At age 10, Antron Brown was attracted to the high-powered Top Fuel dragsters and “Big Daddy” Don Garlits, who’s considered the father of drag racing, provided the New Jersey youngster with an experience that forged his life’s path.
Replica of the first trophy awarded in NHRA Top Fuel in 1963.Deb Williams
“Big Daddy let me in his pit,” recalled Brown, who frequented the dragstrip in Englishtown, New Jersey, as a child. “I got to touch and see his car. I remember a big cross on the top of it and it said God.
“When I started racing Top Fuel (in 2008) he came and tapped me on the shoulder and he says, ‘Antron. I remember you.’ I’m like, remember me what? He goes, ‘You as that little smiley kid with the curly hair.’ That’s the part that touched me about this sport. This sport … makes you a part of history as a kid. I never dreamed as a little kid that Big Daddy would call me on my phone and talk to me.”
This weekend at zMAX Dragway, four-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Brown has the opportunity to earn a 65-pound replica trophy of the one the now 93-year-old Garlits received when he won the inaugural Top Fuel event in 1963 at the Winternationals in Pomona, California. The Wally trophies that are now given didn’t exist in those days; instead, a customized trophy was presented at each event.
Sunday’s Top Fuel race in the American Rebel Light NHRA 4-Wide Nationals at zMAX Dragway marks the 1,00th Top Fuel event, and Garlits will present the winner’s trophy. Brown won the 800th race, two-time NHRA Top Fuel champion Brittany Force the 900th and 2023 NHRA Top Fuel champion Doug Kalitta the 500th.
Records for Kalitta, Force
Friday night in second-round qualifying, Kalitta claimed the No. 1 provisional position with a zMAX Dragway elapsed time record of 3.646 seconds. That broke the record of 3.647 seconds set by Mike Salinas in September 2023. Force and Kalitta were in the same quad and Force broke her national speed record.
In prime track conditions, the 38-year-old Force set a national record with a 341.54-mph run. Her old record was 338.94 mph. She set that record in November 2022 at Pomona. Her 3.667 elapsed time left her in third behind Shawn Langdon who ran 3.665 seconds. Brown, who possesses seven zMAX victories, was fifth with a 3.703 e.t.
Britain’s Cameron Norrie described his first-round victory at the Madrid Open as one of his favourite wins in his career after he overcame illness to defeat Martin Landaluce.
Former British number one Norrie beat the 19-year-old Spaniard 6-7 (4-7) 7-5 6-4 to earn a first ATP main-draw victory since the start of March.
Poor form has seen Norrie, 29, drop to 91st in the world, and for a while on Thursday his struggles looked set to continue.
After losing five games in a row from 3-0 up in the opening set, Norrie fought back from 3-0 down before saving a match point and winning the second.
The British number three used his experience to see out victory after Landaluce produced a wild game at 4-4 in the deciding set.
Norrie later explained he has been struggling with sickness, saying on Sky Sports: “It’s terrible timing but at least I have another day tomorrow to rest. Hopefully it will pass pretty quickly.
“It’s maybe one of my favourite wins. I was feeling absolutely terrible, I wasn’t sure I was going to play, I had no energy, didn’t sleep at all last night.
“I started very low energy, sleeping on the court still. I had to create my own energy. He actually played really well, I know he’s a really good player, so I had to fight every point.”
Norrie will face 26th seed Jiri Lehecka of the Czech Republic in the second round.
Later on Thursday British number two Jacob Fearnley joined Norrie in the second round with a 6-3 7-6 (7-2) defeat of China’s Yunchaokete Bu.
Fearnley will face Tomas Machac of the Czech Republic in the next round after the 19th seed received a bye in the first.
Thursday is another mild day with highs in the upper 70s. We will start the day with sunshine, but clouds will increase in the afternoon. A warm front starts to lift through the Ohio Valley, and it’ll trigger a few showers and downpours into the early evening.
Friday’s forecast calls for rain in most locations. During the day, scattered showers and storms will break out as we see low to mid 70s as highs
Rain showers will last overnight Friday into early Saturday, but there is good news for the weekend! The forecast still looks dry and mild. Clouds linger for the first half of the day on Saturday, which will keep highs in the mid-60s, but it still looks great for the FC Cincinnati midday match!
Sunday will be gorgeous with plenty of sunshine, lower humidity, and a high right at 70°.
On Thursday afternoon, the summerlike weather sent temperatures into the lower 80s for most of Southeast Michigan.
The Thumb, however, was stuck with temperatures in the 70s due to a lake breeze.
The warm weather will continue into the night. Detroit Pistons fans will enjoy pleasant weather downtown after the game.
In the late evening, people leaving Little Caesars Arena or any other place in Metro Detroit will be greeted by mild temperatures in the upper-60s and lower-70s.
