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SPORTS Monday 22 october 2018

Chase Elliott wins for 2nd time in 3 NASCAR playoff races

By JENNA FRYER team lost two appeals of
AP Auto Racing Writer the penalty and he was in
KANSAS CITY, Kan. (AP) — a must-win situation at Kan-
Chase Elliott first had to fig- sas.
ure out how to win at NAS- "I'm actually glad that noth-
CAR's top level. Now that ing stupid took us out of the
he's got that handled, the playoffs this year — we had
son of 1988 champion Bill that battery come out at
Elliott is chasing a title of his Dover a couple years ago,
own. blew up an engine here last
Elliott won at Kansas Speed- year," Larson said. "I would
way on Sunday for his sec- have liked to have made it
ond victory in three races, into the next round, but I'm
cementing himself as a glad (elimination) wasn't
title threat late in a season anything other than just us
in which mighty Hendrick not performing where we
Motorsports has lagged. needed to be that kept us
He needed 98 career starts out of the next round."
and maybe a dozen near- Advancing into the third
misses before he finally round of the playoffs were
closed out his first Cup vic- Elliott, Kyle Busch, Kurt
tory. Busch, Martin Truex Jr.,
The breakthrough victory Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer,
11 events ago sparked El- Aric Almirola and Joey Lo-
liott's performance in NAS- gano.
CAR's playoffs, the second Stewart-Haas Racing has all
round bookended by a four of its cars in the round
pair of Elliott victories. Elliott of eight and Ford has five
opened the round with a of the slots. Toyota has two
win at Dover and closed it entrants in Kyle Busch and
with the Kansas victory. defending series cham-
"We're going to keep the pion Truex. Elliott is the only Chase Elliott (9) does a burnout after winning a NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Kansas Speed-
hammer down," Elliott said. representative from Chevy way in Kansas City, Kan., Sunday, Oct 21, 2018.
"I feel like we are among and Hendrick, which has Associated Press
those guys that you have struggled this year with a
to beat, and I think that is new Camaro and a young tories, but he ran out of gas of Bowyer's tires appeared ron was knocked out of the
all you can ask for." driver lineup. last week when Talladega to roll to the edge of his pit race with an engine failure
Elliott is the only Hendrick NASCAR's so-called "Big went into overtime and it box during a late stop but 55 laps into the race. A day
driver and single Chevrolet Three" of Harvick, Truex and crushed his momentum. He he was not penalized for earlier, Jamie McMurray
representative in the round Kyle Busch are still in the was sixth Sunday. what many thought was had an engine failure dur-
of eight. Hendrick team- playoffs. Harvick, winner of "We needed something to a violation. Had Bowyer ing practice. Both engines
mate Jimmie Johnson, a the second stage Sunday, step up, but it just wasn't been penalized, it might are built by Hendrick Mo-
seven-time champion, was and Kyle Busch, the runner- there," Keselowski said. "I have helped Blaney avoid torsports and neither driver
eliminated in the first round up to Elliott, have looked am proud of what we did elimination. is in the playoffs.
of the playoffs and Alex like championship con- down the stretch of the NASCAR said after the race Dale Earnhardt Jr., a former
Bowman was knocked out tenders all season. Truex year. We won three races Bowyer's tire was under Hendrick driver, opined in
Sunday. has been hot in spurts but ... but of course the ultimate control until it was brought the NBC Sports broadcast
Also eliminated Sunday was fifth at Kansas, where goal is to win a champion- inside the pit stall, and the booth what many won-
were Team Penske team- he swept both races last ship and we won't have an rule states tires can cross dered: The Hendrick engine
mates Ryan Blaney and season. opportunity to do that this into the adjacent pit box- department may have
Brad Keselowski, both win- "This stuff is hard man. It year." Elliott has now taken es on the inside as long as used Byron and McMurray's
ners in the first round of the shows how difficult it is over Keselowski's slot as a they do not impede anoth- motors for research and
playoffs, and Kyle Larson. you know to win both rac- late challenger to the "Big er car or go past the half- development purposes.
Larson needed to win to es here last year and run Three." way point of the adjacent UP NEXT: The opening race
make it into the third round second in the spring and "This is a huge time of year. stall. Had a car been pitting of the third round of the
and was frantically chas- then come back trying to We've got a lot of work to in front of Bowyer, or if the playoffs, at Martinsville
ing Elliott in the closing laps be better and struggle all do and a long ways to go," tire had rolled past the pit Speedway on Sunday.
but settled for third. He was day," Truex said. Elliott said. stall number painted on the Kyle Busch is the defending
docked 10 points by NAS- Keselowski briefly flirted More from Kansas Speed- wall, it would have been a race winner, while Bowyer
CAR earlier this week for an with a title run by reeling way: penalty. won at Martinsville earlier
infraction at Talladega, his off three consecutive vic- RULING EXPLAINED: One ENGINE ISSUES: William By- this year.q