Dramatic win for Kyle Busch
Kyle Busch is the first driver into NASCAR’s championship race, using an overtime pass of teammate Denny Hamlin to win Sunday at Martinsville (Va.) Speedway.
Hamlin and Chase Elliott had a heated conversation after the checkered flag because Hamlin wrecked Elliott out of the lead to send the race into overtime. Hamlin restarted as the leader, but Busch, a Joe Gibbs Racing teammate, ran inside of him to snatch the lead away.
Martin Truex Jr. went with Busch, and Hamlin faded to seventh.
“We weren’t the best all day, but we put ourselves in the right spots there at the end,” Busch said. “There was kind of chaos ensuing and none of it was our fault, we just came out on the right end of the stick.”
Brad Keselowski was in position to win when Joey Logano developed a tire problem with about 10 laps remaining in regulation. Had his Team Penske teammate pitted under green to fix the tire, Keselowski likely would have coasted to the win and earned the spot in the finale. Instead, Logano spun and brought out a caution.
Elliott finished 27th, lowest of the remaining eight playoff drivers. He slammed into the side of Hamlin’s car on the cooldown lap, and the two shouted at each other after they climbed from their cars.
That was just one snippet of the emotion on the line in the first race of the third round of NASCAR’s playoffs. There were eight drivers vying for four slots in next month’s championshipdeciding finale.
Formula One: Lewis Hamilton won his fourth career season championship with a ninthplace finish at the Mexican Grand Prix in a race won by Red Bull’s Max Verstappen.
Hamilton had to overcome first-lap chaos when his Mercedes was bumped by title rival Sebastian Vettel of Ferrari. Hamilton got a tire puncture and Vettel had wing damage. Both had to stop immediately.