Larson ends 51-race winless streak, boosts NASCAR title hopes in Hendrick 1-2 finish at Gateway

MADISON, Ill. (AP) — Kyle Larson ended a 51-race winless streak Sunday, edging Hendrick Motorsports teammate Alex Bowman in overtime of a crash-filled NASCAR Cup Series race at World Wide Technology Raceway that shook up the playoff standings.

Larson, the defending series champion, took his No. 5 Chevrolet to Victory Lane for the first time since May 2025 at Kansas Speedway after defending the lead on three restarts in in the final two laps of regulation and seven laps of overtime.

The second race in NASCAR's new postseason Chase format gave significant boosts to the championship hopes for Larson and Joey Logano, a three-time Cup Series champion who finished third and added 19 stage points.

What was supposed to be a 240-lap race in suburban St. Louis featured a season-high and track-record 18 cautions. It was marked by dramatic brake failures and several spinouts without any contact between cars.

After several Chase contenders were involved in late crashes, the race was red-flagged with 11 laps to go, just after Larson swiped the lead from Logano, and again with two left in regulation.

Larson benefited from his crew's decision on lap 202 to put four tires on while Logano took two to maintain track position.

Hendrick's William Byron, who was last in the 16-driver Chase field, finished fourth and was followed by Ross Chastain.

Denny Hamlin, the defending race champion, placed ninth to maintain his points lead.

A series of final-stage crashes had significant Chase implications.

On Lap 141, Bubba Wallace dove under Chase Briscoe's No. 19 Toyota going into Turn 1, creating four-wide traffic on Gateway's tighter series of turns. Briscoe had no room to move up the track, and Wallace spun around after he was forced onto the curb. Briscoe also went sideways, and Byron slammed into Wallace's spinning No. 23 Toyota.

The three — each of them in the 16-driver Chase field — dropped into positions 29-31 on the restart, and the impacts could have reached even further. Hamlin, Ryan Blaney, and Ty Gibbs were also racing in the same pack, and Chase Elliott was able to squeeze under Wallace as he whirled around entering the backstretch.

On Lap 213, Elliott had an apparent brake issue and collected Briscoe as both crashed into the wall in Turn 1. Both were knocked out of the race.

Then, the contenders who escaped danger earlier got caught up in another collision on Lap 222. Wallace and Josh Berry made contact in Turn 1, and Tyler Reddick slammed into Berry as Christopher Bell got slammed into the wall.

On the ensuing restart, Chase contenders Ty Gibbs and Daniel Suarez sustained damage in a wreck on the backstretch that also involved AJ Allmendinger.

Blaney, who was third in the Chase entering the race, had a catastrophic brake failure at the finish line on Lap 155 while he was running in sixth place.

Blaney's brakes exploded on the frontstretch, and he rode his No. 12 Ford into the wall heading into Turn 1.

Blaney finished 35th but earned 14 points from ending each of the first two stages in fourth place.

“It’s a shame,” Blaney said. “I thought we did a great job today running up towards the front and doing really good in the stages and was looking forward to seeing how that last run played out.”

Chris Buescher, who was 11th in the standings, had his brakes fail on Lap 237.

Despite failing to qualify for the postseason, Keselowski found himself in the spotlight after indicating he’d seek out retribution against Chase contender Carson Hocevar, who spun him out in last week’s Southern 500.

The two played nice while running in second and third place in the final stage of the race, and Keselowski ended up in the lead when he decided not to pit with 38 laps to go before finishing 12th. Hocevar was eighth.

See AP’s full auto racing coverage here

Brad Keselowski, front, drives during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Madison, Ill. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)

Tyler Reddick, front, drives during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Madison, Ill. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)

Joey Logano leads during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Madison, Ill. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)

Carson Hocevar, front, drives during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Madison, Ill. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)

Christopher Bell (20) and Joey Logano (22) compete during a NASCAR Cup Series auto race Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in Madison, Ill. (AP Photo/Connor Hamilton)

NEW YORK (AP) — Alexander Zverev's best year in tennis goes on, and so does that lengthy Grand Slam drought for American men.

Zverev won his second major championship and disappointed a crowd that was desperate to see the first Grand Slam title by an American man since 2003, beating Ben Shelton 6-3, 7-6 (2), 5-7, 6-2 on Sunday in the U.S. Open final.

Zverev finally broke through in the majors by winning this year’s French Open and followed up by adding the title in New York that he so painfully let slip away in 2020.

The No. 1 seed in a Grand Slam for the first time, he capitalized on Shelton’s shaky start in his first major final, played a nearly flawless tiebreaker on serve and then turned back a comeback attempt in front of a crowd that feverishly cheered Shelton on — including girlfriend Trinity Rodman, who made it from her own soccer match in Washington before the finish.

