News & Neuigkeiten » Slaters of the world passing the torch

INDIANAPOLIS -- Bryan Clauson wasnt a household name and he hadnt yet earned the fame or fortune enjoyed by auto racings superstars.Cut from the mold of the old-school drivers, Clauson would race anything, anywhere at any time. He was chasing the USACs all-time wins mark -- having racked up 112 already -- and was well on his way to compete in 200 events this season alone. He was widely considered the best dirt-track racer in the nation.The wildly popular Clauson died Sunday night from injuries suffered in a crash during a weekend race in Kansas, a stunning announcement that came Monday from officials at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.Our Bryan fought to the end with the same desire that he demonstrated behind the wheel of all the various race cars he would park in victory lane, the Clauson family said in a statement released by the speedway. However, we were more proud of our Bryan that took a moment to make a young fans day, or demonstrated his uncommon kindness and appreciation toward his friends, family and fans.Clauson was leading Saturday nights race at the Belleville Midget Nationals when he crashed while passing lapped traffic; his car rolled and was hit by another competitor. He was airlifted to a hospital in Nebraska, where he died surrounded by his family.USAC President and CEO Kevin Miller called it one of the darkest days in the 60-year history of the United States Auto Club.Not only have we lost one of our greatest USAC champions, weve lost a true ambassador for all motorsports, he said.Fellow driver Kyle Larson said on Twitter that he was glad to become close friends and competitors with Bryan. He was a guy who pushed me to become a better racer and person. Danica Patrick called Clauson one of the good ones ... kind, funny, and a damn good driver.Miller said Clausons 112 victories are behind a very, very short list of USAC Hall of Famers that include Rich Vogler, A.J. Foyt, Sleepy Tripp and Mel Kintz.He was on pace to compete in 200 races this year, earning 27 victories in 116 starts, and leading three laps of the Indianapolis 500 on May 29 -- hours before winning a sprint car race 50 miles away in Kokomo in what he called an Indiana Double.In a post for The Drivers Project , Clauson detailed his Indy 500 experience and acknowledged he was still pretty raw in these cars so to be out there and mix it up all day was great. He also said Kokomo is where he grew up racing sprint cars and said it was important to celebrate there with loved ones.The racing community has had several drivers die in crashes in recent years. In 2013, Jason Leffler died following a crash at a New Jersey sprint car race. The following year, Formula One driver Jules Bianchi suffered head injuries in the Japanese Grand Prix that ultimately cost him his life. A year ago, Justin Wilson was killed when he was struck in the head by a piece of debris during an IndyCar race at Pocono.Clauson himself was involved in a crash just 24 hours before the fatal wreck. After Friday nights crash, he went on Twitter to express his appreciation after the tough hit for his safety equipment, his chassis manufacturer and his team for getting his car ready to race again.A four-time USAC national champion, Clauson was a three-time winner and the defending champion at Belleville.Bryan Clauson combined his passion and enthusiasm for grassroots racing with a God-given talent that made him the favorite to win every time he got in a midget or sprint car, IMS president Doug Boles said Monday. He possessed a humility and character out of the race car that made him a person that fellow competitors and fans alike enjoyed being around.Clauson was a California native who earned a USAC-IndyCar scholarship for winning the 2010 USAC national drivers title, giving him six Indy Lights starts in 2011 in a car shared with current IndyCar Series rookie Conor Daly at Sam Schmidt Motorsports. Clauson also raced eight times in USACs national series, with his best finish, third, coming in Iowa in 2011.He won the scholarship award again in 2012, allowing him to make his Indianapolis 500 debut with Sarah Fisher Hartman Racing. He returned to the Indy 500 in 2015 with KVSH/Jonathan Byrds Racing, and this year led his first career laps driving for Dale Coyne.Clauson was a development driver for Chip Ganassi in NASCAR, where he competed in 26 races over the 2007 and 2008 seasons. He also spent several seasons driving for Tony Stewarts sprint car team.I dont care what happened, no matter how bad his day was, he always found a way to smile with it, Stewart said after Sundays NASCAR race. It sucks when its anybody in racing, its hard when you lose them, but its even worse when theyre somebody as close to you as Bryan was.Clauson is survived by his parents, Tim and Di, sister Taylor and fiancee, Lauren Stewart. Funeral arrangements were pending. A memorial service in his honor will take place at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway at a date to be announced.---Online:USAC tribute to Clauson: https://twitter.com/USACNation/status/762640588411854848 Arizona Coyotes Gear . The Cleveland Indians, Tampa Bay Rays, and Texas Rangers all won on Sunday meaning the Rangers will host the Rays in a play-in game on Monday. Oliver Ekman-Larsson Jersey . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. https://www.cheapcoyotes.com/1248z-nick-schmaltz-jersey-coyotes.html .Y. -- Syracuse has turned up the defence at the right time all season, and when High Point threatened to pull off a monumental upset the second-ranked Orange did what they do best with their quick hands and savvy play. Brad Richardson Jersey .ca looks back at the stories and moments that made the year memorable. Dale Hawerchuk Jersey . The formidable trio of Canadian receivers -- individually known as Chris Getzlaf, Rob Bagg and Andy Fantuz -- will share the field at Mosaic Stadium one more time on Sunday. Its nearing the end of October, and with that comes pumpkin spiced everything, Halloween parties and that all-too-familiar gloom of turning back the clocks once Daylight Savings ends. But before we plunge headfirst into winter, lets not forget that Halloween season involves celebrating the season in style. Here, a few action sports icons show their almost-Halloween spirit, sprinkled by sponsor updates and changing of the guard-like themes.Brian Anderson meets Lady GagaFollowing a decade-long tenure with Girl Skateboards, Brian Anderson set out on his own path to start his own brand, dubbed 3D, in 2013. Anderson employed a small team and got to work producing boards, but after a few months of balancing the demands of being a pro while also running a brand, Anderson realized it was too much to handle. So he pulled the plug on the brand and started skating Antihero decks simply because he wanted to. A few months passed, and following a few exchanges between Antihero and Anderson, an agreement was reached to add Anderson to the pro team. And in the same week, Anderson met one of his idols, Lady Gaga, in New York (who was appearing on Saturday Night Live and Howard Stern.) So maybe it wasnt Halloween yet, but for a brief moment, Brian Anderson played the role of Lady Gaga entourage.ddddddddddddelly Slater and John John Florence as Gandalf and FrodoEarlier this week, Hawaiian surfer John John Florence grabbed the 2016 World Surf League world title in Peniche, Portugal. Fans saw the world title win as a sort of changing of the guard from old to new, with the Kelly Slaters of the world passing the torch on to the John Johns of the surfing world. Some fans even took it to Halloween-esque proportions of the Tolkien level, photoshopping Slater and Florence into the roles of Gandalf and Frodo. John John is on the path to be the next Gandalf, said Instagrammer Jakub Michna. Also of note: Why does John John as Frodo look like Matt Damon?Van Homan keeps it simpleMeanwhile, Real BMX competitor Van Homan kept it mellow and carved a pumpkin on a rainy East Coast day.Gus Kenworthy drinks too many lattes...And finally, X Games Ski Slope and Pipe competitor Gus Kenworthy abbreviated a now well known coffee beverage (pumpkin spiced lattes) as the reason why he doubled as the headless horseman at home in Denver, Colorado. ' ' '