#also austin was a triple short of a cycle

[emietook]

- Morton walked 7 batters but the Braves still blank the Mets -

[creditmonkey]

These Loans Aim to Help Borrowers Build a Credit History

Credit unions and community banks helped pioneer “credit-builder” loans that allow customers to establish credit histories and to begin growing their savings. Now, some start-ups are making similar loans more widely available, using digital technology. Financial technology companies offering the online loans include Self Lender, which works with several banks, and Credit Strong, created as a division of Austin Capital Bank. Both companies are based in Austin, Tex. The loans tie borrowing to forced savings. Customers typically receive a relatively small loan — say, $1,000 — and agree to have the money set aside in a special savings account. The money stays there while the borrower pays off the loan in monthly installments, typically over a year or two. Once the loan is fully repaid, the savings account is “unlocked” and the borrower is given access to the money, plus any interest earned. The loan payments are reported to the major credit bureaus, helping to establish a credit history that can then enable the borrower to qualify for more traditional loans and credit cards. ADVERTISEMENT “Our customers think of it as a savings app that builds credit,” said James Garvey, co-founder and chief executive of Self Lender. The goal, the lenders say, is to enable people with no or low credit scores to build credit histories, while also helping them set aside money for unexpected expenses. Unlock more free articles. Create an account or log in The Consumer Financial Credit Bureau has estimated that 45 million people have no credit history or histories too thin to produce a credit score. People who are low-income, younger, black or Hispanic are more likely to be credit “invisible,” the bureau found. Credit Strong says borrowers who successfully repay a loan will typically see a 40-point increase in their credit score, while someone without sufficient credit history will typically go from having no score to one in the mid-600s. According to the credit bureau Experian, that level is considered “fair” under the FICO model; scores of 670 or above are considered “good.” Many Americans also struggle to save for financial road bumps. The Federal Reserve reported that 40 percent of American adults said they couldn’t come up with $400 in cash to meet an unexpected expense. Without a pool of emergency money, people may have to turn to sources like payday or car-title lenders — short-term, high-cost loans that can trap borrowers in a cycle of debt.

Editors’ Picks

ADVERTISEMENT “Folks spend what they make, and maybe more,” said Mike Lord, chief executive of the North Carolina State Employees’ Credit Union, which for years has offered credit-builder loans to its members to help them avoid payday lenders. Credit-builder loans offered by many credit unions typically make at least some of the money available right away, since borrowers are often seeking the loan because of a cash crunch. “They need cash now,” said Ann Solomon, vice president of strategic initiatives at Inclusiv, a nonprofit that assists credit unions serving low-income neighborhoods. Doing so, she said, can help people avoid becoming repeat borrowers. Funds borrowed through start-ups like Credit Strong, however, aren’t available immediately and aren’t intended for emergencies. Rather, they’re to help build savings for expenses down the road. “This is not for somebody who needs cash tomorrow,” said Erik Beguin, chief executive and president of Austin Capital Bank. Typically, customers pay a modest upfront fee as well as paying interest on the loan. The savings account (or, in the case of Self Lender, a certificate of deposit) is held at a bank that’s insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, earning minimal interest. Borrowers must be at least 18 and have a debit card or bank account to make loan payments. The start-ups don’t check credit scores, as would happen with a traditional loan, but they do take steps to verify a borrower’s identity and to screen for fraud. Self Lender reviews an applicant’s history with ChexSystems, which can flag a pattern of trouble with bank accounts. Credit Strong says that it doesn’t disclose details of its review process because of “competitive and security reasons,” but ChexSystems “will not adversely affect approval” of applicants. Self Lender is available nationwide. Credit Strong is currently available in all states except North Carolina, Vermont and Wisconsin. Here are some questions and answers about credit-builder loans: What sort of interest rates do credit-builder loans charge? Rates are typically double-digit — higher than the rate on a secured loan like a mortgage, but lower than some credit card rates. According to Credit Strong, someone borrowing $495 over 12 months would pay $44 a month plus a one-time $8.95 fee, at an annual percentage rate of just under 16 percent. At the end of the loan term, the borrower would have $495 in the savings account, plus any accrued interest. In contrast, rates on payday loans are often triple-digit. Read the full article

[shandragdotson]

How Laura Moved Out, Found Love & Paid Cash for a Tesla

Laura Coursen, 30, of Austin, Texas, hated budgeting. She’d toyed with a spreadsheet budget since she was 18 but said, “I never followed it. Eventually, I gave up completely and even vowed I would never record transactions again!”

But things changed when she was 27. Laura had been living with her infant son at her parents’ home, working part-time, and felt stuck in the paycheck-to-paycheck cycle—it seemed like she’d never be able to save up enough money to move into her own place. At least, that is, until she landed a full-time job as a technical writer that tripled her income.

She said, “I knew I should be able to afford to move out on my new salary, but I had no idea how much I could afford to spend on housing! I started using YNAB because I wanted to use all that new income the right way from the start.”

The Start of Something Beautiful

Flash forward a couple of years to May 2017, and Laura was still diligently YNABing. And, thanks to her efforts, she had enough cash to fund a week’s vacation in Barcelona at the tail-end of a business trip to London. She invited a British friend, Alex, a technical support engineer from work, to join her and, she said, “Long story short, we started a long-distance relationship after that week.”

For the next several months, travel between Austin and York—where Alex lived—became a top priority in the budget. By March 2018, they were married, and it was during this time that Laura’s budgeting skills were really put to the test.

See, while Laura and Alex waited for more than seven months for his immigration status to be finalized, he wasn’t allowed to work! Laura said, “We both work remotely, but Alex couldn’t work from the U.S. without authorization, so he was put on unpaid leave while we waited on it to arrive.”

Looking back, Laura said, “None of this would have been possible without YNAB. I couldn’t have afforded the trip to Barcelona where we met. We couldn’t have afforded all the travel back and forth while we were long distance. I definitely could not have afforded to support both of us and my son while he was on unpaid leave!”

Game-Changer: Getting What You Really Want

Now, Laura’s attitude about budgeting is completely transformed. She sees the budget as a tool for getting more of what she wants, not an exercise in deprivation. She said, “It’s been easy to stick with YNAB … We’re finally able to do all the responsible things we know we should do and the fun things we want to do.”

When it comes to determining what they want their dollars to do, Laura and Alex work together. She said, “If either one of us wants to add something to the budget, we do, because we trust each other to only ask if it’s really a priority.”

She went on, “Alex is a car, technology, and (especially) renewable energy enthusiast, so I was happy to budget for a Tesla. And charitable donations are important to me, so we donate 10 percent of both of our incomes to GiveWell.”

They also prioritize retirement savings, a six-month job loss emergency fund, five-figure annual property taxes, two visits to see Alex’s family in the UK each year, and four vacations. (And did I mention that they paid cash for the Tesla?!)

That’s Right. They Paid Cash for the Tesla.

In August 2017, when their old car went kaput, and not wanting to miss out on a $7,500 federal tax credit for the Tesla, Laura and Alex consulted their budget and decided to order Alex’s dream car. Laura said, “We had some extra room in the budget because we had just made our last preschool payment, I got a raise, and we had finished funding other wish farm items.”

Of course, their Tesla arrived several months earlier than anticipated with payment due on delivery. In a pinch, they leaned on Rule Three, Roll With The Punches, and moved money from their ‘HVAC Replacement’ category into their ‘New Car’ category. Laura said, “We’ll just fund the HVAC category instead of the car category until May 2019.”

She added, “It’s so freeing that I can compensate for overspending in one category by moving money from another. The way I see it, budgeting is an act of predicting your priorities. Sometimes, your prediction will be wrong as circumstances change. This doesn’t mean you failed, it just means you can’t predict the future!”

To celebrate the new car and their budgeting achievement, Laura and Alex sprang for custom license plates (which were, of course, also in the budget):

The Real YNAB WIN

For nine years, Laura tried budgeting—with Quicken, Excel and Mint—and it just didn’t stick. With YNAB, she lovingly refers to budgeting as “my favorite hobby,” and she’s kept at it for more than three years (with remarkable results!).

The magic ingredient for Laura is accessibility. She said, “With YNAB, entering transactions into the mobile app, as they happen, makes budgeting so quick and easy that I barely notice I’m doing it! The app also clearly shows me how much I have left to spend in each category.”

Thinking back on all of their YNAB wins, Laura said, “We can only afford all of these things by putting limits on how much we spend on eating out, entertainment, clothes, etc. This is only possible with YNAB! Otherwise it’s just too easy to spend money on whatever is most immediate, like grabbing fast food on the way home.”

And, in a Moment of Serendipity …

YNAB’s development team just happened to be visiting Austin earlier this month. They’d just left a Formula One event (working here is pretty cool) when they noticed Laura and Alex’s “YNAB WIN” driving down the road ahead of them. While I wasn’t in the car, I understand that some attention-getting behavior ensued—if our May 2018 retreat is any indication, I suspect lassos were involved, though we can’t be sure. Long story, short, it was a pretty cool (cute?) meet. Dinner was had, and photos were taken:

The post How Laura Moved Out, Found Love & Paid Cash for a Tesla appeared first on YNAB.

from Finance https://www.youneedabudget.com/how-laura-moved-out-found-love-paid-cash-for-a-tesla/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[smallcommercialrealestateloans]

More May Rents May Be Late, Poll Says

The actual numbers won’t be in for a few more days. But a significant majority of apartment professionals listening in to the latest RCLCO weekly webinar on Friday think perhaps as few as 80 percent of all residents will make their May rent payments on time.

In April, according to the National Multi-Housing Council, 91.5 percent of lessees made a full or partial rent payment by the 26th. But only 15 percent of the people on the RCLCO webinar think that many renters will do so again this month.

According to the poll of 750 listeners, 57 percent think the percentage will be in the 80-90 percent range. And the rest—28 percent—think the figure will be even lower. Some believe less than 70 percent of renters will be on time.

New Renters

If the percentage holds at around 90 percent, it means collections “are doing pretty well,” especially when compared to other asset types, said Charles Hewlitt, a RCLCO managing partner in its Bethesda, Md., headquarters office

One bright spot for the multifamily market is new lease signings, which Hewlitt pointed out “are pretty much on par” with where they were a year ago, down 1.6 percent, and Hewlitt said his associates are “hearing that activity is picking up.”

April’s slight decline, he also pointed out, is “much better” than in late March, which recorded a steep 50 percent drop in new leases.

But Class A properties didn’t far nearly as well as Class B and C projects in April. New leases were down 7.9 percent in A properties as of the week ending April 26, whereas they were up 1.2 percent and 8.1 percent for B and C, respectively.

Rents on those new contracts seem to be holding their own, too. Hewlitt said rents called for in new leases were down 4.5 percent, year-over-year. New rents were down in all three classes—5.4 percent, 3.6 and 1.1, respectively. But Class C collections trailed both A and B.

