A Sports Filled Weekend It Was

Kyle Busch might as well move to Indianapolis. His weekend successes there should make feel right at home.

Busch led a record 149 of 170 laps Sunday in the Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway to win it for the second straight year. This, after an Xfinity Series victory a day earlier. Busch became the first NASCAR driver to win both poles and both races on the same weekend.

“This is obviously a special day and a special car,” Busch said.

The other hometown drivers – Jeff Gordon and Tony Stewart – fared less well.

Stewart, who will retire at season’s end, finished 11th in his final race at Indianapolis, while Gordon, subbing for the injured Dale Earnhardt Jr. was 13th. Gordon, who retired after the 2015 season, will drive in Earnhardt’s stead again next weekend at Pocono. Earnhardt is suffering from concussion-like symptoms.

Olympics

he International Olympic Committee opted not to ban all Russian athletes from the Rio Games, instead throwing the vetting of athletes with doping issues to the 27 individual global sports federations. The Russian track and field team was already banned because of Russia’s widespread doping issues that were revealed by a whistleblower.

Baseball

Outfielder Ken Griffey Jr. and catcher Mike Piazza were enshrined in the National Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday…The San Francisco Giants ended a six-game losing streak dating to the All-Star break on Saturday by beating the New York Yankees, but on Sunday they were on the short end of a 5-2 score…. Chicago Cubs pitcher Chris Sale earned a five-day suspension from the club for cutting up the throwback uniforms the team was supposed to wear on Saturday…..The San Diego Padres extended their club record of hitting at least one home run to 22 games on Sunday. They hit a pair in the eighth inning to tie the Washington Nationals and scored four times in the ninth for a 10-6 win.

Elsewhere
Great Britain’s Chris Froome won his second consecutive Tour de France and third in four years….With birdies on the final three holes, Jhonattan Vegas won the Canadian Open in Oakville, Ontario. It’s his second PGA Tour win.
 
 
Post By: Larry Weisman, a longtime sportswriter for USA TODAY, blogs for Twistity.com. Follow him on Twitter @MrLarryWeisman