AUTO RACING | Saturday’s events

INDYCAR

PAGENAUD SETS COURSE RECORD AT MID-OHIO

LEXINGTON

IndyCar points leader Simon Pagenaud knows Team Penske teammate Will Power is chasing him down so earning the pole at Mid-Ohio Race Sports Car Course was important.

Pagenaud set a course record with a lap at 127.271 mph around the 13-turn, 2.258-mile road course Saturday to edge Power.

The Frenchman Pagenaud increased his lead to 48 points entering the race Sunday.

“That’s what you need to do to win the championship,” Pagenaud said. “It’s a long season. That’s what we were doing at the beginning of the season to extend the gap.”

It was his sixth pole position of the season and the eighth of his career. He won three of the first five races and had top-three finishes in the other two but has made only one podium in the past six races.

“We’ve been good the whole season,” Pagenaud said. “The pole position shows your strength and speed, but (Sunday) is when the points really matter.”

Pagenaud competed despite a sore back. He was hurt in practice Friday.

“All of a sudden it was like somebody jammed a knife in my back,” he said. “This morning the pain was 10 out of 10.

Power temporarily held the course record in qualifying before being surpassed by Pagenaud, but will start in the front row and is in good position to win for the fourth time in the past five races, including the last one at Toronto on July 17.

The Australian hopes for good weather Sunday after two days of showers.

“A dry race would be very nice,” Power said. “This course in the rain is very tough. Whatever it is we’ll try to the best we can to. We’ve got to beat to make sure we have a good day and keep beating the 22 car (Pagenaud).”

Defending champion Graham Rahal, from nearby Columbus, will start sixth in the race his father, Bobby, won twice.

NASCAR XFINITY

JONES EARNS THIRD WIN OF SEASON AT IOWA SPEEDWAY

NEWTON, IOWA

Erik Jones retook the lead from Ty Dillon with 16 laps to go and won the NASCAR Xfinity race Saturday night at Iowa Speedway for his third victory of the season.

Jones led a race-high 154 of 250 laps, but it took a late inside move for Jones to overcome Dillon for his first victory since at Dover in May.

Dillon, seeking his first victory since Indianapolis in 2014, finished second. He’s winless in 66 races.

Elliott Sadler was third, followed by Brennan Poole and Dakoda Armstrong.

Brad Keselowski, the only Sprint Cup driver in the field, finished eighth. Keselowski will start seventh Sunday in Pocono in Pennsylvania in the Cup race. Daniel Suarez, the series leader entering the race, failed to finish because of damage to the No. 19 car.

NASCAR SPRINT CUP

EARNHARDT’S CONCUSSION SYMPTOMS UNCHANGED

LONG POND, PA.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. says his concussion-like symptoms haven’t changed and his return to NASCAR doesn’t appear imminent.

NASCAR’s most popular driver is scheduled to miss his third consecutive race Sunday because he suffers from symptoms of a concussion.

Earnhardt tweeted Saturday there was no change in his condition. He wrote: “Symptoms have plateaued over the last week. Balance/Gaze Stabilization are only issues. Docs preaching patience.”

Jeff Gordon came out of retirement to drive for Earnhardt last week at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, and Gordon will race the No. 88 car again this weekend at Pocono Raceway. No decision has been made by Hendrick Motorsports about next week’s race at Watkins Glen.

Earnhardt had said on his weekly podcasts that he was struggling with balance and nausea. He said Monday that doctors have given him daily exercises to improve his balance.

NASCAR TRUCKS

BYRON SETS ROOKIE RECORD WITH FIFTH VICTORY

LONG POND, PA.

William Bryon continued his dominance in the NASCAR Truck Series at Pocono Raceway on Saturday, winning for the fifth time this season.

Byron added the Pocono victory to wins at Kansas, Texas, Iowa and Kentucky.

The 18-year-old Byron survived a race that saw nearly half of its 60 laps run under caution. He set a record for Truck Series wins in a season by a rookie. Kurt Busch had four wins in 2000.

Cameron Hayley was second, followed by Brett Moffitt, Timothy Peters and Cole Custer. Byron led a race-high 44 laps and added one more win in the No. 9 Toyota for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Associated Press