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Norman, Formal Bounce Back with Dominant Win in COTA Race 2

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Race 2 Provisional Results

 

AUSTIN, Texas – After seeing a win slip away on the final lap the day before, Ryan Norman and Danny Formal weren’t about to let it happen again in Sunday’s Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America race at Circuit of The Americas.

Norman put in a stellar opening stint in the No. 1 Wayne Taylor Racing with Andretti, Lamborghini Palm Beach Lamborghini Huracán Super Trofeo EVO2 and Formal put the hammer down in the second stint to close the triumph by a margin of 10.056 seconds in the 50-minute race. The win elevates Norman, Formal and the No. 1 Huracán to second place in the Pro class standings, just six points from the lead with four races remaining.

On Saturday, Norman was passed for the lead in Turn 1 on the last lap, then contact with another car dropped the No. 1 to fourth at the finish. Norman credited the support of his team for keeping him in the right frame of mind to attack on Sunday.

“You’ve just got to put that stuff behind you and focus on the task at hand today,” Norman said. “The way things finished today, the points worked out really well. I was just trying to give Danny a really good car today and he just pulled away, a beautiful drive.”

Formal, attempting to win the Pro class championship for a third straight year but for the first time with Norman, credited his co-driver’s resolve.

“Ryan had a tough one yesterday,” Formal said. “He’s such a mature driver, he came back today and put on a clinic in his stint. He gave me the car with the best rear tires possible and (I) just went out and give it all for the first five or six laps, we got a nice lead and then we took care of the car.”

Bryson Morris and Loris Cabirou finished second in the No. 30 Ansa Motorsports, Lamborghini Broward Huracán. Ernie Francis Jr. and Giano Taurino, who won Saturday in the No. 88 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami Huracán, finished fourth on Sunday and lead the Pro standings by six points over Norman and Formal.

It proved to be a spectacular day for WTRAndretti, which took wins in three of the four classes. Nate Stacy and Nick Persing (No. 8 WTRAndretti, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán) completed a weekend sweep of wins in the ProAm class, as did Glenn McGee and Anthony McIntosh (No. 69 WTRAndretti, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán) in Am. In doing so, both driver pairs moved to the top of their class standings.

Persing, in the No. 8 Huracán, was among the last drivers to make the mandatory pit stop. The overcut allowed Stacy to take the class lead when the pit cycle completed and he rolled on win by more than 18 seconds over Patrick Liddy and Blake McDonald in the No. 72 Forte Racing, Lamborghini San Diego Huracán.

“The car was fantastic!” Stacy commented. “It was set up for the end of the race and it was just on rails. We were (running) in the middle of the Pro pack – I think we were P4 overall – and we were just clicking off laps. The car was so dialed. I can’t thank the guys enough.”

Persing and Stacy unofficially moved three points ahead of AJ Muss and Joel Miller (No. 66 Forty7 Motorsports, Lamborghini Philadelphia Huracán) atop the ProAm standings, with Muss and Miller placing third on Sunday.

“It’s been a great weekend,” Persing said. “A sweep is something we’ve been looking for since we started this season. … It feels good to be back in the lead of the championship.”

McGee started from the Am pole in the No. 69 WTRAndretti Huracán but fell back after contact with Francis in the No. 88 TR3 Racing Huracán on Lap 2. He then went off track to avoid a spinning car in Turn 4 but recovered quickly to regain the class lead before handing the car over to McIntosh, who eased away to win by 14.594 seconds over Cole Kleck and Al Morey in the No. 17 Topp Racing, Lamborghini Austin Huracán.

“I settled in (after losing the class lead), ran down first place for Am and then I chucked it into the pits as quick as I can and Tony took over,” McGee said. “He must have had a massive out lap and then he just drove away from everybody. He did an awesome job.”

Added McIntosh, “Once I got in the car, it was pretty simple. The car was well balanced. We had a lot of grip in the corners. I expected it to go away from us but it kept coming toward us. The car was set up to really go the distance and it went the distance.”

The double-win weekend was enough to put McIntosh and McGee – the reigning Am class champions – into first place in the standings, three points ahead of Dominic Starkweather, who finished fifth Sunday in the No. 47 Precision Performance Motorsports, Lamborghini Palm Beach Huracán.

LB Cup witnessed a weekend winner’s sweep as well. Rodrigo Vales crossed the finish line second in class in the No. 34 TR3 Racing, Lamborghini Miami Huracán, but Rocky Bolduc was penalized 2.631 seconds for his pit stop not meeting the minimum required time in the No. 99 Topp Racing, Lamborghini Boston Huracán. The result gave Vales his second win in as many days, with Bolduc scored second.

“Great weekend, yes,” Vales said. “We tried to do our best. We did a good pit, we stopped correctly and everything went fine, so we won.”

“I didn’t know (that I could win twice). It was a great surprise.”

Nick Groat (No. 57 One Motorsports, Lamborghini Newport Beach Huracán) finished third in LB Cup to extend his class lead to 27 points.

Lamborghini Super Trofeo North America’s next event takes place Sept. 20-22 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

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Orlando Pride Drops First Match of 2025 Season in 1-0 Loss to Washington Spirit

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Orlando Pride’s Marta advances the ball against a Washington Spirit player. Photo by Florida National News / Harry Castiblanco.
Orlando Pride’s Marta advances the ball against a Washington Spirit player. Photo by Florida National News / Harry Castiblanco.

ORLANDO, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) – The Orlando Pride (4-1-0, 12 pts) suffered their first defeat of the 2025 NWSL regular season, falling 1-0 to the Washington Spirit (4-1-0, 12 pts) on Saturday evening at Inter&Co Stadium. The narrow loss ended a dominant four-game winning streak to start the year and marked the first regular-season home defeat to the Spirit since 2019.

