Auto Racing
Keselowski polesitter for Sprint Cup race at Texas
FORT WORTH, Texas – Brad Keselowski won the pole Friday for the NASCAR playoff race at Texas Motor Speedway.
Keselowski ran a fast lap of 196.929 mph.
Defending Sprint Cup champion Kevin Harvick was second to take the second front-row spot, with Chase contenders sweeping the first four positions. Kyle Bush was third, and Joey Logano fourth.
Logano will start directly ahead of Erik Jones, who qualified sixth in the No. 20 car for suspended driver Matt Kenseth. Kenseth was suspended for two races for intentionally wrecking Logano last week at Martinsville.
Jeff Gordon, the only driver locked in for a title shot in the Nov. 22 season finale, qualified 18th.
Defending race champion Jimmie Johnson will start eighth.
Buescher comes home seeking Xfinity title
FORT WORTH, Texas – Chris Buescher grew up winning legends car races at Texas Motor Speedway, on the fifth-mile track outside and sometimes on the quarter-mile layout that incorporates the main track’s front stretch.
The 23-year-old Bueshcer is now trying to win a NASCAR Xfinity Series championship.
Buescher grew up in nearby Prosper, Texas. He returns to his home track Saturday with three races remaining and the series points lead, by 27 points over defending champion Chase Elliott.
Buescher took over the series lead in mid-May with his win at Iowa and has held on since in the No. 60 Ford for Fenway Roush Racing. He has two wins and 20 top-10 finishes, including 10 in the last 11 races.
Golf
Kisner opens 2-shot lead on a course he barely knows
SHANGHAI – Kevin Kisner kept up his impressive debut in China on Friday with a 6-under 66 that gave him a two-shot lead over Russell Knox going into the weekend at the HSBC Champions.
Kisner never saw Sheshan International until the opening round because of a sore back. He still hasn’t made a bogey.
The 31-year-old American was at 14-under 130.
Knox made a 40-foot birdie putt on his opening hole and shot a 65 in much tougher conditions because of a strong wind. Branden Grace struggled on his back nine and had to settle for a 71. The South African was only four shots behind.
NHL
Avalanche slide continues in loss to the Rangers
DENVER – Derek Stepan and Oscar Lindberg scored 21 seconds apart in the second period, helping the New York Rangers beat the Colorado Avalanche 2-1 on Friday night for their fourth consecutive win.
Henrik Lundqvist made 29 saves as the Rangers improved to 14-2 on the road against Western Conference teams dating to last season.
Nathan MacKinnon scored a power-play goal for the Avalanche, who have dropped four of their last five contests. They begin a seven-game trip Tuesday.
Skiing
2 World Cup races called off because of warm weather
LEVI, Finland – Two World Cup ski races in Finland were canceled because of a lack of snow.
The International Ski Federation said warm temperatures mean the courses won’t be ready for the men’s and women’s slalom races in Levi on Nov. 14-15.
FIS says “a possible replacement will be communicated in due course.”
The next scheduled World Cup races are Nov. 28-29 for the men at Lake Louise, Alberta, and women at Aspen.
Associated Press
