Connect with us

Published

on

It’s only Week 3, and already the college football season has been rife with surprises. Can Colorado, 1-11 last season, run its record to 3-0 when the Buffaloes take on Colorado State (10 p.m. ET, ESPN) on Saturday?

Colorado isn’t the only early-season surprise, though. No. 21 Duke looks to go to 3-0 when it plays host to Northwestern (3:30 p.m. ET, ACCN), while No. 3 Florida State travels to Boston College (noon ET, ABC), No. 4 Texas hosts Wyoming (8 p.m. ET, LHN) and No. 7 Penn State opens Big Ten play at Illinois (noon ET, Fox).

No. 22 Miami kicks off Week 3 when Bethune-Cookman travels to Coral Gables to face the unbeaten Hurricanes (7:30 p.m. ET, ACCN).

Our reporters preview Week 3 with a look at teams that have surprised, quarterbacks to watch, big-picture numbers and some of the week’s best quotes.

Teams that have pleasantly surprised

Duke: The Blue Devils won nine games last season and returned 18 starters, including quarterback Riley Leonard. Yet what Duke did to Clemson in the season opener stunned the entire college football world. Well, except for one group: the Blue Devils themselves. While the 28-7 victory might have seemed surprising — considering the opponent and domination — Duke is not your grandfather’s football team. Second-year coach Mike Elko has done a remarkable job of not only transforming the culture, belief and mindset in the locker room, but he and his staff have done terrific work to instill core principles needed to win at a place like Duke: get the fundamentals right, force turnovers, keep the penalties down and accentuate the strengths of their players. They also happen to have a potential first-round NFL pick in Leonard, who was going to play basketball in college before receiving an eleventh-hour offer to play quarterback for the Blue Devils. Elko is 11-4 through his first 15 games at Duke, marking the best 15-game start to a head-coaching stint in school history. With its huge win over Clemson, Duke is ranked for the first time since 2018 and will be heavily favored in its next two contests, starting Saturday against Northwestern. After a trip to UConn, Duke will host Notre Dame on Sept. 30 in another national spotlight game for a program that is starting to get used to them. “If we can have a good season, there’s no question what type of football program we have,” Leonard told ESPN. “Coach Elko is in this thing for the long run, so I think Duke football is building a name for itself, and we’re going to be around for a long time.” — Andrea Adelson

Texas: You obviously have to highlight Texas for the simple fact that the Longhorns finally pulled off the type of win they’ve flirted with for a while. Granted, they now have to maintain that level during their final run through the Big 12, against a bunch of conference foes that will be taking home run swings at them. But anytime Quinn Ewers and the Longhorns’ defense play like they did Saturday at Alabama, Texas will probably win. Beyond that, both Kansas State and Oklahoma have backed up their status as vice favorites, which might or might not be surprising. And further down the pecking order, Kansas has shown both the offensive prowess we expected and at least a little bit of potential defensive push. The Jayhawks are better knocking teams off schedule, and the pass rush looks excellent. — Bill Connelly

Penn State: It might be a stretch to say they have surprised, because Penn State started the season ranked in the top 10. But for fans who don’t pay attention nationally or regionally, it probably has been a surprise to see the Nittany Lions playing as well as they have through the first two weeks with a new quarterback. Drew Allar has been as advertised, throwing for 529 yards and four touchdowns. The offense is balanced with Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the backfield. And despite losing some NFL talent on defense, Penn State has shown few weaknesses thus far. Michigan and Ohio State have gotten all the attention in the Big Ten, but the Lions are going to get more and more at the rate they’re playing. — Tom VanHaaren

Colorado: It’s too easy to say Colorado here, but it’s hard not to focus on the Buffs after they won their first two games under Deion Sanders and more or less dominated TCU and Nebraska. Things will get tougher for Sanders’ team soon enough, but the way the staff and player turnaround has paid immediate dividends is remarkable. Shedeur Sanders has looked every bit the part of an elite college quarterback, throwing for over 900 yards and six touchdowns in two games, while Travis Hunter has turned into an immediate Heisman Trophy contender by not just playing both ways but excelling on defense and offense. The Buffs certainly have holes in their roster and weaknesses to be exploited, but until a team can take advantage of those and overcome the play of Sanders, Hunter & Co., this will be the story of the Pac-12 and the college football world as a whole. — Paolo Uggetti

