Logano makes return to victory lane
Joey Logano won at Talladega (Ala.) Superspeedway to end a nearly yearlong losing streak.
Logano’s last victory was April 30 of last year at Richmond but his car failed inspection, the benefits from the victory were stripped and it cost him a shot in the playoffs.
On Sunday, he made sure that losing streak didn’t hit a full year.
“It feels so good to be back in victory lane. There’s no feeling like that,” Logano said. “It’s been a long time coming. We knew the win was right around the corner.
“I don’t have to worry about the whole playoffs thing anymore. We’re in!”
He had one brief challenge from Kurt Busch, who pulled out of line in traffic and tried to catch Logano but had no help from a drafting partner and could not get the lead.
It is Logano’s third career win at Talladega. Busch finished second, his career best finish at Talladega, as Ford drivers went 1-2.
Chase Elliott was third in a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, while Kevin Harvick was fourth in a Stewart-Haas Racing Ford. HAMILTON AVOIDS TROUBLE FOR GP TITLE IN AZERBAIJAN >> Lewis Hamilton won an incident-packed Azerbaijan Grand Prix to take over the championship lead.
Sebastian Vettel led for much of the race, but was stuck in second behind Hamilton’s Mercedes teammate Valtteri Bottas when a crash between the two Red Bull cars brought out the safety car. On the restart, Vettel lunged for the lead but could not keep his car on the racing line at the exit of the next corner and instead lost places. Soon afterward, Bottas’ right-rear tire picked up a puncture, ending his race and elevating Hamilton to first. TORRENCE WINS AT FOURWIDE NATIONALS >> Steve Torrence won the Top Fuel final in the NHRA Four-Wide Nationals for his series-best third victory of the season.
Torrence had a 3.813-second pass at 326.56 mph at zMAX Dragway in Concord, N.C.
Cruz Pedregon won in Funny Car, Erica Enders in Pro Stock, and Jerry Savoie in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
NFL
RAIDERS CHANGES AHEAD >> With the NFL draft behind them, the Raiders plan to reorganize their personnel staff, according to a report by The Sporting News.
The changes to the department aren’t expected to be as widespread as when GM Reggie McKenzie took charge in 2012, and will likely include a new executive or two while director of player personnel Joey Clinkscales — McKenzie’s righthand man — moves on. Clinkscales, according to the report, could join Cleveland.
Tennis
NADAL WINS 11TH TITLE IN BARCELONA >> Rafael Nadal extended his dominance on clay with a 6-2, 6-1 win over 19-year-old Greek Stefanos Tsitsipas to win his 11th Barcelona Open title.
Nadal, who also won his 11th Monte Carlos Masters title last week, was never seriously challenged on his way to a 19th straight victory on clay.
PLISKOVA PREVAILS IN STUTTGART >> Karolina Pliskova ended wild card CoCo Vandeweghe’s brilliant week with a 7-6 (2), 6-4 win in the Stuttgart Open final.
Soccer
Laurent Ciman scored on a free kick in the third minute of stoppage time, and Los Angeles FC opened its $350 million Banc of California Stadium with a 1-0 win over the Seattle Sounders.
LAFC drew a sellout crowd of 22,000 for its opener.
In other MLS games, Yoshimar Yotun scored on a penalty kick and Cristian Higuita added his first goal since 2016 to help Orlando City beat the host Colorado Rapids 2-1 for its franchiserecord-tying fifth consecutive win . ... David Villa scored two goals to help host New York City FC beat FC Dallas 3-1. BARCELONA CLINCHES LA LIGA >> Barcelona added to its domestic dominance by winning La Liga for the third time in the last four seasons, staying unbeaten after 34 rounds. Lionel Messi scored a hat trick and Philippe Coutinho added a goal to give Barcelona a 4-2 win at Deportivo La Coruna and an insurmountable lead over Atletico Madrid.
Surfing
KOXA RODE BIGGEST WAVE >> Rodrigo Koxa was credited with a world record for riding the biggest wave ever surfed.
The World Surf League confirmed the record at its Big Wave Awards in Santa Monica, saying its judging panel determined that a wave Koxa surfed at Naraze, Portugal, on Nov. 8 was 80 feet.
Lacrosse
STANFORD WINS PAC-12 >> No. 2 seed Stanford rolled over top-seeded Colorado 15-6 to win the first Pac-12 women’s lacrosse tournament.
No. 13 Stanford (15-4) clinched an automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament. It will be the program’s eighth NCAA appearance,