The FIA Rally Star programme will provide extra support to rising star Romet Jurgenson and has opted to retain Taylor Gill and Max Smart to contest the 2025 FIA Junior WRC.

The three drivers have impressed after earning selection into the FIA’s fully-funded programme that aims to unearth future WRC talent.

Jose Caparo (Peru), Gill (Australia), Jurgenson (Estonia) and Smart (South Africa) impressed judges to earn fully funded drives in this year’s Junior WRC.

This year was intended to be a learning year although Jurgenson and Gill found themselves locked in a fight for the Junior WRC title with the former coming out on top.

As a result, the 24-year-old will receive a fully-funded drive in the WRC’s second tier WRC2 class. FIA rally Star has now confirmed it will extend its support from four events to six next year. Jurgenson will pilot an M-Sport-build Ford Fiesta Rally2 although his event schedule is yet to be announced.

“We were already looking forward to doing four WRC2 events with M-Sport as our prize for winning the Junior WRC title but to get two extra events thanks to the support of FIA Rally Star is really great and I can’t thank the FIA enough,” said Jurgenson.

“As in 2024, I am trying my best to add some events with my own sponsors, but the overall target is to get the maximum out of the year in terms of experience and developing as a Rally2 driver. It’s a new category for me, new car, new speeds, new events…

“Everything is different, but I still want to show my potential at some point in the year so it’s not all about gaining experience, but also to show my speed, which is really important for continuing my career.”

Romet Jurgenson, Oja Siim, Ford Fiesta R3

Photo by: Jaanus Ree – Red Bull Content Pool

After analysing extensive data and considering the recommendations of the FIA Rally Star team of experts, the FIA Rally Star Committee agreed that Gill and Smart will embark on their second seasons in the Junior WRC in 2025. Caparo and co-driver Esther Gutierrez will no longer be part of the programme.

“Since they were selected for the FIA Rally Star programme, Max, Romet and Taylor have not only demonstrated their talent but also their determination and it’s only right they have been rewarded with further opportunities to learn and progress in 2025, said FIA Deputy President for Sport Robert Reid.

“At the same time, it’s a further demonstration of the success of FIA Rally Star that young hopefuls with limited experience who came through from grassroots level via selection events organised by FIA Member Clubs are preparing to embark on their second seasons in the FIA World Rally Championship.

“This will incentivise other aspiring WRC champions to start their motorsport adventures by joining their FIA Member Club and discovering the possibilities that exist.

“I’d also like to thank Abito and Esther for their contributions to FIA Rally Star and I look forward to seeing how the learnings and experience from this programme help them in their future motor sport journeys.”

A BRITISH boxer has been found dead in a Thai hotel room reportedly next to drug paraphernalia.

The 21-year-old was found next to unconscious Australian star Jayson Tonkin in a room on the fourth floor of a hotel in the coastal resort city of Pattaya.

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Cops said the two men were found just after midnight Wednesday with “drug paraphernalia” on the table after staff heard a commotion in the room.

On arriving they found Jayson panicking “in a state of severe intoxication” about why his friend was “lying still”, local media reported.

The Brit was found shirtless, wearing just black shorts and a waist bag.

A police spokesman said: “We have taken photos of the scene and collected all evidence.

“We believe he may have died from a drug overdose based on what we found in the room.

“We will question his friend further when he is conscious.”

Jayson was later taken to hospital and is currently in the ICU unconscious.

Despite that, Thai cops, who take a hard line on drugs, could charge him with consumption or possession leading to up to five years in prison, the Daily Mail reports.

Jayson, originally from Manly in Sydney, moved to Thailand as a teen and had begun fight in Muay Thai bouts.

A middleweight Muay Thai fighter nicknamed The Dingo, Jayson opened up about his struggles with drugs – and in particular methamphetamine – in a podcast about mental health made earlier this year.

One fight planned for October 20 against WBC Muay Thai world number one middleweight champion, Tengnueng Sitjaesairoong had been cancelled after Monsoon rains had hit the area.

The Foreign Office has been approached for comment.

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Derrick Lewis shared the octagon with Francis Ngannou in a fight both have admitted they’d like to forget at UFC 226 in July 2018, but Lewis said Ngannou—without even knowing—helped him out years later.

Lewis is set to face Jhonata Diniz at UFC Edmonton this Saturday. Following his memorable knockout win over Marcos Rogerio de Lima at UFC 291 in July 2023, Lewis re-signed with the promotion. With Ngannou signing with PFL and negotiating guaranteed big paydays for his opponent, Lewis saw that as a negotiating tool.

“Francis played the role of helping me get this contract that I got right now,” Lewis told MMA Fighting. “Because, you know, the negotiations, I said, ‘Man, look what they’re doing over there, I could be over there getting that. It’s so weird. I would like to stay here.’

“So, you know, I ain’t gonna say too much.”

