Brian Vickers is expected to replace injured driver Tony Stewart for the NASCAR season opener at Daytona International Speedway.
Stewart-Haas Racing has scheduled a Friday news conference to discuss its plans for the No. 14 Chevrolet. The decision is still pending because the team is awaiting word from NASCAR on whether Vickers is medically cleared to race.
Vickers ran only two races last season before suffering a recurrence of blood clots. He can't compete when being treated for the clots because the blood thinners increase his risk of serious internal bleeding if he crashes.
Stewart is sidelined for the start of his final NASCAR season with a fractured vertebra. He was hurt riding an all-terrain vehicle in the desert in California last week.
Vickers is only expected to run at Daytona, which opens Friday ahead of the Feb. 21 season-opening Daytona 500. SHR is still looking at all of its options for beyond Daytona. Stewart is expected to race at some point this year.
soccer
Morgan quickly sparks U.S. win
Alex Morgan scored 12 seconds in and added another goal in the 62nd minute and the U.S. women's team opened CONCACAF qualifying for the Rio Olympics with a 5-0 victory over Costa Rica.
Morgan's goal was the fastest in CONCACAF Olympic qualifying history, and the team said it is believed to be the fastest in U.S. history.
The match was the Americans' first competitive game since winning the World Cup. They have won three straight Olympic titles and four of the five in women's soccer.