NASCAR majority owner Jim France is stepping down from his role as chief executive, with president Steve O’Donnell set to become the first non-family member to lead the racing series.
France, who has held the top position since 2019, will retain his majority ownership stake and remain as chairman of the organisation.
The historic leadership change is expected to be officially announced at Talladega Superspeedway in Alabama on Saturday.
O’Donnell’s appointment marks a monumental shift for a motorsport property that was founded by Bill France Sr in 1948 and has always been guided by a family member.
Management restructuring continues
Alongside the change at the very top, France’s great-nephew Ben Kennedy will be promoted to the position of chief operating officer.
The outgoing executive originally took control of the boardroom following the sudden resignation of his nephew, Brian France, five years ago.
Legal battles and recent controversy
This major transition follows a tumultuous period for the American stock car racing series, highlighted by a bruising anti-trust lawsuit.
The racing magnate adopted a hardline stance during negotiations for the 2025 revenue-sharing agreement, which triggered legal action from Michael Jordan’s 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
A settlement was eventually reached in December, granting competing teams the permanent charter agreements they had been demanding.
Testimony struggles and Phelps exit
During the recent anti-trust trial, the softly spoken chairman faced difficulties during his first day of testimony, repeatedly needing questions clarified and struggling to recall specific topics before recovering on the second day.
The courtroom drama also led to the high-profile departure of NASCAR commissioner Steve Phelps earlier this year.
Phelps was forced to resign after inflammatory text messages sent during the contentious revenue-sharing negotiations were made public during the legal proceedings.
Liverpool’s hierarchy intends to retain Arne Slot as head coach for next season despite a challenging campaign for the defending Premier League champions.
The Anfield club currently sit fifth in the top flight, 15 points adrift of leaders Manchester City.
They have also been eliminated from both domestic cup competitions and the Champions League.
Injuries mitigate heavy summer spending
Club executives reportedly accept that severe injury issues have derailed their title defence.
Heavy summer investment brought Alexander Isak, Florian Wirtz and Hugo Ekitike to Merseyside.
However, long-term absences for both Isak and Ekitike have significantly hampered the Dutch head coach.
Despite acknowledging these mitigating factors, board members remain concerned by a series of vulnerable defensive performances.
Champions League qualification remains crucial
Former Reds defender Jamie Carragher believes the manager’s future now hinges on European qualification.
“The noises I am hearing is Slot will be the Liverpool manager next season if they can secure Champions League qualification,” said Carragher.
The Merseyside outfit require nine points from their remaining five league fixtures to guarantee a top-five finish.
The manager confirmed he is already involved in preliminary discussions regarding the upcoming campaign.
“There are conversations about next season but my main focus is this season,” he stated.
His side host Crystal Palace on Saturday, an opponent they have failed to beat in three previous meetings this term.
Nottingham Forest moved eight points clear of the Premier League relegation zone with a devastating 5-0 victory over Sunderland at the Stadium of Light.
The Europa League semi-finalists produced a spectacular first-half blitz to effectively seal the vital three points before the interval.
Morgan Gibbs-White continued his exceptional run of form by orchestrating the rout against Regis Le Bris’ struggling side.
The 26-year-old playmaker arrived in the north-east brimming with confidence after netting a magnificent hat-trick during last weekend’s comprehensive victory over Burnley.
Spectacular first-half collapse
The visitors’ attacking onslaught was heavily aided by a disjointed and fragile defensive display from the home team.
Trai Hume’s unfortunate own goal ignited a spectacular collapse that saw the Black Cats concede four times in just six frantic minutes.
Chris Wood, Gibbs-White and Igor Jesus all capitalised on the defensive disarray to find the back of the net in rapid succession.
Elliot Anderson eventually completed the scoring by adding a fifth goal in the dying moments of the match.
Contrasting fortunes
This emphatic result extends the East Midlands club’s impressive unbeaten streak to eight matches across all competitions.
The victory also establishes a crucial eight-point cushion over 18th-placed Tottenham Hotspur, who possess only five remaining fixtures to save their top-flight status.
Conversely, Sunderland suffered their heaviest defeat since returning to the Premier League and have now leaked four or more goals in consecutive matches.
The dismal performance prompted a chorus of boos from the frustrated home supporters as the half-time whistle blew.
Warrington and England captain George Williams will undergo neck surgery following an injury sustained in April, leaving his end-of-season Super League and autumn World Cup hopes in serious doubt.
The 31-year-old half-back suffered the significant blow during a defeat against Catalans Dragons on 18 April.