A Look at the Downturn

The current economic downturn—which has yet to be named a recession, at least not officially—is being driven by a health crisis, not poor fundamental. But Hewlitt said RCLCO’s projection is that it won’t look like the ‘01 recession caused by the dot.com bubble.

“This is not like anything we’ve ever seen before, and it’s likely to be different from previous cycles,” he said. “But our outlook is will be more like ‘08 with a deep and short decline followed by fairly robust growth and recovery.”

On that point, only 22 percent of the webinar listeners said they agreed. Instead, 32 percent were of the belief the downturn will be less dramatic than either ‘01 or ‘08, but 33 percent went the opposite way, saying it would be more dramatic.

How the Single-Family Market Compares

Hewlitt also mentioned the single-family rental market, particularly the SF built-to-rent sector. And others have done the same.

SFRs have always been a major portion of the rental housing stock, about 35 percent, according to the Census Bureau’s American Community Survey. But the “vast majority” of those units, Robert Dietz, chief economist at the National Association of Home Builders, points out, are owned and operated by individuals, so-called “Mom-and-Pop” households who tend to buy a house or two to run as rentals or switch their own personal residences to rentals as their houses age.

About 5 million single-family houses have been added to the rental inventory since the Great Recession hit housing in 2008, mostly through “tenure switching” from owner-occupied to rental, says Dietz. Consequently, “the primary source of SFRs is not new construction but the existing housing stock.”

So while SFRs in general represent competition for apartment builders—indeed, between 2005 and 2015, according to NAHB’s figures, for-rent single family houses accounted for 56 percent of the gains in the overall rental housing stock—projects built from scratch are not. In fact, between 1992 and 2012, single-family rentals constituted just 2.7 percent of all housing starts.

Now, though it’s up to just under 5 percent. Not a big share in the greater scheme of things, to be sure, but still almost double what it used to be. And the pandemic may be giving that sector some new impetus.

Single-family rentals give people “more room to self-isolate,” said Todd LaRue, managing partner in RCLCO’s Austin, Tex., office. With a single-family rental, households can “double or triple up,” he pointed out.

Tim Sullivan of Meyers Research, a Dallas-based advisory firm that works mainly in the new home sector, agreed. Built-to-rent single-family houses “will continue to be viable” as renters look for places with space where people can hunker down without living beneath, above or right next door to others.

As such, they will help builders weather the virus-induced recession in that they can rent unsold inventory. On that score, the John Burns Real Estate Consulting firm is telling its builder clients to consider diversifying their portfolios with single-family rentals, particularly at the entry-level, suggesting that unsold inventories could be turned into rentals.

Prior to COVID-19, builders had a good-size backlog of signed contracts with buyers ready to move forward. But since mid-March, more and more people have been cancelling their deals. And when that’s the case, houses slated for construction often become rentals.

“Determine where those entry-level inventories are, which markets and submarkets, and watch them closely,” the Irvine, Calif.-based Burns firm advises.

Another RCLCO managing partner, Gregg Logan, agrees, saying in a previous webinar that picking up excessive inventory is “an opportunity (for investors) to step into the breach.”

“Single-family rentals were already a hot topic,” adds Brad Hunter, the managing partner in RCLCO’s Orlando office. But now with COVID-19 terrorizing the land, they are an even hotter one.

“People can distance themselves a lot better, and there’s a good chance they will continue to worry about that” when the pandemic is over, said Hunter, who previously was chief economist at MetroStudy, an information firm specializing in residential construction. And after employers realize they can trust people to work at home, “why not work at home all the time?” he asked.

“The single-family built-for-rent market may be a surprising winner in this crisis,” Hunter said.

Original Source of Article

[snb914]

Recapping the 2018 ALDS & NLDS

With the Red Sox beating the Yankees 4-1 last night in Game 4 to punch the final ticket into the League Championship Series, it brought a somewhat uneventful Division Series to an end. None of the four series’ went to a Game 5 and two ended with 3-game sweeps.

After both wild card games ended up being exciting, it looked as if at least three of the division series’ would be just as exciting, if not more. Instead, the division series round ended up being rather quick. Here is a short recap of each ALDS and NLDS Series:

New York Yankees vs Boston Red Sox

The marquee match-up of them all had to be the Yankees and the Red Sox, arguably the longest and strongest sports rivalry to ever exist. It was no surprise to see all their games starting in prime time for maximum exposure. The Yankees historically have been the more successful team, but it was the Red Sox that took command when the series went to the Bronx and came out victorious.

The Red Sox took Game 1 5-4 behind a J.D. Martinez 3-run home run and 5.1 solid innings from ace pitcher Chris Sale. In Game 2, Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez clubbed two home runs, including a 479 ft blast into Fenway Park’s Green Monster in the 7th inning to put a nail in the coffin. Fellow Yankee slugger Aaron Judge homered as well for the second straight game off Red Sox starter David Price, whose postseason struggles and overall struggles against the Yankees both continued. Price pitched so poorly that during the Game 3 player introductions at Yankee Stadium, Price was the only Red Sox player to get cheered instead of booed. Who would’ve ever thought Yankee fans could possibly cheer for someone wearing a Red Sox uniform?

As the series shifted to the Bronx, so did the momentum of the series. The Yankees sent their own ace Luis Severino onto the mound for Game 3 and he imploded by allowing six runs and seven hits in 3.0 innings pitched before the Yankees went to the bullpen. The bullpen didn’t do much better and the Red Sox ended up routing their chief rival 16-1 in what became the worst postseason loss in Yankees history. It got so out of hand that backup catcher Austin Romine ended up becoming just the second position player to ever pitch in a postseason game. Romine would end up allowing a 2-run home run to Red Sox utility infielder Brock Holt, which gave Holt a cycle. Never before had a player hit for the cycle (as in collecting a single, double, triple and home run all in the same game) in the postseason, but the fact that Holt homered off of a position player should not discredit what may end up being the greatest game of Holt’s life.

The Yankees sent veteran southpaw C.C. Sabathia to the mound in Game 4, hoping to extend their season and force a Game 5. However, Sabathia ended up allowing three runs in 5.0 innings and the Yankees were down 4-1 heading into the bottom of the 9th inning against Red Sox closer Craig Kimbrel. The Yankees ended up loading the bases before Neil Walker’s hit by pitch forced in the Yankees’ second run of the game. Sanchez then hit a long fly ball to left field that fell just short of the fence and resulted in a sacrifice fly to make the score 4-3. But after rookie second baseman Gleyber Torres grounded out, the series was over and the Sox will host the Astros starting on Saturday in the ALCS.

How did the Astros get there? Their path was a bit easier to say the least.

Cleveland Indians vs Houston Astros

This series was the one I was most excited about. Two elite AL powerhouses with similar strengths facing off against each other. However, it didn’t end up being much of a series as the Astros swept the Indians and outscored them 21-6 over three games.

The Astros took Game 1 7-2 behind four solo home runs and 5.1 solid innings from ace Justin Verlander, who out-dueled the Tribe’s 2-time Cy Young Award winner Corey Kluber. Gerrit Cole then took the ball in Game 2 for the defending champions and threw 7.0 innings of 1-run ball, with his only mistake being a solo home run from Indians star shortstop Francisco Lindor in the 3rd inning. But Astros left fielder Marwin Gonzalez hit a 2-run double in the 6th inning and third baseman Alex Bregman added a solo home run of his own to bring the score to a 3-1 final.

The series moved to Cleveland for Game 3, but the result was still the same. In fact, it was actually worse if anything because the Astros blew out the Indians 11-3 to complete the sweep. Outfielder and 2017 postseason hero George Springer smacked two home runs and shortstop Carlos Correa added a 3-run home run in the 9th inning to blow the game open.

What could’ve been an exciting series ended up being a quick sweep for the Astros, who are looking to become the first back-to-back champion since the 1998-2000 Yankees’ threepeat.

Colorado Rockies vs Milwaukee Brewers

This series to many fans would look like a series that would feature some 8-6 games or even a 12-10 game with how hitter-friendly both stadiums are, plus the deep lineups each team has.

But only one team ended up actually hitting in this series and it was not the Rockies, who managed to score only two runs the entire series. Both of their runs occurred in the top of the 9th in Game 1, which was by far the most intriguing game of the three. After a Christian Yelich two-run home run gave the Brewers a 2-0 lead, the Rockies clawed back in the 9th to tie the score thanks to a Charlie Blackmon single and a Nolan Arenado sacrifice fly. The game went into extra innings before Brewers third baseman Mike Moustakas hit a walk-off single to win the game. The Brew Crew then shut out the Rockies 4-0 in Game 2 and 6-0 in Game 3, which was at Coors Field. The Rockies had never been shutout in their three previous playoff appearances, but ended up getting shut out twice in the least opportune of times.

The Brewers, meanwhile are hoping to advance to the World Series for the first time since 1982, which is the only Fall Classic they have ever been a part of. They were also in the American League at the time, which shows just how long it has been since the Brewers have done anything notably significant as a team. But with the way they have been hitting, their next opponent will certainly have their work cut out.

Atlanta Braves vs Los Angeles Dodgers

And last but not least, we come to the Braves and Dodgers. As the diehard Mets fan I am, I wanted nothing more this postseason than to see the Braves lose, even though watching Ronald Acuna and Ozzie Albies is fun because of how talented they are at such young ages. The Braves were not even expected to contend this season, as the Nationals were heavily favored to win the division and the Mets were also expected to compete. However, both teams ended up underachieving thanks to injuries and in the Mets’ case, the bats going quiet for over three months. That helped the Braves win the division for the first time since 2013. The Dodgers meanwhile were coming off an NL pennant last season and a bitter 7-game series loss to the Astros in the 2017 World Series. But most of their core players are still there, shortstop Manny Machado was acquired to fill the void of Corey Seager’s season-ending injury and first baseman Max Muncy came out of nowhere to contribute 35 home runs in a breakout season.

The Dodgers got off to a fast start in Game 1 by blasting three home runs, including a three-run shot by Muncy in the 2nd inning en route to a 6-0 shutout victory. Hyun-Jin Ryu threw 7.0 scoreless innings for the win. Game 2 featured Dodgers ace Clayton Kershaw doing what he does best: winning games. Kershaw threw 8.0 shutout innings and Machado and catcher Yasmani Grandal both homered as the Dodgers won again 3-0. They became the first team since the 1921 Yankees to win the first two games of a postseason series with consecutive shutouts.

The series moved to Atlanta for Game 3 and the Braves showed some life by winning 6-5. Acuna, the 20-year old star rookie outfielder who is favored to win the NL Rookie of the Year Award made his mark as a Brave by crushing a grand slam in the 2nd inning. After the Dodgers climbed back to tie the game at 5-5, Braves veteran first baseman Freddie Freeman hit a solo home run in the 6th inning that proved to be the difference. Rookie pitcher Touki Toussaint picked up the win.

