Harvick will work for Fox
LOS ANGELES — Kevin Harvick won’t spend a single day in retirement when his NASCAR driving days are over: Fox has hired him for its broadcast booth in 2024. The announcement came Sunday evening as NASCAR held its preseason Clash exhibition race at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, two weeks ahead of the Daytona 500 that will open the Cup Series schedule. Harvick, 47, announced last month that he will retire from NASCAR competition at the end of this season, his 23rd on the top tier circuit and the end to a Cup Series career highlighted by 60 victories and the 2014 championship. He will then transition into a broadcast role for Fox, which has used Harvick regularly as a guest analyst since 2015. He is scheduled to call four second-tier Xfinity Series and three thirdtier Truck Series races this year for FS1, and next season he will join Mike Joy and Clint Bowyer for Fox’s entire portion of the Cup Series schedule. “I knew that this was something that I wanted to do because it gives you such a unique position to be able to talk about the sport and be able to use your knowledge and relationships to be able to give the fans and people a great perspective,” Harvick told The Associated Press. Harvick was the centerpiece of Fox’s “Drivers Only” broadcasts that began in 2015. The network began using a combination of active drivers and crew chiefs to call lower-level races, and Harvick, who has called more than 25 races for the network, was a natural fit from the very beginning. He is so steady in the booth that many predicted Harvick, who drives for Stewart-Haas Racing, would develop into a play-by-play announcer and lead a broadcast team. Martin Truex Jr. was the winner of the Clash, which had 25 cautions and finished shortly before deadline for this edition. For more coverage, please visit timesfreepress.com.
BASKETBALL
› DALLAS — Kyrie Irving is getting his wish, and Luka Doncic is getting another All-Star to help him in Dallas. The Mavericks and the Brooklyn Nets agreed Sunday on a blockbuster trade: Irving — the ubertalented and often enigmatic eight-time AllStar point guard — heads to Dallas to join forces with Mavericks star guard Doncic, ending the pairing with Brooklyn forward Kevin Durant that never really had a chance to click. The Nets get Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith and a package of draft picks, according to a person familiar with the terms of the deal who spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because it had not been finalized. Dallas also gets Markieff Morris. The Athletic and ESPN first reported the trade agreement, which become complete once the teams have a call with the NBA, which is standard for all trades in the league. The move came just two days after Irving told the Nets he wanted to be traded by Thursday’s league deadline, with talks about a contract beyond this season — he’s due for free agency — not going to his liking. He wasn’t with the Nets for their game Saturday, and by Sunday afternoon, his time in Brooklyn appeared to be at an end. Irving has averaged 27.1 points, 5.3 assists and 5.1 rebounds this season. Doncic has averaged 33.4 points, 8.9 rebounds and 8.2 assists.
BASEBALL
› LOS ANGELES — The Los Angeles Dodgers will retire the No. 34 jersey of pitcher Fernando Valenzuela during a three-day celebration this summer. Valenzuela developed a fervent fan following during his phenomenal rise known as “Fernandomania,” which led to him being rookie of the year and the Cy Young Award winner for the National League in 1981, when the Dodgers won the World Series. He was a six-time All-Star during his 11 seasons in Los Angeles from 1980-90. He will be honored Aug. 11-13 ,when the Dodgers host the Colorado Rockies. The 62-year-old Valenzuela will join Walter Alston, Roy Campanella, Don Drysdale, Jim Gilliam, Gil Hodges, Sandy Koufax, Tommy Lasorda, Duke Snider, Don Sutton, Pee Wee Reese and Jackie Robinson, who have all had their number retired by the franchise.