Larson in NASCAR brawl
NYDailyNews.comWallace,
Bubba Wallace tried to fight reigning NASCAR champion Kyle Larson after a crash Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway that also collected title contender Christopher Bell.
Wallace had led 29 laps and clearly had a fast car in the opening race of the third round of the playoffs. Wallace did not qualify for the playoffs, and Larson was eliminated last week.
The incident began when Larson attempted a three-wide pass — Kevin Harvick in the middle dropped out of the bunch — and Larson slid up the track against Wallace. When Wallace didn’t lift to give Larson any room, Larson used his Chevrolet to shove Wallace’s Toyota into the wall.
Wallace then bounced back down the track, followed Larson’s car down to the apron and appeared to deliberately hook him in retaliation. That sent Larson spinning into the path of Bell, who won last Sunday at Charlotte to earn the automatic berth into the round of eight, and ended Bell’s race.
Wallace climbed from his car and marched his way toward Larson. Wallace was shouting before he even got to Larson and immediately began to shove him. Larson tried to turn away from him and several times lifted his arms to block Wallace’s shoves, but Wallace got in multiple shots before a NASCAR safety worker separated the two.
Wallace claimed he didn’t deliberately wreck Larson, but both Larson and Bell viewed it as clear retaliation. NASCAR could penalize Wallace if it also believes he deliberately retaliated.
“I’m smart enough to know how easily these cars break, so when you get shoved into the fence deliberately like he did trying to force me to lift, the steering was gone,” Wallace said. “Larson wanted to make a three-wide divebomb, but he never cleared me and I don’t lift.
TENNESSEE FINED 100G
The Southeastern Conference has fined Tennessee $100,000 for a wild, field-storming celebration after a victory over Alabama.
Meanwhile, the school has turned to fans to help pay for new goalposts.
The league announced the fine on Sunday for the school’s second violation of the access to competition area policy. The first came after a basketball game against Florida in 2006.
The third-ranked Volunteers knocked off No. 6 Alabama, 52-49, on a last-play field goal Saturday at Neyland Stadium. It ended a 15-game losing streak to the Tide.
Fans stormed the field, ripped up one of the goal posts and heaved it into the Tennessee River.
Tennessee turned to crowdsourcing to pay for replacement goalposts. More than $18,000 had been raised as of Sunday afternoon.
BUCKS’ CONNAUGHTON OUT
Milwaukee Bucks guard Pat
Connaughton is expected to miss the first few weeks of the season with a strained right calf.
Connaughton had missed the Bucks’ final two preseason games with calf soreness. The Bucks said Connaughton underwent an MRI on Friday that revealed the strain and will be out for approximately three weeks.
Connaughton, 29, signed a contract extension this summer after averaging 9.9 points, 26 minutes and 2.2 3-pointers per game to set career highs in all three categories. The 6-foot-5 guard also notched 4.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists per game.
The Bucks also are expected to open the season without threetime All-Star forward Khris Middleton and veteran free-agent signee Joe Ingles.
Middleton underwent surgery on his left wrist this summer and is hoping to return early this season. Ingles is recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament and isn’t expected to make his Bucks debut until December or January.
The Bucks open the season Thursday at Philadelphia.
COUPLES SHOOTS 60
Fred Couples broke his age by three shots with the lowest round of his PGA Tour Champions career, a 12-under 60 that sent him to a six-shot victory Sunday in the SAS Championship for his first title in more than five years.
Couples was two shots behind after four holes when the 63-yearold went on a run that amazed even him. He ran off five straight birdies, made a key par on the 10th hole and then finished with seven straight birdies.
“An unreal day,” Couples said. Couples won for the first time since the American Family Insurance Championship in 2017, and this was one he never saw coming. He started the tournament with a double bogey. He decided to use Griffin Flesch, the son of Steve Flesch, as his caddie.
For all the birdies, Couples felt the key to his day was a par.
He was two shots ahead of Jerry Kelly when he holed an 18-foot par putt. Kelly closed the gap to one with a birdie on the par-3 11th and then Couples took off. Kelly put his second shot on the par-5 12th in the water, while Couples two-putted for birdie.