“I know today 99.9% of the people wanted Ben to win, so I’m very sorry first of all,” Zverev said during the trophy presentation. “But second, it was an incredible atmosphere to play in. Even though I know that the crowd was against me, the crowd was always incredibly fair.”

Shelton was trying to win the first title by an American man since Andy Roddick won in Flushing Meadows in 2003, as well as become the first Black player to win the men's crown since Arthur Ashe in 1968.

But Zverev was too good in majors this year and apparently didn't even know how good he was. He finished the match on his serve but didn't seem to realize it, dropping back behind the baseline as if set to return. Only a few moments later did he figure out he had won, raising his arms in celebration.

“You’re one of the very best players in the world, maybe the best player in the world this year,” Shelton told Zverev.

Zverev improved to 25-2 in major matches this year and won $5.5 million, matching the prize earned by women’s champion Elena Rybakina on Saturday as the largest in Grand Slam history.

He thought this title would come in 2020 and still acknowledges it should have. He won the first two sets against Dominic Thiem and got within two points of victory before becoming the first man to blow a two-set lead and lose in the final since 1949.

Whatever ghosts were left from then are long gone now.

Zverev also reached the final at Wimbledon, falling to Jannik Sinner, and became the No. 1 seed in New York when the top-ranked Sinner had to withdraw with a knee injury. He made the most of opportunities that came when Carlos Alcaraz had to sit out two majors and Sinner missed another, after they played in three straight Grand Slam finals in 2025.

“I think God has seen how hard we worked, how much we suffered, how much pain we went through and I think 2026 is the outcome of all the years that happened before,” Zverev said, addressing his team.

Shelton had already eliminated the defending champion when he beat No. 2 seed Alcaraz in a five-set quarterfinal that ended at 3:33 a.m., the latest finish in U.S. Open history.

But he fell short on Sunday in his attempt to become the first man to beat the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds en route to the U.S. Open title since 1975.

The No. 8 seed fell to 0-6 against Zverev, winning a set Sunday for only the second time.

The 23-year-old Shelton figures to get more chances, but Americans who have grown tired of waiting to celebrate a men’s title wanted it now.

Fans stood and screamed when Shelton emerged from the tunnel before the match, but he didn’t give them any reason to keep the cheers going once play began. Serving first, he lost the opening two points and then eventually handed the game to Zverev with a double-fault.

Zverev maintained that lead the rest of the set, which ended on another double-fault by Shelton.

Zverev’s deliberate playing style helped limit the crowd’s effectiveness. Fans are expected to quiet down as a player is preparing to serve and stay quiet until the ensuing point has completed.

Zverev bounces the ball a number of times — sometimes around 10, maybe a dozen, others nearly 20, insisting there is no set pattern or plan — before he begins his toss, so it guarantees lengthy stretches of silence.

Fans tried to get around that by occasionally cheering when he missed a first serve — another tennis no-no that the chair umpire scolded them for — but Zverev, who said before the match he enjoyed hostile crowds, did not seem affected.

Then, with fans chanting “USA! USA!” Zverev turned back Shelton's chance to even the match in the tiebreaker.

Shelton returned Zverev’s opening serve long, was beaten by a superb passing shot and then came up on the wrong end of a 16-shot rally as Zverev went up 3-0. Zverev then hit serves of 147 mph and 124 mph that Shelton couldn’t get back in play. Shelton cut it to 5-2 and then got a return in play for the only time, but Zverev won the point and then hit another serve at 139 mph to close it out.

Shelton kept fighting, at one point diving in an attempt to get a volley back, resting his head on his hands when he couldn't and then banging his hand to the court. He picked himself back up and finally broke Zverev for the only time to win the third set.

But with Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns and number of their teammates in attendance, Shelton couldn’t pull off a championship comeback like those New York Knicks did in June. He was broken to begin the fourth, the second time in the match he dropped his opening service game, forcing him to play from behind again.

See AP’s full tennis coverage here

Ben Shelton, of the United States, looks on after his loss in the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, left, and Alexander Zverev, of Germany, right, pose for a photo together with their trophies after Zverev won the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, reacts after he lost the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, poses with the trophy after he won the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Ben Shelton, of the United States, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, celebrates after he won the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Ben Shelton, of the United States, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, reaches to return the ball to Ben Shelton, of the United States, during the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, returns the ball to Alexander Zverev, of Germany, during the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, spins his racket during the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships against Alexander Zverev, of Germany, Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, returns the ball to Ben Shelton, of the United States, during the men's singles final of the U.S. Open tennis championships Sunday, Sept. 13, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Adam Hunger)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, serves the ball to Karen Khachanov, of Russia, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, reacts after he won his match against Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Alexander Zverev, of Germany, returns the ball to Karen Khachanov, of Russia, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)

Ben Shelton, of the United States, hits balls to audience after he won his match against Frances Tiafoe, of the United States, during the men's singles semifinals of the U.S. Open tennis championships Friday, Sept. 11, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)