Truex dominant in Cup victory at Kentucky
SPARTA, Ky. — Martin Truex Jr. was dominant throughout and had enough left on a final restart to win the NASCAR Monster Energy Cup race Saturday night at Kentucky Speedway.
Second in points entering the 400-mile event, Truex started second beside Kyle Busch and won the first two stages.
He led the final segment by as many as 15 seconds before a final caution created overtime and bunched the field.
That made no difference as Truex flew past Busch on the restart and went on to his third victory of the season and 10th of his career. He led 152 of 274 laps in the No. 78 Toyota to draw within a point of standings leader Kyle Larson, who finished second in a Chevy.
Chase Elliott was third in a Chevy, followed by Denny Hamlin and Busch in Toyotas.
Busch was trying to make it a double after winning the 300-mile Xfinity Series race earlier in the day.
The race had been postponed a day earlier because of storms, creating a 700-mile doubleheader for Busch and several other Cup drivers.
Starting the first of two races on the pole, Busch took the lead during a late caution on lap 168 to earn his second consecutive series victory at Kentucky and third overall on the 1½-mile oval.
In other motor sports news:
• Will Power won the pole for Sunday’s IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway in Newton. Power had a twolap average speed of 185.21 mph. J.R. Hildebrand (183.811) qualified second. Series leader Scott Dixon (180.302) will start 17th.
GOLF Munoz maintains Greenbrier lead
Sebastian Munoz shot a 2-under-par 68 to maintain a two-stroke lead over Robert Streb after the third round of The Greenbrier Classic, keeping the PGA Tour rookie in position to become the tournament’s first wire-to-wire winner.
The 24-year-old Colombian was at 14-under 196 at Old White TPC in White Sulphur Springs, W.Va. Streb shot a 65.
Rookie Xander Schauffele and Jamie Lovemark were 11 under after 66s.
Davis Love III was at 10 under after a 68. At 53, he is trying to become the oldest winner on the PGA Tour. In other news: • Katherine Kirk shot a 7-under 65 to open a fourstroke lead in the Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic at Oneida, Wis., and move into position to challenge the tour’s 72-hole record. Coming off a career-best 63 on Friday, the 35-yearold Australian reached 20-under 196. The LPGA Tour record for 72 holes is 27 under, set by Annika Sorenstam in the 2001 Standard Register Ping in Phoenix and matched by Sei Young Kim last year in the Founders Cup, also in Phoenix. South Africa’s Ashleigh Buhai was second after a 65.
• Jon Rahm shot a second consecutive 5-under 67 at the Irish Open at Portstewart, Northern Ireland, and moved into a share of the third-round lead with Daniel Im. Rahm and Im (68) are at 17 under.
CYCLING Calmejane wins Tour’s 8th stage
Speeding away on a small mountain road more suited to goats than riders, Lilian Calmejane won Stage 8 to the Rousses ski station in the Jura Massif for his first victory in his first Tour de France.
Calmejane, riding for French team Direct Energie, fought cramps after breaking away on the final climb and hung on for victory in only the second visit by the Tour to the Rousses.
Tour leader Chris Froome finished in a group further back to retain the yellow jersey.
MIXED MARTIAL ARTS Nunes scratched from UFC 213
Bantamweight champion Amanda Nunes was scratched from her title defense against Valentina Shevchenko after being hospitalized a few hours before UFC 213 in Las Vegas.
The UFC vaguely cited an “illness” as the reason for Nunes’ hospitalization in its statement.
UFC president Dana White speculated the bout could be moved to UFC 215 at Edmonton, Alberta, on Sept. 9, but a plan has not been finalized.
Nunes (14-4), a Brazilian fighting out of Florida, claimed the 135-pound belt from Miesha Tate last July.
After Nunes violently stopped Ronda Rousey in December, she was scheduled to make her second title defense in a rematch of her March 2016 victory over Shevchenko (14-2).
PRO BASEBALL Skeeters’ bats deliver 10-4 win
Joe Benson drove in three runs, and Josh Prince and Cole Gillespie each had two RBIs in Sugar Land’s 10-4 Atlantic League victory over Somerset at Bridgewater, N.J.
Prince accounted for his RBIs with a two-run homer in the fourth inning. Albert Cordero homered in the eighth for the Skeeters.
Michael Nix earned the decision for Sugar Land, limiting the Patriots to two hits and no runs while striking out four in six innings.
From staff and wire reports