Action this weekend at Sharon Speedway

Action this weekend at Sharon Speedway

hartford

Sharon Speedway will see action this Saturday night on Warren Diesel Performance Night as part of the 88th anniversary season. The Hovis Auto & Truck Supply Big-Block Modifieds, HTMA/Precise Racing Products RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, Gibson Insurance Agency Stock Cars, and Summit Racing Equipment Econo Mods will be part of the program beginning at 7 p.m. Power wheels races will be held for kids during intermission. Admission remains at $10.

With less divisions on the weekly program in 2017, each division will be given five additional feature laps; 25 for the Big-Block Modifieds and 20 for the RUSH Sportsman Modifieds, Stock Cars, and Econo Mods. As always, Sharon offers a higher tiered purse structure if 24 or more cars are in action on any weekly event. New in 2017 is a non-qualifier event for any division that has 32 or more cars on a weekly show.

Pits open at 4 p.m. with grandstands at 5, drivers meeting at 6:20, and racing at 7. Patio seating upgrades are just $5 and fan suite seating upgrades are $20 over the cost of general admission.

In order to reserve either of these ahead of time, call the office Monday through Thursday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 330-772-5481. As always, children under 13, parking, and camping is free. Pit passes are $30. Sharon has a no carry-in cooler policy.

Potential 1 vs. 2 clash to open up college football

A potential matchup of preseason No. 1 vs. No. 2 between Alabama and Florida State will be ABC’s first Saturday night football game of the 2017 season.

ESPN/ABC announced Thursday its opening-weekend schedule, along with the Saturday prime-time games for the first three weeks of the season.

The Crimson Tide and Seminoles, both likely to be ranked near the top of The Associated Press preseason Top 25, will meet at the new Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on Saturday night, Sept. 2.

ESPN’s first showcase game of the opening weekend will be Ohio State at Indiana on Thursday, Aug. 31 at 8 p.m ET. The Buckeyes will also be in prime time in week two when they host Oklahoma on Saturday, Sept. 9.

Miami at Florida State will be the ABC Saturday night game on Sept. 16.

Boston’s Price set to make debut Monday

boston

Red Sox pitcher David Price is set to make his season debut for Boston on Monday at the Chicago White Sox.

The 31-year-old left-hander, starting the second season of a $217 million, seven-year contact, has been recovering from a strained pitching elbow.

“He’s eager to get back to us and physically he feels great,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said Thursday. “His return to us will give us a definite boost but that’s not to de-emphasize he needs to go out and perform.”

Price allowed nine runs — six earned — and 12 hits in 52/3 innings during a pair of injury rehabilitation starts at Triple-A Pawtucket. He struck out eight and walked two.

“It’s not based solely on the name on the back of his jersey,” Farrell said. “Hopefully it allows us to even out some of the performances within the rotation.”

Ronaldo could face tax-fraud charges

madrid

Spanish prosecutors are considering whether Cristiano Ronaldo should face charges over allegations by the country’s tax agency that he defrauded the authorities of 15 million euros ($16.7 million) between 2011 and 2014.

Prosecutors said Thursday they have until the end of June to decide whether to charge the Real Madrid star, based on evidence from an investigation by tax officials.

The alleged irregularities were mostly related to money that Ronaldo had in the Virgin Islands.

Tax officials said Ronaldo adjusted his tax declarations and paid an extra 6 million euros ($6.7 million) in 2014.

Barcelona’s Lionel Messi was convicted of tax fraud last year.

Staff/Wire reports