Nemechek wins 1st Xfinity race
John Hunter Nemechek drove away from championship contender Daniel Hemric late in the race Saturday in Kansas City, Kan., to earn his first Xfinity Series victory in a race that gave the playoffs a big shakeup.
Nemechek’s father first brought him to victory lane at Kansas Speedway almost 15 years ago, when “Front Row” Joe Nemechek swept the weekend Xfinity and Cup series races.
An opening-lap crash in the Kansas Lottery 300 involving four playoff drivers ultimately knocked Christopher Bell, Justin Allgaier and Austin Cindric from the race. Cole Custer lost his power steering and was forced to make a series of repairs, leaving him several laps down and never in contention.
Hemric started on the pole and all that carnage happened right behind him. He wound up leading 128 laps as he chased his first Xfinity win, but was passed by Nemechek with about 30 laps to go.
Elliott Sadler improved his playoff chances in the opening race of the third round by finishing third. He was followed by Shane Lee and fellow contenders Tyler Reddick and Matt Tifft.
Hemric jumped to the top of the playoff standings.
HAMILTON IN F1 DRIVER’S SEAT >> Lewis Hamilton secured the pole position for the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, where the Mercedes driver could clinch a fifth career Formula One championship.
Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel must beat Hamilton or stay close to him today if he hopes to push the championship to next week in Mexico City. Vettel was second-quickest on the day. But he’ll start fifth because of a three-spot grid penalty for driving too fast under a red flag during a Friday practice.
Hamilton leads Vettel by 67 points in the championship with four races to go. A fifth career title would tie the British driver with Argentina’s Juan Manuel Fangio for the second-most championships in F1 history.
Golf
KOEPKA IN FRONT BY FOUR AT CJ CUP >> Brooks Koepka has improved his chances of taking over as No. 1 golfer in the world, shooting a bogey-free 5-under 67 for a four-stroke lead after three rounds of the CJ Cup at Nine Bridges in Jeju Island, South Korea.
Koepka had a three-round total of 13-under 203. Ian Poulter, who shot 68, was tied for second place with second-round leader Scott Piercy, who had a 72.
The 28-year-old Koepka, who trailed by one stroke after two rounds, will move to the top of the world rankings
if he wins the tournament and former No. 1 Justin Thomas, the defending champion here, does not finish any better than second.
Thomas shot a 71 and is at 1 under, 12 strokes behind Koepka and tied for 43rd. It would be Koepka’s first appearance at No. 1.
Dustin Johnson is currently No. 1, Koepka is third and Thomas fourth. Johnson and No. 2 Justin Rose are not playing this week.
There were six golfers tied for fourth in South Korea, including Rafa Cabrera Bello, who shot 65, and firstround leader Chez Reavie (70). HAAS, 64, SHOOTS 65 TO TAKE LEAD >> Jay Haas shot a 7-under 65 — missing his age by a stroke — to take a two-shot lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ playoff-opening Dominion Energy Charity Classic in Richmond, Va.
Trying to become the oldest winner in tour history, the 64-year-old Haas birdied the par-5 16th and 18th holes to get to 11-under 133 on The Country Club of Virginia’s James River Course.
Mike Fetchick set the age record of 63 years to the day in the 1985 Hilton Head event. Haas is second on the list, taking the 2016 Toshiba Classic at 62 years, 10 months, 7 days for his 18th senior title.
Stephen Ames and Scott Dunlap were tied for second. Ames had a 67, and Dunlap shot 68.
TWO SHARE LPGA LEAD >> Carlota Ciganda of Spain fired a 5-under 67 to share the lead with Sei Young Kim after the third round of the LPGA Shanghai.
Ciganda carded her fifth birdie of the day on the par-4 18th to finish tied with overnight leader Kim at 11-under 205. Kim shot a 71 with four bogeys and five birdies.
Ciganda is attempting to win her third LPGA title and first since the 2016 season, when she won two tournaments in a one-month span. Kim is chasing her eighth career LPGA win and second title of the 2018 season. GARCIA IN FRONT AT VALDERRAMA >> Sergio Garcia shot a 7-under 64 to take a four-shot lead in the Andalucia Valderrama Masters, the rainshortened event hosted by the Spanish star’s foundation in Sotogrande, Spain. The tournament winner last year and in 2011, Garcia had a 10-under 132 total at Valderrama Golf Club. Ashley Chesters was second after a 70.
Tennis
U.S. OPEN CHAMPS MEET >> Naomi Osaka and Sloane Stephens, the last two U.S. Open champions, will make their career debuts at the WTA Finals by playing each other in their first match in Singapore on Monday to start round-robin play.
WOMEN’S FINALS >> Russia’s Daria Kasatkina won the Kremlin Cup as Tunisian qualifier Ons Jabeur narrowly failed to become the first WTA winner from her country. She won 2-6, 7-6 (3), 6-4 victory with vocal support from the home crowd . ... Julia Goerges lived up to her top seeding at the Luxembourg Open by winning her second title of the year. Goerges beat unseeded Belinda Bencic of Switzerland 6-4, 7-5 in the final.
GULBIS BEATS ISNER >> Ernests Gulbis reached his first ATP final since 2014 by beating top-seeded John Isner 1-6, 6-3, 6-3 at the Stockholm Open. Gulbis, a former French Open semifinalist, will play third-seeded Stefanos Tsitsipas in today’s final.
Soccer
MESSI BREAKS RIGHT ARM, OUT FOR ABOUT 3 WEEKS >> Lionel Messi has broken a bone in his right arm and will be sidelined for about three weeks. Barcelona made the announcement after Messi left its Spanish league match against Sevilla in the first half at Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona.
Messi was trying to reclaim the ball when he ran into the back of a defender and fell in the 17th minute. Trying to cushion his landing, his right elbow bent badly.
He was in visible pain and treated by team doctors.
Figure skating
CHEN WINS SKATE AMERICA >> Nathan Chen ran away with the Skate America men’s title in Everett, Wash.
Skating to “Land of All” by Woodkid, the young American star had a clean and polished routine from the start, from his triple loop through the triple lutz. Chen’s free skate earned 189.99 points. His total was 280.57 for the event.
San Jose native Vincent Zhou finished in fifth place but had the thirdhighest score of the day with 149.37.