Auto Racing
Harvick punches his ticket to Round 3 of the Chase
CONCORD, N.C. – Kevin Harvick earned an automatic berth into the third round of NASCAR’s championship race by winning Saturday night at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Harvick had the strongest car for most of the race – as he does almost every week, only to have some sort of problem keep him out of Victory Lane. It almost happened again Saturday night, as a caution with seven laps to go forced Harvick to win it in a two-lap sprint to the finish.
The win was his first since Darlington in April and came on a night Dale Earnhardt Jr. suffered a serious blow to his championship hopes.
The shifter broke in the Chevrolet of NASCAR’s most popular driver, and he’s now last in the 12-driver Chase field headed into next Sunday’s elimination race at Talladega Superspeedway in Talladega, Alabama.
F1 points leader wins the pole in Sochi, Russia
SOCHI, Russia – Formula One championship leader Lewis Hamilton, bidding for his fourth consecutive race victory, will start from the pole position at the inaugural Russian Grand Prix.
Hamilton earned his seventh pole of the season by beating Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg by two-tenths of a second in Saturday’s qualifying.
Williams driver Valtteri Bottas was faster than Hamilton for two sectors in his last lap but then went wide in the last corner and finished third.
Hamilton leads Rosberg by 10 points and is seeking his ninth victory of the season. He has won the last three races – in Japan, Singapore and Italy, respectively – and Mercedes can wrap up its first constructors title if one of its drivers wins Sunday’s race.
Soccer
Brooks, Donovan are out; Bradley, Dempsey are in
BOCA RATON, Fla. – Toronto midfielder Michael Bradley and Seattle forward Clint Dempsey were among six Major League Soccer players added to the United States’ roster for Tuesday night’s exhibition game against Honduras at FAU Stadium.
All six additions were on the U.S. roster for this year’s World Cup. Kansas City defender Matt Besler and midfielder Graham Zusi also were added, along with Chicago goalkeeper Sean Johnson and New England midfielder Jermaine Jones.
Six players who were on the roster for Friday’s 1-1 tie against Ecuador in Hartford, Connecticut, were returned to their clubs. Forward Landon Donovan, who made his 157th and final international appearance, rejoined the Los Angeles Galaxy for their match Sunday at Dallas. Also dropped from the national team roster were Hertha Berlin defender John Brooks, Salt Lake midfielder Luis Gil, Galaxy defender Omar Gonzalez, Aston Villa goalkeeper Brad Guzan and Borussia Dortmund forward Joe Gyau.
Also Saturday, the Croatian Football Federation said on its website that the U.S. will play an exhibition against Croatia on Nov. 12 in London at Craven Cottage, the home of Fulham. The Americans are scheduled to face Ireland on Nov. 18 in Dublin.
The revised roster:
Goalkeepers: Bill Hamid (D.C.), Sean Johnson (Chicago), Nick Rimando (Salt Lake).
Defenders: Matt Besler (Kansas City), Timmy Chandler (Eintracht Frankfurt, Germany), Greg Garza (Tijuana, Mexico), Michael Orozco (Puebla, Mexico), Tim Ream (Bolton, England), DeAndre Yedlin (Seattle).
Midfielders: Alejandro Bedoya (Nantes), Michael Bradley (Toronto), Joe Corona (Tijuana, Mexico), Mix Diskerud (Rosenborg, Norway), Jermaine Jones (New England), Alfredo Morales (Ingolstadt, Germany), Graham Zusi (Kansas City).
Forwards: Jozy Altidore (Sunderland, England), Clint Dempsey (Seattle), Miguel Ibarra (Minnesota United), Chris Wondolowski (San Jose), Bobby Wood (1860 Munich, Germany).
Associated Press
