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Spain’s Marquez repeats as Indy GP winner

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL MAROT
AP Sports Writer

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) — Even Marc Marquez’s imperfections couldn’t derail his perfect season Sunday.

The 21-year-old MotoGP sensation recovered from a bad start to take the lead, gave it right back and then retook the lead for the final 18 laps, beating Spain’s Jorge Lorenzo by 1.803 seconds to become the first back-to-back winner of the Indianapolis Grand Prix. Italy’s Valentino Rossi was third.

Though Marquez has been virtually unbeatable this season, with eight poles and 10 wins in 10 races, it looked as if a couple of early miscues might put that streak in jeopardy. Not a chance.

“Every race I go to the weekend and I say, ‘OK, here maybe is the time to finish second or third. Here will be the time that I will struggle,'” Marquez said. “But every race I feel so strong. The most important thing is that I enjoy seeing the podium and the team enjoy every victory like the first one. So it is important to keep the motivation and the concentration, and we will see. But it will be so difficult to win every race.”

So far, nobody has caught Marquez, who has been breaking records and pursuing milestones since jumping to MotoGP last year.

The youngest world champion in history is now the youngest rider to win 10 straight races, breaking the mark Mike Hailwood set in 1964 when he was 24 years, 86 days old. Marquez is 21 years, 174 days.

The streak ties Australia’s Mick Doohan (1997) for the longest run in the series’ modern era. And Marquez’s latest win also gave the powerful Spaniards their 500th grand prix victory.

Perhaps this should have been expected, given Marquez’s track record. He’s won all five American races over the past two seasons and has now pulled off a rare feat at one of racing’s most famous venues — four straight race wins. In addition to the 2013 and 2014 Indy GP titles, Marquez also won Indy’s Moto2 races in 2011 and 2012.

Even two previous Indy race winners, Lorenzo and Rossi, the Movistar Yamaha teammates, couldn’t keep up with the wonder kid this time.

“When Marc attacked Valentino, he improved his space and maybe I was too late to pass Valentino because my braking was not so strong,” Lorenzo said. “When I passed him in the — when he opened a little bit the line in some corners — maybe mine was too far. My pace was similar to him (Marquez) but not enough to challenge him for the victory.”

This time, Marquez did give his colleagues a chance on the reconfigured 2.591-mile, 16-turn track.

Italy’s Andrea Dovizioso flew past Marquez at the start and Rossi moved all the way into the lead after starting fifth on the grid, forcing Marquez back into an uncharacteristic fifth.

With a series of daring dips and dives, Marquez quickly moved up. By the second lap, he was third. On the fifth lap, Rossi and Dovizioso touched, giving Marquez a chance to squeeze inside and pass both for the lead. A few moments after that, Rossi returned the favor with an inside move. But on the ninth lap, Marquez made a nifty and dangerous inside move to pass Lorenzo and Rossi to take the lead.

Nobody challenged the Repsol Honda star again.

“On that second corner, I was trying to overtake Jorge again, but I saw Valentino was also a little bit wide and I say ‘OK, I will go in,'” Marquez said. “I go a little bit wide, but then I come back on corner three and after that I led the race.”

Notes: American Colin Edwards finished 13th in his final race on U.S. soil. The 40-year-old is retiring after the season and did one lap with an American flag following the race. … Finland’s Mika Kallio defeated Spain’s Maverick Vinales by 1.38 seconds in a Moto2 race that was shortened from 25 laps to 16 after three riders — Switzerland’s Thomas Luthi, America’s Josh Herrin and Spain’s Julian Simon — were involved in a crash on the fourth lap. The race was red flagged but all three riders eventually walked away. Kallio moved within seven points of Spain’s Esteve Rabat in the season standings. … Spain’s Efran Vazquez defeated Romano Fenati of Italy by 0.065 seconds to win the Moto3 race. Third-place finisher Jack Miller of Australia saw his points lead over Vazquez shrink to 21. … California’s Steve Rapp defeated Oklahoma’s Danny Eslick by 0.011 seconds in the Harley-Davidson race.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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