Kenseth wins NASCAR Loudon race
Matt Kenseth took the lead with three laps remaining and went on to win the Sylvania 300 at Loudon, New Hampshire. Defending Sprint Cup Champion Kevin Harvick led Kenseth by about 5 car lengths, when he ran out of fuel on the back stretch of the 397th lap handing the win to Kenseth. Harvick led 216 of the race’s 300 laps.
Kenseth’s teammate Denny Hamlin took second and Joey Logano came in third. By finishing 21st, Harvick is in danger of not even qualifying for the next round of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
“We had to be there to win it,” Kenseth said from Victory Lane. Reflecting on his good fortune and a solid operation headed by former Washington Redskins’ Coach Joe Gibbs, Kenseth added “You got to enjoy it while it’s here.” His victory clinched a spot in the next round of the Chase.
After next week’s race at Dover International Speedway, the bottom four of the 16 drivers in contention for the Sprint Cup will be eliminated. Harvick sits in the 15th position and probably needs to win next week at Dover to advance.
Also in risky position are Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt, Jr., who are Number 12 and Number 13, respectively. Both finished more than one lap behind Kenseth on Sunday.
Sitting in tenth place for the Chase is four-time champion Jeff Gordon, who finished seventh on Sunday. Gordon made his 739th consecutive start, setting all-time record formerly held by Ricky Rudd. Since Gordon’s debut in November of 1992, he has never missed a race.
Spieth wins PGA Tour Championship
Jordan Spieth had a rough couple of weeks recently, but when a significant event is to be contested, he brings his “A” game. On Sunday, Spieth won the PGA Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup by firing a 1-under par 69 to outlast Henrik Stenson by three shots.
With the win, Spieth accumulated 3,800 points to easily best Stenson with 2,307 and third place Jason Day with 2,290. The 22-year-old from Dallas won 5 events during the year, including the Masters and the U.S. Open.
He also took home the $11.5 million prize, bringing his total 2015 earnings to $22 million. His winnings were easily a record.
“This year’s unreal,” said Spieth. “I have an opportunity now, with a year like this and a bonus like that, to celebrate and share it with the people who have made it possible,”
Spieth’s next big stage comes in Incheon City, South Korea. He will lead an American contingent trying to retain the President’s Cup from October 8-11. The Americans face an International team led by Jason Day, the top-ranked player in the world.
Among Spieth’s teammates are Pensacola, Florida’s Bubba Watson and British Open Champion Zach Johnson. Both team rosters can be found here.
