Auto Racing
Bowyer wins the Showdown; Josh Wise wins fan vote
CONCORD, N.C. – Clint Bowyer won the Sprint Showdown to advance into the $1-million All-Star Race.
AJ Allmendinger finished second to also advance into Saturday night’s main event.
The Sprint Showdown traditionally is held immediately before the All-Star race, with the top two finishers and the winner of a fan vote transferring into the dash-for-cash. But the qualifier was moved to Friday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the warm-up wasn’t a thriller.
Until the winner of the fan vote was announced.
Josh Wise was the upset winner, powered by the online community at Reddit and fans who support him through the digital currency Dogecoin. He beat out favorite Danica Patrick to earn a spot in the All-Star race.
Cycling
Bouhanni wins 7th stage; Matthews leads the Giro
FOLIGNO, Italy – Nacer Bouhanni of France sprinted to victory on the seventh stage of the Giro d’Italia on Friday, while Michael Matthews retained the overall leader’s pink jersey.
Bouhanni, who never had won a Grand Tour stage before this year’s Giro, edged out Giacomo Nizzolo by less than half a wheel for his second victory in four days.
Luka Mezgec was third, just ahead of Matthews, on another lengthy leg that had two categorized climbs along the 131 miles from Frosinone to Foligno.
Matthews will wear the pink jersey for a sixth day, with the Australian cyclist maintaining his 21-second lead over compatriot Cadel Evans. Rigoberto Uran Uran remained third.
Chaves beats De La Cruz and Danielson in California
WRIGHTWOOD, Calif. – Colombia’s Esteban Chaves won the hilly sixth stage of the Tour of California in 100-degree heat Friday, and Britain’s Bradley Wiggins increased his lead in the overall standings.
With temperatures surpassing 100 degrees for the third consecutive day, Chaves – riding for Orica-GreenEdge – completed the 99.4-mile leg from Santa Clarita to Mountain High Ski Resort in 4 hours, 9 minutes, 13 seconds.
Wiggins, the Sky rider who won the 2012 Tour de France, finished fifth in the most difficult stage of the eight-day race. He leads Australia’s Rohan Dennis of Garmin-Sharp by 30 seconds. American Lawson Craddock of Giant-Shimano was third overall, 1:48 behind Wiggins.
Spain’s David De La Cruz of NetApp-Endura was second in the stage that featured 11,700 feet of climbing, including a 17-mile finishing ascent with an average 6.3 percent gradient.
American Tom Danielson of Garmin Sharp, a Fort Lewis College alumnus, was third in 4:09:54.
Hockey
Canada routs Italy at worlds, while U.S. beats Kazakhstan
MINSK, Belarus – Cody Hodgson scored twice in the second period to help spark Canada’s 6-1 win over Italy on Friday at the ice hockey world championships, while the United States ended a two-game losing streak by beating Kazakhstan 4-3 in overtime.
Also on Friday, defending champion Sweden remained unbeaten after five games to book a place in the quarterfinals with a 3-1 victory over Slovakia, and Finland prevailed 3-2 over Switzerland in a penalty shootout.
NHL
Penguins fire their GM after 7-game loss to the Rangers
PITTSBURGH – The Pittsburgh Penguins fired Ray Shero, who won a Stanley Cup, on Friday, three days after another early playoff exit, this one a seven-game loss to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference semifinals.
Penguins’ head coach Dan Bylsma remained in charge until Shero’s replacement gets a chance to evaluate the entire organization top to bottom.
Penguins’ assistant general manager Jason Botterill will serve as general manager on an interim basis.
Associated Press