His club has confirmed the veteran playmaker will be sidelined for an extended period.
Speaking during a recent television broadcast, the departing skipper admitted he underestimated the initial impact.
Scan reveals severe damage
“I got a knock and didn’t think it would be as serious as it was.”
“I went for a scan and it’s not good news. I’ve had a couple of days to process it and obviously it’s disappointing, but I’ll have the surgery and look forward to hopefully the back end of the year.”
The former NRL star is already scheduled to leave the Halliwell Jones Stadium at the conclusion of the current campaign.
He is desperately hoping to make a final appearance for the Wire before returning to Australia next season.
A desperate race against time
“I’m praying with everything I’ve got.”
“It wouldn’t be a good way to go out and that’s why the news was so tough to take. I’ll be racing against the clock to get back and hopefully I can play here again.”
The domestic rugby league calendar concludes with the Super League Grand Final on 3 October.
Shortly after, the national team kicks off their international campaign against Tonga in Perth on 17 October.
World Cup plans thrown into disarray
Newly appointed head coach Brian McDermott recently stated he had no intention of changing his on-field leader prior to the international tournament.
However, those leadership plans are now heavily disrupted by this severe physical setback.
Warrington boss Sam Burgess confirmed the impending operation will take place imminently.
Burgess backs cautious medical route
“George will probably go for surgery at some point in the next week or two.”
The head coach emphasised that medical staff are pleased to have caught the neck issue early to prevent further damage.
“It’s unfortunate for George and the club. There are a number of ways to look at it so we’ve decided to take the positive route. Given the nature of where the injury is, we’re happy that we’ve got hold of it.”
“Hopefully he can make a great recovery and we’ll see him back in action – if it’s not this year, then hopefully next year.”
Ireland will attempt to record their first ever away victory over France in the Women’s Six Nations when the sides meet at the Stade Marcel-Michelin in Clermont on Saturday.
The ambitious visitors have set their sights on shattering the traditional dominance of England and France at the pinnacle of European rugby.
A victory this weekend would mark a significant milestone towards their stated objective of breaking into the world’s top four rankings ahead of the 2026 World Cup.
However, Scott Bemand’s side must overcome a heavy burden of history to emerge triumphant against formidable opposition.
Overcoming past heartbreak
The national team has never defeated Les Bleus on French soil.
Since securing a narrow 13-10 success in Dublin in 2017, the women in green have suffered seven consecutive Six Nations defeats to their continental rivals.
During that barren spell, the average winning margin for the French has been a daunting 30 points.
Recent encounters have been much closer, including an agonising World Cup quarter-final in Exeter where the French recovered from a 13-0 deficit to win 18-13.
Surging momentum and confidence
Despite those painful memories, the current crop of players travel to the continent fueled by genuine belief.
That self-assurance was heavily bolstered by a ruthless nine-try demolition of Italy in Galway last week.
The spectacular 57-20 triumph featured a blistering first-half performance and an impressive hat-trick from explosive winger Beibhinn Parsons.
This attacking display followed a resilient second-half showing against world champions England at Twickenham earlier in the campaign.
A shift in mentality
Refusing to embrace the traditional underdog label, the squad remains publicly defiant ahead of this daunting fixture.
“I’d be worried, if I was them.”
Stacey Flood
The full-back offered that bold assessment when asked how their upcoming opponents would view the recent high-scoring victory over the Italians.
Forward Aoife Wafer echoed that defiant sentiment, emphasizing a deep-seated desire for redemption.
“I think this group has always had belief and it’ll be no different in France. I think we owe them one.”
Aoife Wafer
Head coach Bemand expressed his satisfaction with the confident mindset radiating from the Irish camp.
“We’ve got to take the best bits of both games and continue to go after our own 85-minute performance,” the manager concluded.
To secure a famous upset, the visitors will need to combine that unshakeable belief with relentless consistency until the final whistle blows.
Tottenham Hotspur have placed five players on the transfer list ahead of a crucial summer window as the struggling club battle to avoid Premier League relegation.
Ange Postecoglou’s side are currently enduring a miserable campaign and sit 18th in the top-flight standings.
The north London outfit finished 17th last season, and their continued failure to improve has forced a radical squad overhaul.
Loan departures and expiring contracts
Joao Palhinha and Randal Kolo Muani are expected to return to Bayern Munich and Paris St-Germain respectively when their temporary deals expire.
The high-profile duo have struggled to find consistent form since arriving in the capital.