The Braves, like the Yankees later on were hoping to win Game 4 and force a Game 5 back in Los Angeles. The Dodgers though had something else in mind. After the Braves took a 2-1 lead on a Kurt Suzuki pinch-hit two-run single in the 4th inning, David Freese delivered a pinch-hit two-run single of his own in the 6th inning to give the Dodgers a 3-2 lead. Machado in the 7th inning added a three-run homer that put the series to rest as the Dodgers bullpen allowed just two hits combined.

The Dodgers are making their third consecutive trip to the National League Championship Series, but unlike the past two years, they will not be facing the Cubs again. Instead, they will have to deal with a red-hot Brewers team that has won 11 straight games dating back to the regular season.

The National League Championship Series will begin on Friday at 8 PM EST on Fox Sports 1 and the American League Championship Series will start Saturday at 8 PM EST on TBS. We may end up seeing a rematch of the 2017 World Series, or a match-up that few if any would have predicted back in April. Time will tell how the rest of the season goes, but both series should be exciting and not necessarily quick sweeps like the majority of the division series’.

Tonight and tomorrow will be quiet, but enjoy all the baseball this weekend!

[txu-energy-blog]

How Texas Energy Deregulation Leads the Way For Innovation (Part 1)

Exactly why is Texas the Model for Energy Deregulation? At the end of 99, Texas and 22 other states had begun deregulating their very own electrical utilities. Since that time, Texas has successfully transformed from the typical state-regulated electric utility system to one that is 74% deregulated, allowing the bulk of its population to choose both all their electrical service provider and a service plan that suits their whole lifestyle. While only a handful of states have experienced problems applying their versions of deregulation, all have regarded Arizona as the model to follow. Why? Texas is the number one vitality user in the country. Texas produces and consumes more electric power than any other state. And in spite of the sheer volume level required to power up the state every day, Texas has made its deregulated electrical market succeed. Ten years ago, Texas faced most of the same problems as the rest of the country under the regulated energy system. The industry had stagnated, few power infrastructure enhancements were being performed by the utilities to improve their efficiency throughout producing, transmitting, and metering electricity. Building new technology plants was often a slow, bureaucratic process because the tools had to negotiate with state regulators both how to build brand new generation facilities and how to pass the expense on to consumers. Advancements in green energy were under-funded and seldom progressed past the experimental stage. The utilities also had no profit to improve service or innovate with emerging technologies simply because they had a monopoly: they were guaranteed a profit which pleased their stakeholders. Throughout the country, however , more and more people required more and more electrical power. Already the second largest population in America, Colorado front range is still among the fastest growing states and is expected to get 50 million by 2040. Houston, Dallas, and San Antonio are among the top 10 populated metropolitan areas in the country. The actual Austin area alone is expected to balloon to 5 fold the current population over the next 30 years. Texas is also the 2nd largest economy in the United States (15th globally), with an annual outcome of over one trillion dollars. Unfortunately, Texas additionally emits 10% of total U. S. "greenhouse gases". Growing concerns about climate change and the environment forced both state and federal governments to pass mandates with regard to developing new green alternative energies. ERCOT has approximated that peak demand for Texas electricity increased at an yearly rate of 2. 5% from 1990 to 2006 and can experience similarly high annual growth, requiring between sixty, 000 and 80, 000 megawatts (MW) of new power generation capacity by 2030. State regulators, as well as skillfully developed, quickly realized that the regulated electric utility system was missing the agility to meet the needs of the 21st century. The reason why Did Texas Succeed? There are four reasons why the deregulated utility market succeeded in Texas. The first is that deregulation stimulated new investment in electrical generation to meet require and add reliability. Where power companies once had to request the state regulators for permission, they now build facilities once they see the potential for profit. In Texas, this led to an investment involving over $25 billion in 39, 000 MW of recent generation and ensured that investors, not consumers, required the risk on the sale of all of that electricity. Most of this particular investment was in low-polluting natural gas-powered generation plants. These days, over half of Texas' electric power comes from natural gas. Texas generates 25% of the nation's natural gas and is the largest producer; keeping and supplying natural gas via pipeline for all regions of the nation. The investment and building generation capacity also additional something that Texas needed as a rapidly growing state: stability. For example , on a hot July day, electricity demand within the ERCOT area can threaten to overload both power generators and transmission lines. The result would be a blackout of large regions of the state. By building additional generators, more power can be produced to make up for system short-falls. Also, different generators could be brought on line to take over for generators that need servicing or upgrades. The next reason is that restructuring has spurred the expansion of more efficient, less-polluting electricity technologies. During the regulated power years, innovation and alternative energy development languished, seldom moving beyond the demonstration phase. However , both the increasing cost of energy production and concerns over the environment include spurred new development in co-generation, combined cycle systems, and green power. Nationwide, there is a huge demand for eco-friendly power; customers are now more aware of greenhouse gases plus climate change. Currently, more companies sell green capability than ten years ago. This is not just because it is popular, however companies also see that green power sources are less costly to operate in the long term than conventional systems. Two of the biggest improvements in green electrical power in Texas are wind and even solar power. Currently Texas leads the nation in wind-generated electricity production with over 9, 000 MW of set up wind energy. Over 2, 000 wind turbines operate under western culture Texas hills alone and the numbers continue to increase together with development costs dropping and wind turbine technology improving. Within 2007, Texas became the first State to reach the landmark of one giga-watt of wind capacity installed in a single yr. At 736 MW, the Horse Hollow Wind Power Center in central Texas is the largest wind potential facility in the world. Recently, the state finalized a plan for a seventeen, 000 MW increase in wind capacity that will meet the government mandated Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) years ahead of routine. In spite of the defeat in 2009 of a $500 million condition legislature plan to develop solar energy in Texas, the interest with taking advantage of Texas sun is still shining. A University connected with Texas study found the state could generate up to 123, 000 new jobs by moving aggressively toward solar energy panel manufacturing and installation. Several groups are already the lobby the governor to aim for a plan to generate 1, 000 MW of solar power by 2015 and 5, 000 MW by 2025. In March, 2010, the Nevada State Energy Conservation Office awarded the City of San Antonio, the University of Texas at San Antonio and St. Philip's College some $3. 7 mil in grants to invest in new solar distributed energy new release capacity. This will triple the amount of the area's solar power producing capacity to 600 kilowatt (KW). Finally, design improvements simply by two Texas companies, Exeltech and Entech Solar, both these styles Fort Worth, will make solar electric panels even easier to set up on consumers' roofs. The third reason deregulation succeeded is the transformation of the Texas electrical grid. Operation of the Texas grid has changed to maximize its efficiency and increase trustworthiness. Neither had gotten off the drawing board during the regulated yrs. In fact , one hold over from those days is that the Tx grid is largely disconnected from the rest of the country and provides significant challenges supplying power to the grids of each Texas and the rest of the country. In spite of this, electric Transmitting and Distribution Utilities (TDUs) have succeeded in decreasing transmission costs, both in terms of getting power to market and reducing consumer energy waste. In 2008, the Public Resources Commission of Texas (PUCT) set energy savings focuses on at 20% of load growth for Texas ammenities in 2009. This means that if the increased demand measured 10 MW, Texas utilities had to save 2 MW through performance measures. To meet these goals, the TDUs administer motivation programs while Retail Electric Providers and energy productivity service providers implement the programs. The programs are available to all customers and have the goal to reduce system peak request, energy consumption and/or energy costs. TDUs pay bonuses or rebates to program participants for the installation of higher efficiency equipment that produces measurable and verifiable demand from customers savings (see http://www.texasefficiency.com). TDUs do not pay incentives straight to residential customers. Residential participants instead must go through the third-party sponsor for energy efficiency measures installed within their homes. nonresidential participants can act as self-sponsors and be compensated directly for energy efficiency measures installed in their services or go through a third party. The programs have been very effective. Between 1999 and 2006, energy efficiency programs currently have reduced peak demand by 756, 000 kW together with saved 2, 005 million kilowatt hour (kWh) each year. Texas utilities reported efficiency program savings of 457, 808 megawatt hours (mWh) in 2007. Wind power is cheap only if you can get it to market. In Feb, 2009, the PUCT assigned approximately $5 billion with transmission projects to be constructed in Texas' Competitive Power Zones (CREZ). The CREZ power-line projects represents among the largest power transmission improvement projects in the state's historical past. New transmission lines will be in service within four or five decades, eventually transmitting 18, 456 MW of wind made power from West Texas to the power-hungry metropolitan areas from the state. The final reason for success is that deregulation dismantled the actual monopolies and introduced market competition. After all, a reliable and growing electricity system is all about managing supply and interest. So , instead of one company making power, transmitting energy, and billing you for the power in a one-size-fits-all file format, the electricity market integrates wholesale and retail competitors. Generation is separate from retail. Because retailers and the customers can choose where they buy power from, strength generating companies are forced to produce power more efficiently because they are contending with other generator plants in other counties - and perhaps, even in other states. Retailers, meanwhile, have to be more efficient and cautious in their purchasing and selling of power. It is obvious that the Texas electricity deregulation process has been rocky. Section of the reason has been volatile fuel prices brought on by international politics and economic turmoil over the years. However , markets don't assure the lowest possible prices. They do guarantee the best possible prices depending on a customer's preference. Of course , when looking for the best price, be it food or gasoline, information is a consumer's best friend. In a deregulated market, consumers can save money on their Texas electricity bills by simply staying informed about their energy usage, their energy plan's pricing, and their energy provider's competitors. The quickest method to lower your electric bill might mean shopping around for a much better deal. For example , residents in a Fort Worth seniors local community recently had their eyes opened when columnist Dork Lieber of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram found that many had been paying as much as 14 or 15 cents per kWh. Why? Possibly because many had only known the actual utility monopoly their whole lives. They were used to their state making the choices and setting the prices. This was an event where just a little information can save you a lot of money. Remember the place to start shopping is at Powertochoose. org. The past ten years have introduced improved reliability to Texas' growing energy demands. The actual regulated system never could have kept up. Because of deregulation, there are more generation developments and greener innovations that make electrical power more efficiently. There is now more reliability in power transmission using efficiency cutting both waste and energy cost around Texas. And finally, market competition has stimulated generators as well as retailers to cut their costs to deliver better service for less money to consumers.

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MLB roundup: Nats stun Phils on Zimmerman walk-off HR

Ryan Zimmerman hit a two-run homer with two outs in the bottom of ninth inning off Seranthony Dominguez to give the Washington Nationals an 8-7 victory over the visiting Philadelphia Phillies on Wednesday.

Aug 22, 2018; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) watches his walk-off two run homer during the ninth inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Nationals Park. Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

With Philadelphia up 7-6, Dominguez (1-4) retired the first two batters of the ninth before Juan Soto doubled. Zimmerman then homered to right-center — the original call of a double on the field was overturned — which let Washington walk off with its second straight win in the series.

