The BulleTin • Wednesday, March 24, 2021 A7
MOTOR SPORTS
DEAR ABBY
Write to Dear Abby online at dearabby.com
or by mail at P.O. Box 69440, Los Angeles, CA 90069
Dear Abby: My beautiful
17-year-old stepdaughter,
“Amelia,” recently became
sexually active. She’s in a “se-
rious” relationship with the
boy she had sex with. They
have been together for six
months, and from what she’s
told me, they both gave each
other their virginity and pro-
tection was used. She has not
disclosed this to her parents.
My husband and Amelia
are very close, but she and
her mom recently had a fall-
ing-out. Amelia pledged me
to secrecy, and I immediately
scheduled her to see an OB/
GYN to get her on birth con-
trol.
My question is, should I
tell my husband? I feel aw-
ful not telling him, but she
has told me she doesn’t want
either of her parents to know.
I’m grateful she comes to me
for things like this, but even-
tually, it’s going to come out
when my husband sees the
explanation of benefits from
the insurance.
Amelia’s mom and I have
a solid relationship, and my
husband and her mom also
have a good one. I don’t want
to keep secrets regarding
their daughter, but I don’t
want to betray my stepdaugh-
ter either. Please help.
— Struggling Stepmom
Dear Stepmom: It isn’t
necessary to betray your step-
daughter’s confidence to get
her the help she needs. Go
online to plannedparent-
hood.org, locate the nearest
Planned Parenthood clinic
and share that information
with Amelia. The organiza-
tion provides a wide range of
low-cost services to women
and men, including family
planning, STD diagnosis and
treatment, and birth control
on a confidential basis. You
should also encourage Ame-
lia to discuss this with her
parents. She is behaving re-
sponsibly in wanting to pro-
tect herself.
Dear Abby: My wife and
I have been married for de-
cades, but 10 years ago she
had, at the least, a texting af-
fair with “Brad,” a longtime
friend of her brother’s. Her
brother, who knows about
the affair, lives on a large
tract of land owned by their
father. Brad is there often to
go hunting with her brother.
My wife and I used to visit
frequently, but now there
is some concern that Brad
might be there and we’ll have
a conflict, so we don’t go as
much. The affair was very
upsetting to me, but my wife
insisted we keep it quiet so
her brother could continue
his friendship with Brad.
Over the years, she has
occasionally had online con-
tact with Brad and even told
him that she appreciated him
talking with our son because
our son has few friends. But
now our son, who knows
nothing about the affair or
how bad it hurt me, has be-
come friendly with Brad. It
is very difficult hearing him
talk about things they do to-
gether. Should we tell our son
about the affair?
— Still Hurt in Texas
Dear Still Hurt: Tempting
as it may be to “out” your wife
to your son, keep that infor-
mation to yourself. I question
the wisdom of Brad having
been encouraged to culti-
vate a relationship with your
son since this friendship is
the fruit of that decision. Be-
cause you prefer not to hear
what your son and Brad are
doing, the next time it comes
up, change the subject. He
may or may not catch on and
question you about the rea-
son, but if he does, all you
need to say is you’d rather not
discuss it.
YOUR HOROSCOPE
Larson to highlight causes in return to iRacing
The three organizations ear-
marked by Larson’s foundation
aren’t random. All three played
a role in the work he did on ed-
ucating and improving himself
during a NASCAR suspension
that lasted all but the first four
races of the 2020 season.
“I wanted to start a founda-
tion for some time, I just didn’t
really ever know exactly what I
wanted it to be about,” he said.
“I wanted it to be around kids,
but I just needed something
that was really close to me and
personal to me, especially the
things I went through last year.”
One of the first people Lar-
son reached out to after he’d
been suspended was retired
soccer star Tony Sanneh, whose
foundation works on youth de-
velopment and empowerment
in the Minneapolis area. Larson
went to visit Sanneh and volun-
teered at the foundation in the
weeks before the city — and the
nation — were rocked by the
death of George Floyd in police
custody in May.
Sanneh put Larson to work
sorting dozens of pallets of
food and distributing them to
400 cars a day. When Larson
returned to Minneapolis after
Floyd’s death, Sanneh took him
to the site where Floyd died and
they toured parts of the city
heavily damaged in protests
over racial injustice.
A friendship began and on
“Giving Tuesday” last Decem-
ber, Larson launched a drive to
raise $50,000 for Sanneh’s Hol-
iday Giving program. Many
of Larson’s friends in the rac-
ing community contributed
and helped push Sanneh to
$186,635 — well past the foun-
dation’s initial $150,000 goal.
Sanneh told AP he’s seen
growth in Larson since the two
first connected last spring.
“I think he’s been trying to
get back to normalcy but I think
he’s also changed the way he’s
approached life,” Sanneh said.
“This isn’t like a big smoke-
screen or sham. He’s interested
in continual growth and getting
back to being himself. This has
been hard on him and people
assume when you make a mis-
take, with cancel culture, well it
doesn’t define who we are. Our
life’s work does, so I’m glad he’s
continued to do the work.
