MOTOR SPORTS

A new NASCAR season begins with rivals attempting to dethrone Team Penske after two years atop the Cup Series, all while a compelling off-track battle rages on over revenue sharing that threatens to overshadow the competition. Teams report to Daytona International Speedway this week to prepare for Sunday’s season-opening Daytona 500 without a new revenue sharing agreement that has been an ongoing sore spot between both NASCAR and its participants.

Talks on extending the charter agreement — essentially franchises in NASCAR — took a backseat to NASCAR’s negotiations on a new television deal. Both sides remain tight-lipped on what happens next, and the season begins Sunday with the Daytona 500.

BASKETBALL

Indiana State is ranked for the first time since Larry Bird played in Terre Haute. The Sycamores are on a nine-game winning streak and have one of the nation’s best-shooting teams.

UConn remained at No. 1 in this week’s poll and Purdue held steady at No. 2. No. 3 Houston, No. 4 Marquette and No. 5 Arizona all moved up following losses by Kansas and North Carolina. Iowa State is back in the top 10 for the first time since the 2021-22 season.

Ohio State has climbed up the women’s AP Top 25, moving up to No. 2 this week. The Buckeyes, who were fifth last week, have won 11 straight games and equaled the best ranking in school history. Ohio State’s only losses this season have come to USC, UCLA and Michigan.

South Carolina remains a unanimous No. 1 after routing Missouri and then-No. 11 UConn. Stanford moved up three places to No. 3. Iowa dropped to fourth and Texas climbed to fifth. Oregon State moved up six places to No. 11.

HOCKEY

Alex Ovechkin has scored a goal in five consecutive games to make it his longest streak in nearly three years. The Washington Capitals captain had just eight goals all season at the All-Star break.

Now the Russian superstar is heating up just in time to revive the possibility of breaking Wayne Gretzky’s NHL career record that was long considered unapproachable. Ovechkin at age 38 is now 60 goals away from doing that. Teammates and opponents alike are still marveling at how Ovechkin can turn it on and fill the net unlike anyone else in hockey this generation.