The Phillies homered three times in a game in which they squandered an early 3-0 lead.

Stephen Strasburg lasted four innings but was hit hard, giving up five runs on seven hits, including two homers, in his return from the disabled list. Matt Grace (1-1) retired the last batter in the top of the ninth and earned the victory.

Braves 2, Pirates 1

Freddie Freeman’s sacrifice fly broke a tie in the eighth inning to give Atlanta a three-game series sweep at Pittsburgh.

Ronald Acuna Jr. hit a game-opening homer, his 20th long ball of the season, for the Braves, who bounced back after being swept in four games by Colorado.

Atlanta’s Julio Teheran (9-7) allowed one run and two hits in seven innings, with five strikeouts and a walk. Jonny Venters pitched the ninth for his second save.

Astros 10, Mariners 7

Roberto Osuna earned his first save since being acquired in a trade before the July 31 deadline as Houston held off host Seattle.

Osuna pitched a 1-2-3 ninth to earn his 10th save of the season, the first nine coming with Toronto. The right-hander returned from a suspension on Aug. 5 and was moved to the closer role on Tuesday.

Martin Maldonado and Tyler White each went 3-for-5 with a home run for the Astros, who took two of three games in the series and are now up one game on the Oakland Athletics in the American League West.

Rangers 4, Athletics 2

Shin-Soo Choo hit the first pitch of the game for a home run, and Mike Minor faced the minimum for six innings as Texas salvaged a win in its three-game series at Oakland.

Joey Gallo also homered for the Rangers, who hadn’t scored in the first two games of the series, losing 9-0 and 6-0.

The A’s loaded the bases in the ninth with two outs when Jose Leclerc hit Chad Pinder with a pitch after having walked Matt Chapman and Matt Olson. But the new Rangers closer then struck out Nick Martini for his sixth save.

Red Sox 10, Indians 4

Xander Bogaerts ignited a five-run fourth inning with a home run, and Andrew Benintendi capped it with a three-run double, helping Boston avoid a third consecutive loss to visiting Cleveland.

Bogaerts hit two homers, and Mitch Moreland added his 15th of the season as the Red Sox got a measure of revenge after the Indians had taken the first two games of the series matching division leaders 5-4 and 6-3.

Aug 22, 2018; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Ryan Zimmerman (11) is doused with water after hitting a walk-off two run homer against the Philadelphia Phillies during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Edwin Encarnacion, activated earlier in the day from the disabled list, homered twice for the Indians, who had a three-game winning streak snapped and lost for just the second time in their past 11 games.

Marlins 9, Yankees 3

Miguel Rojas hit a three-run, go-ahead homer in the sixth inning, leading Miami to victory over visiting New York.

Austin Dean went 3-for-5, and Brian Anderson and Magneuris Sierra each had two hits and two runs for Miami. Reliever Jarlin Garcia (2-2) earned the win, getting two outs to finish the top of the sixth inning.

Yankees starter Lance Lynn (8-9) took the loss, allowing nine hits, one walk and five runs in 5 1/3 innings. He struck out six. New York was led offensively by Neil Walker, who had two RBIs.

Cubs 8, Tigers 2

Javier Baez hit a three-run homer, David Bote supplied a two-run shot, and Chicago broke out of an offensive rut in a rout at Detroit.

Baez’s long ball highlighted a four-run ninth. Bote’s fourth homer sparked a three-run fifth, ending a five-game stretch in which the Cubs scored a single run each time.

Anthony Rizzo also homered while Daniel Murphy, acquired from Washington on Tuesday, had two hits, a run and an RBI in his Cubs debut. Jon Lester (14-5) gave up one run on seven hits in 5 2/3 innings to collect the win.

Brewers 4, Reds 0

Christian Yelich drove in two runs with a home run and a sacrifice fly to back the sterling pitching of Freddy Peralta as Milwaukee blanked visiting Cincinnati in the rubber match of a three-game series.

The win was the third in the past four games for the Brewers and their first series win since taking two of three contests at home versus the Colorado Rockies on Aug. 3-5.

Peralta (6-4) hurled three-hit ball over seven innings while striking out seven and walking two in one of the strongest showings of his 13-game major league career. Jeremy Jeffress got the final four outs of the game to earn his sixth save of the season.

Rockies 6, Padres 2

Jon Gray pitched effectively into the seventh inning, Tony Wolters and Ian Desmond tripled, and Colorado beat San Diego in Denver.

Charlie Blackmon, Trevor Story and Desmond had two hits apiece for Colorado. The Rockies have won nine of their past 11.

Freddy Galvis homered for San Diego, which played without Wil Myers, who was scratched after taking a ball off his face while fielding grounders at third base during batting practice.

Diamondbacks 5, Angels 1

Paul Goldschmidt had three hits, including a homer, David Peralta homered for the ninth time in 16 games, and Clay Buchholz pitched seven scoreless innings as Arizona beat Los Angeles in Phoenix.

Goldschmidt drove in two runs, scored two and finished a triple short of the cycle as the Diamondbacks completed a two-game interleague sweep of the Angels while maintaining a 1 1/2-game lead in the National League West. Arizona has won six of seven.

Slideshow (13 Images)

Buchholz (7-2) gave up three singles, a double and no walks while striking out seven. He has allowed more than three runs only once in 13 starts this season, and opponents have scored one or zero runs in eight of his appearances. His ERA fell to 2.25.

Cardinals 3, Dodgers 1

Paul DeJong hit a tiebreaking, two-run home run in the ninth inning, and St. Louis completed a three-game sweep at Los Angeles.

DeJong’s homer, his 14th of the season, came off Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen. It was the Cardinals’ third home run in the series off Jansen (0-5), who returned Monday from a stint on the disabled list because of an irregular heartbeat.

The Dodgers are 8-12 in August and have not won a series since late July at Atlanta. The Cardinals are now 17-4 in August and 24-11 under interim manager Mike Shildt.

Mets 5, Giants 3

Todd Frazier delivered an RBI double to cap a three-run second inning and added a solo homer in the seventh as host New York never trailed in beating San Francisco.

The Mets have won the middle two games of the four-game series and 12 of their past 19 overall. The Giants have lost six of seven and have lost 12 of 19 since Aug. 1.

Noah Syndergaard (9-3) earned the win after giving up two runs on five hits and one walk while striking out six over six innings.

Rays 6, Royals 3

Mallex Smith and Brandon Lowe drove in two runs apiece, and Tampa Bay stayed unbeaten against visiting Kansas City in six meetings this season.

Rookie right-hander Yonny Chirinos (2-5) went five-plus innings to get the win, allowing four hits and three runs, all coming on home runs. He struck out four and didn’t walk a batter. Sergio Romo worked the ninth for his 18th save.

The Rays have won four consecutive games while the Royals lost their fourth straight, including the first three games of this series.

White Sox 7, Twins 3

Adam Engel hit a two-run homer, and Nicky Delmonico and Tim Anderson added solo shots to lead host Chicago to victory over Minnesota.

Yolmer Sanchez doubled, walked three times and scored a run, and Matt Davidson and Engel each drove in two runs for Chicago, which extended its consecutive games streak with a home run to 14, three off the team record set in May and June of 2000.

Carlos Rodon (5-3) gave up two runs on three hits and three walks in six innings to pick up the win for the White Sox. Rodon, who finished with five strikeouts, has an ERA of 1.75 over his past eight starts.

Blue Jays 6, Orioles 0

Kendrys Morales hit a home run with two outs in the bottom of the seventh inning to break a scoreless tie, Thomas Pannone allowed one hit in seven innings in his first major league start, and Toronto shut out visiting Baltimore.

Morales, who has homered in a career-best four straight games, helped the Jays complete a three-game sweep of the Orioles with his fifth homer over that span. Pannone (1-0) did not allow a hit until Trey Mancini led off the seventh with a single.

The Blue Jays won all 10 games against the Orioles this season at the Rogers Centre and lead the season series 12-1.

—Field Level Media

Our Standards:The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

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The Latest: Busch wins Coca-Cola in dominating fashion

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The Latest: Busch wins Coca-Cola in dominating fashion

The Latest from the busiest day in motorsports (all times local):

10:50 p.m.

Kyle Busch has won the Coca-Cola 600, becoming the only active driver to win a Cup Series points race at every racetrack on the NASCAR circuit.

Busch won the first three stages and led 377 of 400 laps overall at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch, the pole sitter and Cup Series points leader, ended years of frustration at the track in points-paying events. Busch had won a combined 15 Xfinity and Trucks Series races and the 2017 All-Star race at the track before his breakthrough win in a Cup points race Sunday.

It was Busch’s fourth victory of the season for Joe Gibbs Racing.

The 33-year-old Busch has won 188 races across NASCAR’s top three series.

Martin Truex Jr. was second, followed by Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Jimmie Johnson.

Kevin Harvick, who had won the last three Cup races including last week’s All-Star race, crashed on Lap 83 and finished last.

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9:51 p.m.

Kyle Busch continues to dominate the Coca-Cola 600.

Busch has won all three stages and led 279 of 300 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch became only the 10th driver in NASCAR history to lead more than 15,000 career Cup Series laps. He also became the 12th driver to lead more than 1,000 laps during his career at CMS.

Charlotte is looking for his first Cup points race win at Charlotte in his 29th race here.

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9:35 p.m.

Ryan Blaney’s car became a fireball on Lap 279 of the Coca-Cola 600, ending his night early.

Blaney’s No. 12 Ford burst into flames as he made his way into turn one at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He was able to stop the car and quickly get out and track safety personnel scrambled to put out the fire.

Blaney appeared unharmed as he took off his helmet and walked away from the car. The wreck brought out the yellow flag.

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8:30 p.m.

Kyle Busch has won the first two stages of the Coca-Cola 600 and the pole sitter clearly has the car to beat in NASCAR’s longest race.

Busch has led 179 of the first 200 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch is looking to win his first career Cup points races at the track.

The hottest racer in the series, Kevin Harvick, is out of the race. He had won five Cup races this season, but he headed for the garage after hitting the wall on Lap 83.

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7:50 p.m.

Denny Hamlin clipped Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevy during the second stage of the Coca-Cola 600, causing the seven-time Cup Series champion to spin out. Joey Logano was caught up in the wreck when he ran into Johnson’s car, bringing out the caution.

However, the damage wasn’t significant to either car and both have returned to action and remain on the lead lap. Both are now running in the back of the pack, with Johnson 24th and Logano 29th.

Kyle Busch continues to dominate after winning the first stage of NASCAR’s longest race.

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7:25 p.m.

Kyle Busch has won the first stage of the Coca-Cola 600 in dominating fashion.

Busch, driving the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, led 92 of 100 laps.

Ryan Blaney was second after the first stage, followed by Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.

