Truex wins in NASCAR
Martin Truex Jr. gave Toyota yet another victory in NASCAR’s playoffs — the manufacturer is 4 for 4 so far — on a humid Sunday at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N. C. Kyle Busch, winner of the last two playoff races, wrecked early in the race yet completed it in a damaged car. Complaining most of the 500 miles of being overheated, he needed immediate medical attention when he climbed from his car. Busch laid in the grass, packs of ice were placed on his chest, and a stretcher was brought to him. Once he felt strong enough, he stood and walked to an ambulance.
The humidity drained several drivers, including Truex, who had to catch his breath after taking his sixth victory of the season. Truex has proven weekly he’s the driver to beat in this championship race, and did it again Sunday by working with his Furniture Row Racing team to steadily improve his car through the first two stages. He wasn’t the strongest early — the first two stage victories went to Kevin Harvick, and Truex didn’t earn Stage 1 playoff points for the first time since July — but he was untouchable by the final segment.
Truex won in overtime after two late cautions created extra laps and forced him to hold off fellow Toyota driver Denny Hamlin on a pair of restarts. Chase Elliott finished second for the second consecutive week and sixth time in his career. Harvick was third and Hamlin finished fourth. Like his teammate Busch, Hamlin was drained after the race. The field of 12 will be cut to eight in two weeks.
NADAL WINS 6TH TITLE OF YEAR
Rafael Nadal beat Nick Kyrgios of Australia 6-2, 6-1 Sunday in the China Open final in Beijing to win his sixth ATP title of the year, and Caroline Garcia defeated soonto-be-No. 1 Simona Halep 6-4, 7-6 (3) in the women’s event. The top-ranked Nadal, who was tied with Roger Federer and Alexander Zverev at five titles this season, picked up his 75th career singles trophy. The 15th-ranked Garcia, who lost to Halep the two previous times they played, won her second consecutive WTA title. The Frenchwoman will make her top-10 debut when the new rankings come out on Monday.