Steve Cohen, a billionaire who owns a small percentage of the New York Mets, is negotiating an agreement to increase his investment, a move that could signal that Fred and Jeff Wilpon's longtime control of the franchise will be over within five years.

Sterling Partners, the company that runs the Mets, and Cohen released a statement on Wednesday, confirming the talks. The announcement said that as part of the agreement "Fred Wilpon will remain in the role of the Control Person and CEO for five years and Jeff Wilpon will remain in his role of Chief Operating Officer for the five-year period as well."

Bloomberg reported that Cohen is in talks to acquire up to 80% of the team, which would be valued at $2.6 billion.

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Cohen, an investor and hedge fund manager worth an estimated $13 billion, bought a 4% share of the Mets in 2012 for $20 million. At the time, Cohen was also bidding to buy the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Cohen, 63, a native of Great Neck, New York, is chief executive officer of Point72 Asset Management.

In 2013, Cohen's former firm, SAC Capital, pleaded guilty to insider trading charges and paid a record $1.8 billion penalty. Cohen was accused of failing to adequately oversee an employee and was not personally fined.

The Wilpons have been majority owners of the team since 2002, when they bought out Nelson Doubleday for $135 million. Wilson and Doubleday had bought the team from former owner Joan Payson in 1980 for $21 million.

The Mets have been to the playoffs just three times under the Wilpons, in 2006, 2015 and 2016. They lost to the Kansas City Royals in the 2015 World Series.

Zack Wheeler was the third-best starter on the market this winter, and if you're a contending team that didn't want to bid on either of the big two -- Gerrit Cole and Stephen Strasburg -- because the contracts for those two pitchers are likely to reach seven years, he was the best option available. The Philadelphia Phillies seemed to agree, paying Wheeler more than anyone thought he'd get (I think) on a five-year deal and potentially moving this team, which has fallen short of the playoffs in two straight years where they were projected to get there, closer to an actual postseason berth.

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Busch Beer, the “Official Beer of NASCAR,” will be awarded the 2019 Marketing Achievement Award today at the NASCAR Industry Awards Reception during NASCAR Champion’s Week in Nashville.

Since returning as an Official Partner in 2018, the global brand has leveraged its Busch Pole Award platform, No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing partnership and track relationships to create distinctive content throughout the season to drive fan and media engagement around the Busch Beer brand.

“We take great pride in creating new and surprising ways to engage NASCAR fans throughout the year, so being honored with this award is a special achievement for our team,” said Nick Kelly, vice president partnerships, beer category and community, Anheuser-Busch. “Our partnership with NASCAR and the industry at-large has allowed us to do what we do best, deliver creative marketing that resonates with fans and drives consumption of crisp, refreshing Busch Beer.”

To celebrate 40 years of Busch Beer at the DAYTONA 500, Busch Beer developed the #Car2Can promotion for a chance to win one of 40 limited-edition Busch Beer cans created from Kevin Harvick’s No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford.

Fans watching the iconic Daytona 500 on FOX were given the chance to “watch and win” via an on-screen social media trivia contest using the #Car2Can promotion hashtags. The social campaign generated more than 44 thousand mentions and 67 million impressions.

“Busch Beer continues to successfully drive consumer engagement by creatively integrating its assets from across all levels of its NASCAR sponsorship,” said Jill Gregory, executive vice president and chief marketing and content officer, NASCAR. “Hats off to our partners for galvanizing our brand-loyal fans across the season, and cheers to all they have in store for 2020.”

TULSA, Okla. — The 2020 edition of the Vacuworx Invitational Race of Champions, which is run annually during the Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals, is getting a new format and eligibility requirements.

Contested during Tuesday night (Jan. 14) action inside River Spirit Expo Center, the event has required that participants be a past driver champion of the Chili Bowl or driving for a past owner champion.

