AUTO RACING roundup

NASCAR CUP

Bowman wrecks backup in practice

LOUDON, N.H.

Alex Bowman will drive teammate Jimmie Johnson’s spare car today after wrecking his backup in the final practice at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Bowman, one of five drivers already in backups for the Cup race, struck a wall coming out of a turn in Saturday’s practice. Bowman was already in a backup Chevrolet after blowing the drive train in his main car during qualifying Friday.

Four other drivers will be in backups Sunday. Denny Hamlin wrecked his main Toyota during practice Friday. Ryan Newman also hit the wall during practice Friday and will run his backup Ford.

Kyle Larson and William Byron will both be in backup Chevys after bumping the wall during practice Saturday.

Ryan Blaney’s Ford had the fastest lap in Saturday’s final practice session, averaging 133.572 mph. Toyota drivers had the next two fastest times with Hamlin — in his backup — averaging 133.226 mph and Kyle Busch at 132.739 mph.

Brad Keselowski, who clinched the pole in qualifying Friday, was sixth fastest at 132.591 mph. Keselowski will be starting from the pole for the first time in nearly two years as he tries to win at New Hampshire for the first time since 2014.

NASCAR XFINITY

Christopher Bell earns fifth victory of season

LOUDON, N.H.

Christopher Bell moved into a tie for the NASCAR Xfinity Series victory lead with five, dominating Saturday in hot conditions at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

Bell led 186 of the 200 laps in Joe Gibbs Racing’s No. 20 Toyota — only losing the lead when he pitted on Lap 33 — and finished more than four seconds ahead of Cole Custer, the Ford driver who won last weekend at Kentucky Speedway for his fifth victory of the season. Bell has 13 career series victories.

“The race cars win the races. The drivers just kind of are along for the ride,” Bell said, giving credit to crew chief Jason Ratcliff. “Jason keeps giving me great race cars. That’s what the key is.”

As happy as Ratcliff was to see the 24-year-old driver remain humble, he said Bell has had a lot to do within his own success.

“I’ve had a lot of good race cars but couldn’t win races in them without the right guy behind the wheel,” Ratcliff said. “He’s being patient. He’s doing a good job of executing each and every week and building on that. We’ll just see what tomorrow holds, but I think he’s got good things in store for him.”

Custer lost the lead on the first lap after starting from the pole.

Justin Algaier was third in a Chevrolet. Series points leader Tyler Reddick was fourth in a Chevy, and Paul Menard followed in a Ford.

Harrison Burton was running fifth for JGR until the 154th lap, when he got bumped from behind by Menard and spun out and struck the wall. Burton, the son former NASCAR driver Jeff Burton, was able to get back on the track and finished 29th. He and Menard had a lengthy conversation after the race.

“He hit me twice, and I hit him once,” Menard said. “He was mad at me for hitting him that one time.”

The 18-year-old Burton didn’t think Menard’s retaliation was justified.

“We had a restart there, the first thing he said he was mad about was I hit him on the restart,” Burton said. “But I was on the apron, and he turned down across my nose. He got mad about that, and then I barely touched his door, and I got out of the gas because I didn’t want to hit him any harder than I did. Then I passed him clean and he wrecked me.”

INDYCAR

Start of Saturday’s race delayed by bad weather

NEWTON, IOWA

The start of the IndyCar race Saturday night at Iowa Speedway has been delayed by rain and lightning.

Simon Pagenaud, the winner last weekend in Toronto, won his second straight pole Friday. He’ll be joined by Penske teammate Will Power on the front row.

Series leader Josef Newgarden qualified third.

Sebastian Bourdais will make his 200th career start at a race that, thanks to the weather, might be 15 to 20 degrees cooler than the teams expected when they set up their cars for the short oval.

Associated Press