“Some people do a few
things and then say, ‘OK, that’s
behind me and I just want to
concentrate on racing because
that’s what I love.’ But he wants
to do it all.”
After his suspension, Larson
also resumed work he’d done
earlier in his career with the
Urban Youth Racing School, a
nonprofit that helps minorities
advance in motorsports. And
Hendrick Cares is a charitable
arm of Rick Hendrick’s empire.
It was Hendrick who
reached out to Larson follow-
ing his firing last April to offer
emotional support. As Larson
worked through NASCAR’s re-
instatement program, he found
a second chance with Hen-
drick at the race team driving
the No. 5 Chevrolet. Hendrick
believes so strongly in Larson
that he’s funding the car out of
pocket convinced sponsors will
see who Larson really is and
eventually partner with one
of NASCAR’s most talented
drivers.
That hedge is slowly starting
to come together and Freight-
liner, a Hendrick partner since
2004, will become a primary
sponsor for the first time in
its relationship with the team
when it is featured on Larson’s
car this weekend at Bristol Mo-
tor Speedway. Freightliner is
the first non-Hendrick com-
pany to sponsor Larson so far
this season.
Larson has one win already
this season and led a race-high
269 laps Sunday at Atlanta Mo-
tor Speedway, where he was
headed to victory until a late
pass cost him a second win.
The race was five days after
shootings at three Atlanta-area
spas killed eight, including six
women of Asian descent.
Larson is Japanese-American
and his maternal grandparents
were held in an internment
camp during World War II. He
told AP that prior to this jour-
ney of self-improvement, the
Atlanta shootings might not
have even crossed his radar.
“It now takes me to what I
have witnessed and learned
over the last year with Afri-
can-Americans, and it’s a pretty
similar thing with Asians,” he
said. “It hits even closer to me
because I am Asian-Ameri-
can and I think had I not gone
through what I did last year
and not seen things firsthand,
maybe it wouldn’t have meant
as much to me now. It definitely
does and I hope there is change
that will come.”
game his brother Isaiah Mob-
ley, who made four 3-pointers
and scored 17 points, perhaps
gave Altman some bulletin
board material to work with
when asked about the Ducks.
“Oregon is a really good
team. They’ve been on a roll.
I don’t want to say necessarily
they got lucky, because they are
a good team, but they stole the
Pac-12 championship from us,”
Isaiah Mobley said. “I think
we match up well, though. We
both have chips against our
shoulders because we beat
them, and they got the cham-
pionship from us.”
The Ducks lost the only
2021 meeting, 72-58 on Feb. 22
in Los Angeles, but responded
by winning their last five regu-
lar-season games to claim the
Pac-12 title with a 14-4 (.778)
conference record compared to
USC’s 15-5 (.750) conference
record.
“I think it will a great
matchup. Not often do you see
two Pac-12 schools, No. 1 and
No. 2, match up in the Sweet
16,” Isaiah Mobley said. “I
think that will be interesting as
well. We’ll have to execute our
game plan like we did (against
Kanas) and take it to them.”
BY JENNA FRYER
AP Auto Racing Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. —
Think of iRacing and Kyle
Larson and the first thing that
comes to mind is his use of a
racial slur while participating
in a late-night session nearly a
year ago.
Of course it is, and Larson
knows that. He can’t escape
that he said the N-word, he can
only continue to move forward
in his bid for redemption and
the work he’s done to repair the
damage.
Larson will make his return
to the popular online racing
platform Wednesday night
when NASCAR launches the
10-race eNASCAR iRacing Pro
Invitational Series. The car he’ll
use will be “sponsored” by the
Kyle Larson Foundation and
feature three organizations he’s
designated for support.
Larson’s “Drive for 5 Cam-
paign” was launched this
month to benefit children, fam-
ilies and communities in need
of support. His mission is to
fund five scholarships a year at
the Urban Youth Racing School
in Philadelphia, to provide
daily meals for five families per
day through The Sanneh Foun-
dation, and support at least five
communities per year through
the school grants provided by
Hendrick Cares.
All three organizations will
be featured on Larson’s No. 5
Chevrolet in the iRacing Series
and Larson funds the “Drive
for 5 Campaign” through
his on-track performance.
He’s pledged $5 for every lap
completed this season and
$5,000 for each top-five finish.
Through the first six races of
the NASCAR season, Larson
has committed $22,205 via
three top-fives and 1,441 laps.
“I’m hoping to raise
$500,000,” Larson told The As-
sociated Press. “I’ve got a long
ways to go but I’m glad that
I’ve gotten it started and that
I’m able to showcase the or-
ganizations I’ve joined to help
make a difference.”
John Locher/AP file
Kyle Larson celebrates after winning a NASCAR race in Las Vegas on
March 7. Larson returns to iRacing this week almost a year after a slur
he used while on the online racing platform nearly cost him his career.
