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Saturday, april 17, 2021
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B1
IndyCar opens with stacked rookie class chasing Dixon
By JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
BIR MI NGHAM, Ala. —
Jimmie Johnson, Scott McLaugh-
lin and romain Grosjean, oh my!
that’s quite the rookie class for
indyCar, which opens the season
Sunday, April 18, at Barber Motor-
sports park stacked with storylines
throughout the grid.
Johnson brings seven NaSCar
championships to Chip Ganassi
racing for a career reset at 45 years
old. although he always wanted to
be an indyCar driver, his opportuni-
ties came in stock cars until Johnson
was able to call his own shots.
the transition will be incredi-
bly difficult. The opening practice
on Saturday, april 17, on the road
course will be the first for Johnson,
who will be doing nearly everything
for the first time this weekend.
“if there’s a rocky day, am i
Michael Conroy/Associated Press, File
NASCAR driver Jimmy Johnson, left, and IndyCar driver Scott Dixon,
right, talk during practice for the Indianapolis 500 IndyCar auto race at
Indianapolis Motor Speedway in Indianapolis on May 16, 2019.
going to be surprised? probably
not,” team owner Ganassi said on
Wednesday, April 14. “He’s a damn
COLLEGE FOOTBALL
OSU intends
to lean on
deep TE
group in 2021
By NICK DASCHEL
The Oregonian
COrValliS — let’s talk tight
ends. Specifically Oregon State
tight ends.
Sure, it’s not football’s sexiest
position. the occasional pass recep-
tion. a lot of blocking. But for the
Beavers, it’s a position of signifi-
cant strength and could be that
difference maker in 2021 if OSU is
to emerge with its first bowl berth
in eight years.
the importance of tight ends to
an offense varies wildly in college
football. At the bottom is Mike
leach’s get-them-out-of-my-pro-
gram offense, to a heavily depen-
dent offense like Oregon State. The
Beavers’ pro-style attack heavily
relies on a tight end for nearly every
play, often two, and on rare occa-
sion, three.
Oregon State can do what it
wants at the tight end position, as
it is well-stocked with veterans and
newcomers. the Beavers may face
a team this upcoming season with
a singular better tight end, but they
shouldn’t have trouble matching
anyone’s duo with junior teagan
Quitoriano and sophomore luke
Musgrave.
it’s hard to miss either during
Oregon State’s spring practice.
Both cut prominent figures at 6
feet, 6 inches. Quitoriano carries a
little more weight at 256 pounds, vs.
Musgrave’s 248.
there are a couple of promising
second-year freshmen in tommy
Spencer and Jake Overman that
bolster a tight end room. in seven
games last season, Oregon State’s
tight ends combined for 27 recep-
tions for 346 yards.
More importantly, they helped
provide the blocking for an OSu
running game that averaged 5.4
See OSU, Page B2
hard worker. He sets the bar at a new
level for the amount of work a driver
puts in. He’s always in the simula-
tor, on the computer, on the phone,
making calls, asking questions,
working out, talking to sponsors,
talking to the team.
“i mean, the guy doesn’t slow
down. i had no idea what i was up
against when racing against him in
NaSCar, and now i’ve got a little
feel for it.”
Grosjean comes to indyCar from
Formula One, where he’d grown
frustrated at team disparity that
prevented him from winning in
nine seasons. His F1 career came to
an abrupt halt after a fiery Novem-
ber 2020 crash in Bahrain; and
instead of taking a ride with another
team not capable of winning, the
Frenchman signed with dale Coyne
racing.
like Johnson, Grosjean does not
plan to race the four ovals on indy-
Car’s 17-race schedule.
McLaughlin is the three-time
defending australian V8 SuperCars
champion who moved to the united
States to drive the full season for
team penske and will resurrect
the iconic “yellow Submarine”
paint scheme in the indianapo-
lis 500 driven by penske winners
Helio Castroneves, Rick Mears, and
Johnny rutherford.
“i didn’t think i’d be racing
Jimmie Johnson and romain Gros-
jean. it’s crazy. Very exciting,”
McLaughlin said. “It just shows
what indyCar is all about right now.
i hope the fans relish it.”
McLaughlin should easily take
top rookie honors because he’s
running the full schedule, but he’s
got his sights set on winning races
and even competing for the champi-
onship. But the competition is fierce
starting at the top with six-time
champion Scott dixon and within
team penske.
