Page 22 - ARUBA TODAY

A22 SPORTS
Monday 3 april 2017
Keselowski pulls away and wins at Martinsville

HANK KURZ Jr. It was the first time NASCAR finishes, Keselowski is just
AP Sports Writer tried its new stage racing fourth in points.
MARTINSVILLE, Virginia on a short track, and it pro- Kyle Larson, who finished
(AP) — Brad Keselowski vided some excitement. 17th, leads by four over El-
had sampled success at Martin Truex Jr. won the liott, and Truex is third, an-
Martinsville Speedway, but first stage in a three-lap other 28 points behind. Ke-
had never put everything sprint that featured lots of selowski trails Truex by just
together to get to Victory banging as drivers jostled two points.
Lane. to make the point-scoring BABY STEPS
He changed that on Sun- top 10. Elliott insisted all weekend
day, passing Kyle Busch Elliott won stage two when that he struggles mightily
with 43 laps to go and pull- Ricky Stenhouse Jr., trying at Martinsville, but his per-
ing away to win for the 23rd to get back on the lead lap, formance for the weekend
time in his career. nudged Busch on the final suggested he’s figuring it
“It felt like we were due, lap of the stage, getting out.
and if you ever can be, this Brad Keselowski celebrates after winning the NASCAR Cup Se- Busch just loose enough for He won Saturday’s truck se-
is one of those tracks and ries auto race at Martinsville Speedway in Martinsville, Va., Sun- Elliott to slide underneath ries race and got a playoff
today was one of those day, April 2, 2017. him to score the regular point in the second stage
days where we persevered Associated Press season points and coveted Sunday on his way to the
in a special way,” Kesel- races here. ed. The lead paid off at the playoff point. third-place finish.
owski said. Keselowski or Busch led the end when Keselowski had Busch said he has no prob- “I hope that it wasn’t just
“The battle there with Kyle last 160 laps and swapped to navigate around lapped lem with being bumped, as a fluke deal and we didn’t
at the end was a lot of fun the lead several times dur- traffic. He won by 1.8 sec- long as Stenhouse knows to just get lucky today and run
to be a part of. I hope it ing a green flag run that onds. expect the same treatment good,” he said.
was a lot of fun to watch.” began with 64 laps to go. “All we did was put four in reverse. SHORT DAY
The victory came in team Keselowski had the lead tires on, and when we did, “I actually was rolling into Jamie McMurray arrived
owner Roger Penske’s coming out of the 14th and it went to junk,” Busch said Turn 3 and was kind of go- with a streak of five straight
1,000th start in NASCAR’s final caution, but Busch of his car. “I hate it for our ing higher out of the way top-10 finishes and hopes
top series, and gave Ford quickly slipped underneath guys. and was going to let (Sten- of finally breaking through
its first victory on NASCAR’s him to go back in front. Ke- They’ve deserved all year house) back by and give at Martinsville.
oldest and smallest track selowski stalked him for 14 better finishes than what him the lap,” Busch said. Instead, he took a chance
since 2002. laps, the nose of his Ford we’ve been able to pro- “That was my intent, and not fixing a tire rub under a
It also made Keselowski the inches from the rear bum- duce, and here’s another then he just drove through green flag and crashed out
first two-time winner this per of Busch’s Toyota. one today. Just frustrating me and cost me my spot to after just 105 laps.
season, and was his fifth When he finally got around season so far.” (Elliott). I was trying to be a UP NEXT
consecutive top-five finish. Busch again, he gradually Busch led a race-high 274 nice guy.” The series heads to re-
“This is one I’m never going pulled away, opening a laps and finished second, POINTS paved Texas, where most
to forget,” said Keselowski, lead of nearly two seconds followed by Chase Elliott, Even as the only multiple drivers will get their first look
who had been the runner- as Busch’s car, dominant Joey Logano and Austin winner this year, and with at the new surface in their
up twice in the past four for much of the day, fad- Dillon. five consecutive top-five first practice.q

Continued from page 17 truly believe you are going When Nadal sailed a re-
to still win this tournament. turn long on the final point,
The father of four has an You’re too good not to.” Federer took the ball on a
exhibition scheduled next Both players agreed the bounce behind the base-
week, but plans to skip the match was closer than the line and sent it into the
bulk of the clay court sea- score and decided by a stands, then waved both
son before returning for the handful of points. hands in jubilation. The sell-
French Open in late May. “I got a few important out crowd was evenly divid-
“I want to stay healthy,” ones,” Federer said. “I ed in its support but roared
Federer said. “When I’m played the right way, like for the popular champion.
healthy and feeling good, I have so often done this Federer saved two match
I can produce tennis like year, just very committed, points in his quarterfinal win
this. If I’m not feeling this and it paid off at the very against Tomas Berdych,
good, there’s no chance end.” and earned a three-tie-
I’ll be in finals competing Federer erased all four breaker win in the semifi-
with Rafa.” Roger Federer, of Switzerland, celebrates after defeating Rafael break points he faced, nals against Nick Kyrgios.
Federer said he arrived at Nadal, of Spain, in the men’s singles final at the Miami Open and while he failed to take He didn’t face six-time
Key Biscayne with low ex- tennis tournament, Sunday, April 2, 2017, in Key Biscayne, Fla. advantage of five early champion Novak Djokovic
pectations, given his heavy Associated Press break-point chances him- or two-time time champion
workload of late, and felt of a fight mode I was in to- was also runner-up in 2008, self, he broke in the next to Andy Murray, who missed
tired in the final. Humid, day trying to stay afloat. It 2011 and 2014. last game of both sets. the tournament because
85-degree weather didn’t has been a draining week.” “It’s disappointing for me Serving for the champion- of elbow injuries.
help. The victory turned back the that I am trying during all ship at 5-4, Federer hit his Even so, Federer’s recent
He won anyway. Nadal clock, as Federer has done my career,” Nadal told the only double-fault on the run is remarkable. He has
wore neon yellow, but so often of late. He also crowd with a smile during first point but quickly re- the best record on men’s
there was no slowing Fe- won Key Biscayne in 2005 the trophy ceremony. “Ev- grouped. The next point tour this year at 19-1, in-
derer. and 2006. ery three years I am in this was the longest of the cluding 7-0 against players
“On the big points I was just Nadal fell to 0-5 in Key Bis- position, but always with match, and Federer ended ranked in the top 10, and
maybe a little bit better,” cayne finals, including in the smaller trophy.” the 19-shot rally with a fore- has won 11 matches in a
Federer said. “It was more 2005 against Federer. He Said Federer to his rival: “I hand winner in the corner. row. q