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A16 sports
Tuesday 8 March 2022
NASCAR's new Next Gen car delivers on race track

By JENNA FRYER Cup champion Kyle Larson
AP Auto Racing Writer door-to-door for the win.
LAS VEGAS (AP) — NAS- Hall of Fame driver Jeff Gor-
CAR's underdogs will have don, now the vice chair-
a fighting chance in the man at Hendrick Motors-
Next Gen car, according to ports, called the opening
the development plan for month of racing "refresh-
the ballyhooed new mod- ing" as NASCAR produced
el, and the racing would a car that has so far lived
be much better. New car up to its hype.
configurations would force "I think we've seen great
drivers to muscle the cars racing. I think we've seen
like never before. cars coming from the back
Well, four races into the to the front, front to the
new season on four entirely back. We've seen where
different circuits, NASCAR they can race hard," Gor-
seems to have actually de- don said. "But the cars are
livered on the promise. on the edge. The drivers
Sure, the top teams have are definitely having to
still won all the races. First show their talent and abil-
it was Team Penske with ity. I think that was the in-
back-to-back wins in the tent, too, was to have a car
exhibition Busch Clash that was on a more level
and Daytona 500, and playing field."
then Hendrick Motorsports An official restarts the race after a caution flag during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, An aerodynamic package
made consecutive trips to March 6, 2022, in Las Vegas. that features lower down-
victory lane in California Associated Press force and higher horse-
and Las Vegas. power has been a handful
"You're never going to shut finished third. TrackHouse has expanded to two cars — Jack Roush's rebranded for drivers throughout the
down the giant race teams, Racing teammate Daniel this season and Ty Dillon RFK Racing team with Brad field, with Larson complain-
right?" Hendrick driver Alex Suarez flirted with his first has been mid-pack. Keselowski part of the own- ing after his runner-up finish
Bowman said after his Sun- career Cup Series win a — Richard Childress Racing, ership group went back to in Las Vegas that his upper
day victory at Las Vegas. week earlier at California the first team to embrace victory lane for the first time arms were the sorest they'd
Perhaps not. But the little before finishing fourth. the Next Gen concept and since 2017 when Keselowski been in his entire driving
guys sure are much im- — Erik Jones showed that help NASCAR create the and Chris Buescher each career.
proved: Richard Petty's old No. 43 first prototypes, has shown won a Daytona 500 qualify- "I'm out there holding a
— Ross Chastain led a to- can still be competitive by dramatic improvement. Ty- ing race. death grip on the steering
tal of 75 laps through the qualifying second at Cali- ler Reddick has contended — Aric Almirola is the only wheel for four hours, just
first 117 races of his career. fornia, leading laps and fin- everywhere and Austin Dil- driver to notch three top- trying to hang on," Larson
At Las Vegas, Chastain led ishing third. The rebranded lon has a pair of runner-up 10 finishes through the first said. "The car is actually re-
a race-high 83 laps and Petty GMS Racing team finishes in four races. three points races, while 25 ally fun to drive."
different drivers have led at The Next Gen still has plen-
Judo federation removes titles from least one lap this season. ty of kinks, starting with a
Christopher Bell won his first parts shortage that has left
Putin, Russian oligarch career pole at Las Vegas, teams scrambling for back-
and annual title contend-
up cars. Joe Gibbs Racing
ers Kevin Harvick and Den- did not have a race-ready
the organization. ny Hamlin have plummet- backup in Las Vegas and
"The International Judo ed in the standings; Hamlin spent more than eight
Federation announces that heads to Phoenix this week- hours preparing a "parts
Mr. Vladimir Putin and Mr. end ranked 30th in points. car" for Kyle Busch after he
Arkady Rotenberg have The Next Gen has so far crashed his primary in prac-
been removed from all po- raced on the smallest cir- tice.
sitions held in the Interna- cuit possible — the quarter- The car has had difficulty
tional Judo Federation," the mile track inside Los Ange- getting back to pit road
Budapest-based governing les Memorial Coliseum for with a flat tire and wreckers
body said in a statement the exhibition Clash — and were on standby all over
late Sunday. Putin's honor- one of the the largest, the the track at Las Vegas to
ary presidency of the IJF 2.5-mile superspeedway give a push when needed.
was suspended last week at Daytona International Toyota worked out an over-
with the organization citing Speedway. The race at heating problem between
"the ongoing war conflict in 2-mile Auto Club Speed- California and Las Vegas,
Ukraine." The Russian presi- way was the best at the and teams, manufacturers
dent is an avid judoka and California track in years, and even the drivers are
Russian President Vladmir Putin, left, and British Prime Minister attended the sport at the and same can be said for learning things each week.
David Cameron watch the judo during the men's 100-kg judo
competition at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Aug. 2, 2012, in Lon- 2012 London Olympics. Sunday's race at 1.5-mile Joey Logano, winner of the
don. Rotenberg is a long-time Las Vegas circuit. Clash, suggested NASCAR
Associated Press friend of Putin from their Las Vegas featured 23 lead employ AAA-style service
home city of St. Petersburg changes among 15 driv- trucks that can rush out to a
BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) — titles and jobs Vladimir Pu- and was a member of the ers and an overtime finish disabled racecar and do a
The International Judo Fed- tin and a long-time Kremlin- IJF executive committee as in which Bowman raced quick tire change to speed
eration has removed the supporting oligarch held at "development manager." teammate and reigning up the process.q