In brief: Simon Pagenaud wins 2nd race of Houston doubleheader
Auto racing: Not everything was bigger in Texas on a hot and humid weekend in which a pair of small IndyCar teams claimed the commemorative cowboy boots from the Grand Prix of Houston.
Sam Schmidt’s drivers went 1-2 on Sunday for the first time in team history as Simon Pagenaud grabbed the win and led rookie teammate Mikhail Aleshin to the checkered flag. Pagenaud used the win, his second of the season, to climb back into the championship race.
He came to Houston trailing Will Power by 91 points, and cut it to 59 after the two races.
Aleshin, the first Russian to compete in IndyCar, was a career-best second for his first podium and said a tire problem nearly prevented him from making it to the finish.
Third went to rookie Jack Hawksworth, his first career podium.
• Hagan wins Funny Car: Matt Hagan won the Route 66 NHRA Nationals to end an 11-event victory drought, beating Don Schumacher Racing teammate Tommy Johnson Jr. in the Funny Car final in Joliet, Illinois. Hagan, the 2011 Funny Car season champion, had a pass of 4.098 seconds at 310.48 mph in his Dodge Charger for his 11th career victory and first since last year’s season-ending race.
Antron Brown won in Top Fuel, Vincent Nobile topped the Pro Stock field, and Hector Arana Jr. won in Pro Stock Motorcycle.
Allen wins close hurdles race
Track and field: Devon Allen won the 110-meter hurdles in 13.16 seconds at the U.S. Outdoor Track and Field Championships in Sacramento, California, after leader Ronnie Ash fell midway through the race. Allen, the college champion who doubles as a wide receiver at Oregon, edged Ryan Wilson by two-hundredths of a second for his first U.S. title. It was the final race of the four-day meet and easily the closest.
Curtis Mitchell won the 200, and Jeneba Tarmoh took the women’s 200. Ajee’ Wilson, a two-time indoor champion in the women’s 800, added an outdoor title.
Sabres release veteran Ehrhoff
NHL: The Buffalo Sabres bought out defensemanChristian Ehrhoff’s contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. Ehrhoff signed a 10-year, $40 million contract with the Sabres in 2011. Ehrhoff, 31, had 33 points in 79 games last season.
A’s send Reddick to DL with knee issue
Baseball: The Oakland Athletics placed Josh Reddick on the 15-day disabled list after the outfielder aggravated a previous knee injury. Results from an MRI weren’t immediately known.
Arkansas man sets swimming mark
Miscellany: Bud Jackson, 95, set a new national record for his age group in the 100-meter breaststroke at a recent event in Bentonville, Arkansas. Jackson, competing in the 95-99 age division, finished in 3:16.56, breaking the old record of 3:38.45.