is.”

Mayfield’s Vinnie DAlessando (106), Kenston’s Maison

Benz (152) and Mentor’s Lincoln Splete (160) were the other News-Herald area wrestlers to pick up wins.

Dalessandro, who entered as the No. 1 seed at 106, was upset by Olentangy Liberty’s Jaxson Rosselli in the first round. After beating Moeller’s Jared Johnston in the consolation bracket, DAlessando fell Perrysburg’s Ryan Avalos in the consolation second round. Benz also picked up a win in the consolation bracket while Splete won his first-round match.

Mentor’s Antonio Shelley went 0-2.

Wittreich opens the second day of wrestling against LaSalle’s Jake Niffenegger. All of the semifinal and third-, fifth- and seventhplace matches will be wrestled in the first session while the championships will be held in the second session. Wrestling starts at 10 a.m.