Kevin Harvick, who has won five NASCAR Cup races and the All-Star Race last week, took his No. 4 Ford into the garage after hitting the wall on the 83rd lap.

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7:10 p.m.

Kevin Harvick, who has won five NASCAR Cup races and the All-Star Race last week, has hit the wall on the 83rd lap of the Coca-Cola 600.

Something went wrong up front and Harvick’s car hit the outside wall. He has taken the No. 4 Ford behind the wall, ending his shot at a third straight points-race win.

It has been a tough weekend for Harvick, who started the race in 39th after failing to pass inspection before qualifying.

Harvick had worked his way all the way up to fourth place before the wreck.

Defending champion Austin Dillon also had to take his No. 3 Chevrolet behind the wall after it began smoking during a pit stop.

Kyle Busch has led 60 of the first 64 laps.

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6:25 p.m.

The Coca-Cola 600 is under way at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

There is a small chance of rain and it’s a warm night, which could be draining on the drivers in NASCAR’s longest race.

Team owner Roger Penske is going for a sweep of the American-based races after Will Power won the Indianapolis 500 earlier Sunday. Penske’s cars started in great position — Joey Logano was second, Brad Keselowski fifth and Ryan Blaney eighth.

Kyle Busch started from the front of the field, while five-time Cup points winner Kevin Harvick was 39th after failing inspection three times, preventing him from participating in qualifying. Defending champion Austin Dillon was in the 12th spot in the black No. 3 Chevy that Dale Earnhardt made famous.

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3:25 p.m.

Will Power has won the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, giving the 37-year-old Australian his biggest victory on IndyCar’s grandest stage.

Power took the lead with four laps to go when Oriol Servia and Jack Harvey had to pit for fuel. Power then held off pole-setter Ed Carpenter over the final few laps for the victory.

It gave team owner Roger Penske a 17th win in the Indy 500 and it was Power’s second straight victory this season. He won the road-course event at Indy earlier this month.

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2:35 p.m.

A crash has ended Helio Castroneves’ bid for a fourth Indianapolis 500 victory.

Castroneves was running fourth on a restart with just over 50 laps to go. He spun into the outside wall on Turn 4, then hit the inside wall before coming to rest on pit road.

He quickly got out of the car, his anger evident, before marching down pit road.

Castroneves is racing sports cars for team owner Roger Penske, but was given the chance to join the exclusive four-time winners club at the Indy 500. Now, he’ll have to lobby Penske for another opportunity.

After the restart, Sage Karam hit the wall to knock him from the race. He had been running seventh, and radioed to his crew, “I really don’t know what happened, man.”

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2:25 p.m.

Sebastien Bourdais has crashed out of the Indy 500, a year after a horrific wreck during qualifying left the Dale Coyne Racing driver with a fractured pelvis and other major injuries.

Bourdais said this week that he thought his Honda-powered car was good enough to run with all the Chevrolets up front. He was strong in the early part of the race, too, before what appeared to be a tire puncture sent him sliding across the track and backward into the outside wall.

Will Power and Ed Carpenter have been the class of the field as the race approaches 50 laps to go, while Simon Pagenaud and rookie Zachary Claman De Melo have also been up front.

Danica Patrick, defending race champion Takuma Sato and Ed Jones also crashed out.

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2:20 p.m.

The temperature has hit 93 degrees at the Indianapolis 500, and that is causing serious concern for medical officials at the infield care center.

Dozens if not hundreds of fans have been treated for heat-related illnesses already. About a dozen ambulances have been cycling through, golf carts are depositing fans at the facility, and there are even stretchers being used to carry people seeking help.

There is little shade around the racetrack, especially in the stands. And with no breeze and plenty of sun, the heat index has been hovering around the triple digits.

It was 89 when the green flag was dropped, making it one of the hottest races in history. The official record of 92 was set during the 1937 race.

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1:45 p.m.

Tony Kanaan has set a record by leading his 14th Indianapolis 500, breaking a tie with his boss, A.J. Foyt.

Kanaan has been running up front all day after starting inside Row 4. As usual, the crowd roared when the popular Brazilian and 2013 race winner moved to the front of the pack.

Meanwhile, Ed Jones has been transferred to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis after his hard wreck earlier in the race. Jones was complaining of head and neck pain.

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1:25 p.m.

Danica Patrick’s racing career has ended with a crash in Turn 2 of the Indianapolis 500.

Patrick lost control of the car and hit hard in the outside wall, sliding back down across the track and into the inside barrier.

The rest of the field managed to miss Patrick as she came to rest on the grass. Despite the hard hit, Patrick managed to climb out of the car on her own.

Patrick announced months ago that she would retire after the Indy 500, the second half of the “Danica Double.” She also raced the Daytona 500.

Patrick says crashing out was hardly the way she wanted to finish her racing career, but she’s “grateful for all of it.”

Asked whether she was emotional because of Indianapolis, where she became a star, or because it was the end of her career, she replied: “Yeah, it’s an entire career, but what really launched it was this. It is both of them. I’ve had some good fortune here and did still have some this month. It just didn’t come on race day.”

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1:20 p.m.

Defending champion Takuma Sato is out of the Indianapolis 500.

Sato ran into the back of James Davison, who was well off the pace, and the two collided in Turn 4 to bring out the first caution of the day.

Davison had been off the pace earlier in the race, and he was clearly slower than the rest of the field as they tried to zip by him. Sato was unable to dodge him on Lap 47, but the rest of the cars were able to avoid their debris.

Sato held off Helio Castroneves to become the first Japanese winner a year ago.

A short time later, Ed Jones brought out the second caution flag of the race after hitting the wall coming out of Turn 2.

Jones finished third as a rookie a year ago, which means two of the podium finishers were out of the race by Lap 58.

Takuma Sato, the defending champ, crashed into James Davison earlier in the race.

Helio Castroneves finished second a year ago.

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12:23 p.m.

The Indianapolis 500 is underway with Ed Carpenter leading the field to the green flag for the 102nd edition of the storied race.

Danica Patrick is back for her final race, while Helio Castroneves is once again trying for his record-tying fourth victory.

Kelly Clarkson sang the national anthem and Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo was in the pace car. Actor Chris Hemsworth waved the green flag and Olympic medal-winning skier Nick Goepper of Indiana was the grand marshal.

The temperature was approaching 90 degrees when the green flag dropped. If it climbs three more degrees, it would surpass the record of 92 set during the 1937 race.

It is the final race on ABC before the broadcast moves to NBC next year.

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12:05 p.m.

It is the end of an era at the Indianapolis 500: ABC is bringing its coverage of the race to a close after 54 years.

The Indy 500 will be carried next year by NBC, the first time it will air on any other network, as part of a sweeping new multimedia rights package.

The ABC era began in 1965 with black-and-white, tape-delayed packages on the Wide World of Sports, and ushered in color a couple years later. The broadcasts helped elevate the careers of icons like Jim McKay and Keith Jackson, and produced innovations that are still a staple in motorsports to this day: in-car cameras, high-definition TV and second-screen experiences.

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11:45 a.m.

They still love Danica Patrick at the Indianapolis 500.

Patrick received a massive ovation when she was introduced prior to her first Indy 500 since 2011, and the last race of her career.

Patrick shot to the public’s attention her rookie year of 2005, when she started and finished fourth for Rahal Letterman Racing. She finished a career-best third in 2009 for Andretti Green Racing, then left for NASCAR a few years later.

She announced that she would do the “Danica Double” before retiring this year, beginning with the Daytona 500 and ending with the Indy 500.

She has a strong car, too. She starts from seventh for Ed Carpenter Racing.

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11:10 a.m.

James Hinchcliffe says it’s “weird” being at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and not sitting in a car, but he plans to help his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports teammates as much as possible during the Indianapolis 500.

Hinchcliffe sat on the pole two years ago and was in the thick of the IndyCar title hunt. He was bumped from the field during qualifying last weekend along with Pippa Mann.

So, the popular Canadian driver was wearing a short-sleeve shirt rather than a firesuit Sunday.

Said Hinchcliffe: “Today is going to be tough, no doubt about it, but I’m really proud of this team, really proud of my teammates. I’m going to cheer them on the best I can, but I know it’s going to be tough.”

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5 p.m.

Daniel Ricciardo of Australia has won the Monaco Grand Prix, the crown jewel race on the Formula One schedule.

It’s the second win of the season for the Red Bull driver, who also won the Chinese Grand Prix. It’s his seventh career victory.

Ricciardo led throughout from the pole position.

Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari finished second and Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton was third.

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10:40 a.m.

There’s no shortage of star power on the red carpet at the Indianapolis 500, where Kelly Clarkson is poised to sing the national anthem and Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo will drive the pace car.

Actor Chris Hemsworth will wave the green flag for the 102nd running, shortly after two-time Olympic medal-winning skier and Indiana native Nick Goepper concludes his duties as grand marshal.

Also spotted at the track have been comedian Adam Carolla, Miss America Cara Mund, and Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Ben Higgins from various seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.”

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10:30 a.m.

Racing innovator and world-class driver Dan Gurney has been honored with a tribute lap around Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Gurney, the first driver with victories in Formula One, IndyCar and NASCAR Cup series, died in January from complications of pneumonia. He was 86.

Gurney earned fame for winning the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix in the Eagle-Weslake, a car he created. He was a master engineer who found new ways to make cars faster and safer. He developed the Gurney flap, the Gurney bubble and was one of the first to wear a full-face helmet with a protective visor.

Gurney’s also widely credited with starting the tradition of spraying champagne from the podium at that race.

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4:25 p.m.

Fernando Alonso’s Monaco Grand Prix is over.

The two-time Formula One champion pulled his McLaren onto the side of the track after 53 of 78 laps when he was pushing hard for a top-eight finish.

He immediately informed his team over radio it was a gearbox problem.

The Spanish driver skipped the race last year to take part in the Indianapolis 500.

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4: 05 p.m.

Daniel Ricciardo is struggling to hold onto the lead halfway through the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver has the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel right behind him after 39 of the 78 laps.

Ricciardo’s Red Bull team urged him to “stay focused” but Vettel is waiting for the right moment to pounce. His team kept him informed of Ricciardo’s worsening situation.

Two years ago, Ricciardo also took pole position here and missed out on victory after his team botched a pit stop.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton remains in third place but has complained of his tires degrading.

Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari is fourth but losing ground on Hamilton.

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3:40 p.m.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton made an audacious move, pitting for softer and faster tires after just 12 laps at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver came out in sixth place, behind Force India driver Esteban Ocon. But Hamilton quickly passed the Frenchman to move into fifth behind teammate Valtteri Bottas.

The move prompted a flurry of tire changes as the top five drivers came in. By the 20th lap Ricciardo was back in front of Vettel, Hamilton and the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.

Those were the top four positions in qualifying.

___

3:20 p.m.

