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The Charlotte Observer reported Friday night that NASCAR is looking at a 16-driver Chase with the field based primarily on race winners during the regular season. The Chase field would be pared to 12 after the third Chase race, eight after the sixth and four after the ninth. The top four would enter the season finale with the same number of points, creating a winner-take-all season-ending race. While the proposal is being questioned by fans and some in the media have labeled it “another gimmick,” it’s being embraced by many in NASCAR circles....

Could we see a Busch repeat Sunday in the season finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway? No driver has been as good since the start of the 2014 season at 1.5-mile tracks than Busch, who has recorded an 8.61 average finish in 31 races. MORE: Ford EcoBoost 400 schedule, times, TV info Busch hasn’t won since Indianapolis in July, but he’s still managed to stay out front, exactly what he needs to do against Championship 4 contenders Jimmie Johnson, Joey Logano and teammate Carl Edwards on Sunday at the 1....

The series points leader will start from the pole Sunday for the STP 500 as NASCAR lines up the field by owner points. Chase Elliott will start beside him on the front row. Morning showers had already delayed Friday activities at the track, and by 3 p.m., track officials ordered the grandstands evacuated because of lightning in the area. Rain also washed out the final practice session for the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series....

After all, Indianapolis Motor Speedway isn’t located on the West Coast. Well, it turns out there is an answer, and it involves the elephant in the room. Or should we say the peacock? MORE: Jeff Gordon, France to Indy | Last call for Tony Stewart NASCAR’s television contract the rest of the season is with NBC and its cable operation, NBC Sports Network. One look at Sunday’s schedule reveals the answer to the stock car question....

The rules packages revealed Tuesday will be tailored to specific tracks and designed to slow Cup Series cars to create more passing for the lead. At Daytona and Talladega, the two fastest tracks in NASCAR were horsepower-sapping plates are used on the engines, NASCAR will now use a thicker tapered spacer with tapered holes aimed to restrict air flow. NASCAR next year wants to lower the horsepower in Cup cars at 21 races, all on ovals larger than 1....

Throughout this week, Kids Drive NASCAR will feature news, events and social content geared toward kids and helping them learn about the sport in the days leading up to the races at Michigan International Speedway and Road America. Included in that is the launch of the Acceleration Nation app with racing-themed games and activities. In 2017, kids 12 and younger will get in free to all NASCAR Xfinity and Camping World Truck series races....

Replying to questions in the Lok Sabha, he said there was already a five per cent quota for sportspersons in government jobs and stressed that the need of the hour was to keep politics out of Indian sports. The University in Imphal already has four schools and 13 departments and since January two courses have been started. “Very soon we will start four more courses in the University,” Rathore said during Question Hour....

Diaz, The Ultimate Fighter 2007 winner, has recently described his experience as being held hostage, and he “wants out.” During an appearance on Ariel Helwani’s MMA Hour, Diaz slammed the UFC for not booking him against fighters he desires. With his contract ending soon, Diaz wants to explore other options outside the UFC. He believes contract negotiations are not in his favor. “I was trying to get this s— on the road, but they don’t want me out of contract and they’re keeping me in there and they’re holding me hostage,” Diaz said, via MMA Fighting....

By the time he finally got to play at the highest level more than five years later — and even then, only for seven games — he had asked another tattoo artist to cover up the logo with a Chinese dragon. “That’s the last thing I needed to worry about, was people telling me it should be a NBDL tattoo or a CBA tattoo,” he said in 2003, shortly after his stint with the Raptors was cut short by an injury....

With the shot clock winding down, Robinson picked up a loose ball a couple steps in front of halfcourt and threw it up. Even with the Bulls’ Kirk Hinrich challenging on the shot, it appeared that Robinson knew he would hit as soon as he released the ball. Robinson leapt about and walked away in celebration after beating the shot clock. See it for yourself: MORE: NBA TV deal includes ads on jerseys | Westbrook: What is a meme?...

