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A16 sports
Saturday 7 November 2020
Path to NASCAR title clear with Harvick out of the way

By JENNA FRYER crown.
AP Auto Racing Writer "It's a helpless feeling. It's a
AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — frustrating feeling. But it's
Kevin Harvick was a sure what the format is," Kesel-
bet to make the NASCAR owski said. "I do feel those
finale and likely close out sympathies for him. In a
one of the most dominant selfish way, I'm glad that
seasons of the decade. I won't have to compete
Instead, he's been eliminat- against him."
ed and the hyped head-to- Logano raced his way into
head matchup between the finale as one of only
Harvick and Denny Ham- two playoff drivers with a
lin has been scrapped. third-round victory along
For better or worse, NAS- with Elliott. Since clinching
CAR's title-deciding for- his berth three weeks ago,
mat knocked the strongest his Team Penske crew has
team this season from con- been focused on a plan for
tention for Sunday's winner- Phoenix and doesn't much
take-all final four at Phoenix care about Harvick's fate.
Raceway. "I'm not going to "I honestly as a competitor
view if we win it any differ- don't have many feelings
ent whether he was in or for others," Logano said.
out," Hamlin said Thursday. "When I'm competing, it's
No one denies Harvick de- Kevin Harvick (4), Brad Keselowski (2) and Alex Bowman (88) cross the starting line to begin a about my team."
served a chance at the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 25, Elliott, racing in the final four
2020.
title. He won a series-high Associated Press for the first time in his career,
nine times, had a whop- has somewhat shielded
ping 20 top-five finishes he might still be in conten- they should be champions, health risks. The No. 4 team himself from the dramatics
and led nearly every statis- tion for the race win. right? I don't expect him to was locked in on the cham- of the season and focused
tical category this year. It "They've got a chip on the waffle around and just kind pionship and everyone ex- only on his Hendrick Mo-
was a back-and-forth be- shoulder and if they've got of let all four of us go race pected them at Phoenix. torsports effort. He's taken
tween Harvick and Hamlin a fast car, they are go- for it." Hamlin has had con- "In my mind he was deserv- a break from social media
that most assumed would ing to give the guys in the versations with Harvick and ing of racing for a cham- over the closing months of
go down to the finale. championship a whole lot some of his Stewart-Haas pionship, but didn't earn the season and didn't focus
But Harvick had a poor of trouble," said NBC Sports Racing crew since Harvick's it because of the system," on Harvick's season.
third round of the playoffs analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. dramatic elimination. Ham- Hamlin said. "I understand "For us to sit here and talk
and his season collapsed. "I think Harvick might hus- lin appreciates the season their pain." about others, or the other
He's out of the way and tle up in there and just not his rival has put together There's a balance, though, three guys in it, or who's not
Hamlin will race Chase El- care." in the pandemic-altered in commiserating with Har- in it, who somebody thinks
liott, Brad Keselowski and Hamlin, a seven-race win- season, when there was no vick and exulting over the the favorite is or isn't, is just
Joey Logano for the Cup ner this season, believes practice or qualifying, and opportunity ahead. Kes- very unproductive in my
Series championship. the champion has to win Harvick and crew were elowski won a series-high eyes," Elliott said. "I'm just
It's a much cleaner path to Sunday. But he also knows good every week with the six races in 2014 but didn't really thinking about us, be-
the title since Harvick is a Harvick has nothing to lose. car brought straight from make it to the final four that ing selfish in a lot of ways
nine-time winner at Phoe- "I still think I'm going to have the shop. season, the year Harvick this week, trying to put em-
nix, which is hosting NAS- to race him," Hamlin said. "I Harvick was so focused won his only title. phasis on the things that are
CAR's championship week- would think they probably on winning a second Cup Now Keselowski is in the going to make us go fast.
end for the first time. come loaded and ready title that he homeschooled championship round with a Me ranking Kevin's season
Out of the mix for the title, to go out and show that his 8-year-old to minimize chance at his own second is not one of them."q

Roglic increases Spanish Vuelta lead before decisive test

CIUDAD RODRIGO, Spain (AP) — through the wooded hills of west- queros to the beyond-category Visma teammates.
Defending champion Primoz Ro- ern Spain. summit at the top of the Alto de "It is a really big day tomorrow, the
glic extended his Spanish Vuelta It was the Danish rider's third ca- la Covatilla. decisive one," Roglic said. "We just
lead before the final competitive reer stage win at the Vuelta, and The penultimate stage will de- have to maintain our focus and
stage after earning some pre- his first in any race since February. termine the winner ahead of the do our best."
cious bonus seconds at the finish "It has been a difficult year for ev- ceremonial arrival in Madrid on The pandemic caused the Vuelta
of Stage 16, which was won by eryone. It means a lot to me to Sunday. to be pushed back from its hot
Magnus Cort Nielsen on Friday. come back and win," Cort Nielsen In September, Roglic was leading and sunny August-September slot
Roglic earned six bonus seconds said, referring to the pause in Eu- the Tour de France by 57 seconds to the cooler October and No-
after finishing second in the hilly ropean cycling caused by the going into the penultimate stage vember. A tight race calendar
stage. That gave him a 45 second coronavirus pandemic. but faltered during the time trial also forced officials to reduce it to
advantage over Richard Cara- "I had come back well after the and lost to eventual champion 18 stages from the usual 21.
paz heading into Saturday's deci- break, but I caught the coronavi- Tadej Pogacar. The race has been run under tight
sive mountain test. rus and had only been back train- Seven weeks later, Roglic will health regulations, including calls
Cort Nielsen, of EF Pro-Cycling, ing hard for three weeks (before have the opportunity to secure a by race officials for fans not to
won a sprint finish to claim the the Vuelta)." second consecutive Vuelta title in attend the race. They have re-
162-kilometer (100-mile) ride from Saturday's stage will take riders the rugged mountains under the peated the plea for people to not
Salamanca to Ciudad Rodrigo 178 kilometers (110 miles) from Se- protection of his strong Jumbo- gather in Madrid for the finale.q