Thought of the Day
Be thankful for the past, have courage for the present, and faith for the future.
September 9th 2025
Charlotte officials under fire after man with long criminal history kills Ukrainian woman on train
By ERIK VERDUZCO and SARAH BRUMFIELD Associated Press
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Officials in Charlotte, North Carolina, faced sharp criticism for failing to keep a man with a history of mental illness, arrests and erratic behavior off the streets before he fatally stabbed a young Ukrainian refugee on a commuter train last month, a killing that critics say could have been prevented.
Police say 23-year-old Iryna Zarutska, who fled the war in Ukraine only to be killed in an apparently random attack on Aug. 22, was stabbed by a man with a long record of criminal charges and psychiatric crises. The suspect, 34-year-old Decarlos Brown Jr., had served time in prison, been briefly committed for schizophrenia and was arrested earlier this year after repeatedly calling 911 from a hospital.
The attack, captured in a newly released video, has drawn condemnation of local officials and emerged as a flashpoint in the debate over whether cities like Charlotte are adequately addressing violent crime, mental illness and transit safety.
Zarutska had come to the United States to escape Russia’s invasion, relatives wrote in a GoFundMe post, describing her as determined to build a safer life.
Video released Friday shows Zarutska sitting on the light-rail train as Brown takes a seat directly behind her. Minutes later, without any apparent interaction, he pulls out a pocketknife, stands and slashes her in the neck, investigators said. Passengers screamed and scattered as she collapsed.
Brown was arrested at the scene and charged with first-degree murder. Court records show he had cycled through the criminal justice system for more than a decade, with 14 prior cases in Mecklenburg County, including a five-year prison sentence for robbery with a dangerous weapon. His mother told local television she sought an involuntary psychiatric commitment earlier this year after he became violent at home. Doctors diagnosed him with schizophrenia.
In January, he was arrested again after repeatedly calling 911 from a hospital, claiming people were trying to control him. A judge released him without bail.
President Donald Trump on Monday sent his love to the victim’s family and called the suspect “a madman” while speaking at the Museum of the Bible in Washington. “They are evil people. We have to be able to handle that. If we don’t handle that, we don’t have a country,” Trump said.
Several Republicans and Trump allies say the attack shows that large cities and governors are failing to protect their residents and justifies the president’s federal takeover of Washington and his plans to replicate that effort in other places.
Brown, who spent five years in prison after pleading guilty to robbery with a dangerous weapon, was arrested earlier this year when officers were called to a Charlotte hospital for a welfare check.
He told officers that he believed someone gave him man-made material that controlled when he ate, walked and talked, according to police records. Brown became upset after officers told him there was nothing further they could do.
Court records also show that Brown faced charges ranging from making threats and shoplifting to felony larceny dating back to 2011, although some of those charges appear to have been dismissed.
A message seeking comment was left Monday with the attorney representing him on the murder charge.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy blamed Charlotte officials, including the city’s Democratic mayor, for allowing Brown to be on the streets.
“This monster had a track record longer than a CVS receipt, including prison time for robbery with a dangerous weapon, breaking and entering, and larceny,” Duffy wrote on X Sunday. “By failing to properly punish him, Charlotte failed Iryna Zarutska and North Carolinians.”
Top Republican lawmakers in North Carolina’s state legislature echoed the criticism. “This is the cost of soft-on-crime ‘leadership,’” Republican House Speaker Destin Hall wrote on social media. “Anyone who puts criminals before victims has no business in public office.”
Random attacks and violence in U.S. cities have taken on increasing significance nationally this year, colliding with the politics of crime and immigration as the Trump administration plans to ramp up a greater federal role on city streets.
Trump has threatened to deploy the National Guard to several Democratic-led cities including Chicago, Baltimore and San Francisco to fight what he says is runaway crime. But data shows most violent crime in those places and around the country has declined in recent years.
