From 1911 to 1997, the Indiana High School Athletic Association boys basketball state tournament was one of the greatest sporting events in the country.
It was one class, so every school, no matter the size, was in the same tournament. In the later days of the tournament, the opening round was the sectional, which consisted of six to eight teams, and games were played on Tuesday, Friday and Saturday. After the sectional there were 64 teams left and they played the regional, semi-state and state finals on three consecutive Saturdays.
The semifinal games of the regional, semi-state and state finals were conducted at 10 a.m. and 12:30 p.m. with the final played at 8 p.m. Players preferred the 10 a.m. game because it afforded more time to rest the legs for the 8 p.m. final. And those who played in the 12:30 p.m. game often prayed that the 10 a.m. game didn’t go into overtime.
It will be a little bit of the same feel this week for the NASCAR Cup Series doubleheader at Dover (Del.) International Speedway. Both races are 311 mile events and will take place at 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday, respectively. It’s the fifth and sixth race in August for the Cup Series competitors and the second doubleheader of the month.
Kevin Harvick, driver of the No. 4 Mobil 1 Ford Mustang for Stewart-Haas Racing (SHR), will again have the help of Mobil 1 on board as a sponsor and partner, and that relationship paid off nicely for Harvick two weekends ago at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn. For racing twice with just one Ford engine in more than 90 degree air temperatures Saturday and Sunday, he totaled 634 miles in the twin events and came home with two trophies thanks to the advantage Mobil 1 technology gave him and the No. 4 team.
Mobil 1 isn’t just the world’s leading synthetic motor oil brand, it also provides the entire SHR team with leading lubricant technology, ensuring that all SHR Mustangs have a competitive edge over the competition on the track. In its 18th consecutive season as the “Official Motor Oil of NASCAR,” Mobil 1 is used by more than 50 percent of teams throughout NASCAR’s top three series.
Harvick will make history once again this weekend as he will pass Rusty Wallace and move into 16th place in all-time NASCAR Cup Series starts. He’ll tie Wallace at 705 on Saturday, then add start No. 706 on Sunday. He’s also hoping to score a win, which would move him past Wallace and into a tie for ninth all-time with Kyle Busch at 56 career wins.
Harvick leads the driver standings by 118 points over Denny Hamlin as the NASCAR “tournament” is set to start Sept. 6 at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway.
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