“The Black Beast” stopped Rodrigo Nascimento in the main event of UFC St. Louis in his most recent outing in May. Lewis was originally slated to face Alexandr Romanov, but the promotion shifted him to Diniz for what will likely be a striking battle.

Now that Lewis has a lucrative contract, he hopes to continue fighting as frequently as he did in the past. He can’t complain about the money he’s getting, even with the potential of getting millions to face Ngannou in PFL during his brief free agency period.

“Yes, because it was there, so now I’m here,” Lewis said. “So, you know, now they’re trying to space my fights out. I said, ‘No, don’t space them out. Come on, give me them three, or four fights that I wanted to give them before.’”

Ngannou recently made his MMA return at PFL Battle of the Giants earlier this month and knocked out Renan Ferreira in the first round. Ngannou battled with a heavy heart following the passing of his 15-month-old son Kobe. As a father, himself, Lewis couldn’t help but feel for his past foe.

“I heard, I read an article about what happened,” Lewis said. “It’s pretty sad his son passed away like being one-year-old at that too, because at one they are already responsive, like talking and moving around, walking and stuff like that. So to lose a son that early, like at that age, I’m sure it’s very traumatic.”

While Lewis doesn’t watch a lot of MMA in his free time, his coach showed him Ngannou’s big finish of Ferreira.

“Oh, it was good,” Lewis said of Ngannou’s performance. “It was good, I didn’t watch the fight [live]. I don’t think nobody did, I heard they only got 10,000 pay-per-view buys, but it’s good [for Francis].”

Beauden Barrett has been picked ahead of Damian McKenzie at fly-half for New Zealand’s meeting with England on Saturday.

Barrett started at 10 only once in the Rugby Championship earlier this year, with McKenzie steering the side from stand-off for the first five games.

Barrett, a former two-time World Player of the Year, spent the early part of this year playing for Japanese side Toyota Verblitz as part of a sabbatical agreed with New Zealand Rugby.

Elsewhere, Beauden’s brother Jordie Barrett is back from injury and comes into midfield at the expense of Anton Lienert-Brown, while loose-head prop Tamaiti Williams is one of only three players to keep their places from the warm-up win over Japan.

Cortez Ratima starts at scrum-half with Cam Roigard on the bench alongside McKenzie.

Second row Scott Barrett captains his two brothers and the rest of the side, with Sam Cane and Ardie Savea joined in the back row by Wallace Sititi, who wins his seventh cap.

With Election Day less than one week away, all eyes and ears are on the political discourse happening in the U.S.

One debate that took place Wednesday night in front of a national television audience was between UFC CEO Dana White and prominent businessman and television personality Mark Cuban.

The two men appeared on a News Nation town hall hosted by Chris Cuomo in front of a live studio audience. While guests Bill O’Reilly and Stephen A. Smith were featured in studio, White and Cuban joined the discussion via video call.

A staunch supporter of former U.S. president and current Republican nominee Donald Trump, White called into question the record of current vice president and Democratic nominee Kamala Harris, and criticized the exit of President Joe Biden from the race.

Cuban rebutted White’s praise of Trump, mentioning the economy under his administration, the implementation of tariffs, and his handling of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Watch the exchange between Cuban and White in the video above.

For more news and coverage on Election 2024, visit USA TODAY.

That gallus approach is attracting attention. Even in a 3-0 defeat by Celtic last Sunday, Miller’s all-round game stood out, striking the woodwork twice.

A clip then circulated of veteran broadcaster Martin Tyler waxing lyrical about the teenager, while former Scotland striker Kris Boyd suggested the midfielder is now out of reach for both Old Firm clubs.

Experienced Motherwell duo Andy Halliday and Paul McGinn have also said Miller, who ended Wednesday’s win at Tannadice with the captain’s armband, is the best youngster they have ever played with.

When you consider Halliday trained with a teenage Billy Gilmour at Rangers, plus McGinn’s younger brother is Aston Villa captain John, the comments are “obviously a huge honour” for Miller.

But with the help of dad Lee – now a barber and a good one at that, according to his son – the youngster is able to keep a lid on things by putting plaudits and speculation to one side.

A Scotland Under-21 international, much of the chat surrounding the teenager has been whether he is capable of making the step up to the senior squad.

His dad believes he is “good enough” now, while Miller says “I’ll be ready” whenever the call comes.

Regardless, it feels somewhat poignant that his first appearance at the national stadium is set to come for the club he has dedicated more than half his life to.

The Fir Park club travel to Hampden knowing victory against a troubled Rangers side would take them to within a win of their first major honour in 33 years.

Miller recognises Motherwell will still be “massive underdogs” in the tie, but the teenager is eyeing an opportunity to make himself, along with his team-mates, a club legend.

“We just need to go out there and enjoy it,” he says. “That’s all we can do, we know it’s a massive game for everybody involved.

“And we know we have a chance to make history – that’s the main aim.”