Auto Racing
Hamlin hot in Bristol, leads Toyota front-row sweep
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Denny Hamlin set a track record in leading a Toyota sweep of the first two rows in qualifying at Bristol Motor Speedway.
Hamlin turned a lap Friday at 131.407 mph to break the mark of 131.362 mph set last August by Kevin Harvick.
It was Hamlin’s 22nd career Sprint Cup pole and continued a recent dominant trend by Joe Gibbs Racing. JGR drivers have won five of the last six Sprint Cup Series poles, and Hamlin also won the pole for Friday night’s Xfinity Series race.
Kyle Busch races to 8th Xfinity victory at Bristol
BRISTOL, Tenn. – Kyle Busch got by leader Chris Buescher on an overtime restart and pulled away for his eighth career Xfinity Series victory at Bristol Motor Speedway.
The win Friday night was the 73rd series victory for Busch, who holds the record for most wins in NASCAR’s second tier series. It also was Busch’s third win in six Xfinity Series starts this year.
Buescher was leading when the eighth caution of the race with five laps remaining set up a green-white-checkered finish. He bobbled on the restart as his Ford ran out of gas, and Busch sailed by for the victory.
Montoya starts his final drive for IndyCar title
PHILADELPHIA – Juan Pablo Montoya turned the Philadelphia Eagles’ training camp parking lot into a showcase for some pace-car burnouts.
Montoya screeched and spun the poor Pocono Raceway car – with defensive back Fletcher Cox in the passenger’s seat – through the lot and left behind circular trails of skid marks and the scent of burnt rubber.
It’s the kind of show he could put on if he clinched the IndyCar championship – and the Colombian star is the driver to beat down the stretch.
Montoya, the Indianapolis 500 champion, has had a banner year in his second season driving for Team Penske. He holds a nine-point lead in the series standings as the series shifts Sunday to the 2½-mile triangle at Pocono Raceway. When it’s over, the title will be decided Aug. 30 in the season finale at Sonoma.
College Football
Ex-coach Barnett returning to Colorado as radio man
BOULDER – Gary Barnett will return to the University of Colorado as a radio analyst.
The school and KOA announced Friday that Barnett will join the broadcast team for two games this fall, and he will replace Larry Zimmer as full-time analyst in 2016.
Barnett will broadcast CU’s game at UCLA on Oct. 31 and the Buffs’ home finale against USC on Nov. 13. That will be Zimmer’s last game at Folsom Field as he wraps up a 50-year broadcasting career, including 42 years in Boulder.
He was an assistant coach on the 1990 national championship Buffs team. As their head coach in 2001, he led the Buffs to their only Big 12 title.
MLB
League announces new domestic violence policy
NEW YORK – Major League Baseball unveiled its first comprehensive domestic violence, sexual assault and child abuse policy.
The agreement announced jointly Friday by the commissioner’s office and the players’ union has been in the works since last year, after a series of high-profile domestic violence cases involving NFL players.
The policy covers treatment and intervention, education, investigation and discipline of players.
Commissioner Rob Manfred is given broad discretion for determining the length of punishment players for “just cause” – there are no maximum or minimum penalties prescribed in the deal. He also is given the authority to suspend a player with pay while legal proceedings are ongoing.
Associated Press