Securing permanent deals for the underperforming pair is no longer considered a viable option by the club hierarchy.
Veteran defender Ben Davies is also set to depart when his contract runs out at the end of the current campaign.
First-team regulars face the exit door
Romanian centre-back Radu Dragusin has been deemed surplus to requirements and is expected to be sold.
He is joined on the chopping block by Senegalese international Pape Matar Sarr in a move that may surprise some supporters.
However, there is growing external pressure for the club to be even more ruthless to recoup funds from recent big-money acquisitions.
Calls for further high-profile sales
Club-record signing Dominic Solanke has failed to justify his £65m price tag following a season blighted by fitness issues and poor form.
Guglielmo Vicario is another player facing intense scrutiny after enduring a dismal campaign between the posts.
The Italian goalkeeper cost £17m, but the struggling side desperately need to upgrade their options in that critical position.
Finally, £35m midfielder Yves Bissouma has barely featured this term and remains a prime candidate to be offloaded during the upcoming fire sale.
Recouping the combined £117m spent on that underperforming trio will prove incredibly difficult in the current transfer market.
Tottenham Hotspur want to sign Bayern Munich loanee Joao Palhinha on a permanent deal this summer but are seeking to renegotiate his £26m option-to-buy clause.
The north London club are already planning their summer recruitment despite being embroiled in a desperate battle to avoid Premier League relegation.
Manager Roberto De Zerbi is understood to be keen on keeping the Portugal international after a rollercoaster season in the capital.
Hurdles in permanent deal
Palhinha originally joined Bayern from Fulham for an initial £42m before making the temporary switch to Tottenham.
The current loan agreement includes a £26m purchase option that factors in potential add-ons.
However, the Spurs hierarchy want to drive down that asking price to reflect the 30-year-old’s fading form during the second half of the campaign.
A permanent move is highly unlikely if the German giants refuse to lower their financial demands.
Survival hopes dictate summer plans
Any future transfer activity remains heavily dependent on Tottenham securing their top-flight status.
The club already have agreements in principle to sign Liverpool defender Andy Robertson and Bournemouth centre-back Marcos Senesi.
Both of those prospective free transfers will collapse if the former Europa League champions suffer relegation to the Championship.
Crucial clash at Molineux
De Zerbi’s struggling side travel to face Wolverhampton Wanderers on Saturday sitting two points from safety with just five league matches remaining.
The team have incredibly not registered a Premier League victory since December.
Failure to beat Rob Edwards’ side this weekend will push them closer to joining the already-relegated bottom club in England’s second tier next season.
Rangers have asked the Scottish Professional Football League to intervene after Celtic refused to allocate away tickets for the final Old Firm derby of the season unless a prominent ultras group is banned.
A sub-committee of the SPFL board will convene next week to issue a ruling before the crucial Glasgow clash on Sunday, 10 May.
The bitter dispute stems from crowd disorder during a Scottish Cup quarter-final on 8 March, which saw spectators from both clubs invade the pitch following a dramatic penalty shoot-out.
An independent Scottish FA investigation into those events, led by sports event consultant Mark Blackbourne, remains ongoing.
Safety concerns and ticket ultimatums
Ahead of a fixture that could heavily influence a tight three-way Premiership title race involving Heart of Midlothian, the Parkhead side have demanded the exclusion of the Union Bears.
The current league leaders claim this specific section of the visiting support was identifiably engaged in serious violence during the recent cup tie.
“Celtic FC informed us that they will not provide any tickets for the forthcoming game to our supporters unless we agree not to allocate tickets to members of the Union Bears,” a Rangers statement read.
“We have firmly rejected those conditions and have referred the matter to the SPFL board.”
Sporting integrity and precedent fears
The Ibrox club stressed they have strongly condemned the actions of certain individuals involved in the March disturbances and have attempted to work collaboratively on matchday security.
Officials in Govan believe that banning their travelling fans from such a defining fixture would introduce a material sporting imbalance.
“It would also set a precedent with potentially significant consequences for the league in future seasons,” the visitors added.
“This game is an opportunity for Scottish football to demonstrate that it can respond constructively to recent events.”
In response, Celtic have maintained that their primary focus remains the safety of everyone attending the stadium in Glasgow’s East End.
“Celtic’s priority will always be the safety of those attending Celtic Park and, following a detailed risk assessment with regards to the forthcoming match, the club has made a reasonable request of Rangers FC,” the hosts stated.
The home side insists they are fully prepared to release the standard away allocation, provided their specific distribution conditions are met.