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A16 sports
Tuesday 26 July 2022
Elliott won't celebrate gifted Pocono win after Hamlin DQ

By DAN GELSTON Monday the house rules
AP Sports Writer state bets are settled on
Chase Elliott left Pocono the result of the podium
Raceway as a third-place presentation regardless of
finisher and learned when any subsequent disqualifi-
he landed home in Geor- cations. Where things gets
gia that he had been de- murky is with fantasy play-
clared the race winner. ers.
Whether NASCAR's most FanDuel said all NASCAR
popular driver wants to cel- fantasy contests are settled
ebrate the victory or not, it's the following day.
his — Joe Gibbs Racing de- The breakdown went like
clined to appeal the penal- this:
ties levied by NASCAR that — Elliott received 43 points
stripped Denny Hamlin of for finishing first after the
his Pocono win and cost postrace inspections.
Kyle Busch his runner-up fin- — Busch received five
ish. points for finishing in 36th
Hamlin was the first Cup place due to failing post-
winner to be disqualified race inspection.
since April 17, 1960, when — Hamlin earned six fan-
Emanuel Zervakis' victory at tasy points for finishing 35th.
Wilson Speedway in North NASCAR could hit JGR with
Carolina was thrown out Denny Hamlin (11) gets out of his car after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Pocono stiffer points penalties and
because of an oversized Raceway, Sunday, July 24, 2022, in Long Pond, Pa. fines than Zervakis faced in
fuel tank. Associated Press 1960. The Associated Press
The Toyotas were shipped reported that officials held
to NASCAR's research and zipped his young daughter rulebook — creatively or il- have victories taken away up Zervakis' purse of $1,275
development center in around the track on a vic- legally — has been a part from them until then. after he won the race with-
North Carolina for further tory lap — and the rest of of NASCAR's culture since For example, Joey Logano out a pit stop and "carried
evaluation, and additional the field had long left Po- its inception. But NASCAR kept a 2017 win in Richmond about a half-gallon of gas-
points or monetary pen- cono when the NASCAR in- toughened its punishments even after a midweek tear- oline more than is consid-
alties could still be issued spection team found issues entering the 2019 season down of his car at the R&D ered stock in the technical
against JGR. in both Toyotas that affect- in a bolder bid to squash center showed his Team ratings of his 1960 Chevro-
Elliott was gifted his fourth ed the aerodynamics. cheating. The biggest shift Penske team broke rules. let." Joe Weatherly earned
win of the season, without "There really was no reason came in inspections, which Logano, though, could not the win.
the Hendrick Motorsports why there was some mate- nailed the JGR drivers on count the win toward post- The 27-year-old Elliott, the
driver ever leading a lap rial that was somewhere it Sunday. NASCAR ensured season consideration. 2020 Cup Series champion
Sunday in his No. 9 Chevro- shouldn't have been. And postrace inspections would Hamlin won't be so lucky. and NASCAR's most popu-
let. The series points leader that does basically come take place at the track He lost this third win of the lar driver for four straight
will take the win, even if he down to a DQ," NASCAR instead of midweek at season, his record seventh seasons, said he was mov-
doesn't feel great about Cup Series managing di- the sanctioning body's re- victory at Pocono and a ing on from Pocono as if he
achieving it without a rector Brad Moran said Sun- search and development 49th career win that would did indeed finish third. And
checkered flag. day night. center outside of Charlotte, have tied him on NASCAR's he said he won't ask for the
"I was probably just kind of Team owner Joe Gibbs said North Carolina. career list with three-time trophy.
more surprised by it than Sunday he was "shocked" Winning teams found in champion Tony Stewart. "I'm not going to celebrate
anything," Elliott said Mon- by the ruling and his orga- violation of the rules be- Elliott now gets the win- someone's misfortune," El-
day. "I don't think any driv- nization planned "to review fore 2019 were penalized ner's purse, but Hamlin will liott said. "That doesn't
er wants to win that way. I every part of the process with postrace fines, point stand as the victor among seem right to me. I crossed
certainly don't." that led to this situation." deductions and/or sus- most major gambling sites. the line third. That's kind of
Hamlin — who had already Pushing the edge of the pensions. But drivers didn't FanDuel Sportsbook said how I'm looking at it."q
NYC loans Castellanos to promoted Girona in Spain

NEW YORK (AP) — Major ny of Manchester City. The club win promotion and
League Soccer scoring loan to the Catalan club is was loaned to NYC in July
leader Valentín "Taty" Cas- until June 2023. 2018.
tellanos is leaving New York "While it is difficult to leave NYC exercised its option to
City FC on loan to join new- this club, I strongly believe buy his rights after the sea-
ly promoted Girona in the that this is the right time son.
Spanish league. for me to move to Europe He scored 50 goals in 109
The 23-year-old Argentine which has always been a regular-season games,
forward has 13 goals in the personal dream of mine," leading the league last
MLS this season, tied at the Castellanos said in a state- season as NYC won its first
top with countryman Se- ment released by NYC. "I MLS title. Castellanos won
bastián Driussi of Austin FC. feel confident and ready the 2021 MLS Golden Boot
NYC said Monday that Cas- for a new challenge." award, scoring 19 goals
tellanos was being loaned Castellanos made his pro- during the regular season
New York City FC's Valentin "Taty" Castellanos greets the audi- to Girona, which like NYC is fessional debut with Torque and three goals during the
ence during a ceremony to honor the team's MLS championship controlled by City Football in Uruguay's second divi- MLS Cup Playoffs, including
win, Dec. 14, 2021, in New York. Group, the parent compa- sion in 2017. He helped the one in the final.q
Associated Press