Ole Miss: The harsh reality for the SEC is that nobody has looked great. Two-time defending national champion Georgia has won two blowouts over outmatched opponents, and even then, some fans have grumbled about first-year offensive coordinator Mike Bobo’s playcalling. Imagine that. The nod here goes to Lane Kiffin and his Ole Miss Rebels, especially coming off their 37-20 win at No. 24 Tulane. The Rebels trailed 17-7 at one point but outscored the Green Wave 27-3 in the second half. Quarterback Jaxson Dart‘s toughness has been a big part of Ole Miss’ 2-0 start. The defense also made a couple of big plays, including a fumble return for a touchdown and an interception return that set up the go-ahead field goal. — Chris Low


Quarterbacks to watch in Week 3

Sam Hartman, Notre Dame: Hartman became a touchdown-passing king at Wake Forest, setting the ACC career record with 110, so it shouldn’t be a shock he already has 10 scoring strikes through three games at Notre Dame — the most ever by a Fighting Irish QB in his first three contests. He leads Power 5 quarterbacks with 87 touchdown passes since the start of the 2021 season. Hartman has spread the ball around well, targeting six different players for touchdown receptions. “We’re able to go through a progression and not just say, ‘This is the go-to guy,'” Irish coach Marcus Freeman said. “That’s the beautiful part about how we’re playing offensively right now, is that everybody and anybody on any play has a chance to have the ball going their way.” — Adam Rittenberg

Quinn Ewers, Texas: The biggest knock on Ewers since his arrival at Texas has been his inconsistency on deep passes, allowing opponents to stack the line against the Longhorns. According to ESPN Stats & Information, Ewers did not have a touchdown in his career on passes thrown more than 20 yards downfield. On Saturday against Alabama, Ewers was 3-of-5 for 115 yards and two TDs on deep attempts. Even better, in the second half, he had the most completions (five) of 30-plus yards in a half against a top-three opponent in the past 20 seasons. That’s a new wrinkle that makes Texas tough to beat. — Dave Wilson

J.J. McCarthy, Michigan: McCarthy worked this offseason to bulk up, add strength and get back to 100 percent health, and it has paid off thus far. He is completing over 87% of his passes through the first two games and now holds the second- and third-highest completion percentages in a single game for Michigan quarterbacks. With all the talk about running back Blake Corum and Donovan Edwards returning to the backfield, McCarthy has put the spotlight on himself. He has 558 yards and five touchdowns this season and has shown opposing defenses they can’t just stack the box to stop the run against Michigan. McCarthy has done all of this against lesser competition, but if he continues to play this well through the Big Ten portion of the schedule, Michigan has a great shot at making it back to the Big Ten championship game for a third year in a row. — VanHaaren

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado: Sanders has been an instant revelation at Colorado, where he is the national leader in passing yards per game (451.5) and averages over 10 yards per attempt (10.2). What’s clear is that offensive coordinator Sean Lewis has the utmost confidence in Sanders. He drops back to pass more than any quarterback in the country, and it has paid off with a completion rate (77.5%) that ranks No. 9 nationally. If the Buffaloes can get the run game going, they have the potential to remain one of the country’s most explosive offenses. — Kyle Bonagura

Jalen Milroe, Alabama: Coach Nick Saban thought about benching Milroe during last Saturday’s loss to Texas. Then Milroe threw a 49-yard touchdown to take the lead, and Saban reconsidered. But Milroe turned around and threw a backbreaking interception. So what gives? If Milroe starts against South Florida, he’ll be on a short leash. Notre Dame transfer Tyler Buchner would likely be next up. On Monday, Saban said of Buchner, “We feel really good about how he’s continued to improve and develop and gain confidence.” — Low


Big-picture numbers

Riding high out West

The Pac-12 is rolling, with eight teams ranked in this week’s AP Top 25 poll. Two are in the top 10, with USC at No. 5 and Washington at No. 8. The others to make the cut: Utah (12), Oregon (13), Oregon State (16), Colorado (18), Washington State (23) and UCLA (24). According to the Allstate Playoff Predictor, the conference has a 65% chance to send a team to the College Football Playoff, fourth among the Power 5 conferences and just ahead of the ACC at 58%.