Clouds will increase overnight as temperatures fall to around 45 degrees in the Thumb, lower-50s from I-69 to I-696, and mid-50s south of I-696.
Friday
On Friday morning, people might have difficulty witnessing an astronomical spectacle. Venus, Saturn, and the crescent moon will be displayed in the eastern sky. The formation will give the appearance of a smiley face. The best viewing will be predawn.
The skies will be mostly cloudy, with rain showers and thunderstorms developing in the afternoon.
Thunderstorms could produce brief heavy rain.
Temperatures will climb into the lower to mid-70s, which is cooler but above the average high of 63 degrees.
Metro Detroit’s skies will be mostly cloudy, with rain showers and thunderstorms developing in the afternoon. (WDIV)
Friday night will be cloudy, with a chance of a few rain showers. The nighttime temperature will fall to the mid- to upper-40s.
Saturday
A few sprinkles will be possible early Saturday. Otherwise, clouds will decrease and give way to sunshine.
Highs will be around 60 degrees early in the morning, but temperatures will be in the 50s for much of the day. Lows will fall to around 40 degrees.
Sunday
Sunday will be mostly sunny. Expect highs in the lower to mid-60s and lows in the mid-40s.
Looking Ahead
Daytime temperatures will return to the 70s on Monday and the 80s on Tuesday.
Find the latest forecast from the 4Warn Weather team here
Remember to download the free 4Warn weather app — it’s easily one of the best in the nation. Just search your app store under WDIV, and it’s right there, available for both iPhones and Androids! Or click the appropriate link below.
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A marathon is about being in it for the long haul, and the St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon and Half Marathon have been doing this for some time. The popular race will celebrate its 25th year on April 26 with more than 25,000 runners set to prove the event is as strong as ever.
The number of participants dipped below 15,000 after the race was canceled in 2020 due to COVID, but has recovered to its normal numbers in time to celebrate its silver anniversary.
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The all-time number of participants for all events — marathon, half-marathon, 10K, 5K, 1-mile run and KiDS ROCK Marathon — was 32,000 from 2015 to 2019, and organizers are confident the race will reach that number again at some point.
Here’s a look at the evolution of the event, which began in 2000 as the Country Music Marathon:
Low numbers, fast times marked first County Music Marathon
About 7,500 runners showed up for the inaugural Country Music Marathon, which started in at Centennial Park. That was 2,000 fewer participants than had registered.
Luke Kibet from Kenya shattered state and city marathon record times by finishing in 2 hours, 12 minutes and 55 seconds. Lucia Subano, also from Kenya, was the top female finisher in 2:37:02.
Participation bolstered by addition of half marathon
After participant numbers dipped to under 6,000 for the second Country Music Marathon in 2001, concerns grew that the event may not survive. It was losing money and needed a jolt, which came when a half marathon was added in 2002.
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More than 11,500 total participants showed up for both races making the event stable enough financially to return in 2004. A decision also was made to make the full marathon course less challenging to increase participation.
Singer Sheryl Crow finished he 2012 St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Half Marathon in under two hours.
“The first couple of years definitely were not the results we hoped for or expected coming out of the Rock ‘n’ Roll San Diego event that had 20,000 runners in the first year,” said Nashville marathon general manager Adam Zocks.
“We wanted to come to Nashville and see the same kind of results. The general consensus in the running world at that time was that people wouldn’t travel for half marathons. But that changed when we created Virginia Beach (in 2021), which was a half marathon only and people did travel to it. Then we saw people also travel to Nashville for a half marathon.”
Jeff Fisher, Eddie George, Sheryl Crow and Bill Belichick helped Nashville marathon
Jeff Fisher, coach of the Tennessee Titans at the time, completed the 2002 Country Music Marathon in 4:09:13, beating his target time by almost six minutes.
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The splash Fisher made by running the race was followed by several other recognizable figures who participated including Titans running back great Eddie George, who ran the half marathon in 2007, along with singers Sheryl Crow and Jo Dee Messina in 2012, former Titans wide receiver Derrick Mason in 2013, former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick in 2014 and singer Kellie Pickler in 2017.
Scott Wietecha dominated Nashville marathon
Scott Wietecha, a high school cross-country coach, became the first local winner of the Country Music Marathon in 2013. He was only the second American to win the event. Ryan James from Belfast, Maine, had won the year before.
In its early years, elite runners from other countries were invited to the race. That practice stopped in 2012.
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Wietecha, who had finished second to James the previous year, won in 2:22:41 in a steady rain. Wietecha would go on to win the next six marathons.
In 2021, Wietecha said he had gained too much weight and was unable to train consistently due to COVID, which led to his decision not to compete any longer.
Runners start their route down Broadway during the National Anthem before the St. Jude Rock ’N’ Roll Nashville Marathon in Nashville , Tenn., Saturday, April 27, 2024.
