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SPORTS Monday 13 March 2017

Martin Truex Jr. wins at Vegas, Kyle Busch bloodied in brawl

MIKE CRANSTON Busch to the ground as lowed by Ryan Blaney, Ja-
Associated Press NASCAR officials yelled for mie McMurray, Matt Kens-
LAS VEGAS (AP) — Martin them to stop. eth and Clint Bowyer.
Truex Jr. finished speaking When they were sepa- Jimmie Johnson was 11th,
to reporters after winning rated and Busch got to his marking the first time since
the NASCAR Cup race Sun- feet, he had a bloody gash he became a full-time driv-
day and retreated into a above his right eye. er in 2002 that he has failed
corner of the media cen- “There wasn’t much talk- to have a top-10 finish in
ter where a tablet awaited ing, just a lot of swinging,” the first three races.
with the video cued up. said Logano, who said he As Dale Earnhardt Jr. fin-
Truex had to see the Kyle was unhurt. “I was racing ished 16th, Kevin Harvick’s
Busch-Joey Logano brawl, hard there at end.” hope of bouncing back
too. Busch, who had recovered from a disappointing fin-
“I’m sure NASCAR is going from a speeding penalty ish at Atlanta lasted only
to love that one,” Truex that left him a lap down 68 laps. “It started vibrat-
said. to get into contention, Martin Truex Jr. celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Series ing four or five laps before
Truex passed Brad Kesel- was escorted to the infield auto race Sunday, March 12, 2017, at Las Vegas Motors Speed- it blew out,” Harvick said. “I
owski with two laps to go care center and quickly re- way in Las Vegas. was trying to ride it to the
and avoided a last-lap leased as the track buzzed. Associated Press end of the stage.”
wreck and ensuing fight “I got dumped. He flat out brakes.” Keselowski, who started Harvick was credited with a
that left Busch’s forehead just drove straight in the Truex passed him and held from the pole, just beat 38th-place finish a week af-
bloodied in a wild finish. corner and wrecked me,” on to become the first driver Truex out of pit road road ter leading 292 laps a week
An aggressive Joey Loga- Busch said. “That’s how to win all three segments in after their four-tire stops. He earlier only to be caught
no got into Busch as they Joey races, so he’s going NASCAR Cup’s new stage chose the outside lane on seeding on pit road. He sur-
raced for third, sending to get it.” racing. the restart and shot ahead rendered the points lead to
Busch spinning down pit The fight overshadowed a Kyle Larson was second, until his car slowed at the Keselowski.
road at Las Vegas Motor dominating day for Truex followed by Chase Elliott, end of the 267-lap race. The 1.5-mile track was slick
Speedway. and a tough-luck finish for Logano and Keselowski. That gave Toyota a win af- with the temperature in
“It was nothing intentional,” Keselowski, who appeared Truex won the first two race ter Ford victories in the sea- the 80s in the desert. And it
Logano said. “But obviously to be pulling away after a stages and took re-took the son’s first two races. was a rough homecoming
he thinks that.” restart and on his way to lead with 39 laps to go after “I’ve been on the other for Daytona 500 champi-
As Truex headed toward his second win in as many a lengthy cycle of green- side of those things plenty on Kurt Busch. Shortly after
victory circle, Busch walked weeks when he ran into flag pit stops. After a hard- of times, so it definitely feels venting his frustration over
down pit road, turned right mechanical problems. charging Keselowski went good to take advantage the radio, he had to come
and threw a right hook at “I just know it was some- in front, Danica Patrick of somebody else’s issue for in for a new battery with
Logano’s face. Logano’s thing major,” he said. “It blew an engine, bringing once,” Truex said. 66 laps to go and finished
crew members brought wouldn’t turn and I lost out a caution. Denny Hamlin was sixth, fol- 30th.q

Father, son battle for lead in

Iditarod race across Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP) dad train his racing teams, died.
— A father and son are according to the Iditar- A necropsy on an injured
battling for the lead in Alas- od’s website. dog that died Friday while
ka’s Iditarod Trail Sled Dog The father and son are being flown to Alaska’s
Race. close but competitive. largest city indicated the
Mitch Seavey, a two- Mitch Seavey finished in animal overheated, race
time Iditarod champion, second place behind Dal- officials said.
was the first musher out of las the past two years. The 2-year-old male dog on
the checkpoint in the vil- This year’s race across musher Scott Smith’s team
lage of Kaltag on Sunday, nearly 1,000 miles of gruel- died while in transit to An- In a photo provided by the Iditarod Trail Committee, Iditarod
leaving at 4:40 a.m. His ing Alaska wilderness start- chorage from the Galena musher Katherine Keith arrives at the Huslia checkpoint with 13
dogs in harness Friday morning March 10, 2017, in Huslia, Alaska.
son, current champ Dallas ed March 6 in Fairbanks. checkpoint. Smith dropped Associated Press
Seavey, departed five min- The winner is expected ear- the dog, named Smoke,
utes later. ly this week in the town of from the team Tuesday be- be conducted, race mar- tude and in winter condi-
Dallas Seavey has won four Nome, along Alaska’s fro- cause of a wrist injury. shal Mark Nordman said. tions,” he said in a news
of the past five races. He is zen Bering Sea coast. The necropsy findings were “We hadn’t anticipated release Sunday. “Unfortu-
a third generation musher Last week, two dogs from consistent with hyperther- that dogs could overheat nately, we’ve now learned
who grew up helping his two separate Alaska teams mia, but further testing will while in transport at alti- that they can.”q