Bowman captures Daytona 500 pole

Alex Bowman won his third career Daytona 500 pole and will be joined by Hendrick Motorsports teammate Kyle Larson on the front row for NASCAR's season opener.

Bowman, who missed five races late last season because of a concussion, is on the Daytona 500 front row for the the sixth straight time, and the organization has produced a pole winner in eight of the last nine years. A three-year contract extension for Bowman was announced earlier in the day.

Jimmie Johnson made a triumphant return to NASCAR and qualified for the 500. The 47year-old Johnson, a seven-time champion , returned from a twoyear dalliance in IndyCar

• Tony Kanaan, the 2013 Indianapolis 500 champ, said he will compete in IndyCar's biggest race in May before retiring again. It will be the 22nd start at Indy for the 48-year-old Brazilian.

NHL: Washington Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin says his father, Mikhail, has died at age 71. Ovechkin left the Capitals on Tuesday to tend to what the team called a family health matter regarding a loved one.

On the ice, William Nylander had a goal and two assists as Toronto beat visiting Chicago 5-2. Skiing: American standout Mikaela Shiffrin had an unexpected split with her longtime coach, Mike Day, during the middle of the world championships after informing him that she planned to take a new direction with her staff at the end of the season.

Day was with Shiffrin when she won the silver medal in super-G last week but left France with Shiffrin due to race again Thursday and Saturday.