ARAB TIMES, TUESDAY, JUNE 22, 2021 SPORTS 14

Team Penske lose 3rd consecutive race because of late caution Palou makes late surge to win IndyCar race at Road America

ELKHART LAKE, Wisconsin, June 21, (AP): Alex Palou sailed past Josef Newgarden with two laps remaining to win at Road America and reclaim the Tokyo Olympics to allow limit of 10,000 local fans in venues IndyCar points lead as Team Penske TOKYO, June 21, (AP): The Tokyo Olympics will metropolitan Tokyo. Fans from abroad were banned several lost its third consecutive race because allow some local fans to attend when the games The decision contradicts the country’s top months ago. Officials say local fans will be under of a late caution. open in just over a month, organizing committee medical adviser, Dr. Shigeru Omi, who recom- strict rules. They will not be allowed to cheer, officials and the IOC said on Monday. mended last week that the safest way to hold the must wear masks, and are being told to go Organizers set a limit of 50% of capacity up to Olympics would be without fans. He had previ- straight home afterward. CAR RACING a maximum of 10,000 fans for all Olympic ven- Organizers say between 3.6-3.7 million tickets ues. are in the hands of Japanese residents. The decision was announced after so-called OLYMPICS Having fans in the venues presents a risk of Newgarden started from the pole Five Party talks online with local organizers, the spreading the COVID-19 infections, and not just and led 32 of the 55 laps until Ed International Olympic Committee, the ously called it “abnormal” to hold the Olympics at the venues, since it causes more circulation Jones’ spin brought out the yellow International Paralympic Committee, the during the pandemic. on commuter trains, in restaurants and other with four to go. Newgarden got a good Japanese government and the government of The Tokyo Games are set to open on July 23. public spaces. jump on the restart but Palou dipped left and sped around him for the lead. The driver who led the most laps Scott Dixon to win multiple races in a onship lead to O’Ward last Sunday in last weekend’s doubleheader in Detroit Newgarden appeared to have a has not won in IndyCar the last six season since Dario Franchitti in 2011. Detroit but was only one point out at because his car would not start after a mechanical problem and plummeted races, and Team Penske is still seeking He’s also the first driver other than the start of Road America. His second late red flag, finished third for Penske. from the lead to a 21st-place finish. its first victory of the year through six-time champion Dixon to lead the win of the season put Palou back on Dixon was fourth and followed by He’s led 99 of 125 laps the last two nine races. Its the deepest into a season points for Ganassi since Franchitti. top with a comfortable margin. Romain Grosjean and Marcus IndyCar races but was denied a win a Penske has gone without a victory “Super happy, super proud of Chip O’Ward finished ninth. Ericsson, who won his first race at Alex Palou celebrates after winning week ago in Detroit when Pato since its 1999 winless season. Ganassi Racing,” Palou said. “I can’t Palou won by 1.9106 seconds over Power’s expense in Detroit and at an IndyCar race at Road America O’Ward ran him down following Palou, meanwhile, became the first believe it.” Colton Herta of Andretti Autosport. Road America put three Ganassi cars in Elkhart Lake, Wisc., on June 20. another late restart. Chip Ganassi Racing driver other than The Spaniard had lost the champi- Will Power, who lost the first race of in the top six. (AP) Manuel bounces back Dressel, Ledecky lead powerful US swim team headed to Tokyo OMAHA, Neb., June 21, (AP): With tial showdown with Ariarne Titmus Michael Phelps five years into retire- of Australia. Ledecky surprised her- ment, the stage is set in Tokyo for self with times that were not as fast as . is she had expected in Omaha. ready to extend her dominance, com- fought back after peting in four individual events plus missing the team in the 100 freestyle, relays at the pandemic-delayed winning the 50 free on the last night Olympics. of trials. They lead a powerful U.S. swim- Days after revealing she had been ming team that is expected to top the diagnosed with overtraining syn- medals standings once again. No drome in March, Manuel gathered world records were set at the eight- enough speed to hold off Abbey day trials that ended, but the Weitzeil by one-hundredth of a sec- Americans figure to flash their speed ond, winning in 24.29. Alex Palou leads a group in a turn during an IndyCar race at Road America in Elkhart Lake, Wisc., on June 20. (AP) with gold on the line. It was a popular victory, with fans Dressel made the team in the 50 on their feet cheering. Weitzeil was and 100 freestyles and the 100 but- silently cheering as she raced along- terfly. He could swim in at least three side Manuel. relays in Tokyo, including the new Manuel won’t defend