See Indy, Page B2
Off to the races
Hermiston
Raceway gears
up for season
opener on May 1
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
ERMISTON — When
Hermiston Raceway
opens on May 1, there
will be a little some-
thing for all racing fans.
the season opens with the
Speed Tour Modified Series,
then returns on May 15 with
Saturday Night thunder, which
will include West Coast vintage
sports cars, late models, legends
and bombers.
“Every single night has
something entertaining,” race-
way promoter/owner Greg
Walden said. “there’s not a
weak show.”
tickets went on sale earlier
this week, and are available
online only.
the raceway is following all
state and county health guide-
lines, and will be limited to 25%
H
East Oregonian, File
Pit crew members look on as drivers make some practice rounds in 2019 ahead of Hermiston Race-
way’s Labor Day Spectacular event.
HERMISTON RACEWAY SCHEDULE
May 1: Speed Tour Modified Series
May 15: Saturday Night Thunder
May 29: Saturday Night Duel
June 12: Racing Dynamik’s Prolate Challenge
June 19: NW Super Late Model Series
June 26: NW Figure 8 Series
July 3: Thunder on the Hill
July 17: Night of Destruction: starring Mr. Dizzy
July 31: Saturday Night Thunder
Sept. 4: Labor Day Spectacular
Sept. 5: Labor Day Spectacular NWSLMS —
Atomic 125
Sept. 12: Championship Night
Oct. 23: Racing Dynamik’s Prolate Challenge
See Races, Page B2
MCC FOOTBALL
4 Hermiston players earn all-conference honors
Sam Cadenas honored
on both sides of the ball
By ANNIE FOWLER
East Oregonian
HERMISTON — The Herm-
iston Bulldogs, whose season was
limited to just four games, had
four players named to the Mid-Co-
lumbia Conference football team.
Junior Sam Cadenas was
named to the second team as an
offensive lineman, and to the
Cadenas
Elliott
honorable mention team as a
defensive lineman.
Quarterback Chase Elliott, a
junior, was a second-team selec-
tion.
Senior offensive lineman Josh
Fernandez
Mikami
Fernandez and junior linebacker
Koi Mikami were named to the
honorable mention team.
The Bulldogs finished 1-3 on
the year with a win over Hanford.
Kamiakin running back tuna
altahir and richland receiver Ben
Fewel shared Offensive Player of
the year honors, while Kenne-
wick linebacker and Kamiakin
linebacker luis Salgado shared
defensive player of the year acco-
lades.
lineman of the year honors
went to Kamiakin’s aaron tano
and Kennewick’s ayden Knapik.
Special teams player of the
year was Walla Walla kicker/
punter Seamus Hall, and Chiawa-
na’s Scott Bond was named Coach
of the year.
SPORTS SHORT
MLB salary down 4.8% in 2 years; top 100 earn half
By RONALD BLUM
AP Baseball Writer
NEW yOrK — the aver-
age major league salary dropped
4.8% to just under $4.17 million
on opening day from the start of
the previous full season in 2019.
the average has fallen 6.4%
since the start of the 2017 season,
when it peaked at $4.45 million,
according to a study of major
league contracts by the associ-
ated press. the salary downturn
is yet another sign baseball could
be headed toward labor strife and
a possible work stoppage in 2022.
Baseball’s middle class has
borne the brunt of the drop. the
median salary — the point at
which an equal number of players
are above and below — is $1.15
million, down 18% from $1.4
million two years ago and a drop
of 30% from the $1.65 million
record high at the start of 2015.
Of 902 players on opening-day
rosters, 417 (62%) had salaries
under $1 million, including 316
(35%) under $600,000.
the 50 highest-paid players are
getting 33.4% of all salaries, up
from 28.6% in 2017, and the 100
highest-paid are receiving 52.4%,
an increase from 42.5% in 2017.
los angeles dodgers pitcher
trevor Bauer is the highest-paid
player in 2021 at $38 million after
agreeing to a $102 million, three-
year contract he can terminate
after one season. los angeles
Angels outfielder Mike Trout is
second at $37.1 million, followed
by yankees pitcher Gerrit Cole
($36 million) and St. louis third
baseman Nolan arenado ($35
million), who was acquired in an
offseason trade with Colorado.
the World Series champion
dodgers topped the major leagues
at $241 million, the highest big
league total since the dodgers set
the record at $270 million at the
start of the 2015 season.
Ross D. Franklin/Associated Press, File
Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Trevor Bauer throws against
the Colorado Rockies during the first inning of a spring training
baseball game in Phoenix on March 1, 2021.