SEC struggles

SEC teams have dropped six nonconference games this season. It lost just seven nonconference contests during the entire 2022 campaign. Overall, it is 1-4 vs. the ACC. But Ole Miss will host Georgia Tech on Saturday and should be able to add to the SEC win column, with ESPN’s FPI giving the Rebels a 90.2% chance to prevail.

Back, back, back?

Not to speak too soon, but Texas, Florida State and Miami all have been impressive. No. 4 Texas’ defense is powering the Longhorns and is ranked No. 1 in ESPN’s defensive FPI. Miami got a solid win over Texas A&M and snuck its way into the AP poll at No. 22. And third-ranked Florida State currently has a 41% chance to reach the CFP. We’ll be keeping our eyes on these teams as the weeks go on to see if they are in fact … back.


Quotes of the week

Dabo Swinney: The Clemson coach let everyone know neither he nor the Tigers are done just yet after his team’s 66-17 win against Charleston Southern.

“A lot of y’all probably want me to be gone now, but we’re still hanging in there. Like a hair in a biscuit. We’re still going.”

Mack Brown: North Carolina‘s coach made no apologies for last week’s criticism of the NCAA after transfer wide receiver Devontez Walker was denied an appeal to play this season.

“I’m not going to apologize for standing up and trying to do what’s best for our young person and making sure that he understands we have exhausted every possibility that we can to help him. Because if we haven’t, then we’re not doing our job. None of this was to embarrass anybody, to get anybody threats. The only thing we’ve done is take up for our player. And I’m very proud of that. And if I had to do it over again, I’d do exactly the same thing.”

Mike Bloomgren: The Rice coach hadn’t seen a celebration like the one his Owls had in the locker room after a double-overtime upset of crosstown rival Houston since, well …

“It was like a club I don’t go to anymore.”

Tyler Booker: The Alabama offensive guard described his team’s attitude after Saturday’s home loss to Texas, which was about what most would expect.

“The mindset of the team, we’re pissed off. Not gonna lie.”

Continue Reading

Sports

Shocks at No. 1 — and No. 2?! Winners, losers and takeaways from MLB draft Day 1

Published

on

By

Shocks at No. 1 -- and No. 2?! Winners, losers and takeaways from MLB draft Day 1

The first day of the 2025 MLB draft is complete! The Washington Nationals selected Eli Willits with the No. 1 pick, opting for the prep shortstop — who might be more likely to sign below slot — in a draft with no clear-cut top prospect. And there were plenty of other intriguing selections as the first three rounds unfolded Sunday night.

The Seattle Mariners had to have been thrilled to have Kiley McDaniel’s No. 1-ranked prospect, Kade Anderson, fall to them at No. 3, and Ethan Holliday was selected at No. 4 by his famous father’s former squad the Colorado Rockies.

We asked ESPN baseball insiders Alden Gonzalez, Jesse Rogers and David Schoenfield to break down their favorite and most head-scratching moves of the draft’s first night, as well as to predict which players will bring the most to their new teams in the long term.


A lot of us were thrown for a loop by the first two selections. What do you make of the Nationals taking Ethan Willits at No. 1 and the Angels picking Tyler Bremner at No. 2?

Gonzalez: I was stunned on both accounts. Though there was definitely some uncertainty around the Nationals’ approach, especially since the firing of GM Mike Rizzo, I didn’t see anybody, anywhere, projecting Willits to be their choice at No. 1 overall. But the Angels drafting Bremner was an even bigger risk. Kiley had him 18th in his latest ranking. Six pitchers were ranked ahead of him. But Bremner might be someone who can rise and impact their major league roster quickly, and the Angels are always looking for that.

