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SPORTS Monday 8 october 2018

Elliott uses Dover win to earn berth in next playoff round

By DAN GELSTON the next month for John-
AP Sports Writer son’s new 2019 sponsor.
DOVER, Del. (AP) — Chase Lowe’s, which had been
Elliott had been burdened on the hood for all seven
by lofty expectations that championships, said this
come as the son of a Hall year it was leaving the
of Fame driver and the re- sport and Hendrick had yet
placement of a four-time to find another sponsor.
NASCAR champion. “It’s really hard when you
As the close calls and frus- have someone that’s so
trating finishes mounted, successful but they’ve
and wins eluded him, the been tied to one brand for
22-year-old Elliott could a long time,” Hendrick said.
feel the pressure tighten Johnson’s bid for a record
each time he slipped into eighth NASCAR Cup title
the No. 9 Chevrolet. ended last week when he
But once Elliott raced to his was eliminated from the
first Cup win, the second playoffs. His No. 48 Chev-
victory wasn’t far behind, rolet was forced to the
and now the Hendrick Mo- garage at Dover during
torsports star pegged as the pace laps because of
NASCAR’s next most popu- mechanical woes and he
lar driver is thinking champi- finished 36th. Johnson, who
onship. holds the Dover record with
“There isn’t any reason why 11 wins, was an early hit
we can’t make a run at this Chase Elliott, front left, poses with the trophy in Victory Lane after he won a NASCAR Cup Series when he dropped off 12
deal,” Elliott said. auto race, Sunday, Oct. 7, 2018, at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Del. kids’ bikes at Martin Truex
Elliott stayed off pit road Associated Press Jr’s hauler as an apology of
during a late caution and leaned against his car, two races left in the round lucky there and wound up sorts for triggering a wreck
avoided similar disasters crestfallen as he replayed of 12. dodging and weaving and last week at Charlotte that
that struck the Stewart- the final laps in his mind. “We’ve had so many op- being in the right place,” denied both drivers a shot
Haas Racing drivers to pull Jimmie Johnson walked portunities and been so Harvick said. “I guess that at a win.
away and win in overtime over to offer some encour- close and had the car makes up for the bad luck BIG BET
Sunday at Dover Interna- agement and let Elliott to win and been in posi- of losing the race with an Elliott had 12-1 odds in the
tional Speedway. Elliott vent. It was one big cele- tion and I don’t know, it absolute dominant car.” first-ever race where legal-
earned an automatic berth bration on Sunday. just seems to not come Almirola had lost the lead ized sports betting hap-
into the next round of the “When he won the race through,” Almirola said. when Bowyer wrecked. pened at the track.
NASCAR Cup playoffs. at Watkins Glen, it was like Denny Hamlin was second, Elliott was third when he Dover International Speed-
Eight races after his first win the world was lifted off his followed by playoff driver stayed out on yellow, and way opened its on-site bet-
at Watkins Glen, Elliott was shoulders,” Hendrick said. Joey Logano. NASCAR would lead the final 11 laps. ting kiosk this weekend and
back in victory lane again Bill Elliott did not attend the playoff drivers took 10 of “I think that was our best became the only track
— another needed dose of race, but with more races the top 15 spots. opportunity to win the race, that allowed sports gam-
good news for NASCAR fol- like this one, it’s not hard SHR was in control with Kev- and it was our best oppor- bling on its property. NAS-
lowing the rousing success to imagine son eventually in Harvick early and Almiro- tunity to score the most CAR does not prohibit its
of the roval race last week eclipsing dad’s mark of la late. Harvick led 286 laps points we could score,” drivers or team members
at Charlotte. one Cup championship. and was on pace to sweep crew chief Alan Gustafson from betting on the race.
Elliott bounded over the “I think this only elevates his the Dover races until tire is- said. “Even if Denny would NASCAR President Steve
wall and high-fived Gor- game,” Gordon said. sues derailed his run and he have passed us, which was Phelps said the series is set
don, the driver he replaced Elliott’s win means he can finished sixth. Almirola, who certainly a possibility, it was to implement guidelines in
in 2016, and shared a big breathe a bit easier as the led 64 laps late and had his still going to yield us more the rulebook on sports bet-
hug with team owner Rick series shifts to treacher- second career Cup win in points than I think it would ting in 2019.
Hendrick. A year ago at ous Talladega, where any- sight, was running sixth off have had we pitted.” UP NEXT
Dover, Elliott coughed up thing can happen on the a restart when he got loose They got the points, the The series heads to Talla-
the lead with two laps left superspeedway. The top and connected with Brad win — and a championship dega where Keselowski is
to Kyle Busch, in what he eight drivers after the next Keselowski. That triggered hope still alive and well. the defending race win-
called the most crushing two races move on to the a multi-car wreck that Here are other items of ner. Team Penske drivers
defeat of his career. next round and Aric Almi- collected championship note from Dover. Keselowski and Logano
He left that race 0 for 70 in rola, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Lar- contenders and brought JIMMIE’S RIDE have combined to win five
Cup. son and Alex Bowman are out the red flag to force Hendrick said there could of the last seven races at
Elliott rubbed his head and stuck below the cutoff with overtime. “We were just be an announcement in Talladega.q