Denny Hamlin earns fourth win of season at Pocono

Denny Hamlin won again at Pocono, pulling away from teammate Kyle Busch following a late restart Sunday in the 500-mile race at the massive 2.5-mile oval in Long Pond, Pa.

The victory was Hamlin’s fourth of the season and fourth in nine starts at the “tricky triangle.”

Busch held off Tony Stewart for second in his 200th start. Points leader Kevin Harvick was fourth, followed by four-time defending series champion Jimmie Johnson.

The start was delayed 90 minutes by rain, then another 10 minutes or so while officials patched a pothole at the end of pit road inadvertently opened up by a jet dryer. Once the rain cleared, Hamlin dominated at one of his favorite tracks.

Hamlin appeared to have the race won five minutes earlier, but his two-second lead was wiped out when Harvick nudged Joey Logano into the wall while the drivers were battling for fourth with less than two laps to go. Hamlin couldn’t quite reach the start/finish line for the white flag before the caution came out, sending the race into a two-lap overtime.

MOTOR SPORTS

Larry Dixon victorious at NHRA Nationals

Larry Dixon beat defending top fuel series champion Tony Schumacher in the rain-delayed Route 66 NHRA Nationals at Joliet, Ill.

Matt Hagan, Mike Edwards and LE Tonglet won in funny car, pro stock and pro stock motorcycle in the NHRA Full Throttle Drag Racing Series event at Route 66 Raceway.

COLLEGES

Pac-10 to pursue expansion

Pacific 10 Conference Commissioner Larry Scott emerged from league meetings in San Francisco saying he has been given authority by his school presidents to pursue expansion — although what that means isn’t exactly clear. “It doesn’t mean we’re going to expand for sure,” Scott said in a phone interview Sunday night.

Scott has denied reports the conference is poised to offer invitations to six Big 12 Conference schools, although that is one of the options on the table. A key now appears to be whether Nebraska remains in the Big 12 or leaves for the Big Ten, although a formal offer has yet to be extended. The Dallas Morning News reported Nebraska has been given as little as two weeks to state its intentions.

If Nebraska stays in the Big 12, the conference probably would remain intact. Nebraska’s departure, however, could trigger the Pac-10’s making a move for six remaining Big 12 schools: Texas, Texas A&M, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas Tech and Colorado, with Baylor reportedly trying to get in the consideration mix.

Scott would not address specific schools or scenarios and said the Pac-10 has no immediate timetable to react.

—Chris Dufresne

GOLF

Nick Price holds off Tommy Armour III

Nick Price shot a four-under-par 67 to hold off Tommy Armour III and win the Principal Charity Classic by four strokes at West Des Moines, Iowa.

Price had a 14-under 199 total to grab his second Champions Tour win this season and the third of his career.

Armour, the co-leader with Price after two rounds, shot an even-par 71 and finished second for the third time this year with a 10-under 203.

COLLEGE GOLF

Augusta (Ga.) State won its first NCAA Division I men’s golf national championship after Oklahoma State’s Kevin Tway missed a three-foot putt on a playoff hole to hand Mitch Krywulycz the match and the Jaguars a 3-1-1 victory at Chattanooga, Tenn.