JAY COHEN Sports Writer, Author at The Rapid City Post

John Hunter Nemechek competes in a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at the Grant Park 165, Sunday, July 6, 2025, in Chicago. (AP Photo/Erin Hooley)

NASCAR’s first in-season tournament adds some drama to the Cup Series finish in Chicago

July 7, 2025

NASCAR’s first in-season tournament hasn’t made much of an impression on its drivers so far. Ty Gibbs said Sunday he didn’t know who his second-round opponent was until after the Cup Series race. That might be about to change. Gibbs is one of eight drivers still in the mix for the $1 million prize that goes to the winner of the five-race, bracket-style competition. While Shane van Gisbergen was closing out his Cup victory in Chicago this weekend, some of the most compelling action on the downtown street course was connected to the inaugural In-Season Challenge.

Van Gisbergen wins in Chicago once again, completing a NASCAR weekend sweep

July 6, 2025

Shane van Gisbergen has completed a sweep on the Chicago Street Course, winning the NASCAR Cup Series race on the tricky downtown circuit. It was van Gisbergen’s second victory of the season and his third career Cup win. The Trackhouse Racing driver also won in Chicago in 2023, becoming the first driver to take his Cup Series debut since Johnny Rutherford in the second qualifying race at Daytona in 1963. Ty Gibbs was second, and Tyler Reddick finished third. Denny Hamlin and Kyle Busch rounded out the top five. It was a dominant weekend for van Gisbergen, a three-time champion in Australia’s Supercars. The 36-year-old New Zealand native won Saturday’s Xfinity Series race from the pole.

FILE - Alex Bowman interacts with spectators while walking down a runway during driver introductions before a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Daytona International Speedway, Aug. 24, 2024, in Daytona Beach, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack, File)

Alex Bowman is looking for a 2nd straight Cup Series win in Chicago

July 5, 2025

Alex Bowman thinks he is moving in the right direction. With the NASCAR Cup Series back in Chicago on Sunday, it’s good timing for the Hendrick Motorsports driver. Bowman raced to a sorely needed victory in downtown Chicago a year ago, stopping an 80-race drought and securing a spot in the playoffs. He is still looking for his first win this season, but he finished third last weekend at Atlanta. The 32-year-old Bowman is the only driver to win at Chicagoland Speedway in Joliet, a 45-mile drive from downtown, and the Chicago Street Course. He got his first Cup victory at Chicagoland in 2019.

Karli Casamento, watches of her 15-year-old son, Jax's youth baseball game with her son seven-year-old Colt in Aston, Pa., Tuesday, May 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke)

Families and businesses are concerned about the effect of tariffs on youth sports

June 26, 2025

Youth sports are a big part of Karli Casamento’s life. Her 15-year-old son, Jax, golfs and plays on three baseball teams. Her 7-year-old son, Colt, plays baseball and basketball. The costs add up in a hurry. That’s why Casamento and her husband, Michael, are watching closely for the ramifications of tariffs on their rising youth sports budget. Karli Casamento, a second-grade teacher in suburban Philadelphia, says it’s a concern. For families like the Casamentos and businesses in the marketplace, there is continued uncertainty surrounding the possible effects of President Donald Trump’s tariffs on youth sports.

Sports play through another dangerously hot day in parts of the US

June 22, 2025

Several major league teams played through a second straight day of muggy conditions as dangerously hot temperatures dominated parts of the United States during a June heat wave. The PGA Tour was in a sweltering Connecticut for the Travelers Championship, and the LPGA played the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in the heat of Texas. The gametime temperature was 92 degrees for the series finale between the Mariners and Cubs in Chicago. Kids played in the fountains outside Wrigley before going into the ballpark, and the Cubs encouraged fans to take precautions in a message on the videoboard in left field.

FILE - Detroit Red Wings head coach Jeff Blashill watches during the third period of an NHL preseason hockey game against the Chicago Blackhawks, Monday, Oct. 4, 2021, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya, File)

Chicago Blackhawks hire Jeff Blashill as head coach, hoping for a turnaround

May 22, 2025

The Chicago Blackhawks are giving Jeff Blashill a second chance to prove himself as a head coach in the NHL. The 51-year-old Michigan native coached the Detroit Red Wings for seven seasons. He was let go after the team went 32-40-10 during the 2021-22 season. While Blashill had an underwhelming stay with Detroit, he has a player development background that likely was appealing for the rebuilding Blackhawks. He has coached in the AHL and USHL, along with the college ranks. Blashill spent the last three seasons as an assistant to Jon Cooper with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

JAY COHEN Sports Writer.

NASCAR’s first in-season tournament adds some drama to the Cup Series finish in Chicago

Van Gisbergen wins in Chicago once again, completing a NASCAR weekend sweep

Alex Bowman is looking for a 2nd straight Cup Series win in Chicago

Families and businesses are concerned about the effect of tariffs on youth sports

Sports play through another dangerously hot day in parts of the US

Chicago Blackhawks hire Jeff Blashill as head coach, hoping for a turnaround

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