HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- NASCAR chairman Brian France refused Sunday to discuss his political support of President-elect Donald Trump and quickly pivoted the conversation toward his own efforts at improving diversity in his sport.France addressed the media hours before Sundays title-deciding season finale, and a day after Mexican Daniel Suarez became the first foreign-born driver to win a NASCAR national title. Earlier in the 17-minute news conference, France declared that Suarez would never have been in position to win the Xfinity Series championship if not for Frances diversity efforts.Without the Drive for Diversity program, with certainty, Daniel Suarez is not in NASCAR, France said.When the topic turned to Trump, France quickly shut down the questioning.France was an early supporter of Trump and took several drivers to a rally in Georgia earlier this year. France also appeared as a Trump supporter at a town hall meeting during the campaign.Its been Trumps stance on immigration, specifically with Mexico, that has appeared to be in conflict with Frances efforts. France has pushed for increased diversity, and was outspoken on his desire to remove the Confederate flag from NASCAR events.Asked Sunday about Suarezs championship in comparison to his support of Trump, France cut off the question from NBCSports.com.Ill stop you right there, he said. First of all, nobody wants to hear my political views. Not one person on this stage wants to hear from me politically. So I wont be talking about that.But on my diversity, nobody, nobody in this company, has worked harder, done more and resourced it better than me. I founded the Diversity Council. I fought for every single thing that makes sense, because thats my core belief about diversity. Its very, very important. I talk about it frequently, and my efforts there should never be challenged, no matter what my political views might be. Thats a ridiculous thing to do.France was prickly about several other topics and sweating profusely under the lights of the Homestead-Miami Speedway dais.He argued that the sport is healthy, even though Sprint is ending its 13-year association as title sponsor after Sundays race. NASCAR has had nearly two years to replace Sprint, but no sponsor has been named. In recent days, Monster Energy has emerged as a possible front-runner for the title rights.Its taken a little longer than I thought, but its also a big agreement and an important agreement, France said. Its not just dollars and cents, but its a fit for us. We dont want to announce anything certainly around this weekend. Were in a good spot with that, I believe, but well have to see how it finally plays out.France also downplayed the decline in television ratings -- eight Chase races have been down double-digits this season -- but France doesnt think the elimination-style playoff format is to blame. He noted ratings declines in all major sports and that consumption has shifted. For example, France said, he watched a Duke basketball game in a highlight package on his laptop rather than watch the game live on television.While some fans have pointed to the Chase for the championship system as a reason they no longer watch races, France believes the format now used in all three national series is best for the sport.Were very pleased with the formats. Wouldnt change a thing, he said. Go back a year ago for the Xfinity Series ... you had the winner and the champion and a couple others talk about all they needed to do was finish the race. `If I ran 30th, Ill be OK. Well, thats not really great for great competition.Speed it up to this year, you had all four thinking theyve got to win the race. Thats a big deal for auto racing. Were bold enough to do that. Vapormax Plus Soldes . Already owning gold from competition in Vancouver in 2010, Loch posted a combined four-run time of 3:27.526. That included a track-record third run of 51. Vapormax Flyknit 3 Noir . Datsyuk will miss Tuesdays game against New Jersey and could be sidelined longer, while Cleary will likely miss at least the next three games. Its been an injury-plagued season for Datsyuk, who has suited up for just 39 games. http://www.vapormaxpaschersoldes.fr/ . