Andy Hawley

BROOKLYN, Mich.  — The MISCAMPING.com Infield Campground at Michigan International Speedway will host 40 special guests moments before the green flag waves for the FireKeepers Casino 400 on June 18. For the first time in NASCAR history, the driver parade lap will make its way through the MISCAMPING.com Infield Campground as part of pre-race festivities.  “One of the greatest elements in NASCAR is the accessibility of the drivers to the fans, and this is another great opportunity for us to bring the drivers closer just minutes before they take the green flag,” track president Rick Brenner said. “Between the added entertainment and now the driver parade lap, the infield is going to be the go-to campground for our guests.” The parade lap will begin at the pre-race stage at the start/finish line on the frontstretch. The trucks will continue around the track and will get close to the inside wall on the backstretch. The trucks will take a sharp left turn into the infield in Turn 3, then the drivers will continue through the infield before exiting in Turn 4. Fans are invited to line the route to cheer on their favorite driver up close.

Senior Division Oak Tree Lounge 16  Tracy’s Tavern 4.  Jerry Skaggs went 4 for 4 with a double and 2 RBIs and John Masser went 3 for 4 with 5 RBIs to lead Oak Tree Lounge.  Bill Morehouse and Mike Edwards each went 2 for 2 for Tracy’s Tavern.   Modern Electric 14  Jax Naz 13.  Modern Electric came from behind and scored 4 runs in the top of the 7th inning and hung on for the win.  Bob Dingee & R.J. Reynolds each went 4 for 4 with a double to lead Modern Electric.  John Hoffius and Wilbur Uhl each went 4 for 4 and Jeff Eccleton went 3 for 3 for Jax Naz.   Jackson Merchants 21  Brass Rail 17.  Jackson Merchants scored 6 runs in the top of the 7th inning and held off a very determined Brass Rail who scored 6 runs in the bottom of the 7th.  Jackson Merchants were led by David Layne, Mark Lipscomb, and Mike Marshall who all went 4 for 5 and Bob Lamb who went 4 for 4.  Brass Rail’s attack was led by Tom Flack and Mark Rutledge who each went had  4 hits including a double and the…

After his team secured the Michigan Intercollegiate Athletic Association Men’s Lacrosse Tournament championship with an 11-8 victory over Alma College last Saturday, Albion College Head Coach Jake DeCola credited seniors Dominic Hamper, Zach Hubbell and Paul Johnson with providing the leadership to carry the program to its third consecutive conference title.   Two of the seniors – Hubbell and Johnson – were rewarded Monday as the conference’s final Players of the Week for the 2017 season.   Hubbell, an East Lansing, Mich., native who prepped at Haslett High School, was named the Offensive Player of the Week after producing three goals in the Britons 9-6 semifinal victory over Olivet College and one goal in the championship game against Alma. He was previously named the MIAA’s Offensive Most Valuable Player for the 2017 season.   Johnson, a Novi, Mich., native who prepped at Detroit Country Day School, was credited with scooping two ground balls in each of the games to gain the Defensive Player of the Week award.   Albion, 15-3 overall, is on its way to Rochester, N.Y., for a 5 p.m. Tuesday game against John Carroll University in the first round of the NCAA Division III Championship. The survivor…

10th Annual Grande Championship Sunday, May 21st Grande Golf Club 1579 Floyd Avenue Jackson MI, 49201 See how you can perform under the conditions the professionals face every week. This tournament will have an open and a senior division. Tee times begin at 8:00 AM. The open division will be open to anyone. Men will play the black tees (7,157 yards), while women will play the white tees (5,911 yards). The senior division will be open to anyone 50 years of age or older. Men will play the blue tees (6,443 yards), while women will play the red tees (4,785 yards). Both the open and senior divisions will consist of an 18-hole qualifying round, with the top 5 qualifiers from each division moving on to a 9-hole combined Shootout nicknamed "The Chase," to decide our champion. In the shootout, the high score on each hole will drop out until we are left with one player standing at the end of the 9-holes. Pairings will be based on handicap (or average 18-hole score). The purpose of this event is to find the best golfer in the Jackson area, so this event will not be handicapped. The cost of this event is…

SPRING ARBOR, Mich. – At the first annual Cougar Nation Athletic (CNA) Awards banquet Sunday night, Spring Arbor University Athletics introduced a new branding system that will set the visual direction of Cougar Athletics for years to come. The rebranding also coincides with the 50th anniversary of Cougar athletics.   The new brand identity is exclusive to SAU Athletics and includes new primary and secondary marks, as well as custom typography and numbers.   “Our goal was to develop a complete and unifying brand identity that not only honors our rich tradition, but is a powerful representation of who we are and who we aspire to be,” said sports information director, Chris Bauman.   Conversations about the need for a rebranding effort, which would establish a unique identity for SAU Athletics and bring a consistent look across all of its teams, have been happening for the last few years. But, it was not until the recent partnership with BSN Sports and Nike, which helped inject a new excitement into Cougar Athletics, that the department decided to move forward.   “Going through a brand identity launch is a great opportunity for us to create a consistent and modern look that keeps…