The Monaco Grand Prix is underway, kicking off the biggest day in motorsports.

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo has made a clean start from the pole position. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel was in second place after holding off Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes heading into the first turn.

Starting from last place after a crash ruled him out of qualifying, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen quickly jumped up six places to 14th after just eight laps.

___

1:40 p.m.

After days of unbroken sunshine, the weather is cloudy and somewhat windy before the start of the Monaco Grand Prix.

Still, it takes more to deter the Champagne-swilling fans waiting for F1’s most glamorous race to start. They are perched on apartment balconies overlooking the track or watching from yachts as the loud music reverberates around the famed harbor.

Sebastian Vettel won last year and the Ferrari driver needs another good performance to claw back his 17-point deficit to championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

The Mercedes driver has won the past two races of the season, but has his work cut out seeing as Monaco’s tight 3.4-kilometer (2.1-mile) course is the hardest to overtake on in F1.

Hamilton starts from third on the grid, while Vettel goes from second place and Daniel Ricciardo is on pole position, just like in 2016.

Max Verstappen — Ricciardo’s Red Bull teammate — is last on the grid after crashing before Saturday’s qualifying. He will look to carve his way through the field with his trademark aggressive driving.

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One of the busiest days in motorsports has arrived.

The Formula One series kicks things off with the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, the jewel in the F1 calendar. After a difficult start to his title defense, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has won the past two races and leads Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel by 17 points.

Hamilton starts from third place on the grid behind Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo and Vettel. Ricciardo took the pole position.

The 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 sees the career finale of Danica Patrick at the biggest race on the IndyCar calendar. She has stolen the spotlight for “The Great American Race” — but Helio Castroneves is chasing a record-tying fourth victory in the twilight of his IndyCar career.

NASCAR wraps things up Sunday night with one of its biggest races of the year, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Kyle Busch is on the pole. He has won a Cup points race at every track on the NASCAR circuit except Charlotte. Kevin Harvick has won the last three Cup races.

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By Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (Z.S)

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Major League Baseball roundup: Dodgers sweep doubleheader with Nats

Max Muncy had two RBIs and Ross Stripling was fabulous in six innings of one-run, four-hit pitching as the Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the Washington Nationals 4-1 on Saturday in the first game of a day-night doubleheader at Nationals Park.

May 19, 2018; Washington, DC, USA; Washington Nationals first baseman Mark Reynolds (14) slides to score a run beating the tag attempt by Los Angeles Dodgers catcher Austin Barnes (15) during the sixth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Los Angeles won for the second straight outing after it ended a six-game losing streak with Thursday’s 7-0 win at Miami. Conversely, the loss was Washington’s third in its last 16 games.

Stripling (1-1) struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter in his 96-pitch stint. He was followed to the mound by JT Chargois, Josh Fields and Kenley Jansen, who each threw a scoreless inning. Jansen earned his seventh save of the season.

Washington outfielder Howie Kendrick exited the game in the second inning with what turned out to be a right Achilles injury. Kendrick got twisted around making a catch at the warning track in left-center for the second out of the inning and needed to be carted off the field after being looked at by the training staff. He was placed on the 10-day disabled list after the contest and will receive an MRI.

Dodgers 5, Nationals 4 (Game 2)

Pinch hitter Matt Kemp ripped a two-run double off Washington closer Sean Doolittle in the ninth inning to propel Los Angeles to a thrilling come-from-behind victory and complete the sweep of the doubleheader.

Kemp’s double came after singles to lead off the inning by Austin Barnes and Logan Forsythe and made a loser out of Doolittle (1-2), who suffered his first blown save of the season. Los Angeles’ Kenley Jansen earned his eighth save of the season, and second of the day, with a perfect ninth that included one strikeout.

The Dodgers’ comeback denied Max Scherzer’s bid to became the major league’s first eight-game winner. Scherzer left with a 4-2 lead after seven innings of two-run, five-hit pitching, in which he struck out 13 and walked three in his 121-pitch outing. Scherzer now has 104 strikeouts on the year, becoming the fastest pitcher ever to reach 100 K’s in a season. He did it in 63 innings.

Reds 5, Cubs 4 (11 innings, Game 1)

Center fielder Billy Hamilton walked with the bases loaded in the 11th inning to drive in the winning run and Scooter Gennett had two hits as host Cincinnati won a thriller over Chicago in walk-off fashion in the first game of a day-night doubleheader.

Scott Schebler walked to open the last of the 11th inning against Justin Wilson (1-1) before Tucker Barnhart singled and Adam Duvall walked to load the bases. Schebler trotted home on Hamilton’s walk as his teammates emerged from the dugout to celebrate.

Ian Happ was a single short of the cycle and scored two times for the Cubs, who had won two of three. The benches emptied after Amir Garrett celebrated a strike out of Javier Baez to end the seventh inning. The two stared at each other as players came to the field. No punches were thrown and nobody was ejected.

Cubs 10, Reds 0 (Game 2)

Center fielder Jason Heyward had a three-run triple and drove in four runs, Ian Happ homered and left-hander Jose Quintana pitched seven scoreless innings as Chicago split its doubleheader with Cincinnati.

Heyward tripled in the final three runs of a five-run fifth inning when his bases-loaded looper down the right field line bounced off the glove of diving second baseman Scooter Gennett and rolled into the right field corner. Heyward made his first start since coming off the 7-day concussion disabled list Friday.

Happ homered in each game of the doubleheader, and his homer in the second game was his seventh of the season and the 14,000th in Cubs history. Quintana (5-3) gave up one hit, walked four and struck out seven.

Indians 5, Astros 4

Corey Kluber fanned 10 batters to move into fifth place on Cleveland’s all-time strikeouts list and allowed two runs on six hits over seven innings to beat host Houston.

With his fourth strikeout, Kluber (7-2) moved past CC Sabathia into fifth with 1,266 career punchouts. The two-time Cy Young Award winner is five strikeouts behind Bob Lemon and Early Wynn for third in team history.

Michael Brantley and Yan Gomes hit solo home runs and Edwin Encarnacion, Jason Kipnis and Jose Ramirez each added an RBI for the Indians, who fell 4-1 on Friday to open the three-game series and had lost three of four. Carlos Correa, Alex Bregman and Marwin Gonzalez all homered late for the Astros, though their comeback bid fell short.

Yankees 8, Royals 3

Gary Sanchez highlighted a four-hit showing by hitting two solo homers as New York beat host Kansas City.

Gleyber Torres hit a tiebreaking three-run home run off Danny Duffy (1-6), Giancarlo Stanton hit a mammoth solo homer and Aaron Hicks hit an inside-the-park homer as the Yankees won for the 20th time in 24 games and hit five homers for the first time since June 10 against the Baltimore Orioles at Yankee Stadium.

May 19, 2018; Washington, DC, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers right fielder Matt Kemp (27) hits a two run RBI double against the Washington Nationals during the ninth inning at Nationals Park. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports

Hicks became the first Yankee to hit multiple inside-the-park homers in a season since Hall of Famer Mickey Mantle did it in 1958 off Pedro Ramos, Dick Donavan and Early Wynn. He also became the first player to hit multiple inside-the-park homers before the end of May since former Royal Brian McRae in 1991.

Red Sox 6, Orioles 3

Rafael Devers, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi all homered as Boston defeated visiting Baltimore.

Rick Porcello (6-1) earned the victory for Boston after suffering his first loss of the season in his last start. He gave up three runs and six hits in six innings, striking out nine while walking three.

Dylan Bundy (2-6) ran into trouble with homers once more and took the loss. He gave up four runs on five hits, including the three home runs, in six innings and struck out eight. Bundy allowed four homers in the first inning and did not retire a batter in a May 8 loss to Kansas City and now has given up 13 homers in 53 2/3 innings this season.

Mariners 7, Tigers 2

James Paxton pitched a complete game, retiring the final 15 batters he faced, as host Seattle defeated Detroit.

The left-handed Paxton (3-1), making his first home start since throwing a no-hitter May 8 at Toronto, allowed two runs on three hits, with one walk and eight strikeouts. It was Paxton’s second career complete game and second in his past three starts.

Jean Segura and Ben Gamel hit home runs for the Mariners off Mike Fiers, who allowed four runs on six hits in five-plus innings, with one walk and two strikeouts, to drop to 4-3.

Rays 5, Angels 3

Daniel Robertson’s grand slam and the first career start by Sergio Romo added up to a win for visiting Tampa Bay, its sixth in a row, over Los Angeles.

Romo had made 588 appearances in his major league career, all as a reliever. But he was given the start because the Angels’ lineup was loaded with right-handed hitters, expecting to face lefty Ryan Yarbrough.

The strategy worked, as Romo struck out the side in the first inning, getting Zack Cozart, Mike Trout and Justin Upton. Yarbrough (4-2) entered the game in the second inning and breezed through the Angels lineup, throwing six scoreless innings until the Angels got to him for a run in the eighth inning. Trout hit his 14th homer of the season in the ninth.

Mets 5, Diamondbacks 4

Wilmer Flores lofted a sacrifice fly in the bottom of the ninth inning as host New York came back to beat Arizona.

The Mets have won the first two games of the three-game series for their first winning streak since they won nine in a row from April 3-13. The Diamondbacks have lost nine of 10.

Brandon Nimmo led off the ninth against Andrew Chafin (0-1) with a double and went to third on a perfectly placed bunt single by Asdrubal Cabrera. Flores followed with a fly ball to deep left field. David Peralta, playing shallow, ranged back to make the catch but had no chance to throw out Nimmo.

Braves 8, Marlins 1

Sean Newcomb’s shutout streak ended, but he allowed only one run and pitched Atlanta to a win over visiting Miami.

The Marlins scored a run in the second inning to end Newcomb’s scoreless inning streak at 21 1/3. It was the lone run allowed by Newcomb (5-1), who gave up four hits and two walks over six innings. He struck out four and lowered his ERA to 2.39.

Atlanta relievers Shane Carle, Dan Winkler and Jesse Biddle each worked a scoreless inning to complete the game and allowed the Braves to even the three-game series. It was the fifth straight game the Braves have not allowed a home run at SunTrust Park, the team’s longest stretch since the stadium opened last season.

Slideshow (13 Images)

Giants 9, Rockies 4

Brandon Crawford highlighted a 17-hit attack with a two-run double and two-run home run, lifting San Francisco to a rout of visiting Colorado.

Andrew McCutchen complemented Crawford’s performance with three hits, including a pair of doubles, as the Giants turned the tables on the Rockies after Colorado had won the first two games of the series 5-3 and 6-1.

The Rockies hung within 5-4 before McCutchen doubled in a pair of runs in the fifth inning to give the Giants a three-run cushion. Crawford then smacked his fourth homer of the season, a two-run shot, in the seventh, putting the Giants in a commanding position at 9-4. He finished 3-for-5, raising his batting average in May to .449 (31-for-69).

