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SPORTS Monday 14 May 2018

Kansas Speedway and the No. 42 car began

Continued from Page 17 Blaney to finish fourth. Den- bumping with Blaney down
ny Hamlin rounded out the the front stretch.
Harvick made the final pass top five for Joe Gibbs Rac- Those two got together,
as he crossed the start-finish ing. sending Blaney into the wall
line to take the white flag, “Kevin was ripping there and Larson into the pits.
while Truex chased him the with the new tires at the “I’m definitely to blame
final lap to finish second end. He was the fastest,” on that,” said Blaney, who
— a strong showing after Logano said. “My only won the first stage before
his two wins at Kansas last show was those guys (Har- Larson had charged to the
year. vick and Truex) wrecking front to capture the sec-
“He just got through traf- each other and they’re too ond. “Just trying to side-drift
fic too quick and was too good for that.” too hard.”
fast,” Truex said. “The flip The race was free of wrecks The race had barely re-
switched, I got tight, start- until the last 30 laps, when turned to green when Wil-
ed shaking the right front Alex Bowman and Daniel liam Byron triggered a
tire and I knew I was in trou- Suarez got into each other. heavy wreck in front of the
ble. He was coming quick.” But things really shook up a grandstand. Local favorites
Joey Logano finished third, few laps later, when Har- Clint Bowyer and Jamie
and Kyle Larson rallied from vick passed Larson on the McMurray were among a
a late tangle with Ryan restart to assume control, half-dozen cars involved.
“That one hurt really bad,
Zverev beats Thiem but I’m fine,” Byron said.
“We took two tires and just
to win Madrid Open couldn’t get it turned on Kevin Harvick (4) passes Martin Truex Jr. (78) with a lap to go to
the bottom. We were trying
to kind of push some things
Saturday, May 12, 2018, in Kansas City, Kan.
MADRID (AP) — Second- Magica. He avenged last there and it didn’t work win the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speedway on
seeded Alexander Zverev year’s final loss to Rafael out.” Associated Press
eased past fifth-seeded Nadal by beating him in The red flag set up one last bumped into him as they top 11 spots. Chase Elliott
Dominic Thiem 6-4, 6-4 to Friday’s quarterfinals for the sprint to the finish. dueled on the front-stretch, was the next-best Chevy in
win the Madrid Open on Spaniard’s first clay-court Truex used some pit strat- sending the No. 12 car into 12th. Jimmie Johnson was
Sunday, claiming his sec- loss in a year. egy to restart in the lead, the outside wall. 19th.
ond title in a week. Zverev started strongly and quickly built a buffer. Larson needed to have KENSETH’S RETURN
The German broke Thiem’s when Thiem conceded his But the No. 4 car swept his rear fender fixed, too, Matt Kenseth had a for-
opening service games in first service game with a past Logano and Hamlin and a mix-up with the tire gettable return to the Cup
each set and didn’t give costly double fault. on the outside to put Truex changer in the pits forced Series. The former series
his Austrian rival a single Serving to close out the first in his sights, then Harvick him to pit again. That left champ’s first race as part
break chance to win in 1 set, Zverev trailed 0-30 but closed on the lead until fi- team owner Chip Ganassi of a timeshare with Trevor
hour, 19 minutes. used his big serve to force nally overtaking the reign- kicking a pit cart in frustra- Bayne in the No. 6 for Roush
Zverev won his eighth ca- deuce and finally closed ing series champion with a tion, and forced Larson to Fenway Racing was spent
reer title and second of out the point when Thiem’s lap to go. restart far enough back lamenting a lack of speed,
the season after also win- return sailed long. “They’re hitting on all cylin- that he couldn’t contend and ended when Byron
ning the Munich Open last Zverev started the second ders,” Truex said. “They’ve for the win. triggered his hard wreck
weekend. set in similar fashion, hit- got a great balanced race “We had that we didn’t turn with 15 laps to go.
“It is unbelievable,” Zverev ting a deep forehand that car and they’re doing all today into a win,” he said, UP NEXT
said. “This is my third Mas- Thiem could only send into the right things, and we’re “but satisfying to see how The series heads to Char-
ters 1000 and I am only 21 the net on the final point of just a step behind.” much speed our car had lotte Motor Speedway next
years old. It has been an his service game to fall be- LARSON’S LETDOWN tonight, and good to show Saturday night for the All-
amazing journey.” hind a break. After his week started on Chevy has some speed, at Star Race. NASCAR will be
Zverev dominated the en- It was Zverev’s second win a high with the birth of his least the 42 team.” using a new aerodynamic
tire week in the Spanish in six meetings with Thiem. daughter, Larson was on SPEAKING OF package that includes re-
capital, not losing a single On Saturday, Petra Kvitova his way to capping it with Chevrolet continued to strictor plates designed to
set en route to victory. beat Kiki Bertens in three a win. But after Harvick got struggle with only Larson create more side-by-side
Thiem lost his second con- sets to win the women’s around him on the restart breaking the stranglehold racing, similar to the three-
secutive final at the Caja title.q with 25 laps left, Blaney of Ford and Toyota for the wide racing at Daytona.q