Those same trends have largely held true in Charlotte, where the rates of homicides, robberies, aggravated assault and burglary all decreased between 2020 and 2024 but auto thefts rose significantly, according to AH Datalytics, which tracks crime using local law enforcement data for its Real-Time Crime Index.
In 2024, though, homicides in Charlotte did spike by nearly 20% over the previous year, but that number has dropped again during the first six months of this year, according to the data.
Charlotte Mayor Vi Lyles called Zarutska’s killing “a senseless and tragic loss.”
“Like so many of you, I’m heartbroken — and I’ve been thinking hard about what safety really looks like in our city,” she posted on X after authorities released footage of the attack. _
Brumfield reported from Cockeysville, Maryland. Associated Press reporters John Seewer in Toledo, Ohio; Christopher L. Keller in Albuquerque, New Mexico; and Adriana Gomez Licon in Fort Lauderdale, Florida; contributed.
Panthers’ disappointing start reminiscent of last year’s struggles on offense and defense
By STEVE REED AP Sports Writer
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Different year, same results.
Carolina’s season-opening 26-10 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars on Sunday looked eerily reminiscent of the team’s struggles last season when the Panthers went 5-12 under then-rookie head coach Dave Canales with an offense that struggled to score points and a defense that couldn’t stop the run.
Bryce Young fell to 6-23 as an NFL starter and endured a third straight forgettable season-opening performance. The No. 1 overall draft pick in 2023 completed 18 of 35 passes for just 154 yards and turned the ball over three times as the Panthers were held to 10 points for the third straight year in Week 1.
Last year Canales benched Young after two games, but it seems highly unlikely Young would be on that tight of a leash again given he built up some credibility with Canales after a strong finish last season and because the team is trying to develop him to become their franchise QB.
It certainly didn’t help that the Panthers traded away Young’s favorite target, Adam Thielen, two weeks before the season began. Rookie Tetairoa McMillan played well overall, but both he and Xavier Legette missed chances to come up with big plays.
McMillan emphasized the importance of starting fast in Week 2.
“As an offense, we gotta come out swinging,” McMillan said. “We gotta be the tone setters, ultimately we just gotta finish drives. We gotta make the plays when the opportunity comes and just make it easier on Bryce and make it easier on the play calls as well. So, just being able to come out strong is is a big one.”
As for the run defense, tackling remains an issue for the Panthers, who allowed 200 yards rushing to the Jags after finishing last in the league against the run in 2024.
What’s working
One of the big questions coming in was how McMillan would adapt to the speed at the pro level.
Early indications were positive as the rookie finished with five catches for 68 yards, although he wasn’t able to come up with a one-handed grab in the end zone.
“I thought he played fast,” Canales said. “He looked very comfortable out there one on one on the outside. We moved him around a little bit. And he showed an ability to be able to handle that. He and Bryce were on the same page timing wise, so I was really pleased with the way he played.”
What needs help
The Panthers struggled to get in and out of the huddle on time against the Jaguars, often getting to the line of scrimmage with fewer than seven seconds on the clock. It was an issue that plagued the team early last season but seemed to have rectified itself down the stretch.
Canales said the issue on Sunday is partly a matter of getting the plays to Young faster, as well as the QB translating the calls to his teammates quicker and getting them lined up quicker.
“It creates more challenges,” Canales said of snapping the ball late in the play clock. “We have the information we need to get the hot (reads) right, to get the protection right, but it’s those critical five or six seconds. It doesn’t seem like a lot of time, but it’s everything.”
Stock up
RB Chuba Hubbard remains one of the bright spots on an otherwise disappointing team. Despite the Panthers falling behind by double digits early on, Hubbard still ran for 57 yards on 16 carries and caught three passes for 32 yards and accounted for Carolina’s only score with a 27-yard touchdown reception.
Stock down
Young finished last year with so much promise in the final three games of the season that few expected him to struggle as much as he did in Week 1. He made a few bad throws and finished 18 of 35 for 154 yards with two interceptions and a fumble.
