Kurt Busch sizzles in qualifying at TMS
FORT WORTH — Kurt Busch went faster than anyone has gone in NASCAR Cup qualifying on a 1½-mile track. While out of championship contention and uncertain for whom he will drive next season, he still is trying to win races.
“The sensation of speed is, it’s unbelievable,” Busch said.
Busch averaged a record 200.915 mph on his only lap in the final round of qualifying Friday at Texas Motor Speedway. The Stewart-Haas driver was in one of the five cars that broke the 200-mph mark, with Denny Hamlin qualifying second and the highest of the remaining championship contenders.
The top five all surpassed the previous qualifying record at the track — Tony Stewart’s 200.111 mph before the fall race three years ago.
Hamlin qualified at 200.617 mph, with the others eclipsing 200 mph on the high-banked track being Kevin Harvick (200.372 mph), Erik Jones (200.326 mph) and Kyle Busch (200.252 mph). Hamlin, Harvick and Kyle Busch, the only driver locked into a title shot at Homestead, are all championship contenders.
Martin Truex Jr., leading in points, qualified seventh at 199.431 mph.
In other motor sports news:
• Johnny Sauter won the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series race at Texas Motor Speedway to become the first driver earn a spot in the series championship finale in two weeks. Sauter, 39, held off 19-yearold Austin Cindric for his third victory of the season and fourth in Texas.
COLLEGE BASKETBALL 3 A&M players draw suspensions
Texas A&M basketball players Admon Gilder, D.J. Hogg and Robert Williams were suspended for Friday night’s exhibition game against Tarleton State for violating team policy. The Aggies won 72-46.
Hogg and Gilder, both of whom are juniors, will return for the seasonopening game against West Virginia on Nov. 10. Williams, a sophomore, is scheduled to return Nov. 20 against Oklahoma State.
“Unfortunately, young people make mistakes. We will handle this matter internally and move on as a program,” Aggies coach Billy Kennedy said.
BASEBALL Tanaka to stay with Yankees
Scratch Masahiro Tanaka off the list of potential free-agent pitchers. Tanaka said he will stay with the New York Yankees and not exercise the right to opt out of the remaining three seasons of his contract. Tanaka, a righthander who turned 29 on Wednesday, was 13-12 with a 4.74 ERA. In other news: • Cleveland exercised Michael Brantley’s $11.5 million contract option for 2018. Brantley, 30, hit .299 with nine homers and 52 RBIs in 90 games — his second straight injuryshortened season. He went on the disabled list twice and had right ankle surgery Oct. 18. The Indians also exercised a $3 million option on righthander Josh Tomlin.
• In Derek Jeter’s first major roster move running the Marlins, Miami declined a $2 million option on 44-year-old outfielder Ichiro Suzuki, who gets a $500,000 buyout.
• Pittsburgh exercised a $14.75 million option on outfielder Andrew McCutchen and declined $1.25 million options on catcher Chris Stewart and reliever Wade LeBlanc. Stewart gets a $250,000 buyout and LeBlanc $50,000. LeBlanc was sent outright to Class AAA Indianapolis.
• The New York Mets exercised an $8.25 million option on infielder Asdrubal Cabrera and a $7 million option of lefthander Jerry Blevins.
• The Los Angeles Angels declined a $13 million option on righthander Ricky Nolasco and a $10 million option on righthander Huston Street. Each gets a $1 million buyout.
TENNIS Isner advances in Paris Masters
John Isner stayed on track for the last spot at the ATP Finals by beating Juan Martin del Potro 6-4, 6-7 (5), 6-4 in the Paris Masters quarterfinals, while top-ranked Rafael Nadal pulled out with a right knee injury but still plans to play at London.
The American was the runner-up last year and needs to win the tourney to reach the ATP Finals.
The eighth and last berth for London is between Isner and Pablo Carreno Busta of Spain.
Isner next will face Serbian qualifier Filip Krajinovic, who advanced when Nadal withdrew.
Unseeded Julien Benneteau continued his unexpected march by knocking out third-seeded Marin Cilic 7-6 (5), 7-5. Next up is American Jack Sock, who defeated Fernando Verdasco of Spain 6-7 (3), 6-2, 6-3.
GOLF Spaun snares lead in Shriners
J.J. Spaun shot a 6-under-par 65 at TPC Summerlin to take the lead in the suspended second round of the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in .
Spaun rebounded from a bogey on the par-4 third with birdies on the par-4 fourth and par-3 fifth and closed with a birdie on the par-5 ninth to get to 11-under 131.
Kelly Kraft was second at 8 under with three holes left when play was suspended for the day because of darkness. He had a hole-in-one on par-3 fifth, using a 6-iron on the 174-yard hole.