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Kyle Larson celebrates return with 1st win since suspension
LAS VEGAS โ Kyle Larson wasn't sure he'd ever race again in NASCAR, and if he could, he didn't know who would even hire him. On Sunday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Larson raced to his first NASCAR victory since he was reinstated from a nearly yearlong suspension. โThanks Mr. H. for believing in me,โ Larson radioed to boss Rick Hendrick after crossing the finish line. Larson is considered one of the top talents in NASCAR but won just six times in six seasons with Chip Ganassi Racing. โHe got in a great car, he's a great driver and he's going to make things happen,โ runner-up Brad Keselowski said.
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Best of the best impressed: 'Brady is the gold standard'
In this still image from video provided by the NFL, Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady (12) speaks during Super Bowl 55 Opening Night, Monday, Feb. 1, 2021. (NFL via AP)Ahead of his 10th Super Bowl appearance, The Associated Press asked the best of the best โ eight current and former champions from seven sports โ what impressed them most about Tom Brady. Tom Brady does that every day. โฆ That takes superhuman dedication and discipline โฆ Tom Brady is always in the back of my mind during training camp and between fights. ... That takes a lot of dedication and hard work, and ultimately weโre seeing the results at his age โฆโHeโll have a bad game, which we all do as athletes, and when youโre young, people say: โWell, he had a bad night, bad game, bad week.
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Wayne Taylor Racing wins record-tying 3rd consecutive Rolex
Wayne Taylor left General Motors after 28 years at the end of last season to become a factory Acura program. "We won it with Ricky, and Jordan won the GT class with Corvette, and then the Wayne Taylor Racing program won it overall. Albuquerque won in 2018 driving a Cadillac; Ricky Taylor won in a Cadillac for his father's team in 2017. AdWhen Taylor switched to Acura, he released van der Zande, who was grabbed by Ganassi as the team returned to sports car racing after a one-year hiatus. โLooked like we had the race won right there.
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Johnson invigorated after stint in prestigious Rolex 24
The seven-time NASCAR champion is beginning a new chapter of his career โ at 45 years old โ in unfamiliar race cars. He was tabbed to start the most prestigious sports car race in America for his Action Express team and Johnson had just one goal for his first stint in the Cadillac. 48 over to teammate Simon Pagenaud and then turned to Kamui Kobayashi, the two-time reigning winner of the Rolex 24, for an animated debrief. AdElliott seemed despondent after his first run in his first sports car race. 31 Action Express entry had slipped to last in his class after the driver change between Elliott and Mike Conway.
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Elliott fails inspection before NASCAR's championship race
AVONDALE, Ariz. โ Chase Elliott had an early setback in his pursuit of NASCAR's championship when his car failed pre-race inspection Sunday at Phoenix Raceway. Elliott was supposed to start on the pole but instead had to drop to the back of the field at the start of the race. Elliott is seeking his first Cup championship in the winner-take-all season finale. Elliott is racing Denny Hamlin, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano for the Cup. The finale moved to Phoenix this year for the first time, and it is seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson's final race as a full-time NASCAR driver.
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Denny Hamlin faces tough field for elusive 1st NASCAR title
(AP Photo/Ralph Freso, File)AVONDALE, Ariz. โ Denny Hamlin is 0-for-3 in championship chances, his shot at an elusive first NASCAR crown ending just short each time. Hamlin on Sunday will try to close his own career-defining season with the Cup title in NASCAR's season finale at Phoenix Raceway. Chase Elliott last week drove Chevrolet and Hendrick Motorsports back into the championship race for the first time since 2016. The 24-year-old is statistically enjoying his best Cup season and advanced to the final four after three previous failures. The last two times Iโve raced for championships Iโve had no regrets.โHamlin turns 40 exactly 10 days after Sunday's title race and has matured greatly the last several seasons.