Auto Racing
Kyle Busch 2-for-2 at Dover after his Nationwide win
DOVER, Del. – Kyle Busch heard the critics who said he was too dominant, too good, too loaded with the best equipment to keep dropping down levels and routinely romping his way toward victories.
His response from Victory Lane, too bad.
Busch raced to his second victory of the weekend at Dover, taking the checkered flag Saturday in the Nationwide Series race to set himself up for a tripleheader sweep.
Busch followed his dominant win Friday night in the Truck Series with another stellar run in Nationwide. He led 124 of 200 laps for his 66th career victory in NASCAR’s second-tier series. He has 134 wins spread over NASCAR’s three major series.
Busch had a three-race sweep in 2010 at Bristol, which he called the highlight of his career. He’ll start second behind pole-winner Brad Keselowski on Sunday in the 400-mile Sprint Cup race.
Chevy and Penske finally feel the open-wheel Power
DETROIT – Will Power gave Roger Penske and Chevrolet an open-wheel victory by winning the first of two races at the Detroit Grand Prix on Saturday. The second race of the doubleheader is Sunday.
Power finished 0.3308 seconds ahead of Graham Rahal on the bumpy, 13-turn, 2.36-mile street circuit on Belle Isle for his 23rd career victory.
College Athletics
NCAA athletes get a proposed $40M video-game victory
A $40-million settlement has been completed that will pay college basketball and football players dating to 2003 for the use of their likenesses in NCAA-branded video games.
The payouts could go to more than 100,000 athletes, including some current players, who were either on college rosters or had their images used in videogames made by Electronic Arts featuring college teams. Lawyers for the plaintiffs said it would be the first time college athletes will be paid for the commercial use of their images.
Depending on how many athletes apply for the settlement, the payments could range from as little as $48 for each year an athlete was on a roster to $951 for each year the image of an athlete was used in a video game.
The settlement is with Electronic Arts and Collegiate Licensing Co., which licenses and markets college sports, and does not include the NCAA. The case against the NCAA is scheduled for trial early next year.
Cycling
Quintana virtually clinches the Giro d’Italia title
MONTE ZONCOLAN, Italy – Nairo Quintana virtually clinched the Giro d’Italia title Saturday with a strong ride up the demanding Monte Zoncolan, while Michael Rogers benefited from a fan interruption to post his second stage victory of the race.
Quintana’s 3 minute, 7 second lead ahead of fellow Colombian Rigoberto Uran remained unchanged entering Sunday’s final stage.
Rogers, an Australian with Tinkoff-Saxo, clocked 4 hours, 41 minutes, 55 seconds over the 104-mile leg, which started in Maniago, Italy.
The race will end Sunday with a mostly flat 107-mile leg from Gemona del Friuli to Trieste, Italy.
Horse Racing
California Chrome revs up his Triple bid at Belmont
NEW YORK – California Chrome revved up his bid to become the 12th Triple Crown champion with a fast run at Belmont Park on Saturday; he ran the 5 furlongs in 59.93 seconds over a fast main track ahead of the Belmont Stakes.
The California-bred horse captured the attention of non-racing and racing fans alike in winning the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness. California Chrome will attempt to end the longest drought in Triple Crown history next Saturday in the arduous 1½-mile Belmont Stakes.
The last Triple Crown winner was Affirmed in 1978.
Associated Press