Rogers: The first two picks really summed up the uncertainty of the entire draft. The Nationals’ faith in a 17-year-old will be tested over the coming years, but the pick will likely save them some money for later in this draft and give Willits time to grow. The same can be said of many of the top picks: They’re going to need time. There are far fewer sure things this year — though Bremner could be the exception. The Angles love to graduate their players quickly, and as a college arm, he could see the majors sooner rather than later. Like Willits, this could also be a cost-saving move for later spending.

Schoenfield: In a draft that not only lacked a sure-thing No. 1 overall pick but was viewed as weaker at the top than those of recent years, it’s perhaps not a huge surprise that the Nationals and Angels used their picks to strike likely underslot deals with Willits and Bremner, giving them money to spend later in the draft — which they can use on high school prospects who might have slipped, trying to buy them out from going to college. It’s a strategy teams have used with success over the years, so the drafts for the Nationals and Angels will have to be viewed in their totality and not just focused on these two players.


What was your favorite pick of the night — and which one had you scratching your head?

Gonzalez: The Rockies have done a lot of things wrong over these last few … uh, decades. But it was really cool to see them take Ethan Holliday at No. 4 after his father, Matt, starred in Colorado for so long. Outside of the top two picks, Ethan Conrad going 17th to the Cubs was my biggest surprise of the night. Kiley had him ranked 30th; others had him falling out of the first round entirely. There’s uncertainty coming off shoulder surgery. But Conrad, 21, put up a 1.238 OPS in 97 plate appearances before his season ended prematurely in March. And the dearth of college bats probably influenced a slight reach here.

Rogers: I’m loving Billy Carlson to the White Sox at No. 10. Though they lost 121 games last season, Chicago couldn’t pick higher than this spot per CBA rules — but the Sox might have gotten a top-five player. Carlson’s defense will play extremely well behind a sneaky good and young pitching staff that should keep the ball on the ground in the long term. Meanwhile, with the pick of the litter when it came to hitters — college outfielders and high school kids as well — the Pirates took a high school pitcher at No. 6. Seth Hernandez could be great, but they need hitting. A lot of it.

Schoenfield: The Mariners reportedly wanted LSU left-hander Kade Anderson all along, but they certainly couldn’t have been expecting to get him with the third pick. (Keep in mind that the Mariners were lucky in the first place to land the third pick in the lottery, so they added some good fortune on top of good luck.) They get the most polished college pitcher in the draft, one who should move quickly — and perhaps make it a little easier for Jerry Dipoto to dip into his farm system and upgrade the big league roster at the trade deadline. Even though I understand why the Angels did it, Bremner still seems a little questionable. With the second pick, you want to go for a home run, and the consensus is that Holliday or even Anderson is more likely to be a more impactful major leaguer. Bremner’s lack of a third plus pitch is an issue, and you have to wonder if the Angels are relying too much on his control — which, yes, should allow him to get to the majors — and ignoring the possible lack of upside.


Who is the one player you’d like to plant your flag on as the biggest steal of this draft?

Gonzalez: Seth Hernandez, who went sixth to the Pirates and should someday share a rotation with Paul Skenes and Jared Jones. High school pitchers are incredibly risky, especially when taken so early in the draft. But Hernandez is a great athlete who already throws hard, boasts a plus changeup and showed improvement with his breaking ball this spring. He’ll go the Hunter Greene route, from standout high school pitcher to major league ace.

Rogers: Jamie Arnold will look like a steal at No. 11, especially when he debuts in the majors well before many of the players taken around him. I’m not worried about the innings drop in 2025 — not when he was striking out 119 hitters and walking just 27. The A’s need to polish him up but will be pleased by how consistent he’ll be. You can’t go wrong with a college lefty from an ACC school — at least, the A’s didn’t.

Schoenfield: I’m going with Billy Carlson with the 10th pick — with the admitted caveat that the White Sox haven’t exactly been stellar at developing hitters. But Carlson looks like an elite defensive shortstop with plus power, and that alone can make him a valuable major leaguer. If the hit tool comes along, we’re looking at a potential star. OK, he’s Bobby Witt Jr. lite? That’s still an All-Star player.


