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A16 SPORTS
Tuesday 1 augusT 2023

Chris Buescher wins at Richmond and secures spot in NASCAR playoffs

By HANK KURZ Jr. winless this season, is still few laps down when he
AP Sports Writer mathematically in conten- nudged Hamlin out of the
RICHMOND, Va. (AP) — tion for the playoffs. way with 70 laps to go dur-
Chris Buescher was already The race was slowed just ing Sunday's race.
in good position to qualify three times by caution Larson, who won at Rich-
for NASCAR's playoffs. flags, with the final yellow mond in April, finished 19th.
Now, even something re- sending the leaders to pit "I think he was having a
markable over the last four road for four tires with eight frustrating day," Hamlin
races of the regular season laps to go. When the green said. "It's all good."
won't keep him out. flag was shown again, Bue- SCORCHER
Buescher pulled away on a scher used the inside line to With temperatures in the
restart with three laps to go pull away for his third ca- mid-80s, it was about 15
to win at Richmond Race- reer victory. degrees cooler than Sat-
way on Sunday and snag Hamlin's bid for the victory urday, when the tempera-
one of the final spots in Chris Buescher raises the Cook Out 400 Trophy in Victory Lane ended on the second lap ture approached 100 and
NASCAR's playoff field. after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race, Sunday, July 30, of the final sprint when he the heat index was at least
Buescher led 88 laps and 2023, in Richmond, Va. drove in too deep in the first 105.
was ahead by nearly 6 Associated Press turn and slid up the track. Nevertheless, points leader
seconds when a caution the 0.75-mile oval. a Toyota for Joe Gibbs Rac- He finished 0.549-seconds Martin Truex Jr. still strug-
came out with under 10 Buescher started 26th and ing. Kyle Busch was third behind Buescher. gled.
laps to go. That erased his had to drive through the in a Chevrolet for Richard "I got a bad restart," Hamlin "It was definitely really, re-
lead over Virginia native field for the win that locked Childress Racing, followed said. "I had to recover too ally hot," he said. "It felt
Denny Hamlin, who was him into the 16-driver play- by the Fords of Joey Loga- much ground from what I longer than 400 laps. I'll
booed by his hometown off field. Buescher became no from Team Penske and lost on the front stretch. Al- be honest, when we got
crowd before the race. the 13th race winner this Ryan Preece of Stewart- most got to the outside, and to the end of stage two
But Hamlin got a poor final year and there are three Haas Racing. then in turn four, almost got —– I thought there was no
restart and Buescher easily playoff spots up for grabs "One win is good, but you to the outside again, and way. I thought that was the
pulled away for his first Cup over the next month. get three or four or five then in turn one, I was like checkered flag. It just felt
Series win of the season, It was the 139th Cup win for and then you feel a lot bet- 'I'm just going to ship it in really, really long."
third of his career. primary team owner Jack ter," Keselowski said. "It sure there and try to get to the Truex finished seventh.
"I knew that last restart was Roush, second since Kesel- beats not having any at all, outside one more time' and CLEAN RACE
going to be tough, but I owski joined the ownership but we want to keep go- I just carried way too much All 36 cars that started the
knew we had the speed in group. Ford now has 723 ing. It's nice to have one speed and locked up the race were still running at
this thing," Buescher said. wins in NASCAR's top Cup car locked in the playoffs. left front tires." the end.
He and RFK Racing team- Series. "Everybody at RFK We need to get both cars LARSON-HAMLIN UP NEXT
mate Brad Keselowski led Racing who has worked so locked in the playoffs. We Kyle Larson, angered last The series moves to Michi-
a combined 190 of the 400 hard to get us to this point," have a good points gap, week when Hamlin caused gan where Kevin Harvick,
laps in their Fords. Kesel- said Buescher. but we want wins and this is him to hit the wall while winless so far in this his final
owski, now a part owner of Hamlin, winner last week at where we need to be." leading while Hamlin went season, is the defending
the team, led 102 laps on Pocono, finished second in Keselowski, despite being on to win, was running a champion.q
FIFA’s final tiebreaker for Women’s World Cup will be the drawing of lots

rated by all of FIFA's tour- determine the ranking." The nament.
nament tiebreakers follow- tournament's tiebreaker cri- In the highly unlikely sce-
ing the completion of the teria starts with which of the nario that the teams are
group stage at the Wom- tied teams in the group has still unable to be separat-
en's World Cup? superior goal difference in ed after all that, FIFA will
Soccer's world governing its group matches and the draw lots to determine the
body has confirmed it's the greatest number of goals group rankings. If required,
drawing of lots, So, luck of scored. those draws will take place
the draw really could deter- If that's not enough to de- in Sydney, will be open to
mine which team advanc- termine a final rankings, accredited media and will
es to the Round of 16 and then the head-to-head be streamed.Drawing of
United States players stand on the field during the national which team goes home. results between the teams lots involves slips of paper
anthem before the FIFA Women's World Cup Group E soccer FIFA issued a statement ex- concerned is the tiebreak- placed inside plastic balls
match between the United States and the Netherlands in plaining the drawing of lots er. If that doesn't work, it which are put into a bowl
Wellington, New Zealand, Thursday, July 27, 2023. "will only occur should all goes down to a tabulation and drawn randomly. It's
Associated Press steps, as outlined in Article of how many yellow and similar to how the group-
By The Associated Press pens if teams finishing even 13 of the Competition Reg- red cards each team has ings for World Cup tourna-
SYDNEY (AP) — What hap- on points cannot be sepa- ulations, prove unable to accrued through the tour- ments are conducted. q