Brewers 5, Twins 4

Minnesota outfielder Jake Cave homered in his second major league at-bat, but Christian Yelich broke a late tie with a home run of his own, lifting Milwaukee to victory in Minneapolis.

Jesus Aguilar bombed his third home run in two nights for the Brewers, who ran their interleague record to 5-1 with a second consecutive win over the Twins.

The score was tied at 4-4 with one out in the eighth before Yelich smacked his fifth homer of the season, a solo shot off Minnesota’s fourth pitcher, Addison Reed (0-3). Brewers closer Josh Hader (2-0) held on from there, striking out six of the seven Twins he faced in the eighth and ninth innings after entering the game with two outs in the seventh.

Phillies 7, Cardinals 6

Jorge Alfaro’s RBI single in the eighth inning snapped a tie and lifted visiting Philadelphia to a wild, rain-interrupted win over St. Louis.

The Phillies squandered leads of 3-0 and 5-3 and fell behind in the seventh, when Matt Carpenter’s RBI double put the Cardinals ahead 6-5. But Philadelphia rallied with two outs and nobody on against Greg Holland (0-2), who walked Nick Williams before giving up a game-tying triple to Scott Kingery and the go-ahead hit by Alfaro.

Carlos Santana had an RBI single in the first and Odubel Herrera hit a two-run homer in the third for the Phillies. Herrera has reached base in 45 straight games.

Athletics 5, Blue Jays 4

Chad Pinder hit his first career grand slam to cap a five-run eighth, and visiting Oakland defeated Toronto.

The Athletics have won the first three games of the four-game series. Reliever Emilio Pagan (1-0) allowed one hit and one walk in two innings to earn the win and Blake Treinen pitched around a walk in the ninth to earn his 10th save of the season.

Toronto reliever Tyler Clippard (4-1) allowed Pinder’s grand slam and took the loss. Gio Urshela hit a two-run homer, his first of the season, for the Jays.

White Sox 5, Rangers 3

Daniel Palka hit a two-run triple, helping erase an early deficit, and Jose Abreu clubbed his eighth home run as Chicago topped visiting Texas.

Abreu had three hits and was a triple shy of the cycle and Matt Davidson had an RBI single as the White Sox beat the Rangers for the second time in the last three days.

Texas starter Ariel Jurado (0-1) made his major league debut after being called up from Triple-A Frisco. The 22-year-old right-hander from Panama surrendered four runs on six hits with two strikeouts and two walks.

Padres 6, Pirates 2

Left-hander Clayton Richard pitched into the eighth and Christian Villanueva drove in two runs with a double and a home run as San Diego beat host Pittsburgh.

Richard (3-5) held the Pirates scoreless through the first seven innings. Overall, he allowed two runs and seven hits in 7 1/3 innings, with two strikeouts and no walks.

The Padres have won five of seven, including two of the first three in the series, and will go for a series win Sunday. They have not won a series in Pittsburgh since they took two of three Aug. 8-10, 2014.

—Field Level Media

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5 characteristics of agents who are happy in the middle

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Top agent this! Top agent that! Superstar secrets! What the top 1 percent knows that you don’t! How to build a mega team! Big! Mega!

There are a tremendous number of Realtors out there who tune out headlines that contain these words.

Yes, there are agents in the middle who want the top and will stop nothing short of it, and there are a ton of articles written for them. But in this great big business with 1.2 million licensed Realtors, sometimes we forget the middle.

For just a moment, let’s celebrate the agent in the middle who is actually super happy in the middle. Not every $4 million producer wants to be a $12 million producer.

Just because an agent is doing 15 transactions a year does not mean he wants to double that. That agent may have carved out a nice little business that fits his lifestyle and meets his financial goals. Sometimes, where you’re at is a good place.

What is the middle? For the sake of this article, let’s say it’s anyone netting between $50,000 and $150,000 per year.

Those are arbitrary numbers chosen by me that, in my experience, represent a huge chunk of the full-time Realtor population. And a lot of them are happy in their middle status.

Sure, not a single one would squawk at an extra $20,000 or $30,000 or $40,000 in their bank accounts — but let’s make sure we are reaching the middle agent and not only supporting them where they want to be, but for many, also supporting them where they’re at.

Here are five characteristics I see that a happy middle agent exhibits:

1. They are clear on their lifestyle goals.

Many agents enter this business — and their lifestyle goals are as important, if not more, than their financial goals.

Examples may be the stay-at-home parent, the new mom, the retiree who can’t sit still or the world traveler.

I know a 30-something agent whose primary goal is to travel, to create a business that supports her travel habit.

She works hard for three or four months, then heads to Europe or Asia or the Appalachian Trail for a month and repeats this cycle at least a couple times a year.

Her business supports her lifestyle. She is not winning the top producer awards, but she’s winning the I’m-doing-super-cool-stuff-with-my-life award — which one do you think is more valuable to her?

2. They are clear on their financial targets.

Keeping up with the Joneses is not in their repertoires. They know what they need to live on or are clear that their commission income funds something special in their lives.

The world traveler funds her travel. Or maybe the goal of the real estate business is to fund the kids’ college tuition. Or maybe the retirees earning $50,000 per year in real estate feels that keeping a license works nicely in their lives.

3. They don’t want to be compared to the top agents in their office.

Frankly, they’re over it. Some of them will leave your office if they do not feel valued.

I hear this a lot. Brokers and managers and award-givers, remember this: your $3 million volume producers may be happy with those results and want an occasional pat on the back and training and support that makes sense for them.

And remember that a $5 million volume real estate business is a six-figure income (or it should be), and some of those agents are super happy.

4. Their egos are in check.

This middle group, they’re not winning the top producer awards — and a lot of them are OK with that.

5. They want support from their broker.

Most agents want support from their broker, and this includes the middle agent.

For brokers and managers and trainers, the key task is to understand what is important to individual agents and not assume they want to double or triple their business to a mega level. Some of them would be super pleased to do the same amount of business in less time.

If you’re in the middle, what is most important to you in your business?

Julie Nelson is the chief success officer at The Nelson Project, Keller Williams Realty in Austin, Texas. You can follow her on YouTube or Twitter. 

Email Julie Nelson.

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The Latest: Busch dominating 600, setting records

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The Latest: Busch dominating 600, setting records

The Latest from the busiest day in motorsports (all times local):

9:51 p.m.

Kyle Busch continues to dominate the Coca-Cola 600.

Busch has won all three stages and led 279 of 300 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Busch became only the 10th driver in NASCAR history to lead more than 15,000 career Cup Series laps. He also became the 12th driver to lead more than 1,000 laps during his career at CMS.

Charlotte is looking for his first Cup points race win at Charlotte in his 29th race here.

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9:35 p.m.

Ryan Blaney’s car became a fireball on Lap 279 of the Coca-Cola 600, ending his night early.

Blaney’s No. 12 Ford burst into flames as he made his way into turn one at Charlotte Motor Speedway. He was able to stop the car and quickly get out and track safety personnel scrambled to put out the fire.

Blaney appeared unharmed as he took off his helmet and walked away from the car. The wreck brought out the yellow flag.

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8:30 p.m.

Kyle Busch has won the first two stages of the Coca-Cola 600 and the pole sitter clearly has the car to beat in NASCAR’s longest race.

Busch has led 179 of the first 200 laps at Charlotte Motor Speedway. Busch is looking to win his first career Cup points races at the track.

The hottest racer in the series, Kevin Harvick, is out of the race. He had won five Cup races this season, but he headed for the garage after hitting the wall on Lap 83.

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7:50 p.m.

Denny Hamlin clipped Jimmie Johnson’s No. 48 Chevy during the second stage of the Coca-Cola 600, causing the seven-time Cup Series champion to spin out. Joey Logano was caught up in the wreck when he ran into Johnson’s car, bringing out the caution.

However, the damage wasn’t significant to either car and both have returned to action and remain on the lead lap. Both are now running in the back of the pack, with Johnson 24th and Logano 29th.

Kyle Busch continues to dominate after winning the first stage of NASCAR’s longest race.

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7:25 p.m.

Kyle Busch has won the first stage of the Coca-Cola 600 in dominating fashion.

Busch, driving the No. 18 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing, led 92 of 100 laps.

Ryan Blaney was second after the first stage, followed by Kyle Larson, Martin Truex Jr. and Jimmie Johnson.

Kevin Harvick, who has won five NASCAR Cup races and the All-Star Race last week, took his No. 4 Ford into the garage after hitting the wall on the 83rd lap.

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7:10 p.m.

Kevin Harvick, who has won five NASCAR Cup races and the All-Star Race last week, has hit the wall on the 83rd lap of the Coca-Cola 600.

Something went wrong up front and Harvick’s car hit the outside wall. He has taken the No. 4 Ford behind the wall, ending his shot at a third straight points-race win.

It has been a tough weekend for Harvick, who started the race in 39th after failing to pass inspection before qualifying.

Harvick had worked his way all the way up to fourth place before the wreck.

Defending champion Austin Dillon also had to take his No. 3 Chevrolet behind the wall after it began smoking during a pit stop.

Kyle Busch has led 60 of the first 64 laps.

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6:25 p.m.

The Coca-Cola 600 is under way at Charlotte Motor Speedway.

There is a small chance of rain and it’s a warm night, which could be draining on the drivers in NASCAR’s longest race.

Team owner Roger Penske is going for a sweep of the American-based races after Will Power won the Indianapolis 500 earlier Sunday. Penske’s cars started in great position — Joey Logano was second, Brad Keselowski fifth and Ryan Blaney eighth.

Kyle Busch started from the front of the field, while five-time Cup points winner Kevin Harvick was 39th after failing inspection three times, preventing him from participating in qualifying. Defending champion Austin Dillon was in the 12th spot in the black No. 3 Chevy that Dale Earnhardt made famous.

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3:25 p.m.

Will Power has won the 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500, giving the 37-year-old Australian his biggest victory on IndyCar’s grandest stage.

Power took the lead with four laps to go when Oriol Servia and Jack Harvey had to pit for fuel. Power then held off pole-setter Ed Carpenter over the final few laps for the victory.

It gave team owner Roger Penske a 17th win in the Indy 500 and it was Power’s second straight victory this season. He won the road-course event at Indy earlier this month.

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2:35 p.m.

A crash has ended Helio Castroneves’ bid for a fourth Indianapolis 500 victory.

Castroneves was running fourth on a restart with just over 50 laps to go. He spun into the outside wall on Turn 4, then hit the inside wall before coming to rest on pit road.

He quickly got out of the car, his anger evident, before marching down pit road.

Castroneves is racing sports cars for team owner Roger Penske, but was given the chance to join the exclusive four-time winners club at the Indy 500. Now, he’ll have to lobby Penske for another opportunity.