Sala, along with pilot David Ibbotson, went missing on January 21 last year when their plane crashed over the English Channel a few days after his move to Cardiff City from Nantes had been confirmed. The body of Argentina native Sala was later discovered and a report released by the Air Accidents Investigation Branch (AAIB) in August said he had clearly been exposed to the poisonous gas carbon monoxide. Ibbotson has not been found....

Juventus’ derby win over Torino by the same scoreline earlier on Sunday temporarily sent the champions to the summit, but Allan’s first-half strike at the San Paolo moved Napoli back above them by a point. Maurizio Sarri’s side were unsurprisingly dominant against a team which now has only three wins from 25 league matches, but they were short of their fluid best in a match that came just three days after their surprise 3-1 loss to RB Leipzig in the Europa League....

There are several factors that contribute to the condition, including an abnormal autoimmune response, underlying susceptibility due to genetic immune traits, evocative environmental factors, and sometimes head injury or other damage to the hypothalamus of the brain. Common Causes The most common mechanism of narcolepsy is an autoimmune process that damages hypocretin-secreting cells in the anterior hypothalamus of the brain. The hypocretin-secreting cells are incorrectly targeted and destroyed by immune T cells, leading to the deficit or absence of hypocretin throughout the brain....

The Indian Embassy in Rio will host several cultural exhibitions to highlight the country’s progress in self sustenance. A kabaddi match, involving India’s best players will also be showcased, in an attempt to push the sport towards Olympic legitimacy. Around 10 secretaries met last week to discuss plans of implementing the Cultural event, which will also give other countries a taste of India’s cuisine, art and Culture. A hospitality house will be setup a week prior to the August 5 opening ceremony....

In narrative medicine, healthcare providers strive to gain a deeper understanding of the experiences and emotions likely to have influenced each patient’s health. By sharing your stories, you create a more complete picture of your illness and its impact on your life. At the same time, narrative medicine offers insight into the treatment approaches and self-care strategies likely to produce the greatest benefit for each individual. Ultimately, narrative medicine provides a powerful means of “bridging the divides that separate physicians from patients,” according to Rita Charon, MD, PhD, a Columbia University professor who originated the field of narrative medicine....

Naruto to Boruto: Shinobi Strikersis a team-based arena fighting game where players can create their own ninja and customize their appearance and battle capabilities to their liking. Shinobi Strikers has a healthy list of special Ninjutsu pulled directly from both anime series that characters can perform in battle missions and PVP content. Among the Ninjutsu available in-game are some of the most powerful techniques in the Naruto universe. 10 Chidori The Chidori is a Ninjutsu technique that players can learn by having Sasuke Uchiha as a mentor....

The photos reveals smoke being produced by some of the fires which have been ravaging the country in recent months, as well as a large dust storm which spread across several states over the weekend. “Australia. Our hearts and thoughts are with you,” Koch wrote in a Twitter post containing the images. At the time of writing, the post has received thousands of likes, with many users expressing their sadness at the unfolding situation in Australia....

Second place gets nothing, so this no-holds barred, 80-lap race is going to be crazy from start to finish. There are 15 drivers who have already qualified. Four will be added to the field after the Monster Energy Open a couple of hours before the race and one final driver will get in via the fan vote. Kevin Harvick is the defending champion, but in a 1.5-mile race this season, it has been all about Brad Keselowski....

NASCAR announced Tuesday the final race of the year is moving to ISM Raceway in Avondale, AZ. The final race of the year has been held at Homestead Miami Speedway since 2002. This will be a distinct change in racing as Homestead is a 1.5-mile intermediate track while ISM is much shorter at just over a mile. ISM Raceway recently underwent a $178 million renovation to enhance the fan experience....

It was an apt way to end the day; Sunday’s race had been littered with wrecks and caution flags. In the end, it was Elliott who took the checkered flag — his third victory of the Cup Series season — under caution. Elliott, who was placed in the pole position Saturday after qualifying was rained out, was in control for much of the race’s early proceedings. Then, Stage 2 happened....