Southern Raceway in Milton is returning to the NeSmith Chevrolet Old Man’s Garage Weekly Racing Series for the 2013 season. Southern Raceway officials are currently putting together a schedule for their Crate Late Model Division during the 27-week season for the series that began March 25 and runs through Sept. 29.

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Coastal Paddle Co. will host the second Five
Flags Paddle Board Classic beginning at 9 a.m. Saturday, April 20, at the Grand
Marlin Pensacola Beach.

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MOTOR SPORTS

NASCAR driver hospitalized

Denny Hamlin suffered a compression fracture in his lower spine during a last-lap crash while racing for the win against former teammate Joey Logano, and Joe Gibbs Racing gave no indication Monday how long its driver could be sidelined.

"I just want to go home," Hamlin tweeted from a hospital in Southern California. He later posted a photo of himself giving a thumbs-up and appeared to be wearing a back brace.

The team said he had what is called an L1 compression fracture; essentially, the first vertebra in the lumbar section of his spine collapsed.

Hamlin was released from the hospital Monday night, and JGR said he'd return to North Carolina to be evaluated by Dr. Jerry Petty of Carolina Neurosurgery and Spine Associates. A reporter from USA Today spoke to Hamlin outside the hospital and reported Hamlin, wearing a back brace, walked out on his own.

NASCAR does not race this weekend, but returns to action April 7 at Martinsville Speedway, where Hamlin, who is 10th in the Sprint Cup standings, is a four-time winner.

MISC.

Table tennis tournaments

The Pensacola Table Tennis Club recently announced it will host Pensacola’s USO Open starting at 9 a.m. April 13 at the Fricker Community Center, 901 North E St. in Pensacola. For more information, call 436-5195.

RUNNING

The Pensacola Sports Association is accepting registrations for the Pensacola Marathon, which will be run Sunday, Nov. 10. The 2012 marathon sold out for the first time in its history with 1,500 runners competing in the marathon and 800 running in the half-marathon.

The race begins and ends at Veteran's Memorial Park on the Pensacola Bay front, then winds its way along a 13.1 mile circuit of the city for the half marathoners and a full 26.2 loop for the full marathon.  The course features historic neighborhoods, the downtown district, scenic water views, cliffs, bands, and cheering Pensacolians.  The finish line is next to Pensacola Wall South, the only replica of the National Vietnam War Memorial in Washington, D.C.

For those runners still needing to qualify for the Boston Marathon, the Pensacola Marathon is a quality certified course. For full details on the race visit the Pensacola Marathon website at marathonpensacola.com or call (850) 434-2800. Runners can register online at www.marathonpensacola.com, by completing and returning the form printed from the website or in person at Running Wild in Pensacola.

SOFTBALL

Adult softball

The City of Milton is accepting signups for adult spring softball leagues. Spring softball league play will include a co-ed league on Mondays, church league on Tuesdays, a men’s league on Wednesday, and a church co-ed league on Thursday’s. Cost is $350 per team with play getting underway April 8. For more information, call Robert Arnold at the Milton Community Center at 983-5466 or go to the city’s website, www.ci.milton.fl.us.

The Navarre High School Raiders spent their spring break playing in the Aggie Classic last week in Pensacola – and probably wish Oklahoma schools took some other week off.

The Raiders faced three opponents from the Sooner State and came out on the wrong end of the score in each contest. (Photo by Amy Frederick: Chase Meek pitches for the Raiders.)

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