TUESDAY, September 1, 2020 SPORTS TEMPLE DAILY TELEGRAM / 3B NASCAR season finally reaches playoffs Everyone chasing Harvick, Hamlin in battle for Cup Series championship By JENNA FRYER Harvick won the regular-season Logano and one from Ryan Blaney. DiBenedetto said. “This is very big, Busch made it to the final four the ASSOCIATED PRESS title with seven victories, all after Hendrick Motorsports has four really special and I’m glad we’ll be last five consecutive years. But he’s NASCAR resumed racing. Hamlin wins — two from Chase Elliott and able to get to work and do the best shockingly winless through 26 races CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR’s opened the year with his third Day- one each from Alex Bowman and we can the rest of the season.” and hasn’t caught much of a break. pandemic-plagued season has fi- tona 500 victory then won five more William Byron, who raced his way Does he have a shot? Probably not. He was wrecked while racing for nally reached the playoffs, with 16 times. The rivals have combined for into the playoffs with his first career But DiBenedetto is one of four driv- the win at Daytona last week. drivers chasing the Cup Series 13 wins in 26 races and should eas- victory last Saturday at Daytona. ers in the playoffs without a firm con- “Thought we had a shot to do championship starting this coming ily slide into the Nov. 8 winner- The rest of the field is all over the tract for 2021 and a strong that,” he shrugged. Sunday in South Carolina. take-all finale. map. performance could earn him exten- The dark horse could be 2017 It brings the series full circle back “Everybody else is racing for two Cole Custer is the only rookie in sion. champion Martin Truex Jr., who has to Darlington Raceway, where spots and not four,” said Greg Zi- the playoffs and earned his first ca- Clint Bowyer, Aric Almirola and made it to the finale three consecu- NASCAR resumed its season in padelli, the competition director at reer berth with a surprise win at Byron are the only three free agents tive years. Truex won seven races May after a 10-week pause because Stewart-Haas Racing, Harvick’s Kentucky. Matt DiBenedetto is also in the field, but Zipadelli said Mon- last year, has just one victory this of the coronavirus pandemic. The team. “I think those two guys are making his first career playoff ap- day the team is working on retaining season and has been outrun by stock car series was one of the first going to go and run head-to-head pearance by earning enough points the same four-car lineup next year teammate Hamlin. major sports to return, with COVID- and win races and move on. The cu- at Daytona. (Harvick, Custer, Almirola and But he’s right there on the rear 19 protocols and a relentless pace rious thing is which team driver will DiBenedetto gave Ford eight cars Bowyer). Byron’s win at Daytona bumper of Harvick and Hamlin, and that got NASCAR back on sched- step up in the next 10 weeks and in the playoff field, well ahead of likely earned him a Hendrick exten- Truex hasn’t finished lower than ule. match what they’ve done?” Chevrolet (five) and Toyota (three). sion, which could be announced as fourth in two months. If someone is Kevin Harvick won that first race There are 14 other drivers in the The full four-car slates from SHR early as this week. a clear candidate to play spoiler to back at Darlington and three nights playoff field and not one has come and Penske — DiBenedetto drives None are considered true threats to the favorites, it would be Truex and later, it was Denny Hamlin in vic- close to the consistency shown by for Wood Brothers Racing, a Penske advance through the championship he’s aware of his capability. tory lane. The duo has not let off the Harvick and Hamlin. Brad Ke- affiliate — all advanced as the Ford round. “I think everybody has forgotten gas since and returns to Darlington selowski won three times for Team brand took half the 16 slots. So who could challenge Harvick about us and that’s a cool spot to be prepping for a head-to-head chal- Penske after racing resumed, and the “This is a big one, making the and Hamlin? in for us. We look forward to that,” lenge for the championship. organization has two wins from Joey playoffs for the Wood Brothers,” Reigning series champion Kyle Truex said. Former Georgetown coach Thompson dies By JOSEPH WHITE Though aware of his influ- tion and his players’ rough- cense for a business venture in ASSOCIATED PRESS ence, Thompson did not take and-tumble style of play, it Nevada in 1995. Thompson, pride in becoming the first wasn’t long before the words who liked playing the slot ma- John Thompson, the impos- black coach to take a team to “Hoya Paranoia” came to epit- chines in Las Vegas, reluc- ing Hall of Fame basketball the Final Four, and he let a omize the new era of basket- tantly dropped the application coach who turned Georgetown room full of reporters know it ball on the campus. after the university president into a powerhouse and became when asked his feelings on the Georgetown lost the 1982 objected. the first black head coach to subject at a news conference in NCAA championship game The Hoyas teams of the lead a team to the NCAA 1982. when Fred Brown mistakenly 1990s never came close to men’s basketball champi- “I resent the hell out of that passed the ball to North Car- matching the achievements of onship, has died. He was 78. question if it implies I am the olina’s James Worthy in the the 1980s, and Thompson’s era His death was announced in first black coach competent game’s final seconds. Two came to a surprising and sud- a family statement released by enough to take a team to the years later, Ewing led an 84-75 den end when he resigned in Georgetown on Monday. No Final Four,” Thompson said. win over Houston in the title the middle of the 1998-99 sea- details were disclosed. “Other blacks have been de- game. The Hoyas were on the son, citing distractions from a “Our father was an inspira- nied the right in this country, verge of a repeat the following pending divorce. tion to many and devoted his coaches who have the ability. I year when they were stunned Thompson didn’t fade from life to developing young peo- don’t take any pride in being in the championship game by the limelight. He became a ple not simply on but, most the first black coach in the coach Rollie Massimino’s Vil- sports radio talk show host and importantly, off the basketball Final Four. I find the question lanova team in one of the a TV and radio game analyst, court. He is revered as a his- extremely offensive.” biggest upsets in tournament joining the very profession he toric shepherd of the sport, Born Sept. 2, 1941, Thomp- history. had frustrated so often as a dedicated to the welfare of his son went to Providence Col- Success allowed Thompson coach. He loosened up, allow- community above all else,” the lege as one of the most touted to rake in money through en- ing the public to see his lighter statement said. “However, for Associated Press file basketball prospects in the dorsements, but he ran afoul of side, but he remained pointed us, his greatest legacy remains country and led the Friars to his Georgetown bosses when and combative when a topic Former Georgetown basketball coach John Thompson, who as a father, grandfather, uncle, the first NCAA bid in school he applied for a gambling li- mattered to him. and friend. More than a coach, led the Hoyas to the national title in 1984, died at age 78. history. He graduated in 1964 he was our foundation. More Fame, ironically, more than for to his assistants. and played two seasons with than a legend, he was the voice the things that got me into it,” Off the court, Thompson was Red Auerbach’s Boston in our ear every day.” Thompson said on the day he both a role model and a light- Celtics, earning a pair of One of the most celebrated was elected to the Hall in ning rod. A stickler for aca- championship rings as a spar- and polarizing figures in his 1999. demics, he kept a deflated ingly used backup to Bill Rus- sport, Thompson took over a Thompson became coach of basketball on his desk, a re- sell. moribund Georgetown pro- the Hoyas in 1972 and began minder to his players that a de- Thompson got his master’s gram in the 1970s and molded remaking a team that was 3-23 gree was a necessity because a degree in guidance and coun- it in his unique style into a the previous season. Over the career in basketball relied on a seling from the University of perennial contender, culminat- next 27 years, he led George- tenuous “nine pounds of air.” the District of Columbia and ing with a national champi- town to 14 straight NCAA The school boasted that 76 of went 122-28 over six seasons onship team anchored by tournaments (1979-92), 24 78 players who played four at St.