Herta wins at Laguna Seca
Colton Herta routed the field — and ran over a rabbit while doing so — in another dominating performance at Laguna Seca as Alex Palou moved one race away from the IndyCar championship.
Herta won from the pole, same as he did in 2019 when IndyCar last raced the sprawling permanent road course, for his second win of the season. He tied his father, Bryan, with a pair of wins at Laguna Seca, but more important, his fifth career victory moved him one past his dad’s tally.
Palou, meanwhile, drove a smooth and steady race for a second-place finish to widen his lead in the IndyCar standings from 25 points to 35 points over Pato O’Ward headed into next week’s finale. The 24-year-old Spaniard needed the breathing room because he’s never before seen the street course in Long Beach where the title will be decided.
ELLIOTT, HARVICK ADD FEUD TO PLAYOFFS » Chase Elliott, according to Kevin Harvick, doesn’t race very smart. In fact, moving forward in NASCAR’s playoffs, Harvick plans to run all over the reigning Cup Series champion.
Those were the angry words Harvick had for Elliott after Saturday night’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, where a feud no one saw coming took center stage.
Elliott is NASCAR’s most popular driver and the defending Cup champion doesn’t really make waves on the racetrack. He’s had his arguments with rival drivers before, but the 25-year-old entered new territory when he decided at Bristol that he’d had enough of Harvick’s perceived bullying.
ARROW ELECTRONICS COMMITS TO SPONSOR EXTENSION
WITH MCLAREN » The tiny IndyCar team Sam Schmidt formed 20 years ago moved another step toward becoming an elite organization with a sponsorship extension by Arrow Electronics announced ahead of Sunday’s race at Laguna Seca.
The deal through 2028 retains Arrow’s name in the Arrow McLaren SP team title. Arrow continues as a partner of the McLaren Formula One team, the organization said.
Golf
MAX HOMA RALLIES TO WIN FORTINET CHAMPIONSHIP AT SILVERADO » Max Homa holed out from the rough from 95 yards for eagle on the par-4 12th to start a back-nine comeback and added three birdies for a 7-under 65 and a one-stroke victory Sunday in the seasonopening Fortinet Championship.
Three strokes behind
Maverick McNealy with seven holes left, Homa followed the eagle with a birdie on the par-4 13th. The 30-year-old former University of California player tapped in for another birdie on the par-5 16th and ran in an 18-footer on the par-4 17th. He parred the par-5 18th to finish at 19-under 269.
JIN YOUNG KO WINS CAMBIA PORTLAND CLASSIC » Jin Young Ko won the rainshortened Cambia Portland Classic on Sunday for her second victory in her last three LPGA Tour starts.
Making her first start since the Tokyo Olympics, the second-round South Korean player closed with a bogey-free 3-under 69 at Oregon Golf Club for a four-stroke victory over Jeongeun Lee and Su Oh. Ko finished at 11-under 205.
Play was washed out Saturday because of rain and the event was cut from 72 to 54 holes. Ko took the lead Friday with a 67.