Injuries
DT Turk Wharton left the game with a hamstring injury and is expected to miss two to four weeks, according to Canales. That’s a big blow to a run defense that needs all able bodies available. Bobby Brown III or Jaden Crumedy would be potential replacements.
OLB Patrick Jones injured his ankle but is expected to be fine.
LT Ickey Ekwonu, who did not play after having an appendectomy two weeks ago, is expected to return to practice this week and could play Sunday.
Key number
2 — The Panthers were 0 for 2 on fourth-down opportunities, while the Jaguars were 2 for 2.
Next steps
The Panthers play their second straight road game next Sunday at Arizona.
Star Trek plans packed lineup for the franchise’s 60th anniversary, with Lego sets and YouTube show
By ITZEL LUNA Associated Press
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Not many franchises have fueled society’s timeless fascination with the boundless possibilities of a utopian future like “Star Trek.”
Next year the sprawling franchise will add more shows, Lego sets and even a Rose Parade Float in a yearlong celebration of its 60th anniversary.
The hefty lineup of “fan-centric” celebrations was announced by the franchise on its 59th anniversary Monday, known as Star Trek Day. The projects are the first wave, Paramount said in its announcement.
“The 60th anniversary celebrates “Space for Everybody,” extending an open invitation to celebrate the future that “Star Trek” aspires to — a future of HOPE, a future of EXPLORATION and a future where we rise to the challenge to BE BOLD,” the announcement read.
The sci-fi franchise began with the TV series created by Gene Roddenberry that debuted in 1966 and has since sprawled into a multi-billion dollar cultural phenomenon.
Today, fans, known as Trekkies, have enjoyed countless movies, spinoff shows and video games based on the original series.
Set in the Milky Way a couple hundred years in the future, the series followed the crew behind the starship USS Enterprise. Their journey led them to, “Boldy go where no man has gone before,” as William Shatner, who played Captain James T. Kirk, famously said at the top of every episode.
Celebration kicks off at the Rose Parade
The yearlong celebration will kick off on New Year’s Day, with a float in the Rose Parade in California. The float “will reflect values of hope, inclusivity, exploration and unity,” the franchise representatives wrote in a statement.
The float will also feature the upcoming new series “Star Trek: Starfleet Academy” set to launch in early 2026 on Paramount+. The show will center on a group of young cadets who navigate the responsibilities of becoming Starfleet officers all the while juggling new friendships, love interests and enemies.
Paramount gave a first look of the show, which starts actors Holly Hunter and Paul Giamatti, during a Comic-Con event in late July.
The franchise also announced “Star Trek: Scout” a new original, animated YouTube-first series. Created by Nickelodeon Digital Studio in association with CBS Studio, the show is the first preschool extension of the franchise. It follows three 8-year-old friends as they train to become future Starfleet Explorers.
The first two episodes of the 20-episode run were released Monday, and the rest will roll out into the next year.
A new scripted podcast, “Star Trek: Khan” also released its first episode Monday. New episodes will air weekly and chronicle Khan’s descent into the iconic villain introduced in the 1982 film “Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan.”
New partnerships
Following the longstanding success of Lego partnerships with similar franchises like “Star Wars,” the company will partner with Paramount for the first time to bring “Star Trek” to life.
The franchise and the Lego company “have strong shared values of imagination, exploration and building a better tomorrow, making this an ideal partnership for fans of all ages,” the statement read.
A “Star Trek” cruise will set sail in late February “filled with once-in-a-lifetime experiences in celebration of the franchise’s 60th anniversary,” according to the statement. Various “Star Trek” actors, including Shatner and Walter Koenig, will join the voyage.
Jury selection begins in the trial of the man accused of attempting to assassinate Trump in Florida
By DAVID FISCHER Associated Press
FORT PIERCE, Fla. (AP) — A man charged with trying to assassinate Donald Trump while he played golf last year in South Florida wanted to ask potential jurors Monday on the first day of jury selection about their views on the war in Gaza and the talk of the U.S. acquiring Greenland, but a judge said those questions were irrelevant.