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Vapormax Flyknit 2 Homme Pas Cher . "Hes going to have hip surgery on Jan. 7, and hell be expected to rehabilitate for four to six months beyond that," Canucks general manager Mike Gillis said Friday in an interview. Vapormax 97 Femme Pas Cher . Here are his mid-season NBA awards. MVP: (KEVIN DURANT-Thunder) - Has been sensational this season and more importantly, the most consistent player in the league. Considering that his team has been without star guard Russell Westbrook and with the free agent departure of sharpshooter Kevin Martin, hes had to carry the majority of the load to not only keep his team afloat but more importantly, at an elite level. NEW YORK -- The Yankees four-game set against the AL-leading Rangers started Monday with what Chase Headley called maybe the toughest loss of his career.On Wednesday, Texas was two outs from winning the first three games. And yet the series ended Thursday with New York somehow earning a split when Headley scampered home on a passed ball for his teams second straight victory in the bottom of the ninth.Headley just beat the throw with two outs for a 2-1 win. Four Yankees pitchers combined to strike out 16 Rangers -- 12 by starter Michael Pineda.Didi Gregorius, who had the winning home run hours earlier when the Yankees rallied from a four-run ninth-inning deficit Wednesday night, hit a solo shot in the fifth to tie the score. Shin-Soo Choo had homered to lead off the game.Reliever Tony Barnette (5-3) walked Headley to lead off the bottom of the ninth. With runners on second and third and two outs, Robinson Chirinos dropped a fastball from Barnette.Headley had been concerned that Chirinos might try to throw behind him, and when he saw the pitch wasnt low, he started to take a half-step back before he saw the ball squirt away.Once it got by, though, theres no going back, he said. You just hope that you make it.Chirinos said he knew which pitch was coming and its location.Its my fault, he said.Barnette blamed himself for the leadoff walk.Its unacceptable, he said. You walk a guy to start an inning, most of the time hes going to score.Aroldis Chapman (2-0) worked around Adrian Beltres leadoff single in the top of the ninth to earn the win.In what manager Joe Girardi called his best outing of the season, Pineda was sharp after a shaky first inning, when Choo crushed the fourth pitch of the game for his 18th career leadoff homer.Pineda struck out Rougned Odor with two runners on to prevent further damage, and he didnt allow a hit the rest of the way -- reaching what is a magical six-inning mark for Yankees starters because of their trio of hard-throwing relievers.Dellin Betances, Andrew Miller and Chapman each pitched a scoreless inning.After a rough start to the season, Pineda had a 2.75 ERA in June, though he has just one win to shhow for it because of a lack of run support.ddddddddddddLike Pineda, Rangers starter A.J. Griffin cruised after laboring through the first. Both pitchers struck out the side in the second, and overall nine straight batters struck out from the bottom of the first through the top of the third.Griffin retired 12 in a row before Gregorius tying homer. Griffin departed after throwing 88 pitches in five innings. He allowed the one run and two hits with two walks and eight strikeouts.After Headleys walk in the ninth, Gregorius came up again with a chance to win it -- but this time he sacrificed, bunting Headley to second with one out. Aaron Hicks then walked.Starlin Castro, who hit a walk-off home run of his own eight days earlier, grounded out to first to put the runners on second and third with two outs.MOMENTUM SWINGOn Monday, the Yankees blew a ninth-inning lead after a 3 1/2-hour rain delay, and the game didnt end until 2:44 a.m. But now they start a 10-game road trip back at .500.Hopefully this is what really got us going, Girardi said.TRAINERS ROOMYankees: Carlos Beltran, who didnt start for the second straight game because of right hamstring tightness, can bat, but he cant run. He pinch-hit for No. 9 hitter Ronald Torreyes in the seventh, and after he walked, Castro, who didnt start with a day game after a night game, pinch-ran for him. Girardi is concerned about Beltrans ability to play the field during this weekends interleague series at San Diego and doesnt expect him to start Friday. ... C Brian McCann played a day game after a night game even though tendinitis in his knee flared up Wednesday.UP NEXTRangers: Texas continues its 10-game road trip with a three-game series at Minnesota, with LHP Martin Perez (7-4) seeking his seventh straight victory when he faces RHP Ervin Santana (2-7) on Friday.Yankees: New York opens a 10-game road trip with an interleague series at San Diego, when RHP Nathan Eovaldi (6-5) looks for his first win in more than a month in a matchup against RHP Colin Rea (4-3). ' ' '