What’s your biggest takeaway from Day 1 of this draft?

Gonzalez: The Nationals throwing a wrench into the proceedings by selecting Willits. It was a surprising choice, but in their minds an easy one. Interim general manager Mike DeBartolo called Willits the best hitter and best fielder available. And in a draft devoid of can’t-miss, high-impact talent, Willits is no doubt a solid pick — a polished hitter who should stick at shortstop and might consistently hit 20 homers and steal 20 bases at a premium position. He also might come under slot, allowing flexibility later in the draft. But his selection is what allowed Anderson to reach the Mariners at No. 3 and prompted the Rockies to draft Holliday at No. 4, among other dominoes. It set a really interesting tone.

Rogers: Things change quickly in baseball. Whereas college hitters are usually the safest bets early in the draft, this year high school position players dominated. (And they all play shortstop, at least for now.) Athleticism has returned to baseball, and draft rooms are acting accordingly.

Schoenfield: I’m agreeing with Jesse. The selection of that many prep shortstops stood out — and they all seem to hit left-handed and run well, and some of them have big power potential and a cannon for an arm. Look, the hit tool is the most important and the hardest to scout and project, so not all these kids are going to make it, but their potential is exciting and, to Jesse’s point, their wide range of tools is showing that baseball is still drawing top athletes to the sport.

Continue Reading

Sports

2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

Published

on

By

2025 MLB Home Run Derby: The field is set! Who is the slugger to beat?

The 2025 MLB All-Star Home Run Derby is fast approaching — and the field is set.

Braves hometown hero Ronald Acuna Jr. became the first player to commit to the event, which will be held at Truist Park in Atlanta on July 14 (8 p.m. ET on ESPN). He was followed by MLB home run leader Cal Raleigh of the Seattle Mariners, James Wood of the Washington Nationals, Byron Buxton of the Minnesota Twins, Oneil Cruz of the Pittsburgh Pirates, Junior Caminero of the Tampa Bay Rays, Brent Rooker of the Athletics and Jazz Chisholm Jr. of the New York Yankees.

On Friday, however, Acuna was replaced by teammate Matt Olson.

With all the entrants announced, let’s break down their chances at taking home this year’s Derby prize.

Full All-Star Game coverage: How to watch, schedule, rosters, more


2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 434 feet

Why he could win: Olson is a late replacement for Acuna as the home team’s representative at this year’s Derby. Apart from being the Braves’ first baseman, however, Olson also was born in Atlanta and grew up a Braves fan, giving him some extra motivation. The left-handed slugger led the majors in home runs in 2023 — his 54 round-trippers that season also set a franchise record — and he remains among the best in the game when it comes to exit velo and hard-hit rate.

Why he might not: The home-field advantage can also be a detriment if a player gets too hyped up in the first round. See Julio Rodriguez in Seattle in 2023, when he had a monster first round, with 41 home runs, but then tired out in the second round.


2025 home runs: 36 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: It’s the season of Cal! The Mariners’ catcher is having one of the greatest slugging first halves in MLB history, as he’s been crushing mistakes all season . His easy raw power might be tailor-made for the Derby — he ranks in the 87th percentile in average exit velocity and delivers the ball, on average, at the optimal home run launch angle of 23 degrees. His calm demeanor might also be perfect for the contest as he won’t get too amped up.

Why he might not: He’s a catcher — and one who has carried a heavy workload, playing in all but one game this season. This contest is as much about stamina as anything, and whether Raleigh can carry his power through three rounds would be a concern. No catcher has ever won the Derby, with only Ivan Rodriguez back in 2005 even reaching the finals.


2025 home runs: 24 | Longest: 451 feet

Why he could win: He’s big, he’s strong, he’s young, he’s awesome, he might or might not be able to leap tall buildings in a single bound. This is the perfect opportunity for Wood to show his talent on the national stage, and he wouldn’t be the first young player to star in the Derby. He ranks in the 97th percentile in average exit velocity and 99th percentile in hard-hit rate, so he can still muscle the ball out in BP even if he slightly mishits it. His long arms might be viewed as a detriment, but remember the similarly tall Aaron Judge won in 2017.

Why he might not: His natural swing isn’t a pure uppercut — he has a pretty low average launch angle of just 6.2 degrees — so we’ll see how that plays in a rapid-fire session. In real games, his power is primarily to the opposite field, but in a Home Run Derby you can get more cheapies pulling the ball down the line.


2025 home runs: 20 | Longest: 479 feet

Why he could win: Buxton’s raw power remains as impressive as nearly any hitter in the game. He crushed a 479-foot home run earlier this season and has four others of at least 425 feet. Indeed, his “no doubter” percentage — home runs that would be out of all 30 parks based on distance — is 75%, the highest in the majors among players with more than a dozen home runs. His bat speed ranks in the 89th percentile. In other words, two tools that could translate to a BP lightning show.

Why he might not: Buxton is 31 and the Home Run Derby feels a little more like a younger man’s competition. Teoscar Hernandez did win last year at age 31, but before that, the last winner older than 29 was David Ortiz in 2010, and that was under much different rules than are used now.


2025 home runs: 16 | Longest: 463 feet

Why he could win: If you drew up a short list of players everyone wants to see in the Home Run Derby, Cruz would be near the top. He has the hardest-hit ball of the 2025 season, and the hardest ever tracked by Statcast, a 432-foot missile of a home run with an exit velocity of 122.9 mph. He also crushed a 463-foot home run in Anaheim that soared way beyond the trees in center field. With his elite bat speed — 100th percentile — Cruz has the ability to awe the crowd with a potentially all-time performance.

Why he might not: Like all first-time contestants, can he stay within himself and not get too caught up in the moment? He has a long swing, which will result in some huge blasts, but might not be the most efficient for a contest like this one, where the more swings a hitter can get in before the clock expires, the better.


2025 home runs: 23 | Longest: 425 feet

Why he could win: Although Caminero was one of the most hyped prospects entering 2024, everyone kind of forgot about him heading into this season since he didn’t immediately rip apart the majors as a rookie. In his first full season, however, he has showed off his big-time raw power — giving him a chance to become just the third player to reach 40 home runs in his age-21 season. He has perhaps the quickest bat in the majors, ranking in the 100th percentile in bat speed, and his top exit velocity ranks in the top 15. That could translate to a barrage of home runs.

Why he might not: In game action, Caminero does hit the ball on the ground quite often — in fact, he’s on pace to break Jim Rice’s record for double plays grounded into in a season. If he gets out of rhythm, that could lead to a lot of low line drives during the Derby instead of fly balls that clear the fences.


2025 home runs: 19 | Longest: 440 feet

Why he could win: The Athletics slugger has been one of the top power hitters in the majors for three seasons now and is on his way to a third straight 30-homer season. Rooker has plus bat speed and raw power, but his biggest strength is an optimal average launch angle (19 degrees in 2024, 15 degrees this season) that translates to home runs in game action. That natural swing could be picture perfect for the Home Run Derby. He also wasn’t shy about saying he wanted to participate — and maybe that bodes well for his chances.

Why he might not: Rooker might not have quite the same raw power as some of the other competitors, as he has just one home run longer than 425 feet in 2025. But that’s a little nitpicky, as 11 of his home runs have still gone 400-plus feet. He competed in the college home run derby in Omaha while at Mississippi State in 2016 and finished fourth.


2025 home runs: 17 | Longest: 442 feet

Why he could win: Chisholm might not be the most obvious name to participate, given his career high of 24 home runs, but he has belted 17 already in 2025 in his first 61 games after missing some time with an injury. He ranks among the MLB leaders in a couple of home run-related categories, ranking in the 96th percentile in expected slugging percentage and 98th percentile in barrel rate. His raw power might not match that of the other participants, but he’s a dead-pull hitter who has increased his launch angle this season, which might translate well to the Derby, even if he won’t be the guy hitting the longest home runs.

Why he might not: Most of the guys who have won this have been big, powerful sluggers. Chisholm is listed at 5-foot-11, 184 pounds, and you have to go back to Miguel Tejada in 2004 to find the last player under 6 foot to win.