U.S. District Judge Aileen Cannon earlier had signed off on Ryan Routh’s request to represent himself but said court-appointed attorneys needed to remain as standby counsel. Routh also wanted to ask jurors what they would do if they were driving and saw a turtle in the road.
The judge on Monday approved most of the other questions for jurors submitted by prosecutors.
Routh wore a gray sports coat, red tie with white stripes and khaki slacks, in accordance with Cannon’s instructions that he be dressed in professional business attire, and he was partially shackled at the defense table. Three batches of 60 jurors arrived at the federal courtroom in Fort Pierce, Florida, on a staggered schedule Monday and spent the morning filling out questionnaires.
The court has blocked off four weeks for Routh’s trial, but attorneys are expecting they’ll need less time.
Jury selection was expected to take three days in an effort to find 12 jurors and four alternates. Opening statements were scheduled to begin Thursday, and prosecutors will begin their case immediately after that.
At a hearing last week, Cannon explained to Routh that he would be allowed to use a podium while speaking to the jury or questioning witnesses, but he would not have free rein of the courtroom.
Cannon is a Trump-appointed judge who drew scrutiny for her handling of a criminal case accusing Trump of illegally storing classified documents at his Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. The case became mired in delays as motions piled up over months, and was ultimately dismissed by Cannon last year after she concluded that the special counsel tapped by the Justice Department to investigate Trump was illegally appointed.
Routh’s trial begins nearly a year after prosecutors say a U.S. Secret Service agent thwarted Routh’s attempt to shoot the Republican presidential nominee. Routh, 59, has pleaded not guilty to charges of attempting to assassinate a major presidential candidate, assaulting a federal officer and several firearm violations.
Just nine weeks earlier, Trump had survived another attempt on his life while campaigning in Pennsylvania. That gunman had fired eight shots, with one bullet grazing Trump’s ear, before being shot by a Secret Service counter sniper.
Prosecutors have said Routh methodically plotted to kill Trump for weeks before aiming a rifle through the shrubbery as Trump played golf on Sept. 15, 2024, at his West Palm Beach country club. A Secret Service agent spotted Routh before Trump came into view. Officials said Routh aimed his rifle at the agent, who opened fire, causing Routh to drop his weapon and flee without firing a shot.
Law enforcement obtained help from a witness who prosecutors said informed officers that he saw a person fleeing. The witness was then flown in a police helicopter to a nearby interstate where Routh was arrested, and the witnesses confirmed it was the person he had seen, prosecutors have said.
The judge last week unsealed the prosecutor’s 33-page list of exhibits that could be introduced as evidence at the trial. It says prosecutors have photos of Routh holding the same model of semi-automatic rifle found at Trump’s club.
Routh was a North Carolina construction worker who in recent years had moved to Hawaii. A self-styled mercenary leader, Routh spoke out to anyone who would listen about his dangerous, sometimes violent plans to insert himself into conflicts around the world, witnesses have told The Associated Press.
In the early days of the war in Ukraine, Routh tried to recruit soldiers from Afghanistan, Moldova and Taiwan to fight the Russians. In his native Greensboro, North Carolina, he was arrested in 2002 for eluding a traffic stop and barricading himself from officers with a fully automatic machine gun and a “weapon of mass destruction,” which turned out to be an explosive with a 10-inch fuse.
In 2010, police searched a warehouse Routh owned and found more than 100 stolen items, from power tools and building supplies to kayaks and spa tubs. In both felony cases, judges gave Routh either probation or a suspended sentence.
In addition to the federal charges, Routh also has pleaded not guilty to state charges of terrorism and attempted murder.
Judge OKs settlement in North Carolina voter registration lawsuit by Justice Department
BY GARY D. ROBERTSON Associated Press
RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) — A federal judge on Monday approved a plan to settle a lawsuit filed by President Donald Trump’s Justice Department that demanded North Carolina election officials accumulate identification numbers lacking on the records of more than 100,000 registered voters.
