Elliott wins 1st Xfinity race since ’16 at Charlotte
CONCORD, N.C. — Chase Elliott proved he still knows how to win an Xfinity Series race.
Running on fresh tires, Elliott held off Brandon Jones on Saturday at Charlotte Motor Speedway to win his first race on the NASCAR’s lower circuit since 2016 and his sixth overall. It was a rare cameo for Elliott, who has only run four Xfinity races in the past five years.
“It was super special to win with the 17 on the car for the boss and Linda,” Elliott said of team owner Rick Hendrick. “It means a lot to all of us to be a part of it whenever this car runs, and I appreciate the boss for letting me do it. I’m glad to get him a win. It was a good day.”
It also gives Elliott some track knowledge heading into the Coca-Cola 600 on Sunday, the longest race on the Cup Series schedule.
Elliott became the 12th different Xfinity winner at Charlotte in the past 12 years.
A call to take on new tires with about 50 laps remaining helped Elliott win the race on a hot, slick track.
“We were in a much better tire situation than anybody else and that is what won us the race,” Elliott said. “We ran ourselves a smart race and that put us in position.”
He started in 30th place after a rough day in qualifying Friday, but he battled his way back through the field.
Jones had car problems all day but continued to battle and finished second. Sammy Smith was third and Sam Mayer was fourth after it looked as though he might have a great shot to win late before falling off the pace.
“Talk about an up-and-down day,” Jones said. “That was really fun to come from the back to the front a few times.”
Justin Allgaier won the first two stages of the race to give him a series-high eight on the season, but his chance to defend his title at Charlotte ended when his No. 7 Chevrolet hit the wall with 25 laps to go, continuing his up-and-down season.
Allgaier had been looking for his second straight win on the Xfinity Series after winning two weeks ago at Darlington.
Mayer seemed in control late in the race and was leading when Cole Custer and Austin Hill were involved in a crash with 17 laps remaining. But Elliott pulled away on the restart, and Mayer quickly faded back and had a tight brush with the outside wall before regaining some track position and finishing in the top five.
NEW YORK — Dan Iassogna will be the umpire crew chief and work the plate during Tuesday night’s All-Star Game at Atlanta’s Truist Park.
His crew will include Marvin Hudson at first, Chris Segal at second, Jansen Visconti at third, Jeremie Rehak in left and Erich Bacchus in right, Major League Baseball said Thursday.
Iassogna, 56, will work his second All-Star Game. He was at third base for the 2011 game at Arizona.
He worked his first big league game in 1999, was hired to the major league staff in 2004 and appointed a crew chief ahead of the 2020 season. Iassogna umpired the World Series in 2012, ’17 and ’22 along with eight League Championship Series and seven Division Series.
Segal, Visconti, Rehak and Bacchus will work their first All-Star Games and Hudson his second after being in left field in 2004 at Houston.
Tony Randazzo will be the replay umpire in New York.
WEST SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Athletics slugger Brent Rooker is adding his name to the list of Home Run Derby participants.
Rooker announced Thursday that he’s participating in the event, which takes place Monday in Atlanta. He will become the first Athletics player in the Home Run Derby since Matt Olson in 2021.
“Competing in the Home Run Derby has always been a dream of mine,” Rooker said in an Instagram post. “Can’t wait to make it happen next week in Atlanta! See ya there!”
Rooker, 30, entered Thursday with a .270 batting average, 19 homers and 50 RBIs, putting him on pace for a third straight season of at least 30 homers. He went deep 30 times in 2023 and had 39 homers in 2024.
His 58 homers since the start of the 2024 season rank him third among all American League players.
The only A’s to win the Derby were Mark McGwire in 1992 and Yoenis Céspedes in 2013 and 2014.
Other announced participants include Atlanta’s Ronald Acuña Jr., Minnesota’s Byron Buxton, Tampa Bay’s Junior Caminero, Pittsburgh’s Oneil Cruz, Seattle’s Cal Raleigh and Washington’s James Wood.
-
Sports3 years ago‘Storybook stuff’: Inside the night Bryce Harper sent the Phillies to the World Series
-
Sports1 year agoStory injured on diving stop, exits Red Sox game
-
Sports2 years agoGame 1 of WS least-watched in recorded history
-
Sports2 years agoMLB Rank 2023: Ranking baseball’s top 100 players
-
Sports4 years ago
Team Europe easily wins 4th straight Laver Cup
-
Sports2 years agoButton battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut
-
Environment2 years agoJapan and South Korea have a lot at stake in a free and open South China Sea
-
Environment2 years agoGame-changing Lectric XPedition launched as affordable electric cargo bike