A Sports Filled Weekend It Was

Five years ago, Takuma Sato tried an aggressive pass on the last lap of the Indianapolis 500 and hit a wall, allowing Dario Franchitti to go on to victory.

On Sunday at the Brickyard, Sato became the first driver from an Asian country to win the Indy 500, staving off a challenge from three-time winner Helio Castroneves in the final laps.

“Unbelievable feeling,” Sato said. “It’s beautiful. I dreamed of something like this since I was 12.”

Sato, 40, is in his first season driving for Andretti Autosport.

In Charlotte, N.C., rain delayed the Coca-Cola 600 for an hour and 40 minutes, turning NASCAR’s longest race into NASCAR’s longest race by far. Austin Dillon, gambling he had enough fuel, finished on fumes to win a Monster Energy Series race for the first time. Kyle Busch was second and Martin Truex Jr., who led 233 laps, was third.

GOLF: Kevin Kisner, who first and last won on the PGA Tour in 20013, secured victory No. 2 on Sunday at the Colonial in Fort Worth, Texas. He birdied the first three holes on the back nine and made a par-saving putt on 18 to win by one stroke. He had been a runner-up twice this season and six times over the past three seasons.

COLLEGE LACROSSE: The University of Maryland women’s team won its 14th national title and third in four seasons on Sunday, beating Boston College 16-13 to finish 23-0. Maryland’s men’s team, seeking its first title since 1975, plays Big Ten rival Ohio State on Monday in Foxborough, Mass. They split their two previous meetings.

BASEBALL: Aaron Judge hit his first career grand slam (and 16th homer this season) to lead the New York Yankees to a 9-5 win over the Oakland Athletics. … Los Angeles Angels stud Mike Trout sprained a thumb stealing a base in a 9-2 loss to the Miami Marlins. No estimate was given for how much time, if any, he might miss.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman