Hartford Courant

Rookie Custer wins Cup race at Kentucky

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Cole Custer became the first rookie winner in the NASCAR Cup Series in nearly four years, surging to the lead in a four-wide, final-lap scramble Sunday at Kentucky Speedway.

Kevin Harvick and Martin Truex Jr. were dueling side by side for the lead on the final restart when Custer — with a push from Matt DiBenedett­o on the outside in the backstretc­h — made his move in the No. 41 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. As the leaders bunched, Custer slid ahead and outlasted Truex’s Toyota.

The victory was the first by a series rookie since Chris Buescher at Pocono on Aug. 1, 2016. Making his 20th series start, the 22-year-old Custer celebrated with a frontstret­ch burnout as his crew happily ran to greet him.

■ Defending Formula One champ won the Styrian Grand Prix from pole position to clinch an 85th career victory and move within six of Michael Schumacher’s series record. Hamilton’s record-extending 89th career pole on a rain-drenched track in Spielberg, Austria was one of his best in extreme conditions, but during the race he was hardly challenged as he finished a sizeable 13.7 seconds ahead of Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas.

Baseball: The Braves said in an email to season-ticket holders that they will not be changing their nickname but will take a look at the future of the tomahawk chop . ... Yankees slugger Aaron Judge was held out of action for a second straight day due to a stiff neck. Manager Aaron Boone said Judge got treatment and was improving . ... Dodgers closer Kenley Jansen was late arriving to summer camp after he tested positive for COVID-19. The All-Star closer said he believes he contracted the virus from his 4-year-old son Kaden, who had a fever, among other symptoms. Jansen’s own symptoms lasted less than a week.

Colleges: The National Junior College Athletic Associatio­n is expected to approve a proposal that would move its football season to the spring because of the coronaviru­s pandemic, The Athletic first reported.

Soccer: MLS postponed a match between Toronto FC and D.C. United shortly before it was scheduled to begin because of one unconfirme­d positive test and one inconclusi­ve test for the coronaviru­s.

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