Continue Reading

Sports

Van Gisbergen takes Sonoma to extend win streak

Published

on

By

Van Gisbergen takes Sonoma to extend win streak

SONOMA, Calif. — Shane van Gisbergen extended his winning streak to two straight and three victories in the past five weeks with yet another dominating run on a road course.

The New Zealander once again showed he’s in a completely different class on road and street courses than his rivals as he led 97 of 110 laps Sunday to win from pole at Sonoma Raceway. All three of his wins this year have been from pole — which tied him with Jeff Gordon for a NASCAR record of three consecutive road course victories from the top starting spot.

Gordon did it between the 1998 and 1999 seasons.

Victory No. 4 for van Gisbergen — who stunned NASCAR in 2023 when he popped into the debut Chicago street course race from Australian V8 Supercars and won — seemed a given before teams even arrived at the picturesque course in California wine country. His rivals have lamented that “SVG” has a unique braking technique he mastered Down Under that none of them — all oval specialists — can ever learn.

That win in Chicago two years ago led van Gisbergen to move to the United States for a career change driving stock cars for Trackhouse Racing. He and Ross Chastain have pumped energy into the team over this summer stretch with Chastain kicking it off with a Memorial Day weekend victory at the Coca-Cola 600.

Van Gisbergen is the fastest driver to win four Cup Series races — in his 34th start — since Parnelli Jones in 1969.

“It means everything. That’s why I race cars. I had an amazing time in Australia, and then to come here and the last couple weeks, or years, actually, has been a dream come true,” said van Gisbergen. “I’ve really enjoyed my time in NASCAR. Thanks, everyone, for making me feel so welcome. I hope I’m here for a long time to come.”

The Sonoma win made it four victories for Trackhouse in eight weeks. Van Gisbergen was second from pole in Saturday’s Xfinity Series race.

Although he dominated again Sunday, van Gisbergen pitted from the lead with 27 laps remaining and then had to drive his way back to the front. He got it with a pass of Michael McDowell with 19 laps remaining, but two late cautions made van Gisbergen win restarts to close out the victory in his Chevrolet.

Chase Briscoe was second in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing.

“I’ve never played against Michael Jordan, but I imagine this was very similar,” Briscoe said after not being able to pass van Gisbergen on the two late restarts — the last with five laps remaining. “That guy is unbelievable on road courses. He’s just so good. He’s really raised the bar on this entire series.”

Briscoe was followed by Chase Elliott in a Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports. McDowell in a Chevy for Spire Motorsports was fourth and Christopher Bell in a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing was fifth.

In-season challenge

The midseason tournament that pays $1 million to the winner is down to four drivers.

Alex Bowman finished 25th and eliminated Ty Dillon, who finished 26th. Tyler Reddick (11th) knocked out Ryan Preece (16th), John Hunter Nemechek knocked out teammate Erik Jones as they finished 21st and 22nd, and Ty Gibbs, with a seventh-place finish, eliminated Zane Smith.

Bowman, at eighth, is the highest-seeded driver still in the challenge, which debuted this year.

Crew fight

NASCAR officials had to separate the crews for Brad Keselowski and Gibbs when members from the two teams scrapped on pit road during the race.

Keselowski’s crew confronted Gibbs’ crew after Gibbs drove through their pit stall and narrowly missed hitting some of Keselowski’s crew members already in place waiting for him.

The confrontation appeared to be contained to pushing and shoving and NASCAR officials quickly stepped between them. Both crews were given an official warning for fighting but NASCAR said Gibbs did nothing wrong.

Clean race — for a while

It took 61 of the 110 laps for the first caution for an on-track incident — when Ryan Blaney was knocked off the course and into the dirt early in the third stage. The contact from Chris Buescher left Blaney stranded, and right before NASCAR could throw the yellow, Bubba Wallace and Denny Hamlin both spun.

It was technically the third caution of the race, but the first two were for natural stage breaks.

The race ended with six cautions — two in the final stretch.

Up next

The Cup Series races Sunday at Dover Motor Speedway in Delaware, where Hamlin won last year.

Continue Reading

Trending