After the restart, Sage Karam hit the wall to knock him from the race. He had been running seventh, and radioed to his crew, “I really don’t know what happened, man.”

___

2:25 p.m.

Sebastien Bourdais has crashed out of the Indy 500, a year after a horrific wreck during qualifying left the Dale Coyne Racing driver with a fractured pelvis and other major injuries.

Bourdais said this week that he thought his Honda-powered car was good enough to run with all the Chevrolets up front. He was strong in the early part of the race, too, before what appeared to be a tire puncture sent him sliding across the track and backward into the outside wall.

Will Power and Ed Carpenter have been the class of the field as the race approaches 50 laps to go, while Simon Pagenaud and rookie Zachary Claman De Melo have also been up front.

Danica Patrick, defending race champion Takuma Sato and Ed Jones also crashed out.

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2:20 p.m.

The temperature has hit 93 degrees at the Indianapolis 500, and that is causing serious concern for medical officials at the infield care center.

Dozens if not hundreds of fans have been treated for heat-related illnesses already. About a dozen ambulances have been cycling through, golf carts are depositing fans at the facility, and there are even stretchers being used to carry people seeking help.

There is little shade around the racetrack, especially in the stands. And with no breeze and plenty of sun, the heat index has been hovering around the triple digits.

It was 89 when the green flag was dropped, making it one of the hottest races in history. The official record of 92 was set during the 1937 race.

___

1:45 p.m.

Tony Kanaan has set a record by leading his 14th Indianapolis 500, breaking a tie with his boss, A.J. Foyt.

Kanaan has been running up front all day after starting inside Row 4. As usual, the crowd roared when the popular Brazilian and 2013 race winner moved to the front of the pack.

Meanwhile, Ed Jones has been transferred to Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis after his hard wreck earlier in the race. Jones was complaining of head and neck pain.

___

1:25 p.m.

Danica Patrick’s racing career has ended with a crash in Turn 2 of the Indianapolis 500.

Patrick lost control of the car and hit hard in the outside wall, sliding back down across the track and into the inside barrier.

The rest of the field managed to miss Patrick as she came to rest on the grass. Despite the hard hit, Patrick managed to climb out of the car on her own.

Patrick announced months ago that she would retire after the Indy 500, the second half of the “Danica Double.” She also raced the Daytona 500.

Patrick says crashing out was hardly the way she wanted to finish her racing career, but she’s “grateful for all of it.”

Asked whether she was emotional because of Indianapolis, where she became a star, or because it was the end of her career, she replied: “Yeah, it’s an entire career, but what really launched it was this. It is both of them. I’ve had some good fortune here and did still have some this month. It just didn’t come on race day.”

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1:20 p.m.

Defending champion Takuma Sato is out of the Indianapolis 500.

Sato ran into the back of James Davison, who was well off the pace, and the two collided in Turn 4 to bring out the first caution of the day.

Davison had been off the pace earlier in the race, and he was clearly slower than the rest of the field as they tried to zip by him. Sato was unable to dodge him on Lap 47, but the rest of the cars were able to avoid their debris.

Sato held off Helio Castroneves to become the first Japanese winner a year ago.

A short time later, Ed Jones brought out the second caution flag of the race after hitting the wall coming out of Turn 2.

Jones finished third as a rookie a year ago, which means two of the podium finishers were out of the race by Lap 58.

Takuma Sato, the defending champ, crashed into James Davison earlier in the race.

Helio Castroneves finished second a year ago.

___

12:23 p.m.

The Indianapolis 500 is underway with Ed Carpenter leading the field to the green flag for the 102nd edition of the storied race.

Danica Patrick is back for her final race, while Helio Castroneves is once again trying for his record-tying fourth victory.

Kelly Clarkson sang the national anthem and Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo was in the pace car. Actor Chris Hemsworth waved the green flag and Olympic medal-winning skier Nick Goepper of Indiana was the grand marshal.

The temperature was approaching 90 degrees when the green flag dropped. If it climbs three more degrees, it would surpass the record of 92 set during the 1937 race.

It is the final race on ABC before the broadcast moves to NBC next year.

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12:05 p.m.

It is the end of an era at the Indianapolis 500: ABC is bringing its coverage of the race to a close after 54 years.

The Indy 500 will be carried next year by NBC, the first time it will air on any other network, as part of a sweeping new multimedia rights package.

The ABC era began in 1965 with black-and-white, tape-delayed packages on the Wide World of Sports, and ushered in color a couple years later. The broadcasts helped elevate the careers of icons like Jim McKay and Keith Jackson, and produced innovations that are still a staple in motorsports to this day: in-car cameras, high-definition TV and second-screen experiences.

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11:45 a.m.

They still love Danica Patrick at the Indianapolis 500.

Patrick received a massive ovation when she was introduced prior to her first Indy 500 since 2011, and the last race of her career.

Patrick shot to the public’s attention her rookie year of 2005, when she started and finished fourth for Rahal Letterman Racing. She finished a career-best third in 2009 for Andretti Green Racing, then left for NASCAR a few years later.

She announced that she would do the “Danica Double” before retiring this year, beginning with the Daytona 500 and ending with the Indy 500.

She has a strong car, too. She starts from seventh for Ed Carpenter Racing.

___

11:10 a.m.

James Hinchcliffe says it’s “weird” being at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and not sitting in a car, but he plans to help his Schmidt Peterson Motorsports teammates as much as possible during the Indianapolis 500.

Hinchcliffe sat on the pole two years ago and was in the thick of the IndyCar title hunt. He was bumped from the field during qualifying last weekend along with Pippa Mann.

So, the popular Canadian driver was wearing a short-sleeve shirt rather than a firesuit Sunday.

Said Hinchcliffe: “Today is going to be tough, no doubt about it, but I’m really proud of this team, really proud of my teammates. I’m going to cheer them on the best I can, but I know it’s going to be tough.”

___

5 p.m.

Daniel Ricciardo of Australia has won the Monaco Grand Prix, the crown jewel race on the Formula One schedule.

It’s the second win of the season for the Red Bull driver, who also won the Chinese Grand Prix. It’s his seventh career victory.

Ricciardo led throughout from the pole position.

Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari finished second and Mercedes star Lewis Hamilton was third.

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10:40 a.m.

There’s no shortage of star power on the red carpet at the Indianapolis 500, where Kelly Clarkson is poised to sing the national anthem and Indiana Pacers star Victor Oladipo will drive the pace car.

Actor Chris Hemsworth will wave the green flag for the 102nd running, shortly after two-time Olympic medal-winning skier and Indiana native Nick Goepper concludes his duties as grand marshal.

Also spotted at the track have been comedian Adam Carolla, Miss America Cara Mund, and Arie Luyendyk Jr. and Ben Higgins from various seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette.”

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10:30 a.m.

Racing innovator and world-class driver Dan Gurney has been honored with a tribute lap around Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Gurney, the first driver with victories in Formula One, IndyCar and NASCAR Cup series, died in January from complications of pneumonia. He was 86.

Gurney earned fame for winning the 1967 Belgian Grand Prix in the Eagle-Weslake, a car he created. He was a master engineer who found new ways to make cars faster and safer. He developed the Gurney flap, the Gurney bubble and was one of the first to wear a full-face helmet with a protective visor.

Gurney’s also widely credited with starting the tradition of spraying champagne from the podium at that race.

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4:25 p.m.

Fernando Alonso’s Monaco Grand Prix is over.

The two-time Formula One champion pulled his McLaren onto the side of the track after 53 of 78 laps when he was pushing hard for a top-eight finish.

He immediately informed his team over radio it was a gearbox problem.

The Spanish driver skipped the race last year to take part in the Indianapolis 500.

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4: 05 p.m.

Daniel Ricciardo is struggling to hold onto the lead halfway through the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Red Bull driver has the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel right behind him after 39 of the 78 laps.

Ricciardo’s Red Bull team urged him to “stay focused” but Vettel is waiting for the right moment to pounce. His team kept him informed of Ricciardo’s worsening situation.

Two years ago, Ricciardo also took pole position here and missed out on victory after his team botched a pit stop.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton remains in third place but has complained of his tires degrading.

Kimi Raikkonen’s Ferrari is fourth but losing ground on Hamilton.

___

3:40 p.m.

Championship leader Lewis Hamilton made an audacious move, pitting for softer and faster tires after just 12 laps at the Monaco Grand Prix.

The Mercedes driver came out in sixth place, behind Force India driver Esteban Ocon. But Hamilton quickly passed the Frenchman to move into fifth behind teammate Valtteri Bottas.

The move prompted a flurry of tire changes as the top five drivers came in. By the 20th lap Ricciardo was back in front of Vettel, Hamilton and the Ferrari of Kimi Raikkonen.

Those were the top four positions in qualifying.

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3:20 p.m.

The Monaco Grand Prix is underway, kicking off the biggest day in motorsports.

Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo has made a clean start from the pole position. Ferrari driver Sebastian Vettel was in second place after holding off Lewis Hamilton’s Mercedes heading into the first turn.

Starting from last place after a crash ruled him out of qualifying, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen quickly jumped up six places to 14th after just eight laps.

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1:40 p.m.

After days of unbroken sunshine, the weather is cloudy and somewhat windy before the start of the Monaco Grand Prix.

Still, it takes more to deter the Champagne-swilling fans waiting for F1’s most glamorous race to start. They are perched on apartment balconies overlooking the track or watching from yachts as the loud music reverberates around the famed harbor.

Sebastian Vettel won last year and the Ferrari driver needs another good performance to claw back his 17-point deficit to championship leader Lewis Hamilton.

The Mercedes driver has won the past two races of the season, but has his work cut out seeing as Monaco’s tight 3.4-kilometer (2.1-mile) course is the hardest to overtake on in F1.

Hamilton starts from third on the grid, while Vettel goes from second place and Daniel Ricciardo is on pole position, just like in 2016.

Max Verstappen — Ricciardo’s Red Bull teammate — is last on the grid after crashing before Saturday’s qualifying. He will look to carve his way through the field with his trademark aggressive driving.

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One of the busiest days in motorsports has arrived.

The Formula One series kicks things off with the Monaco Grand Prix on Sunday, the jewel in the F1 calendar. After a difficult start to his title defense, Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton has won the past two races and leads Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel by 17 points.

Hamilton starts from third place on the grid behind Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo and Vettel. Ricciardo took the pole position.

The 102nd running of the Indianapolis 500 sees the career finale of Danica Patrick at the biggest race on the IndyCar calendar. She has stolen the spotlight for “The Great American Race” — but Helio Castroneves is chasing a record-tying fourth victory in the twilight of his IndyCar career.

NASCAR wraps things up Sunday night with one of its biggest races of the year, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in North Carolina. Kyle Busch is on the pole. He has won a Cup points race at every track on the NASCAR circuit except Charlotte. Kevin Harvick has won the last three Cup races.

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By Associated Press – published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (Z.S)

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