U.S. District Judge Richard Myers signed the proposed consent agreement filed a few days ago by lawyers for the department’s Civil Rights Division and the State Board of Elections. They said would it ensure the state’s compliance with federal law and avoid an expensive trial.
The May 27 lawsuit accused the state board of violating the Help America Vote Act by failing to ensure registration records were accurate for federal elections. The state board already initiated a “Registration Repair Project” in mid-July, asking that 103,000 registered voters supply missing numerical identifiers. There are close to 7.6 million registered voters in North Carolina, where statewide elections are often closely contested.
Federal and North Carolina laws have directed that since 2004 election officials request registrants provide a voter’s driver’s license number or the last four digits of their Social Security number. For about a decade, however, the state’s registration form failed to make clear voters were supposed to provide a number if they had one, resulting in records that indicate numerical IDs have never been provided.
A previous edition of the state board, in which Democrats held a majority, updated the form but declined to contact people statewide to request numbers in time for the 2024 elections. The lack of numerical IDs surfaced in litigation filed by the Republican Party in 2024 and in challenges to results in a state Supreme Court race.
The board flipped to a Republican majority in early May and the lawsuit was filed soon after. It cited, in part, Trump’s broad executive order on elections in March that it said was designed to “guard against illegal voting, unlawful discrimination, and other forms of fraud, error, or suspicion.”
Through public requests and mailings, the registrants in the pool already have fallen below 80,900 as voters provide information. The agreement requires another round of letters be sent by mid-December to registrants who have not responded, and for the board to provide plan updates to DOJ into 2027.
“The complaint was asking for nothing more than what we were already preparing to do, which was to look internally for this information at the same time that we were reaching out to the voters themselves to provide the information,” new board Executive Director Sam Hayes told reporters Monday after a board meeting. “So we’re on a path to do that now.”
People who remain on the list must vote provisionally the next time they cast a ballot and are being asked to provide an ID number at the polls. Low-turnout elections for municipal and local races are held this fall, with the first of three rounds happening Tuesday.
While some ballots may not count in state and local races if a voter fails to provide an ID number or an alternate form of ID, the agreement makes clear ballot choices for federal offices must be counted so long as the person is otherwise eligible to vote. The next federal elections are in March.
The Democratic National Committee earlier threatened to sue the state elections board, worried that any plan would remove people from lists of eligible voters in federal elections. Party attorney Dan Freeman last week called the agreement details a “huge victory for the DNC and, more importantly, our democracy.”
Separate from the consent agreement are an additional 98,000 registered voters who have provided a required ID number but it’s not been validated by a government database. That could happen because a person changed their name when they got married, or because the number was entered wrongly into the state’s registration system.
The state elections board voted along party lines last month to require this group to cast provisional ballots until their ID numbers were validated. The board, meeting again Monday, instead agreed unanimously these voters can keep casting regular ballots as long as they have shown an ID at the polls, in keeping with state law.
Homemade Flour Tortillas
These flour tortillas are a great way to elevate a homemade meal, and they’re pretty easy to make!
Ingredients
- 3 cups all purpose flour
- 2 tsp. baking powder
- 1 1/2 tsp. kosher salt
- 5 tbsp. butter, salted, at room temperature
- 1 cup hot water
- cooking oil
Instructions
1. Create the dough
Combine the flour, baking powder and salt in a medium-sized bowl. Cut in the butter, then pour the hot water over the mixture. Stir together until the mixture becomes a dough.
2. Prep the dough
Turn the dough out onto a flat, floured surface. Use your hands to knead the dough for a few minutes until it forms a smooth ball. Put the ball of dough back in the bowl and cover with a damp towel for about 10 minutes..
3. Form tortillas
Cut the ball of dough into about 12-14 equal wedges, then roll each wedge into a ball. Then, roll each ball of dough out into a circle.
