AUTO RACING roundup

Kanaan tops Indy 500 field in Carb Day

INDIANAPOLIS

Tony Kanaan found himself in a familiar place atop the speed chart Friday at the final practice for the Indianapolis 500, while Honda appeared to find a little more speed on Carb Day.

Kanaan paced the field with a lap of 227.791 mph, underscoring the might that Chevrolet has shown all month. But he was followed by three Honda-powered cars driven by Scott Dixon, Marco Andretti and Sebastien Bourdais, a sign of just how wide open Sunday’s race figures to be.

“I’ve started first. I’ve started last. So I’ve been at both ends,” said Kanaan, who will start 10th for A.J. Foyt Racing. “If it goes right we have a pretty good chance. I think we can get there.”

Danica Patrick was the eighth-quickest in the final practice session of her racing career. Patrick posted her lap of 223.653 early in the hour-long session, before an electrical issue sent her to the garage. Her team from Ed Carpenter Racing was elbows-deep in the engine bay but managed to correct the problem, sending her back onto the track for the final six minutes of practice.

That was enough time to make sure the car was ready and to practice a full pit stop.

“These are the things you’re glad for because had it been Sunday, we’d have been done for good,” Patrick said. “The car was good when I first took off, turned really well, felt good. Made a little change as we were about to go out for the second time and it made it a little worse.”

Kyle Busch seeks first ‘real’ win at Charlotte

CONCORD, N.C.

Kyle Busch has won a Cup points race at every track on the NASCAR circuit except one — Charlotte Motor Speedway.

Twenty-eight starts, no checkered flags — and plenty of frustration.

The 33-year-old Busch is looking to check off that final box on his racing resume Sunday in the Coca-Cola 600, considered a crown jewel race in NASCAR.

Busch will start from the pole in the No. 18 Toyota, just as he has two other times at this track.

Bad breaks, often entirely out of his control, have kept him from making a trip to victory lane in Cup races and has become a source of irritation for him.

“It’s important to me, but I’m not sure it’s important in the grand scheme of things,” Busch said Thursday night after turning a lap 191.836 mph on the 1 1/2-mile track. “It’s certainly important to me and I would love to get that knocked out of the way and to be finished with it until another new track comes up on the circuit.”

While there is the matter of completion in winning at every track, Busch is quick to point out that he has won a Cup race here.

He captured the All-Star race here in 2017 and the $1 million prize that comes along with it. But the All-Star race is considered an exhibition and does not count toward season points.

“The last time I checked I have a trophy at home that says, ‘winner at Charlotte Motor Speedway,’ so I’ll take that to my grave with me if I do never get a points win here,” Busch said. “That will be my saving grace I guess.”

IndyCar veteran’s son wins Indy Lights race

INDIANAPOLIS

Colton Herta held off on kissing the bricks when his father won the Indianapolis 500.

He finally did it after winning the Freedom 100.

After winning both Indy Lights races on the road course at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, the son of longtime IndyCar driver Bryan Herta completed a May sweep by winning the Carb Day feature Friday. Herta went to the lead on the final lap and managed to hold off a pair of teammates.

“It’s so cool, and I didn’t realize how cool until I kissed the bricks,” Herta said. “I held off both my dad’s IndyCar wins here. I held off because I didn’t deserve it. I finally deserve it.”

Herta drives for Andretti-Steinbrenner Racing, and was congratulated after the win by longtime IndyCar owner Michael Andretti and George Steinbrenner IV, the grandson of the late Yankees owner George Steinbrenner. He also got a big hug from his dad as he headed to victory lane.

“Obviously this win is massive. I was so psyched for the two before but yeah, it’s cool,” Herta said. “I don’t know if we’re the first ones to sweep but yeah, it’s cool.”

Associated Press