Bell expecting breakthrough season

Christopher Bell believes he could be headed toward a big year with Joe Gibbs Racing following what he hopes will be a breakthrough win. Bell clinched a playoff berth by winning the NASCAR Cup Series race at Atlanta Motor Speedway in overtime on Sunday. Bell said he would be disappointed if he doesn’t have more wins before the playoffs. Bell, 30, has big hopes for his No. 20 team following his unlikely win after qualifying only 32nd, beginning with next week’s race at Circuit of the Americas in Austin, Texas. He just didn’t expect his team’s breakout win to come in Atlanta. “COTA is a good place to start,” Bell said. “We’re just getting into the bread and butter of what the 20 car likes. COTA should be a strong track. Phoenix, Vegas, Darlington, Homestead. All of these in the early season is where we think we can compete for wins and ... score a lot of points.” The win by Bell only raises the stakes for the rest of the season, according to crew chief, Adam Stevens. “It frees you up a bunch,” Stevens said. “The position that our team is in, we expect to run up front.”

Stanton in NY for more medical tests

Giancarlo Stanton wasn’t at his Yankees clubhouse locker on Sunday before, during or after any of the three media availabilities. The oft-injured slugger who’s in an indefinite holding pattern due to tennis elbow in both arms wasn’t at Steinbrenner Field or his Tampa, Florida residence. He wasn’t even in the state. Stanton instead flew to New York for a Monday morning appointment with the head of the Yankees’ medical team, Dr. Christopher Ahmad, according to reports. This visit likely included new testing and a review of Stanton’s treatment options. Surgery would be the last line of defense, but hadn’t yet been seriously considered. Given his long history of injuries, it’s very possible the 35-year-old Stanton is dealing with other issues besides damaged extensor tendons. Stanton played in 158 of the Yankees’ 162 regular-season games in 2018, the first of his seven seasons in Pinstripes. But he since appeared in only 58% (505 of 870) due to seven trips to the injured list. As of now, there’s no timetable for his return this spring or regular season.

Venus won’t compete at Indian Wells

It turns out 44-year-old Venus Williams will not be playing at the BNP Paribas Open, the tournament revealed on Sunday — days after it announced she would be competing there with a wild-card entry. “Our team has been informed that Venus is not accepting the wild card this year,” the event posted on social media, saying it was a message from Indian Wells tournament director Tommy Haas. “We wish Venus all the best and hope to see her back in Indian Wells in the future.” It was an odd backtrack that came several hours after audio made the rounds on social media of Williams saying she wouldn’t be competing at the tournament in the Coachella Valley next month. On Wednesday, the BNP Paribas Open issued a press release saying Williams — a seven-time Grand Slam singles champion — was awarded a wild card and would be making her 10th career appearance there. Williams hasn’t competed anywhere on tour since a first-round loss at the Miami Open in March 2024. That was less than two weeks after she lost her opening match at Indian Wells. —News services