4. Cook the tortillas
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add about a drizzle of cooking oil to the skillet, then add one tortilla. Cook for 30-60 seconds, or until bubbles appear on the surface. Flip and cook for another 30 seconds, or until the bottom of the tortilla is slightly golden. Cover the tortillas with a towel as you go and repeat with the remaining dough.
5. Serve it hot
Enjoy right away to make tacos, burritos, wraps, or any other dish you’d like!
September 8th 2025
Thought of the Day
To handle yourself, use your head. To handle others, use your heart!
Carlos Alcaraz beats rival Jannik Sinner at the U.S. Open for a 6th Slam title and the No. 1 ranking
By HOWARD FENDRICH AP Tennis Writer
NEW YORK (AP) — So maybe the first U.S. Open final between young, elite rivals Carlos Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner wasn’t as long, riveting and dramatic as their matchup to decide the championship at the French Open. Perhaps it wasn’t as seemingly meaningful and plot-driven as their showdown for the Wimbledon trophy.
Still, what the No. 2-seeded Alcaraz’s 6-2, 3-6, 6-1, 6-4 victory over No. 1 Sinner on Sunday did do was significant. Alcaraz reasserted his superiority over the defending champion, wrested away the top spot in the ATP rankings and left tennis fans eager for whenever their next clash will come.
They are the first two men in the sport’s history to face each other in three consecutive Grand Slam finals within a single season.
“I’m seeing you more than my family,” Alcaraz joked during the trophy ceremony, eliciting a grin from Sinner. “It’s great to share the court, to share the locker rooms, everything.”
This 2-hour, 42-minute win gave Alcaraz, a 22-year-old from Spain, leads over Sinner, a 24-year-old from Italy, of 10-5 in their head-to-head series, 6-4 in total Grand Slam trophies, and 2-1 in U.S. Open championships.
“I give lots of credit to him, because he handled the situation better than I did,” said Sinner, who lamented that his own play was too predictable. “He raised his level when he had to.”
The match’s start was delayed for about a half-hour while thousands of fans were stuck outside Arthur Ashe Stadium going through extra security because President Donald Trump sat in a sponsor’s suite.
Under a closed roof because of rain earlier in the day, Alcaraz was stronger, faster, more well-equipped for the occasion.
“You were better than me,” Sinner said. “I tried my best today. I couldn’t do more.”
Alcaraz finished with twice as many winners, 42-21, and his coach, 2003 French Open champ Juan Carlos Ferrero, called the performance “perfect.” Alcaraz’s view of that assessment? “He’s right. I think I played perfect. … If I want to beat Jannik, I have to play perfect.”
This hard-court matchup followed Alcaraz’s victory over Sinner across 5 1/2 hours after erasing a trio of match points on the red clay at Roland-Garros in June, and Sinner’s victory over two-time reigning champ Alcaraz on the grass at the All England Club in July.
“The things … I did well in London,” Sinner said, “he did better today.”
Alcaraz took a week off after Wimbledon and then immediately got to work, spending 15 days with Ferrero focusing on one thing and one thing only: beating Sinner.
“I studied that match,” Alcaraz said.
During his defeat at Wimbledon, Alcaraz was caught by a camera telling his team in Spanish: “From the back of the court, he’s much better than me.”
Perhaps that’s why Alcaraz was so aggressive Sunday with his sledgehammer of a forehand. Whenever the smallest opening presented itself, Alcaraz barged through with that shot.
Sinner had dropped a total of one service game in his preceding three matches, but Alcaraz broke right away Sunday and five times in all.
These guys have combined to collect the past eight Slam trophies — four each — and 10 of 13. Novak Djokovic, the 24-time major champ eliminated by Alcaraz on Friday, took the other three.
Both Sinner, who had won his past 27 hard-court matches at majors, and Alcaraz offered glimpses Sunday of why they are so good, although it was rare that both were at a peak simultaneously.
An hour and 20 minutes in, it was a set apiece, after Alcaraz ceded one for the first time all tournament.