New events, new name, new owner for Nashville marathon
Participation increased again when a 5K distance was added in 2015. More than 2,500 signed up for the first 5K bringing the overall number to a record 32,000
In 2016 the name was changed to St. Jude Rock ‘n’ Roll Nashville Marathon and Half Marathon. The event had long been part of the Rock ‘n’ Roll Running Series, which includes U.S. races in Arizona, Las Vegas, San Diego, San Jose and Washington, D.C., along with events in Spain and the Philippines.
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Another new event, the 1-mile run/walk, was added in 2017.
Nashville marathon moved to the fall
After COVID forced cancellation of the marathon and half marathon in 2020, it returned in 2021, but was moved from its traditional date in April to November. A much smaller field showed up with only about 12,000 participating in the full and half marathons.
Defending champion Will Cadwell from Cincinnati had signed up in 2020 before COVID. He forgot he had signed up and remembered just two months before the race and limited his training for the 26.2 miles.
Reach Mike Organ at 615-259-8021 or on X @MikeOrganWriter.
Matthew Modine recalled the first time he ever met his Stranger Things costar Millie Bobby Brown when “she was 11 years old”
Years later, Modine officiated Brown’s wedding in 2024
The actor, 66, spoke to PEOPLE on April 22 while attending the premiere of the new Stranger Things prequel show on Broadway, Stranger Things: The First Shadow
Matthew Modine shared that he’ll never forget the first time he met Stranger Things costar Millie Bobby Brown.
Modine spoke to PEOPLE while attending the opening night of Stranger Things: The First Shadow on Broadway at the Marquis Theatre on Tuesday, April 22. During the conversation, the actor opened up about his first encounter with Brown while filming the first season of the Netflix series.
“The first day that I met Millie … she was 11 years old,” Modine, 66, calls of the 2015 moment. “And she was sitting in the little cell [for her character], and everyone was so excited about her, and they were so excited to introduce me to work with her. And she was just so magical and professional and mature and a child, it was … you know, you know that thing they always say, ‘She’s got it’?”
“When she was 11 years old, I went, ‘Wow, this little girl’s got it,’ he adds.
Millie Bobby Brown and Matthew Modine in 2017.
Eric Charbonneau/Getty
Brown, now 21, plays the fan-favorite Eleven on the series, while Modine played Dr. Martin Brenner, her enigmatic surrogate father figure, in seasons one and four.
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Modine delved deeper into his dynamic with Brown while speaking at the Stranger Things Epic Cons panel in October.
“It begins and ends with Millie,” he told the audience of his best on-set memories. “I met her when she was 11 years old on the set. I fell in love with that innocent 11-year-old child.”
He went on to share that Brown is “so focused, so determined, so intelligent,” adding, “It is a friendship I will carry with me for the rest of my life.”
And their bond extends beyond the set. Modine also served as the officiant at Brown’s wedding to Jake Bongiovi in May 2024. A photo of the ceremony was shared by Bongiovi, 22, on his Instagram account in October.
“Amazing. Who’s the old guy with a beard?? 🤪❤️🍀,” Modine later joked in the comments section of the post.
Matthew Modine attends ‘Stranger Things: The First Shadow’ opening night on Broadway in N.Y.C. on April 22, 2025.
Jamie McCarthy/Getty
During the red carpet conversation with PEOPLE, Modine shared his thoughts on the new stage show, which takes place in 1959 and serves as a prequel to the television series.
“From everything that I’ve been told, it’s bigger, more frightening [than the show], and a lot of jump scares in the play, so I’m looking forward to seeing it,” he says.
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And while The First Shadow features a younger version of his Stranger Things character, Modine revealed that Alex Breaux, the actor who plays Dr. Brenner in the play, did not reach out to him for tips or guidance.
“Because he’s before me,” Modine said, referring to the character’s timeline. “Asking me how to play me in the future — that would be like predicting the future — so he had to learn how to be himself in the moment.”
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Stranger Things: The First Shadow was written by Kate Trefry and is directed by Stephen Daldry, with Justin Martin serving as co-director. You can purchase tickets here.
The fifth and final season of Stranger Things on Netflix is set to premiere this year.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — In just a few hours, it’ll be marathon madness!
The Rock N’ Roll St. Jude marathon is a much-anticipated event in Nashville, drawing people from around the world. This year, the city expects 25,000 runners to hit the streets.
But if you’ve lived in Nashville, you know the marathon can also bring mayhem in the form of road closures and traffic.
Starting as early as 3 a.m. Saturday, major roads like Broadway, Demonbreun, James Robertson Parkway, and Belmont Boulevard will be closed.
Race director Adam Zocks says with this in mind, if you need to be in Downtown Nashville, Music Row, 12th South or Metro Center this weekend, you need to plan ahead. But that doesn’t mean organizers don’t have your back.
