Connect with us

Published

on

LAS VEGAS — Turns out 21 was Denny Hamlin‘s lucky number in Vegas.

After finally getting his first career victory at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on his 21st try, Hamlin is on an undeniable hot streak he just might ride all the way to his long-sought first NASCAR Cup Series championship.

Hamlin finally broke through in Vegas on Sunday night, holding off Chase Elliott and kicking off the second round of the playoffs with his second win in September.

Three weeks after Hamlin got his first victory of the season in the playoff opener at Darlington, he led 137 laps in Vegas in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, including the final 39.

After a season of frustrating results and a 17-year career filled with championship near misses, Hamlin has emerged as a serious contender for the title once again. He is just 14 points behind Kyle Larson in the points standings, and he’ll have no pressure heading into the high-stakes upcoming races at Talladega and the Charlotte Roval with his ticket already punched for the third round by this Vegas victory.

“It feels so good to win in Vegas,” Hamlin said. “Last couple of times I’ve been close, but just didn’t have the right brakes. Great to hold those guys off.”

The 41-year-old veteran had struggled on this 1½-mile track for most of his career, with just two top-5finishes in his first 18 starts. He has put together three consecutive top-four finishes since then in Vegas, capped by this victory under the lights and fireworks.

“There was a point where I never thought I’d even sniff a victory here,” Hamlin said. “The team has found a setup that has worked with my driving style. The team goes to work to give me what I need to go fast.”

Elliott closed in on Hamlin in the final five laps as Hamlin’s performance appeared to decline, cutting the gap to a half-second with two laps to go, but the defending Cup Series champion couldn’t close the remaining distance, finishing second in his Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

“We were really close,” Elliott said. “Just not quite close enough. Denny did a good job controlling the gap to me. I feel like we’ve been performing at a really nice level the last four or five weeks. Just haven’t had the results to show for it.”

Kyle Busch finished third on his hometown track, followed by Martin Truex Jr. and Ryan Blaney as the 12 remaining playoff drivers began the second round and the final seven races of the season. Hamlin, Busch and Truex put Joe Gibbs Racing in three of the top four spots.

“I just can’t think of a better place to win,” said Chris Gabehart, Hamlin’s crew chief. “Certainly our team has been really capable all year long. Every metric other than the win column has been astounding for our team. It’s really been our best year together thus far. You stay up front as much as we have, the wins are going to finally come. They’re coming at the right time.”

Larson finished 10th on the track where he won in March. Kevin Harvick, who scrapped with Elliott over tactics last week at Bristol, finished ninth.

Larson won the first stage, but Hamlin took the second when Larson needed gas and pitted with eight laps to go. Larson got stuck in the midfield in the final stage while struggling with his tires.

NO DRAMA

Harvick wasn’t really in position for any payback on Elliott after the younger driver deliberately slowed Harvick at Bristol last week, ruining his chances of catching Larson. Harvick and Elliott had a vocal public disagreement after that race.

Harvick was still sore about it in Vegas, calling it “probably the maddest I’ve ever been.”

“It was like speaking to a 9-year-old,” Harvick said of his argument with Elliott. “It’s identical. It’s 100% the exact same scenario. They get hung up on one thing and you can’t speak to them about the broader picture about the whole thing works.”

LONG TIME COMING

Hamlin has made the playoffs 15 times, but he came closest to a championship in 2010. He won eight races that year and took a points lead into the season finale at Homestead, only to end up second behind Jimmie Johnson with a 14th-place race finish.

BUSCH BOYS

Kyle Busch was strong in his 600th career Cup Series start, and older brother Kurt finished eighth in his 750th career start. The Las Vegas natives have been racing this track on the far north end of Las Vegas Boulevard since it reopened as a 1½-mile oval in 1996.

Only Richard Petty made 600 starts at a younger age than Kyle Busch in NASCAR history.

BIG HIT

Joey Gase went to a hospital after a violent one-car crash 92 laps in. His left rear tire flew off the car, sending him high into the outside wall off Turn 2.

OH BABY

Chase Briscoe finished 14th after a long day for a soon-to-be father. He got to Vegas on a commercial flight about three hours before the race after staying behind in Charlotte with his wife, who is due to give birth soon. Briscoe nearly didn’t make it to Nevada at all because of a flight cancellation, but American Airlines came through with a backup plane just in time.

UP NEXT: The NASCAR Cup Series playoff race continues at Talladega next Sunday.

Continue Reading

Sports

Knight’s Choice salutes in Melbourne Cup boilover

Published

on

By

Knight's Choice salutes in Melbourne Cup boilover

Knight’s Choice has won the 2024 Melbourne Cup, defeating Warp Speed and Okita Soushi in a thrilling finish at Flemington on Tuesday afternoon.

The massive outsider saluted for Irish-born jockey Robbie Dolan, who claimed victory in what was his first ever ride in the “race that stops a nation”.