As Sinner worked his way into things, he would celebrate points by pumping a fist toward his guest box, which included Olympic champion ski racer Lindsey Vonn.
Ah, but it was Alcaraz who appeared to have more ticket-buyers on his side.
They regaled him with standing ovations. For one particularly magical volley at a hard-to-believe angle struck just before the ball hit the court — even Alcaraz himself liked that one, saying “Wow!” and breaking into a wide grin. For one special overhead smash to a corner with the tailing movement of a firefly.
And so on.
Sinner, needless to say, wasn’t as pleased by those sorts of strokes.
He bounced his racket off the ground and caught it after one lost point. He exhaled and shook his head after another.
Sinner simply doesn’t see that sort of stuff from anyone else.
And these numbers say as much about Alcaraz as they do Sinner: Over the last two seasons, Sinner is 1-7 against Alcaraz — and 109-4 against everyone else.
That one win for Sinner over Alcaraz came at Wimbledon.
Less than two months later, Alcaraz reversed the result to cap what he called “the best tournament so far that I have ever played.”
Denny Hamlin advances in NASCAR playoffs at Gateway with 200th Cup win for Toyota
MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Denny Hamlin won from the pole position at World Wide Technology Raceway, playing the strategy perfectly to lead the final 25 laps in his series-high fifth victory this season.
With his 59th career win, Hamlin advanced to the second round of the Cup Series playoffs and joined Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Chase Briscoe, who finished second after winning last week’s opener at Darlington Raceway.
The No. 11 Toyota team called Hamlin to the pits for his final stop with 44 laps remaining, and he cycled to the front on a caution 15 laps later. The Virginia native seized the lead from Brad Keselowski on the restart, delivering the 200th win in NASCAR’s premier series for Toyota.
Chase Elliott finished third, followed by Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano as playoff drivers swept the top five spots at the 1.25-mile oval outside St. Louis that is commonly referred to as Gateway.
Other playoff drivers in the top 10 were Christopher Bell (seventh) and Bubba Wallace (eighth), who led 73 of 240 laps and won the race’s second stage.
The Cup Series now will head to Bristol Motor Speedway for the first-round cutoff race that will trim the playoff field from 16 to 12 drivers. After Gateway, Shane van Gisbergen, Austin Dillon, Alex Bowman and Josh Berry are outside the top 12 points positions that will advance to the second round.
Rough start
Berry will need a win at Bristol to advance to the next round after opening his Cup playoff debut with consecutive last-place finishes. The Wood Brothers Racing driver was tapped in the left rear by Elliott, sending Berry’s No. 21 Ford spinning into the Turn 2 wall on the 36th lap.
“Chase and that team have done a lot for me, and I really doubt that was on purpose,” said Berry, who crashed on the first lap of the playoff opener at Darlington Raceway. “Just wrong place, wrong time for us again. Obviously, it’s unfortunate. We’ll just go to Bristol and try to do the best we can and put ourselves in position to race for a win, and that’s really all we can do at this point.”
Former team owner dies
NASCAR announced the death of Bill Davis, whose teams won 40 races in the Cup, Xfinity and Truck series from 1993-2008. Davis had all five of his Cup victories with driver Ward Burton, including the 2001 Southern 500 and 2002 Daytona 500. The Arkansas native, who was 74, also fielded cars for Jeff Gordon and Bobby Labonte before they won Cup championships with other teams.
“A championship-winning leader and owner, Bill Davis made a lasting mark on our sport through his passion and unwavering belief in the people around him,” NASCAR said in a statement. “His teams celebrated some of NASCAR’s most prestigious victories. … Bill was more than a competitor — he was a friend to all in the garage, respected for his kindness, generosity, and genuine love for racing.”
Up next
The first round of the Cup playoffs will conclude next Saturday at Bristol Motor Speedway. Defending race winner Kyle Larson has won consecutive races at Bristol, leading 872 of the past 1,000 laps on the 0.533-mile oval in Tennessee.