Elliott survives heat, wins playoff race at Charlotte
Chase Elliott overcame a costly mistake that nearly wrecked his race car to win a sloppy race on The Roval in scorching temperatures at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.
The Sunday showcase was the first elimination race in NASCAR’s Monster Energy Cup playoffs and attention was focused on which four drivers would be cut from the 16-driver championship field. Elliott recovered from an earlier gaffe when he was leading on a restart, locked his tires headed into the first turn and drove his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet directly into a tire barrier.
“I can’t believe I did that, I don’t think you could have done anything more stupid leading the race then what I did,” Elliott said in victory lane.
Behind him, the race was for the final spot in the second round of the playoffs with Elliott’s teammate, Alex Bowman, desperately trying to hang on to the 12th slot. He finished second in the race but his fate was out of his control because he trailed Ryan Newman in the standings.
But Newman, racing Aric Almirola over the final few laps for a shot at advancing, missed a chicane and the error cost him his shot at advancing. The point difference swung to Bowman.
Kevin Harvick finished third and was followed by Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Clint Bowyer, who was in danger of being eliminated from the playoffs but advanced with his fourth-place finish.
Brad Keselowski was fifth and followed by pole-sitter William Byron, Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney as playoff drivers claimed the top eight spots.
Golf
CHAMP GETS ONE-STROKE VICTORY >> Cameron Champ made a 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a one-stroke win over Adam Hadwin in the Safeway Open in Napa, finishing off an emotional week with his grandfather battling cancer.
Three strokes ahead entering the round, Champ had five birdies and overcame a bogey on No. 17 to hold off Hadwin for his second PGA Tour victory. Champ closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 17-under 271 at Silverado Resort.
Champ raised both arms then shared a long embrace with his caddie before breaking into tears as he hugged his father on the green. Champ’s grandfather, Mack, is fighting stomach cancer and is in hospice in Sacramento. Mack introduced Champ to golf at a young age.
Hadwin birdied the final three holes for a 67 to tie Champ at 16 under, then watched from nearby as Champ nearly chipped in for eagle on the par-5 18th before making the short birdie putt.
TRIPLETT TRIUMPHANT AT PEBBLE BEACH >> Kirk Triplett won the Pure Insurance Championship for the third time at Pebble Beach, beating Billy Andrade with an 8-foot birdie putt on the first hole of a playoff.
The 57-year-old Triplett also won the PGA Tour Champions event in 2012 and 2013. He has eight senior victories.
Playing four groups ahead of Andrade, Triplett birdied the 18th in regulation for a 5-under 67 and 9-uner 206 total. Andrade also closed with a birdie, holing a 7-footer after hitting his second shot through the green.
Andrade missed a 20-foot birdie try before Triplett holed the winner. HUR TAKES INDY >> Mi Jung Hur played bogey-free with the lead and never gave anyone a chance, closing with a 4-under 68 for a four-shot victory at the Indy Women in Tech Championship in Indianapolis for her second LPGA Tour victory this year.
Hur opened with a 63 and went wire-to-wire for the first time in her career. The South Korean had 26 birdies for the week at Brickyard Crossing.
Nanna Koerstz Madsen birdied her last two holes for a 67 to finish alone in second.
PERE WINS DUNHILL LINKS >> Rookie Victor Perez claimed his first European Tour title in his 29th appearance after posting a 2-under 70 to win the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship in St. Andrews, Scotland by one shot over England’s Matthew Southgate (71).
Perez, 27, narrowly missed his 12foot birdie putt at the last but a closerange par was good enough for the win with a 22-under 266 overall.
Track and field
FRASER-PRYCE, FELIX EARN GOLD >> Only moments after Shelly-Ann Fraser-Pryce zoomed past the finish line, she scooped up something more precious than gold.
Her 2-year-old son Zyon came down to the track in Doha, Qatar to join her for the victory lap. What a fitting way to celebrate the Jamaican speedster’s fourth and hardest-earned 100-meter title at the world championships.
“A victory for motherhood!” Fraser-Pryce said.
Sure is. And if 2019 has been the Year of the Mother in track and field, then Sunday was Mother’s Day.
Only moments before Fraser-Pryce won in a season-best 10.71 seconds, .12 seconds ahead of Dina Asher-Smith of Britain. new mom Allyson Felix surpassed none other than Usain Bolt with her record 12th gold medal at worlds. This one came in the brand new mixed relay, in which two men and two women team up for four trips around the track.
• A day after winning the world championship at 100 meters, American Christian Coleman pulled out of the 200-meter preliminaries, which were set to begin Sunday.
Coleman said it was no big deal, and that he was just feeling a little sore after a long season.