Dixon rules Indy Carb Day, but Penske shows up
Scott Dixon ran to the top of the board in the final practice before the Indianapolis 500 and called it a day with 45 minutes remaining in the session.
“Hopefully it runs this good in the race,” Dixon said after his lap at 228.323 mph put the six-time IndyCar champion in control of Friday’s practice. “I was told we were done. We got through our list. I thought the car felt good.
“Also the conditions, I thought everyone was going to feel like King Kong out there.”
Dixon packed his helmet and calmly headed back to the paddock, his rivals taking nervous notice of confident the pole-sitter is ahead of Sunday’s race.
Rain disrupted the traditional “Carb Day” practice but IndyCar was able to get cars on track for almost two hours later Friday afternoon.
The session was shortened for the final 10 minutes when it once again began to rain, but not before Team Penske showed its ready to race Sunday and the rest of the field indicated it should be a rather exciting show.
The biggest surprise was Team Penske, which struggled in qualifying and nearly missed the race with Power. One of the greatest qualifiers in IndyCar history had to fight his way into the 33-car field and rookie Scott McLaughlin at 17th was the highest-qualifying Penske driver.
Team owner Roger Penske said his four cars would be just fine come race day and that seemed to be the case in final practice. Simon Pagenaud, the 2019 race winner, was second fastest and followed by Josef Newgarden in third. Power, the 2018 winner, was sixth while McLaughlin was seventh.
Olympics TOKYO OLYMPICS LOOKS LIKE FANFREE
EVENT >> The president of the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee hinted that even local fans may be barred from venues when the games open in just under two months.
Fans from abroad were ruled out months ago as being too risky during a pandemic.
The prospect of empty venues at the postponed Olympics became more likely when the Japanese government decided Friday to extend a state of emergency until June 20 as COVID-19 cases continue to put the medical system under strain.
The state of emergency was to have been lifted on Monday. The extension in Tokyo, Osaka and other prefectures raises even more questions if the Olympics can be held at all.
Organizers and the IOC are insistent they will go ahead despite polls in Japan showing 60-80% want them called off.
Soccer
SANTA CLARA’S LOERA WINS HONDA AWARD>> For the fourth time in program history, Santa Clara has the Honda Award winner for soccer. Senior defender Alex Loera joins previous winners Brandi Chastain (1990), Aly Wagner (2001) and Leslie Osborne (2004).
The Honda Sport Award has been presented annually by the CWSA for the past 45 years to the top women athletes in 12 NCAA-sanctioned sports. The winner of the sport award becomes a finalist for the Collegiate Woman Athlete of the Year and the 2021 Honda Cup which will be presented June 28.
Loera beat out finalists Emily Alvarado from TCU, Jaelin Howell from Florida State and Ally Schlegel from Penn State.
PULISIC OR STEFFEN? AMERICAN
CHAMPIONS LEAGUE WINNER AWAITS >> It has been 24 years since Jovan Kirovski became the first American player to earn a Champions League winner’s medal. It is sure to happen for the second time today.
In what will be a landmark occasion for the U.S. game, Manchester City and Chelsea will have American representation in their squads for the title match of club soccer’s biggest competition. Zack Steffen will almost certainly be on the bench for City, unless there’s a last-minute injury to first-choice goalkeeper Ederson Moraes, while Christian Pulisic has a good chance of starting for Chelsea.
Pulisic, in particular, is on the threshold of history because no American has ever played in a Champions League final, much less started one.
Kirovski didn’t play a minute in the knockout stage during Borussia Dortmund’s run to the title in the 1996-97 season.
Memorabilia
KOBE BRYANT ROOKIE JERSEY SELLS FOR RECORD $3.69 MILLION >> An autographed Kobe Bryant jersey sold for a record $3.69 million last weekend, which according to Darren Rovell of the Action Network makes it the highest-selling basketball jersey ever. The game-worn yellow No.8 was photo-matched to the jerseys Bryant wore during his rookie season with the Lakers in 1996-97.
The jersey was sold to billionaire entrepreneur Bob Duggan through
Goldin Auctions and received 50 bids with a starting bid of $100,000.
Tennis
PIEDMONT’S MCDONALD JOINS QUALIFIERS AT FRENCH OPEN >> Five Americans made it through qualifying rounds for the French Open tennis tournament, the most since 2004.
Mackenzie McDonald of Piedmont, Jenson Brooksby and Bjorn Fratangelo, give the U.S. three men who qualified for the Grand Slam event. The two American women joining them are Hailey Baptiste and Varvara Lepchenko.
Golf
SPIETH HAS SOLO LEAD AT COLONIAL >> Jordan Spieth was bogey-free again Friday, with a 4-under 66 to take the lead after the second round at 11-under 129 at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. The Dallas native was one shot ahead of Jason Kokrak, who had his second consecutive round of 65.
Phil Mickelson finished 2 over after his second-round 69 and missed the cut.
Sergio Garcia (69) was tied for third at 8 under with Sebastian Munoz (65) and Patton Kizzire (65). KANG BEATS SALAS AT SHADOW CREEK >> Danielle Kang had Lizette Salas over to the house Thursday night to watch “Friends: The Reunion,” then sent her packing in the LPGA Match Play.
Kang won the showdown 4 and 3 for a quarterfinal spot on another hot afternoon at Shadow Creek in North Las Vegas.
MIKE OPENS 4-SHOT LEAD IN SENIOR PGA >> Mike Weir opened a four-stroke lead in the Senior PGA Championship with a 5-under 65 at Southern Hills in Tulsa, Okla.
That moved the Canadian to 7 under through 36 holes, with Steve Stricker (68), Rocco Mediate (69) and John Riegger at 3 under. Riegger had three holes left when play was called because of darkness. Weir completed his round just minutes earlier.