Starting in 2020, a driver’s past performance, both at the Chili Bowl and with select sprint car and midget sanctioning bodies, will dictate whether or not they are invited to compete.

This year’s eligibility rules are as follows:

• Drivers finishing in the top three of Saturday night’s A-Feature during the previous five Chili Bowls.
• Drivers finishing in the top two of the past five VIROC events.
• Preliminary night winners from the most recent Chili Bowl.
• Series champions from the most recent calendar year in the World of Outlaws NOS Energy Sprint Car Series, Lucas Oil ASCS Sprint Car Series, Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions USAC NOS Energy Drink Midget Series, AMSOIL USAC National Sprint Car Series and the POWRi National Midget League.

No Driver substitutions or alternates from a sanctioning body will be allowed.

Starting lineup for the VIROC will be set by group qualifying. Drivers will draw for their qualifying position, then qualify in groups of three to four. Drivers will get two warmup laps, then three green-flag laps to set their time. The eight fastest will be inverted with ninth fastest on back lined up by qualifying time.

The VIROC feature will be 25 Laps.

“We’ve been wanting to change the VIROC for a few years now and have been looking at different ways to do that where your top drivers and champions are still in, but it allows new drivers to compete as well, and going back five years and using those results, that gives us a good mix, and then also, adding in the different series champions gives these guys something to race for all year,” explained Chili Bowl co-founder Emmett Hahn.

The following drivers are eligible for the 2020 VIROC during the Chili Bowl:

Christopher Bell — 2017-2019 Chili Bowl Champion
Daryn Pittman — Runner-up, 2017 Chili Bowl Nationals
Spencer Bayston — Third Place, 2018 Chili Bowl Nationals
Damion Gardner —Third Place, 2015 Chili Bowl Nationals
Zach Daum — Third Place, 2016 Chili Bowl Nationals

Drivers invited based on 2019 Prelim Night Victory

Logan Seavey — Monday Night Winner
Kyle Larson — Tuesday Night Winner
Rico Abreu — Wednesday Night Winner
Justin Grant — Friday Night Winner

Drivers invited based on VIROC performance (2015-2019)

Tanner Thorson — 2019 VIROC Winner
Chad Boat — 2018 VIROC Winner
Sammy Swindell —- 2015 VIROC Winner

Drivers invited based on 2019 Series Championship Winners

Brad Sweet — 2019 NOS Energy Drink World of Outlaws Champion
Sam Hafertepe, Jr. — 2019 Lucas Oil ASCS National Tour Champion
Aaron Reutzel — 2019 Ollie’s Bargain Outlet All Star Circuit of Champions
Jesse Colwell — POWRi Lucas Oil National Midget League Champion
Tyler Courtney — USAC NOS Energy Drink National Midget Champion
C.J. Leary — USAC AMSOIL National Sprint Car Champion

Tiger Woods said Tuesday that the goal with testing out possible Presidents Cup pairings in the first round of this week's Hero World Challenge would be putting friends together and having fun.

"I would say that trying to pair up the guys so they had fun this week, we're looking at that,” Woods said. "The only time I'm able to do that and pair up guys with friends is the first day. We re-pair after that, so pairing guys that are friends, having a good time, that was key."

Well for the most part, it looked like Woods had a blast with buddy Justin Thomas on Wednesday, but it was particularly evident on the 11th hole, when the 44-year-old tournament host outdrove the 26-year-old Thomas by a mile, and then made sure to let him know it.

While walking down the fairway, Tiger strolled over to JT's ball just to "make sure" it wasn't his, bringing a big smile to the face of the player 18 years his junior.

Thomas did, however get the last laugh, carding a 69 to beat Woods' even-par 72 by three strokes.

Ernie Els knows what it takes to face Tiger Woods in a Presidents Cup singles match, and he knows what he's looking for in deciding Woods' potential opponent next week at Royal Melbourne.

