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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Saturday, May 1, 2010

Keselowski drives to Nationwide win


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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Brad Keselowski

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Brad Keselowski raced to his second straight NASCAR Nationwide Series victory, dominating early and then rallying from fourth in a green-white-checker finish last night at Richmond International Raceway in Richmond, Va.

Keselowski began rebuilding his series points lead, cut to 10 points after he won at Talladega last week and then failed post-race inspection and was docked 50 points. The victory in the Bubba Burger 250 gave Keselowski a 59-point advantage over Kevin Harvick.

Keselowski, an eight-time winner in his Nationwide career, was on pace to lead the last 192 laps, but pitted as the leader under caution with five laps to go, handing Kyle Busch the lead.

But Keselowski reasserted his dominance by powering through the field on new tires to pass Busch and win by 0.261 seconds.

"We made the right moves today," Keselowski said. "We had the car to beat."

Greg Biffle rallied from fifth on the restart to finish second. Jamie McMurray was third, followed by Busch and Carl Edwards.

BUSCH ON SPRINT POLE

Kyle Busch won the pole for tonight's NASCAR race at Richmond International Raceway with a fast lap at 127.077 mph.

The Joe Gibbs Racing driver turned the lap as the 19th of 47 cars attempting to qualify yesterday, easily beating David Reutimann (126.618) for the top spot.

The pole was just the sixth Busch has earned in 196 starts in NASCAR's premier series.

BRISCOE TOPS IRL

A shift to the ovals meant a shift in power in the IndyCar Series.

One of the last drivers of the day, Australian Ryan Briscoe was the fastest qualifier at Kansas Speedway in Kansas City yesterday, ending Will Power's bid for a record-tying fourth consecutive pole.

Briscoe had a four-lap average of 212.145 mph and will start on the front row today with defending champion Scott Dixon in the 300-mile race on the 1 1/2-mile oval.

BOXING

VEGAS SHOWDOWN

Unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. enters the ring for the 41st time as a pro tonight in Las Vegas, and against what may be his toughest opponent yet. Shane Mosley is a former champion himself who knows something about winning big fights, though he's old for a fighter at 38.

Promoters believe the matchup is so attractive that the 147-pound fight could be one of the biggest pay-per-view attractions ever, even without Manny Pacquiao.

"No one has a chance to beat me," preens Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), a 9-2 favorite who rates the odds of Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) pulling off an upset in tonight's welterweight bout at the MGM Grand as somewhere between winning the Powerball lottery and utterly hopeless.

TENNIS

NADAL IN ROME SEMI

Rafael Nadal overcame a slow start and defeated Stanislas Wawrinka, 6-4, 6-1, yesterday to reach the Rome Masters semifinals and stay unbeaten on clay this season.

Aiming for his fifth title at Foro Italico in six years, Nadal improved his record on clay this year to 8-0, having won the Monte Carlo Masters two weeks ago.

Nadal will next play Ernests Gulbis, who beat Feliciano Lopez, 7-6 (6), 6-1. Fernando Verdasco ousted Novak Djokovic, 7-6 (4), 3-6, 6-4, and will face David Ferrer, who routed Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-4, 6-1.

HENIN'S ON TRACK

Justine Henin stayed on course for her first title since coming out of retirement by beating Jelena Jankovic, 3-6, 7-6 (4), 6-3, yesterday for a place in the Porsche Grand Prix semifinals at Stuttgart, Germany.

Henin plays Shahar Peer, who stopped second-seeded Dinara Safina, 6-3, 6-2. Seventh-seeded Samantha Stosur beat Li Na, 6-3, 6-3, and will face Anna Lapushchenkova, a 7-6 (1),1-6, 6-1 winner over Lucie Safarova.