Page 15 - ARUBA TODAY AUG 16 2022

A15
sports Tuesday 16 augusT 2022
Harvick seizes momentum ahead of NASCAR playoffs

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — ing the tires. It's the best of
Well hello, Happy. Wel- the best, and it's not easy
come to NASCAR's cham- to keep your team and ev-
pionship race. erybody within your orga-
Just when it seemed time nization competitive, keep
to write off Kevin Harvick, yourself competitive."
at least for this season, the Now that he's proven to still
46-year-old has figured out be competitive, Harvick is a
how to win again. He has serious threat for a second
two victories in eight days Cup championship.
— after snapping a 65-race And that's very good for
losing streak dating to 2020 NASCAR.
— and all the momentum Harvick is one of the few
headed into the playoffs. throwbacks remaining in
If you counted Harvick out, the Cup garage. A former
he's now demanding a cor- West Coast racer nick-
rection. named "Happy" when he
"It's kind of like when they got to NASCAR, the stress of
put those small boxes in replacing Earnhardt turned
the newspaper where Harvick's nickname into un-
they have to correct their intentional satire.
story and you can't hardly It was fitting, though, as
read them. I feel like a lot he scrapped on and off
of you should put those at Kevin Harvick celebrates after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Richmond Raceway, the track and proved over
the bottom of your story. I Sunday, Aug. 14, 2022, in Richmond, Va. two decades he would not
get great gratification out Associated Press be pushed around. It's a
of that," Harvick said after younger man's game now
winning Sunday at Rich- to victory lane. The Cup Se- race winner this season. To have Earnhardt in reach — the average age of this
mond Raceway. ries so far has five first-time "At this point, a win's a win, brings Harvick full circle: He season's first-time winners is
His resurgence has saved winners this season, the right? I think we were 0-for- replaced Earnhardt follow- 27 — and the tricks Harvick
his season. playoff grid filling fast with 65 and we've done noth- ing Earnhardt's fatal 2001 mastered seemingly no lon-
After winning a career-high fresh new names, and Har- ing different and here we crash in the Daytona 500. ger applied with the Next
nine races in 2020, Harvick vick found himself in a vul- are two weeks in a row. "As you start your career, Gen car.
disappeared. He went win- nerable spot headed into That's racin', right?" Harvick it's easy to say, 'I want to But the No. 4 team at Stew-
less last season for the first the final month to qualify grinned. win 70-some races' and art-Haas Racing began to
time since 2009 and only for one of the 16 playoff The 60th Cup victory of his then you start doing this figure out the car long be-
the fourth time in 22 Cup berths. career tied Harvick with on a week-to-week basis," fore the wins finally came.
seasons. His much-needed first win Kyle Busch for ninth all-time Harvick said. "It's just a lot A crash at Gateway in June
This year, he seemed slow came Aug. 7 at Michigan, in NASCAR. Next up on the harder because everyone dropped Harvick to 13th in
to grasp NASCAR's new followed by Sunday's win list? The late Dale Earnhardt in this garage is just a killer, the standings and on the
Next Gen car as a slew of at Richmond, making Har- in eighth at 76 career victo- from the crew chief to the bubble of not making the
new faces raced their way vick the only back-to-back ries. drivers to the guys chang- playoffs.q
Rangers fire manager Chris Woodward short of his 500th game

By STEPHEN HAWKINS mance is certainly a big a winning record at any
ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) part of this decision, we are point this season. That's
— The Texas Rangers fired also looking at the future," even after a record offsea-
manager Chris Woodward said Jon Daniels, the team's son spending spree that
on Monday, with the team president of baseball oper- added a half-billion dollar
on pace for its sixth con- ations. "As the Rangers con- infield — All-Star shortstop
secutive losing season and tinue to develop a winning Corey Seager to a $325 mil-
fourth since he took over culture and put the pieces lion, 10-year contract, and
the team. together to compete for Gold Glove second base-
The move came with the postseason year in and man Marcus Semien to a
Woodward only two games year out, we felt a change $175, seven-year deal.
shy of managing his 500th in leadership was neces- The Rangers peaked at 24-
game with the Rangers. He sary at this time." 24 at the end of May, but
finished with a 211-287 re- Daniels said the 46-year-old then lost their next three
cord. Woodward was "dedicat- games and five of six.
Woodward, who was the ed and passionate in his ef- When the Rangers signed
third base coach for the forts to improve the on-field Seager, Semien and right- Texas Rangers' Charlie Culberson (11) gets a high five from
Los Angeles Dodgers be- performance" of the team. hander Jon Gray (four- manager Chris Woodward after scored on a sacrifice bunt by
teammate Bubba Thompson during the fourth inning of a base-
fore landing his first mana- Third base coach Tony Bea- year, $56 million contract), ball game against the Seattle Mariners in Arlington, Texas, Sat-
gerial job, was under con- sley was named the team's they knew they still had a urday, Aug. 13, 2022.
tract through next season. interim manager, starting long way to go after 102 Associated Press
The team held an option with Monday night's game losses last season. But they
for the 2024 season. against the Oakland A's. expected to be showing the longest-tenured mem- ton (2006) and Pittsburgh
"We have had extensive Texas was 53-61 after fin- more significant improve- ber of their big-league (2008-10), and had a 590-
discussions over the last ishing a series win at home ment this season. coaching staff. He previ- 472 record in eight seasons
several weeks and while Sunday over the Seattle Beasley is in his eighth sea- ously was on the major as a minor league manag-
the team's current perfor- Mariners, but hasn't had son with the Rangers, and is league staffs with Washing- er in those organizations.q