SCAROLINA-SEARCHING
No QB choice yet for Spurrier, Gamecocks
Steve Spurrier says South Carolina’s offense improved Saturday, just not enough to show a clear frontrunner among the four players competing for starting quarterback.
The Gamecocks coach says he’s happier with the offensive showing in the team’s second stadium scrimmage of fall camp. However, he says Connor Mitch, Perry Orth, Michael Scarnecchia and Lorenzo Nunez didn’t separate themselves in the race.
South Carolina opens the season Sept. 3 against North Carolina in Charlotte.
Mitch is a third-year sophomore who was expected to take control of the job from last year’s senior record-setter Dylan Thompson. But Mitch threw two interceptions and didn’t have a touchdown in the closed session.
The biggest offensive play came from tailback Brandon Wilds, who broke off a 70-yard TD run.
NASCAR-BRISTOL
Logano defends Bristol victory to hold off Gibbs drivers
BRISTOL, Tenn. (AP) β Joey Logano has won at Bristol Motor Speedway for the second consecutive year, picking up a victory Saturday night that spoiled what was expected to be a Joe Gibbs Racing rout.
JGR drivers were the heavy favorites after sweeping the top three spots in qualifying. They headed into the race seeking a 10th win this season for the organization with four solid shots at the victory.
Instead, it was Logano who drove his Team Penske Ford to victory lane for the third time this year.
Logano cruised past teammate Brad Keselowski on a restart with less than 50 laps to go to gain control of the race. Then he held off a handful of challenges from Kevin Harvick before beating him to the finish line by 0.220 seconds.
INDYCAR-POCONO FUTURE
Pocono CEO Igdalsky says IndyCar ’50-50′ to return in 2016
LONG POND, Pa. (AP) β Pocono Raceway CEO Brandon Igdalsky says it’s “50-50” that IndyCar will return to the track in 2016.
IndyCar returned to Pocono in 2013 after a 24-year absence for the first race of a three-year contract. With the deal over, Igdalsky hopes to know within two weeks if the financial numbers justify another season.
IndyCar ticket sales at Pocono have been soft the last two years. Igdalsky says sales for Sunday’s race are not where they were in 2013. While the track does not disclose attendance figures, about 30,000 to 35,000 fans were estimated at the 2013 race.
The race date was moved this season to August after two years around the July 4 weekend.
Pocono Raceway has had two NASCAR weekends on the schedule for decades.
IMSA TUDOR-VIRGINIA
Nick Tandy takes GT Le Mans pole in Virginia
ALTON, Va. (AP) β Nick Tandy took the GT Le Mans class pole Saturday for the IMSA TUDOR United SportsCar Championship race Sunday at Virginia International Raceway.
Tandy had a lap at 114.813 mph to break Pierre Kaffer’s year-old track record of 113.414 mph. The British driver, part of the winning team in June in France in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, shares the No. 911 Porsche with Patrick Pilet. They won in Canada and at Road America.
Teammate Joerg Bergmeister qualified second at 114.704 mph in the No. 912 Porsche he shares with Earl Bamber, Tandy’s teammate in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Dion von Moltke won the GT Daytona class pole in the No. 48 Audi with a lap of 107.748 mph. He teams with Christopher Haase.
