Bell wins, will race for another NASCAR title

AVONDALE, ARIZ. >> Crashes in consecutive weeks had backed Christopher Bell into a corner that jeopardized his strong rookie season in the Xfinity Series.

But Bell thrives in mustwin moments, and Saturday at ISM Raceway outside of Phoenix was another example of the young driver delivering when everything was on the line. Bell won — the only result that would have advanced him into the championship round — and will now race for a second NASCAR national championship.

Bell won the Truck Series title last year, moved to the Xfinity Series this season in a Toyota from Joe Gibbs Racing, and his victory Saturday was a series-high seventh of the season. Had he not won, though, two weeks of bad luck would have wiped out his season.

“The pressure was on and I am just one of those guys who does really well in those situations,” Bell said. “Everything is on the line and I am just thankful I pulled through for my team. These guys are the ones who build the race cars that are going to win, whether I am driving them or not.”

Hamilton on pole

SAO PAULO >> Lewis Hamilton clocked the lap record at Interlagos in qualifying to earn pole position for the 10th time in 20 races this year. His performance boosts his team’s chances of beating Ferrari for the constructors’ championship, too.

Hamilton achieved his 82nd pole position in a record 1 minute, 7.281 seconds, edging Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel by 0.093 seconds.

Czechs lead U.S., 2-0

PRAGUE >> Barbora Strycova and Katerina Siniakova won their singles for the Czech Republic to take a commanding 2-0 over the defending champion United States in the Fed Cup final.

Strycova rallied from a set down to defeat Sofia Kenin 6-7 (5), 6-1, 6-4.

Siniakova stretched the advantage by dispatching Alison Riske 6-3, 7-6 (2) to the delight of more than 14,000 fans at Prague’s O2 Arena.

Lopez hangs on

HAINAN ISLAND, CHINA >> Gaby Lopez won her first LPGA Tour event with a 1-over 73 to finish one shot ahead of Ariya Jutanugarn in the Blue Bay tournament.

Lopez had bogeys on the last two holes at the Jian Lake Blue Bay Golf Club on Saturday and almost let the title slip away. She finished at 8-under 280.

Kuchar builds lead

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, MEXICO >> For the second straight day, Matt Kuchar had enough birdies to atone for one rough hole, and it carried him to a 6-under 65 to set the 54-hole tournament record and build a four-shot lead as he tries to end more than four years without a PGA Tour victory.

Kuchar was at 20-under 193, breaking by three shots his personal best on the tour, and by one shot is

54-hole score to par. Richy Werenski and Danny Lee each shot 67 and were five shots back.

Garcia keeps lead

SUN CITY, SOUTH AFRICA >> Sergio Garcia leads by two strokes going into the final round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge and is on course for a wire-to-wire win at the penultimate event of the European Tour season.

Garcia improved his 1-shot overnight lead over Louis Oosthuizen.