“As the runners clear, we open roads,” he explained. “It’s not a situation when it’s til the last runner’s clear, and we don’t open anything. But as we’re moving forward, roads are being opened.”
Runners aren’t the only ones showing up in droves. Zocks says around 500 police and security officials will also be keeping you safe and directing traffic.
“There’s access lanes also,” Zocks went on. “Even on the course, there’s a lane to use to get to the next intersection that can get you across. So we haven’t shut down everything where you can’t move at all.”
At the end of the day, it’s all about the community — looking out for the ones enjoying the run and the ones avoiding the madness.
“It’s a Nashville institution. 25 years is a long time,” Zocks concluded.
The roads should be cleared up by 2 p.m. The race ends near Shelby Park, so the road closures in that area will last the longest.
If you use a bus anywhere near downtown, you’ll most likely be impacted by all this, too. WeGo has announced several detours because of the marathon, with many starting as early as 4 a.m. and lasting through noon.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at nikki.hauser@newschannel5.com.
Adventures in Iceland: Tourists credited with saving Iceland after economic collapse
My friend and colleague Carrie Sharp had a lot of fun last week, on an adventure to a country more than three thousand miles away! She’s back now – sharing her Adventures in Iceland through stories, and incredible images of this remarkably beautiful and unique island nation (kudos to Chief Photographer Catherine Steward)! But did you know Nashville has something very important in common with Iceland? Tourism! Here, Carrie explains how a volcanic eruption decades ago helped save the country’s economy from collapse!
Burnley have named Aaron Ramsey in their match-day squad for the first time in 14 months as they take on QPR in their final away game of the season.
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The midfielder has faced over a year on the sidelines after suffering a serious injury during a defeat to Arsenal in February 2024.
A month ago, the attacking midfielder made his long-awaited return for the club’s Under-21 side and has since made another two outings, stepping up his minutes.
The 22-year-old now returns to the first-team picture for the first time, as he’s named among the substitutes
Luca Koleosho comes in for Marcus Edwards, who drops down to the bench.
Lyle Foster, who is closing in on a return from a shoulder problem, remains absent alongside Jordan Beyer, Bashir Humphreys, Jonjo Shelvey, Enock Agyei, Manuel Benson and Mike Tresor.
Aaron Ramsey of Burnley looks on during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Arsenal FC at Turf Moor on February 17, 2024 in Burnley, England. (Photo by Matt McNulty/Getty Images)
As for QPR, they make two changes to their side from last week’s 2-1 defeat to Swansea City. The Hoops have little to play for, sitting 15th in the table and seven points clear of the bottom three.
Taylor Fritz made a winning return to action at the Madrid Open.
The American number one has not played since reaching the semi-finals of the Miami Open following a longstanding abdominal injury.
Four weeks after his defeat to Jakub Mensik in Florida, Fritz is back on the ATP Tour and has commenced his clay court season in impressive fashion.
Fritz is known for his consistency and he hopes that his opening round win at the Madrid Open can help him get back on track in that regard.
Photo by Andy Cheung/Getty Images
Taylor Fritz discloses what he said to his coach in practice before tennis return in Madrid
Taylor Fritz opened up his Madrid Open campaign against Australia’s Christopher O’Connell.
Friday’s encounter was his first match on clay since the 2024 Olympic Games, but Fritz moved well and applied pressure on his opponent from the outset.
He struck the ball cleanly and won 87% of his first serve points to seal a 6-1, 6-4 victory in 75 minutes.
Fritz revealed the little amount of practice he has had over the last month, but told his coach how happy he was with his level in practice having less time on the court due to his injury, though he was nervous to say so.
“It feels great to come back and play a really solid match,” the US Open runner-up said. “I didn’t want to jinx it before the match, but I was telling my coach that I was really impressed with how my level has been in practice the last couple of days.
“The first ball I hit since the match I lost in Miami was the day before I flew here, so I had three weeks of nothing, then five days of tennis. I’m super happy I can come out and produce that level on the little bit of prep I had.”
Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images
Taylor Fritz aiming to replicate 2024 Madrid Open performance
Fritz is aiming to replicate his performance at the Madrid Open from a year ago, or go even further.
He reached the semi-finals in the Spanish capital last year, beating the likes of Hubert Hurkacz and Francisco Cerudolo along the way, before he was beaten by eventual champion Andrey Rublev.
Though Fritz is lacking some match fitness, he is on the hunt for the title, which would be his first trophy of the season.
Fritz faces Benjamin Bonzi on Sunday, who upset Hurkacz in the previous round in straight sets. This will be Fritz’s first meeting against the Frenchman.
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(705x385:707x387)/Mathew-Modine-Millie-Bobby-Brown-042525-839c0658b5e4434bb659d61206c43509.jpg "Matthew Modine of ‘Stranger Things’ Recalls Meeting Millie Bobby Brown (Exclusive)")
