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A22 SPORTS
Monday 13 noveMber 2017

Matt Kenseth wins and Keselowski earns championship berth

By JENNA FRYER go out in really good cars who thought I was a bad
AP Auto Racing Writer and win races and have a guy that he would do the
AVONDALE, Ariz. (AP) — chance to win a champi- exact same thing under
Matt Kenseth doesn’t get onship. It’s really a blessing the same circumstances,”
to end his career the way to be able to go to work ev- Hamlin said. “I got into him
he hoped. He thinks he’s ery day and work as hard and he chose to retaliate.”
got a handful of good as you can on it, put every- Jimmie Johnson also
years left in him, and can thing into it that you’ve got wrecked early in the race ,
win races and compete for and finally get one here.” ending his bid to make the
championships. The Kenseth win salvaged championship. The elimi-
But, the economics of the the day for Gibbs, which nation of the seven-time
sport have made Kenseth had a chance to get Den- champion means NASCAR
a casualty of NASCAR’s ny Hamlin into the cham- will not have a repeat win-
new youth movement. He pionship until his feud with ner.
doesn’t have a job for next Elliott cost him the chance. LARSON’S WOES: Kyle Lar-
year. The two were racing for son won the first stage of
So he’s going away. But Matt Kenseth celebrates his win in Victory Lane after a NASCAR position and Elliott gave the race, and then his re-
he’s not going quietly. Cup Series auto race at Phoenix International Raceway Sunday, Hamlin several taps as he cent run of bad luck con-
Kenseth won for the first Nov. 12, 2017, in Avondale, Ariz. tried to get past him for po- tinued. His engine failed
time this season, snapping Associated Press sition, and when he finally early in the second stage
a 51-race winless streak, to owski will race Martin Truex his own terms final season,” was able to pull alongside and Larson went to the ga-
earn one final victory cel- Jr., Kyle Busch and Kevin said teammate Busch, one Hamlin, the two cars made rage with a last-place finish.
ebration. Harvick for the champion- of many drivers to congrat- contact. Hamlin grazed the It’s the fourth straight race
“Just got one race left and ship next Sunday at Home- ulate Kenseth. wall and immediately be- Larson has failed to finish
everybody dreams of go- stead. The field, two Toyota “I think it shows that there’s gan losing positions on the dating to Kansas when an
ing out a winner,” a tearful drivers and two Ford drivers, no reason why he couldn’t track. engine failure knocked him
Kenseth said after climbing includes three former series have gotten a job any- Just a few laps later, his tire out of the playoffs. Larson
from his Toyota. champions and Truex, the where else. It’s just, I guess, blew, Hamlin hit the wall was considered a strong
“It’s just been quite a jour- most dominant driver of the the industry didn’t see Matt and his race was over. El- contender to win the title.
ney, and today was a really season. Kenseth as their driver, and liott admitted he raced “It’s a crappy way to end
special day for me, to know Kenseth had already been that’s really, really unfor- Hamlin aggressively, same the season,” Larson said. “I
that next week is almost for eliminated from the play- tunate because I love the as Hamlin did when he haven’t blown up an en-
sure my last week behind offs, so his victory was pure- guy and have raced with wrecked Elliott from the gine since my first two Cup
the wheel.” ly personal satisfaction. The respect for him for a long, lead at Martinsville. starts in 2013, now I’ve had
Kenseth passed Chase El- 2003 NASCAR champion long time and will forever “A wise man once told me three this season. It’s a little
liott with 10 laps remaining is a two-time Daytona 500 respect him for what he’s that he’ll race guys how disappointing and defi-
to win Sunday at Phoenix winner and consistent play- done for the sport.” they race him with a smile nitely a bad time of year to
International Raceway and off driver, but he’s 45 and Kenseth said he’s finally on his face, so that’s what have that stuff happen.”
deny Elliott the final berth in being replaced at Joe found peace with his fu- I did today,” Elliott said. “I The Chip Ganassi Racing
next week’s championship Gibbs Racing next season ture. raced him how he raced team gets its engines from
race. Had Elliott hung on by Erik Jones. “I probably knew around me, and that’s the way Hendrick Motorsports.
for the win, he would have Too expensive to land a August that it really wasn’t I saw it. That’s about all I BIG HIT: Trevor Bayne had
qualified for the champion- competitive ride for next meant for me to be rac- have to say.” a tire go down in the third
ship finale at Homestead- season, Kenseth has de- ing anymore at this level, Hamlin was racing to win, stage of the race that
Miami Speedway. cided to take time away you know, going forward,” but could have beaten Ke- caused his car to veer di-
Elliott finished second for rather than drive a car that Kenseth said. “I probably selowski into the finale on rectly into the wall.
the seventh time in his ca- can’t win races. fought it for too long and points had he not wrecked. “That hurt so bad,” Bayne
reer. “He’s been really down kind of looked at different He has maintained that he said on his team radio.
Brad Keselowski earned the and frustrated and trying to opportunities and thought didn’t mean to wreck El- He was able to climb from
final spot in the champion- figure out this season and about doing something dif- liott at Martinsville, and the his car and walk to a wait-
ship on points because a what it’s all about, to try to ferent, but then just really payback Sunday was re- ing ambulance for a man-
playoff-eligible driver did go out there and try to win embraced it. demption. datory check in the care
not win the race. Kesel- in his final season, not on “Not many people get to “It just proves to the people center.q