By Madalyn Aslan
Stars show the kind of day you’ll have
DYNAMIC | POSITIVE | AVERAGE | SO-SO | DIFFICULT
HAPPY BIRTHDAY FOR WEDNESDAY, MARCH 24, 2021:
Physical, initiating and captivating, sharpen your time management skills to
balance personal and professional activities. This year, you enjoy simple plea-
sures like watching movies, participating in sports and laughing out loud.
Budget wisely, and money matters stay stable. If single, someone special
may enter the picture when you least expect it, so keep your eyes open. If
attached, moving on from a disagreement makes your partnership stronger.
LEO excites you.
ARIES (March 21-April 19)
Work up a sweat to get your juices flowing. Go for a run or make a
Oregon
Continued from A5
The Trojans (24-7) steam-
rolled Kansas 85-51 on Mon-
day, handing the Jayhawks the
third-worst loss in the history
of the storied program.
USC star freshman Evan
Mobley finished with 10
points, 13 rebounds, five as-
sists and three blocks. After the
beeline for the gym on your lunch break. Meeting that special someone after
hours will put a smile on your face. Tonight: Get concert tickets.
TAURUS (April 20-May 20)
Plan a family reunion that may answer questions about your genea-
logical roots. The time and place will be tricky, so ask relatives to help with
the arrangements. Your energy may be low. Don’t push yourself too far.
Tonight: Prepare home remedies.
GEMINI (May 21-June 20)
Friends and colleagues value your point of view. Write down ob-
servations about an important issue. Ask for advice about turning it into an
essay or opinion piece. Abate your nervous energy with a power walk or run.
Tonight: Plan a trip.
CANCER (June 21-July 22)
A looming deadline may seem impossible to make. Muster your will-
power and put one foot ahead of the other. Take a few deep breaths and get
back on track. Avoid stress eating or other vices. Tonight: Ask for a back rub.
LEO (July 23-Aug. 22)
You may be the center of attention at a work-related function. Your
charm and flair for public speaking shine through. There could be more offers
than you can handle. Enjoy your day in the sun. Tonight: Relax on the sofa.
VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22)
Friends may tease you about staying inside when everyone else is
out and about. Don’t fret if you are more introspective than usual. Start a
journal. Plan a schedule that allows your imagination to run wild. Tonight:
Tell a story.
LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 22)
Arrange to see friends with whom you can be yourself. Keep the
discussion light and avoid controversial topics. Tone down your usual direct-
ness a notch or two. People may be overly sensitive for no apparent reason.
Tonight: End the day laughing.
SCORPIO (Oct. 23-Nov. 21)
Watch for impatience and getting into silly quibbles with others. Com-
promise should not be too difficult today. Someone close to you might call
on you to mediate a situation. Be diplomatic, and you won’t disappoint those
you love. Tonight: Children’s hour.
SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21)
Be prepared to take an argument to its logical conclusion. Friends
and family may encourage you to get a certificate or take a few courses. You
will meet others who share your interest in obscure subjects. Tonight: Style
your hair.
CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19)
Take charge of your finances and pay more attention to monthly
expenses. It is easy to cut corners without depriving yourself of what makes
you happy. Mystery novels can become addictive. Come up for air now and
again. Tonight: Family meeting.
AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18)
This is not a day for conflict, even though someone may try to
provoke you. Open a dialogue to prevent a misunderstanding from going
further. If possible, face to face is better than phone, text or email. Tonight:
Wind down with soft music.
PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20)
Downplay a difference of opinion with a colleague. Take the high road
and move on. Volunteer or donate to an animal shelter. Eliminate clutter
from closets and drawers. Someone might benefit from things you no longer
need. Tonight: Tasty dessert.
Oregon State
Continued from A5
“We would have been in
trouble because she could have
erased the lead that we had
with just her production,” Sta-
ley said.
South Carolina made just 1
of 15 3-pointers, but was able
to control the game by outscor-
ing the Beavers 34-24 inside
and winning big on the boards.
The Gamecocks used a big
run to break a tie and lead by
12 at halftime. Boston scored
the first four points in that
span and Laeticia Amihere
added six points as South Car-
olina took advantage of six
turnovers.
“We just keep pushing,” Bos-
ton said. “We never stop at-
tacking, no matter who it is.”
Oregon State managed just
five points on 2-of-12 shooting
and had seven turnovers in the
second quarter.
“They were disruptive
all day, closed gaps really
quickly defensively,” Oregon
State coach Scott Rueck said.
“During a key stretch of that
second quarter (they) turned
us over, turned it into quick
points at the other end, which
is obviously a staple and a hall-
mark of what they do. It’s when
they’re at their best.”
The Gamecocks continued
to pile on to start the second
half, outscoring Oregon State
13-3 in the first 41/2 minutes of
the third to make it 43-21.
“They took away what we
wanted to do on offense,” Or-
egon State guard Aleah Good-
man said. “We just weren’t re-
ally ourselves. It’s a bummer.
It’s hard to go out like that.”
“They took away what we
wanted to do on offense.
We just weren’t really
ourselves. It’s a bummer.
It’s hard to go out like that.”
— Aleah Goodman, Oregon State
senior guard