Almirola gets crucial NASCAR win

Aric Almirola's season of disappointment took a big-time turn for the better on Sunday when he won the darkness-shortened, weather-disrupted Foxwoods Casino 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

The victory in the race, which was shortened from 301 to 293 laps because of darkness, was Almirola's first of the season and puts him into the playoffs, a position that he was in huge danger of missing when he arrived at the New Hampshire mile.

Finishing second was Christopher Bell of Team Penske, who made a race of it when Almirola got stuck in traffic with under 10 laps to go. The margin of victory was .69 seconds. (Reuters)