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Auto notes: Denny Hamlin wins NASCAR All-Star

Hamlin

Denny Hamlin has given Joe Gibbs Racing its first victory in the NASCAR Sprint All-Star race by using clean air to hold off Kevin Harvick at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.

Hamlin won the pole for the race, and was decent through the first four 25-lap segments. He headed to pit road in sixth for the mandatory final pit stop, and his No. 11 team got him back on track in first.

Every driver in the 20-car field wanted to be out front for the final 10-lap sprint to the finish. NASCAR’s current rules have shown that the leader, in clean air, is difficult to pass.

Harvick never got close enough to even attempt a move for the lead.

Rain washes out Indy 500 qualifying session

Ryan Hunter-Reay was the faster of two qualifiers for the Indianapolis 500 on Saturday. Rain washed out the rest of the session.

The defending Indy 500 champion had a four-lap average of 229.845 mph. Carlos Huertas was the only other car to complete a run, posting an average of 228.235.

Three-time series champion Scott Dixon, one of the pole favorites, went 231.357 on his first lap of qualifying but light rain brought out the yellow flag on his second lap. Heavier rain fell later and forced organizers to revise Sunday’s schedule.

Each car will now get one attempt with the top 30 being locked into the starting grid for the May 24 race.

Indianapolis Motor Speedway officials are planning to renovate the historic track in time for the 100th running of the Indianapolis 500 next May.

The next phase of this roughly $90 million project will improve gateway entrances, grandstand seating, and the overall fan experience. It’s all part of a broader plan to modernize the facilities.

Iowa poised to host NASCAR Xfinity race

Drew Herring was the fastest during qualifying for the NASCAR Xfinity Series race at Iowa Speedway in Newtown, Iowa, as a fill-in for Erik Jones.

But Jones, who was in Charlotte, North Carolina, with teammate Kyle Busch for the Sprint Cup All-Star race, will start from the back because he didn’t qualify his own car.

Daniel Suarez and Brian Scott will make up the first row for today’s race, which will be the first stand-alone event of the year for NASCAR’s second-tier series.