AUTO RACING

Seven-time NASCAR champion Jimmie Johnson is retiring from full-time racing and will turn his focus toward spending time with family.

He figures his future schedule will include no more than 10 bucket-list events, but the 47-year-old had no idea Monday what that will look like in 2023.

Johnson told The Associated Press he was excited to announce “I’ve got a blank sheet of paper, and we can now see what opportunities exist and start making a calendar.” Carvana has already told Johnson it will back whatever racing he pursues.

Johnson took two weeks from the IndyCar finale — with a weekend spent in England with Ganassi teammates Scott Dixon and Dario Franchitti at the Goodwood Revival — before finalizing his decision to scale back. He told the AP he didn’t really need the time to ponder his future.

COLLEGES

Advertisement

FOOTBALL: Auburn has lost its second center of the season with Tate Johnson slated for surgery on his left elbow.

Tigers Coach Bryan Harsin said that Johnson is scheduled for surgery on the elbow Thursday and is expected to miss 6-8 weeks but could be out for the season. Jalil Irvin replaced him after Johnson went down with the injury against Missouri.

Johnson had taken over after sixth-year center Nick Brahms retired from football just ahead of the season opener after attempting to return from knee surgery.

• Geoff Collins is out as Georgia Tech’s football coach, fired in the midst of his fourth season after failing to make headway with a brash plan to turn the Yellow Jackets into a national powerhouse through branding and promoting Atlanta’s big-city culture.

Brent Key, the assistant head coach under Collins, was appointed interim head coach. He doesn’t have much time to settle in: The Yellow Jackets are at No. 24 Pittsburgh on Saturday.

• Defensive back Javon Bullard’s status for No. 1 Georgia’s Southeastern Conference game at Missouri on Saturday is uncertain after he was arrested and charged with driving under the influence of alcohol.

Advertisement

Coach Kirby Smart said Bullard must appear before a committee that includes Athletic Director Josh Brooks.

Bullard was arrested by University of Georgia police in Athens early Sunday and charged with seven misdemeanors, including failure to maintain lane and holding a wireless device. He was booked at 4:57 a.m. and was released on bond less than four hours later.

BOXING

HEAVWEIGHT: Tyson Fury has ruled out fighting fellow British heavyweight Anthony Joshua after his self-imposed deadline expired.

Fury set Joshua’s camp an ultimatum on Friday night, insisting he would walk away from the long-anticipated fight if a deal could not be done by Monday.

In a video posted on Instagram, the WBC champion said: “Well guys, it’s official. D-day has come and gone. It’s gone past 5 o’clock, Monday. No contract has been signed.

Advertisement

SOCCER

WORLD CUP: Christian Pulisic and Ricardo Pepi will join the U.S. starting lineup for the Americans’ last World Cup warmup against Saudi Arabia on after Coach Gregg Berhalter admitted “we got our butts kicked” by Japan last week.

The 14th-ranked U.S. failed to get a single shot on target in Friday’s 2-0 defeat to No 24 Japan, a match Pulisic missed because of an unspecified injury.

Berhalter plans to announce his 26-man World Cup roster on Nov. 9, 12 days before the Americans open in Qatar against No. 19 Wales. The U.S. plays fifth-ranked England on Black Friday and closes the first round against 22nd-ranked Iran on Nov. 29.

BASKETBALL

NBA: The Milwaukee Bucks re-signed forward Jordan Nwora. Nwora, 24, played 62 games last season and made 13 starts. He averaged 7.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, 1 assist and 19.1 minutes. He shot 40.3% from the floor and 34.8% from 3-point range.

Comments are no longer available on this story