In what was a gripping 164th staging of Australia’s most-watched thoroughbred race, Knight’s Choice proved too strong in a sprint to the finish, pulling over the top of Okita Soushi and holding off Warp Speed by the barest of margins.

Trained by John Symons and Sheila Laxon on the Sunshine Coast, Knight’s Choice was well down the betting across all markets. It was Laxon’s second Melbourne Cup triumph after she trained Ethereal to victory 23 years ago.

“This is the pinnacle of all pinnacles, this is the Melbourne Cup,” Symons said.

Zardozi rounded out the first four.

As the field approached the final few hundred metres it appeared as though Jamie Kah, aboard Okita Soushi, would become just the second woman to ride the winner in the Melbourne Cup. But Okita Soushi was swallowed up as the winning post neared, with Knight’s Choice beating Warp Speed to the line after a peach of a ride from Dolan.

“We’ll be singing tonight after a few beers,” Dolan, who was a contestant on the 2022 edition of “The Voice”, told Channel 9.

“It is amazing and a lot of people doubted this little horse. Doubt me now.”

Laxon was more than happy with the ride, with Dolan threading his way through the field from near last on the bend.

“He started the race, and he knew how to ride him. We didn’t give him instructions, he knew what to do,” she said.

“I love it being down for the Australians. The Australian horse has done it, and Robbie is Australian now as well, so I’m thrilled to win the Cup, and it is the people’s Cup, and that’s what it is all about.”

Knight’s Choice is just the sixth Australian-bred horse to win since 1993, and the first since Vow and Declare back in 2019.

The five-year-old gelding carried only 51kg to victory and was making its first start over the 3200m trip. It had most recently come off a fifth-placed finish in the Bendigo Cup, but had showed sparing little form this preparation otherwise.

“I watched every Melbourne Cup for the last 40 years. I thought my best chance was to get him to stay the trip and, hopefully, he can run home and do the quick sectionals he can on a good track and he proved everybody wrong,” Dolan said.

Continue Reading

Sports

Brewers’ Montas, Rea headed to free agency

Published

on

By

Brewers' Montas, Rea headed to free agency

MILWAUKEE — The Brewers‘ starting rotation could have a new look next season with right-handers Frankie Montas and Colin Rea heading into free agency.

The Brewers announced Monday that Montas had declined his part of a $20 million mutual option for 2025. The Brewers turned down the $5.5 million club option on Rea’s contract.

Montas receives a $2 million buyout and Rea gets a $1 million buyout.

In other moves Monday, right-hander Kevin Herget was claimed off waivers by the New York Mets, and left-hander Rob Zastryzny was claimed off waivers by the Chicago Cubs. First baseman Jake Bauers and right-hander Bryse Wilson cleared waivers and were sent outright to Triple-A Nashville.

Montas, 31, had a combined 7-11 record with a 4.84 ERA and 148 strikeouts over 150⅔ innings in 30 starts for the Cincinnati Reds and Brewers this season. He was 3-3 with a 4.55 ERA in 11 starts for the Brewers, who acquired him just before the trade deadline.

Rea, 34, was 12-6 with a 4.28 ERA this season in 32 appearances, including 27 starts. He struck out 135 in 167⅔ innings. Rea had an 8.31 ERA in September and was left off the Brewers’ NL Wild Card Series roster.

Herget, 33, had no record with one save and a 1.59 ERA in seven appearances with Milwaukee this year. He was 5-1 with four saves and a 2.27 ERA in 38 relief outings with Triple-A Nashville.

Zastryzny, 32, was 1-0 with a 1.17 ERA in nine appearances with Milwaukee. He pitched in 30 games with Nashville and went 4-0 with a 3.03 ERA.

The 29-year-old Bauers batted .199 with a .301 on-base percentage, 12 homers and 43 RBIs in 116 games this season. He also hit a seventh-inning homer that broke a scoreless tie in the decisive Game 3 of the Wild Card Series with the Mets, who rallied in the ninth to win 4-2.

Wilson, who turns 27 on Dec. 20, went 5-4 with a 4.04 ERA in 34 appearances, including nine starts.

Continue Reading

Sports

Maton hits free agency after Mets decline option

Published

on

By

Maton hits free agency after Mets decline option

SAN ANTONIO — Right-hander Phil Maton became a free agent Monday after the New York Mets declined his $7,775,000 option in favor of a $250,000 buyout.

The 31-year-old was 2-1 with a 2.51 ERA in his first season with New York, which acquired him from Tampa Bay on July 9. Maton was 3-3 with a 3.66 ERA in a career-high 71 games overall and had a $6.25 million salary.

New York also announced left-hander Sean Manaea declined his $13.5 million option to become a free agent for the third consecutive offseason. Manaea agreed to a contract in January that included a $14.5 million salary for 2024, and the 32-year-old went 12-6 with a 3.47 ERA in 32 starts, striking out 184 and walking 63 in 181⅔ innings.

After dropping his arm slot in midseason, he became the Mets most effective starting pitcher and went 6-2 with a 3.09 ERA.

Continue Reading

Trending