Kevin Harvick takes Southern 500 after leaders Elliott, Truex bump

Another race, another win for Kevin Harvick. Again at Darlington (S.C.) Raceway and this time to open the playoffs and his march toward the NASCAR championship.

Only difference? Harvick didn’t dominate the Southern 500 in his series-best eighth victory of the season. The regular-season champion and top seed in the playoffs inherited the lead Sunday night when Martin Truex Jr. and Chase Elliott bumped, then brushed the wall as they raced for the victory.

Elliott dropped off the pace and Harvick passed him for second. Truex, who led a race-high 196 laps, had to pit for repairs on his damaged car and Harvick was suddenly out front.

“The leaders got tangled up there and the next thing you know, we were racing for the win,” Harvick said.

• AlphaTauri’s Pierre Gasly claimed an unlikely first Formula One victory in the Italian Grand Prix at Monza after a chaotic race in which world champion Lewis Hamilton got a 10-second stop-go penalty and both Ferraris failed to finish at their home circuit.

ELSEWHERE

Johnson one round

from FedEx title

Dustin Johnson started in the lead, matched the low round at the Tour Championship in Atlanta with a 6-under-par 64 and is a round from winning the FedEx Cup and its $15 million prize.

Johnson missed only three fairways and putted for birdie on all but three holes. It led to a five-shot lead over Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele going into the Labor Day finish at East Lake.

• John Catlin of Sacramento became the first American since Tiger Woods to win at Valderrama, in conditions so tough that he had no birdies in his 4-over 75 and pulled out a one-shot victory over Martin...