Kurt Busch wins rain-shortened race
Kurt Busch won his second NASCAR Sprint Cup race of the season, a rainshortened event at Michigan International Speedway on Sunday that was called 62 laps short of its scheduled distance.
The fourth weather-related red f lag of the day came after Lap 138 of a scheduled 200. Busch was leading at the time, and he was declared the winner after heavy rain soaked the track at Brooklyn, Mich. Dale Earnhardt Jr. was second, followed by Martin Truex Jr.
With the rain approaching, Kyle Larson did his best to stay in the lead, but with fuel running low, he came to pit on Lap 133, giving up the lead to Busch.
“We could see weather coming there off of [Turn] 4 and just praying that it would get here in time for me to stay out and be in the lead when the rain did hit,” Larson said. “. . . Just wish the rain would have come [a few] laps sooner.”
The first three red f lags, on Laps 14, 20 and 46, delayed the race for a total of more than two hours.
Kevin Harvick led for 63 laps, but a tire problem knocked him well back. He finished 29th, only the second time all year he’s been out of the top 10. Harvick did stay atop the Cup standings, leading by 15 points over Truex.
Pole winner Kasey Kahne was 15th. The shortened Michigan race was a missed opportunity for several driv- ers with no wins, such as Kahne, Larson and Jeff Gordon.
Busch won in his backup car — he switched after an accident in practice Friday.
“It was a fantastic group effort,” he said. “To be able to pull the backup car out and to have it as prepared as it was and then to have the extra work that went into it, all the crew members that (crew chief ) Tony Gibson leads rolled up their sleeves, jumped right on it, and we made it a race-winning backup car.” Newgarden out front in IndyCar
Josef Newgarden took the lead on the 72nd lap and held on to capture the Honda Indy Toronto race.
Newgarden, a 24-year-old native of Henderson, Tenn., completed the 85 laps around the 1.755-mile, 11-turn Exhibition Place street circuit first for his second IndyCar win this season.
Teammate Luca Filippi was second, 1.4 seconds behind, followed by Helio Castroneves in third as drivers battled wet conditions early as well as in the latter stages of the race.
“It was cool to get a 1-2,” Newgarden said. “This is a new team this year and so to already be able to get a 1-2 with this group is really incredible.” Force takes Funny Car NHRA race
John Force picked up his second Funny Car win of the season at the NHRA New England Nationals at New England Dragway.
Tony Schumacher (top fuel) and Greg Anderson (pro stock) also took home victories in their respective categories at the NHRA Mello Yello Drag Racing Series event in Epping, N.H. Porsche wins 24 Hours Le Mans
With German Formula One driver Nico Hulkenberg behind the wheel, Porsche won the 24 Hours Le Mans in France to end Audi’s fiverace winning run and clinch a record 17th victory at the famous endurance race.
Hulkenberg was one of the three drivers in the No. 19 car, which finished ahead of No. 17 Porsche, featuring former Formula One driver Mark Webber, and Audi’s No. 7 car.
Audi had won seven of the last eight races; the last win for Porsche was in 1998.