her historic mixed 4x100 medley featuring men gold in the 100 free from Rio, where Larson ‘romps’ to yet another and women. she was the first Black woman to win He closed his trials by tying his an Olympic medal. She’ll American record of 21.04 seconds in be joined in Tokyo by , the 50 free, fastest in the world this a Black swimmer who made her first year. Olympic team at 27. Five years ago in Rio, Dressel won win for Hendrick Motorsports two gold medals as part of relays. SWIMMING Since then, he won 13 gold medals and two silvers at the world champi- Larson’s fourth Cup points win of onships in 2017 and 2019. Chastain 2nd the season was the first with sponsor Tabbed as the potential successor Manuel’s teammates are glad to Valvoline on his hood, which marked to Phelps, Dressel will be under have her experience and leadership. just the third time in 17 races so far intense pressure and scrutiny in Lydia Jacoby is the first swimmer LEBANON, Tenn., June this season that Larson featured a non- Tokyo. from to make a U.S. Olympic 21, (AP): Kyle Larson won Hendrick company on his car. He’s Ledecky will swim the 200, 400, 800 team. largely unsponsored after missing all and 1,500 freestyles in Tokyo. She’ll be The 17-year-old from Seward quali- again - that’s all he does but four races last season during a the favorite to defend her 800 title and fied in the 100 . This fall she these days - this time in the NASCAR suspension for using a win the longest race for women - a new plans to return to return to high school racial slur while participating in an event at next month’s games - in which for her senior year after being home- Cup debut at Nashville online race. Superspeedway, where she owns the world record. schooled during the pandemic. She has Ross Chastain finished second for But she won’t be favored in the 200 verbally committed to swim at Texas. Hendrick Motorsports’ Chip Ganassi Racing and Hendrick or 400, where Ledecky faces a poten- When she’s not in the pool, Jacoby plays new star drove to victory driver William Byron was third in a double bass, guitar, piano and sings. Chevrolet podium sweep. made the most of his lane for the fourth consec- “My goodness, we don’t have any- do-over. utive week. thing for those Chevrolets right now,” He went too slow in the 400 free to said Ford driver Aric Almirola, who meet the Olympic qualifying stan- finished fourth after starting from the dard, finishing second behind winner CAR RACING pole. His Stewart-Haas Racing teammate in a time of 3 minutes, finished fifth in one of the better days 48.17 seconds. Usually second is Kyle Larson celebrates with the winner’s guitar and trophy after winning a good enough to earn a spot on the NASCAR Cup Series auto race at Nashville Superspeedway, on June 20, for the slumping organization. The Larson led 264 of 300 laps for in Lebanon, Tenn. (AP) pair of top-fives came the same day Olympic team, but not this time. his third consecutive win in a team co-owner Tony Stewart was at Mitchell got a second chance, points race, fourth straight includ- dating to Alex Bowman’s May 16 win 5, Larson did burnouts along the entire his first Cup race since the start of the though. He swam a time trial in the tempo- ing last weekend’s All-Star race. at Dover. Nashville frontstretch to put on a show pandemic. rary 50-meter pool all by himself. He That win at Texas Motor Speedway Nashville Superspeedway re- for the sold-out crowd of 40,000. Traffic issues leading into the speedway delayed the start the race by went over 2 seconds faster than his kicked off a stretch of four wins in opened this weekend after a decade of “There’s a lot of fans out there and previous time, touching in 3:45.86 to dormancy to host its first ever Cup we had enough rubber and enough fuel 10 minutes. seven days as Larson collected the NASCAR asked television partner punch his ticket to Tokyo. That was $1 million All-Star payout then race. NASCAR’s top series last raced there to do a good burnout at the end,” NBC Sports to push back its first Cup good enough to meet the qualifying traveled to Ohio to pocket the in the Nashville-area 37 years ago at Larson said. race of the season to allow for more Simone Manuel reacts after win- standard of 3:46.78. $6,000 purses in two sprint car the Fairgrounds, where Geoff Bodine Next up for Larson is a trip to fans to get seated before the race ning the women’s 50 freestyle dur- Mitchell, of Carmel, Indiana, races. won in the No. 5 Chevrolet for Brandon, South Dakota, for Monday began. NBCSN had an NHL playoff ing wave 2 of the U.S. Olympic recently wrapped up his first year at Rick Hendrick’s cars have been to Hendrick. and Tuesday night World of Outlaws game scheduled Sunday night and Swim Trials on June 20, in Omaha, Michigan, where he was named Big victory lane six consecutive weeks To celebrate his win in his new No. races at Huset’s Speedway. could only afford the 10-minute delay. Neb. (AP) Ten freshman of the year.