The game was defined by the Pride’s offensive pressure, totaling 20 shots and 11 corner kicks, yet they were unable to capitalize on their opportunities. A key moment came in the 65th minute, when forward Barbra Banda’s header struck the crossbar, nearly equalizing the game.

Orlando Pride’s Marta shows disappointment over goal ruling. Photo by Florida National News / Harry Castiblanco

Controversial Goal Overturned

Orlando Pride appeared to tie the match in the second half when Marta sent in a corner kick that resulted in a goal, but following a lengthy VAR review, the goal was disallowed, leaving the home crowd frustrated.

Match-Winning Error

The lone goal of the match came in the 63rd minute, when Washington forward Gift Monday intercepted a misplayed pass from Pride goalkeeper Anna Moorhouse and tapped it into the net. The mistake proved costly in a game the Pride largely dominated in possession (60%) and shots on goal (6-2).

Seb Hines Reacts to First Loss

“I think 99 percent of the match we did well. We played with intensity and put Washington under immense pressure,” said Head Coach Seb Hines post-match. “The frustration is when you dominate a game and don’t get anything out of it. The performance was good, but we have to move on.”

Match Highlights and Key Stats

  • Anna Moorhouse made her 34th consecutive regular season start, tying Ali Krieger’s Club record.

  • Moorhouse also broke the Club record for most consecutive minutes played at the 70-minute mark (3,060 minutes).

  • Angelina was named Heineken Star of the Match.

  • Oihane made her first career NWSL start.

  • Grace Chanda made her NWSL debut as a second-half substitute.

  • Kylie Nadaner now ranks second all-time in Pride appearances with 95.

What’s Next for Orlando Pride?

The Pride will remain home at Inter&Co Stadium as they look to bounce back against Angel City FC on Friday, April 25. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET and will air on Prime Video. Orlando will aim to get back in the win column and regain early-season momentum in front of their home crowd.


Javier Garcia and Harry Castiblanco
Sports@FloridaNationalNews.com

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Osceola Magic Fall to Stockton Kings in NBA G League Finals, 118-110

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Photo by Florida National News / Pierredens Jeune

KISSIMMEE, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The Osceola Magic’s historic run came to a close Monday night as they fell to the Stockton Kings, 118-110, in Game 3 of the NBA G League Finals presented by YouTube TV. The showdown at Osceola Heritage Park ended in front of a sellout crowd of 3,421 fans, marking a bittersweet finish to an electrifying season.

Game Highlights

  • Ethan Thompson led the charge for Osceola with 28 points on 8-of-17 shooting.

  • Myron Gardner notched a double-double with 20 points and 14 rebounds.

  • Dexter Dennis came off the bench to lead Stockton with 23 points, shooting 7-of-13 from the field and 3-of-5 from three.

  • Isaac Jones, on assignment from the Sacramento Kings, posted 21 points (8-of-11 FG) and 13 rebounds.

  • Mason Jones added 19 points and 13 assists for Stockton and was named NBA G League Finals MVP.

The game got off to a scrappy, high-energy start as both teams battled for momentum. Despite holding a narrow lead at halftime, the Magic struggled to contain the Kings’ bench unit in the fourth quarter, where Stockton surged ahead thanks to Dennis and Jones’s scoring bursts.

Game Highlights – Video

The Magic’s defensive efforts waned late, allowing the Kings to outpace them in fast breaks and capitalize on second-chance points. While Osceola pushed back in the final two minutes, the deficit proved too much to overcome.

What’s Next for Osceola Magic

With their season now complete, the Osceola Magic close out the 2024-25 NBA G League season with a 22-12 regular season record—a strong showing for the franchise since relocating to Kissimmee.

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J Willie David, III
Pierredens Jeune, Vdeiographer
Sports@FloridaNationalNews.com

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Mac McClung and Osceola Magic Fall 144-126 in Game 2, Set for Championship-Deciding Game 3

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Getty Images: Osceola Mac McClung

STOCKTON, Calif. (FNN SPORTS) The Osceola Magic fell short in Game 2 of the NBA G League Finals on Friday night, losing 144-126 to the Stockton Kings at Adventist Health Arena. With the series now tied 1-1, the championship will be decided in a winner-takes-all Game 3 on Monday, April 14 at Osceola Heritage Park in Kissimmee, Florida.

Despite the loss, the Magic saw four players score 20 or more points. Leading the charge was Mac McClung, who poured in 34 points and handed out 8 assists, showcasing the explosiveness that’s made him a three-time NBA Slam Dunk Champion. Jalen Slawson added 23 points against his former team, while Myron Gardner contributed 22 points, and Alex Morales chipped in 20.

However, the Stockton Kings were red-hot offensively. Mason Jones led the way with a 27-point, 12-assist double-double, while Skal Labissière added 26 points and 7 rebounds. The Kings were nearly unstoppable from the field, shooting a sizzling 56.7% overall and 58.5% from three-point range, knocking down 24 threes as a team.

WHAT’S NEXT FOR OSCEOLA MAGIC?
The NBA G League Finals, presented by YouTube TV, return to Osceola Heritage Park for a decisive Game 3 on Monday, April 14. Tipoff is set for 8:00 p.m. ET and the game will be broadcast nationally on ESPN2.

Fans attending the game will have the chance to snag exclusive merch—the first 1,000 fans in attendance will receive a limited-edition Osceola Magic G League Finals T-shirt, courtesy of AdventHealth.

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J Willie David, III
Sports@Florida National News.com

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