Ross Chastain hopes to destroy another watermelon at LVMS

In 1993, aft helium won the past IndyCar contention of his illustrious vocation astatine property 53, Mario Andretti popped the cork of a elephantine vessel of champagne connected the triumph podium astatine Phoenix International Raceway. It went flying implicit my caput and landed adjacent the retaining partition connected the beforehand stretch, wherever my woman picked it up.

We had been joined for conscionable a fewer weeks. Years later, erstwhile Andretti was successful municipality to assistance unfastened a Firestone tyre store successful Henderson, I thanked him for the belated wedding present.

It’s inactive my favourite triumph solemnisation story, but lone by a car length, acknowledgment to Ross Chastain, who volition thrust the No. 42 Chevrolet Chip Ganassi Racing successful Sunday’s South Point 400 NASCAR playoff contention astatine Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

In 2018, erstwhile Chastain inactive was struggling to interruption into the Cup Series, the watermelon husbandman from Florida won an Xfinity Series contention astatine Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was his archetypal triumph successful much than 200 NASCAR starts and touched disconnected 1 of the astir memorable postrace celebrations successful LVMS’ 25-year history.

Instead of spraying champagne connected spectators successful continuing with the sports’ contented that began aft Dan Gurney won the 24 Hours of LeMans successful 1967, Chastain lifted a elephantine watermelon implicit his head.

He brought the melon to the quality conference, wherever it joined him connected the podium and was overmuch much absorbing than immoderate the winning unit main had to say.

When helium was done answering questions, Chastain took the watermelon backmost down to the track. He turned it into shrapnel each implicit the start-finish line, a la the comedian Gallagher, a erstwhile Las Vegas showroom backmarker.

Only Chastain did it without a sledgehammer.

Ng splits uprights

Former Bishop Gorman standout Derek Ng booted a 47-yard tract extremity with 48 seconds remaining, lifting Holy Cross to a 20-17 triumph implicit Yale connected Sept. 18.

It was the second clip the ex-Gael had thwarted the Ivy League team — his 45-yarder successful a 2018 overtime crippled besides bushed the Bulldogs and was named the Crusaders’ “Moment of the Year.”

Derek Ng's 47-yarder turns into the game-winner for Holy Cross… pic.twitter.com/9bAVWBUHFO

— Darryl Hunt (@210Darryl) September 18, 2021

Heartbreak for Wynalda

It has been a unspeakable clip for erstwhile Lights FC manager Eric Wynalda, whose mother, Sue, and member Brandt died from COVID wrong a week of each other. Sue Wynalda died Sept. 12; Brandt connected Sept. 19.

“It is with the heaviest bosom and the astir sadness I person ever felt to study that we mislaid my ma contiguous — Covid,” wrote the erstwhile U.S. Men’s National Team shot prima connected Twitter. “She was the astir astonishing idiosyncratic and the halfway of our family. We volition ever support her successful our hearts.”

After asking his followers to commune for his member aft helium was intubated, Wynalda passed on much grim quality a fewer hours later.

“We mislaid him-”

Thank you to everybody for the messages and the prayers – this was a truly hard time for the household – though it’s hard to ideate a satellite without my ma I volition effort to support her tone with maine each time – convey you again and deity bless each of you ❤️ https://t.co/KSh3R61Bgg

— Eric Wynalda (@EricWynalda) September 13, 2021

We mislaid him – https://t.co/rXxKVBOsBh

— Eric Wynalda (@EricWynalda) September 20, 2021

Ex-MLB ump’s lad dies

Bud Venzon was a Clark County firefighter and a colorful quality and the lad of Tony Venzon, the location sheet umpire for 4 large league no-hitters — including 1 by Doc Ellis aft the Pittsburgh Pirates pitcher claimed to person taken LSD. Bud Venzon died Sept. 11 astatine property 80.

I had the large pleasance of chatting with “Fireman Bud” a fewer years back. He said helium ne'er truly got to cognize his dad, who was 56 erstwhile helium died successful 1971.

“It’s sad,” Bud Venzon told me, aft which I said thing astir however hard it indispensable person been increasing up erstwhile your dada was ever distant calling no-hitters and World Series games.

“No, no, no,” helium said. “It was bittersweet for him due to the fact that helium had a lad who didn’t springiness a damn astir baseball.”

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NASCAR enthusiast Elijah Burke explained connected Twitter however Kyle Larson’s triumph astatine Bristol, Tennessee, past week came down to elemental mathematics:

“When Chase (Elliott, car No. 9) blocked the hellhole retired of (Kevin) Harvick (car 4) it allowed Larson (car 5) to win, proving that adjacent successful NASCAR 9-4=5.”

when Chase blocked the hellhole retired of Harvick it allowed Larson to win, proving that adjacent successful NASCAR 9 – 4 = 5

— Elijah Burke (@ElijahWhosoever) September 19, 2021

Contact Ron Kantowski astatine rkantowski@reviewjournal.com oregon 702-383-0352. Follow @ronkantowski connected Twitter.