Els and Woods squared off in one of the most memorable duels in Presidents Cup history when they faced off in singles play in 2003 and then went head-to-head again in a cup-deciding overtime match that ultimately ended in a draw. Now they're each captains for the biennial matches that will resume next week in Australia, with one big difference - only Woods will also try his hand as a playing captain.

After choosing himself with a pick, Woods is required to play in a minimum of two matches including a singles match on the final day. Els is playing this week in the Australian Open along with six International Team members, and he told PGATour.com that he'll assess some intangible factors when weighing which players might be best-suited to go up against the reigning Masters champ.

"I'll analyze how the guys are playing and see who's really got the look in the eye," Els said. "There are a lot of guys who have put their hands up to want to play Tiger ... but I will not put a guy in there that's going to feel overwhelmed."

Els' team will include seven rookies, and only four of his players have ever participated in a Presidents Cup that featured Woods as a player. None have ever played him in singles. Woods' most recent singles opponent was South Africa's Richard Sterne at the 2013 matches at Muirfield Village, while he hasn't lost in Presidents Cup singles match since facing Mike Weir in 2007.

While Ryder Cup captains submit their entire singles' lineup without knowing who will play for the other side, Presidents Cup singles' matches are set pick by pick meaning that the captains can have a say in who faces certain opponents.

One year after Jon Rahm beat Woods in singles' play at the Ryder Cup, Els explained that he won't be afraid to put a fresh face next to Woods' name as he looks to help the Internationals to just their second win in the 25-year history of the event.

"The youngsters look up at him, but they definitely want to have a piece of him," Els said. "So, we'll see who I think can really play against Tiger the best and get the best result."

NASSAU, Bahamas — For a round of even 72, it was a colorful scorecard. Windblown thoughts from Tiger Woods’ roller-coaster Wednesday at the Hero World Challenge:

• Even for a December hit and giggle in the Bahamas, it was a sleepy first 10 holes. Woods had little momentum and made the turn in 2 over following back-to-back bogeys at Nos. 8 and 9. And then, in the highlight of the day that overshadowed even his holeout for eagle, he clowned Justin Thomas, and business picked up.

• Woods put a [insert big-box retailer] between his and Thomas’ tee balls at the par-5 11th, and the soon-to-be-44-year-old just couldn’t help himself.

That guy is Thomas’ captain next week! And maybe his playing partner! That, ladies and gentleman, is how you earn only the second dash in Presidents Cup history.

• The light-hearted moment seemed, after two hours, to finally light a spark under Tiger. The exchange set Woods off on a run that saw him play five holes, Nos. 11-15, in 5 under, going birdie-par-birdie-birdie-eagle, that last one coming via holeout at the par-5 15th:

• Suddenly 3 under with three to play, Woods just couldn’t scramble his way into the clubhouse. After a par save at 16, the Albany winds gobbled up his tee shot at 17, leading to a bogey from the front bunker. After finding the fairway bunker and laying up at the home hole, he then three-putted from inside 15 feet, lipping out a bogey try, to finish bogey-double and sign for a disappointing 72.

• Afterwards, he wasn’t especially chatty. “Yeah, it was not a very good start. Didn't play the par 5s well early and then got it going on the back nine for a little bit. Got myself kind of right there in the mix and then bad shots on 17, 18,” he said, summing up the afternoon. “I didn't putt that well today but my short game was great, drove it really well. Just hit a couple poor iron shots that cost me a few shots.”

• Following up on Tiger’s own assessment, he did look good really good with the driver all day, with the exception of misses at Nos. 9 and 18. I know Albany is for the most part a driving range off the tee, but his swings were so fluid, so on-balance. There was nothing forced, nothing strained. It’s encouraging to see that kind of rhythm.

• Alright — weird round. But it’s silly season, and the week at Albany should prove a useful warmup for next week at Melbourne. There was enough good today to not get bent out of shape about the bad, even if Tiger, who also has the Presidents Cup on his mind, is probably still hot about the way the round ended.