crossbar with a firm header off a free kick cross, then again off

AVONDALE, Ariz. -- Matt Kenseths misfortune gave Joey Logano a chance to race for the championship.In an improbable turn of events, Kenseth came within two laps of a spot in next weeks title-deciding finale but instead was eliminated from NASCARs playoffs. Logano was gifted a victory Sunday that put him in the final four after a tense double-overtime event at Phoenix International Raceway.Kenseth had the win in hand until a late caution sent the race to extra laps. Although he cleared traffic on the restart, his teammate Kyle Busch had contact with Alex Bowman that altered Bowmans racing line.Kenseths spotter told the driver he was clear, but he actually cut down on Bowman and the contact caused him to crash.Logano saw the sequence unfolding, let off the gas early and slid into the lead after the accident. He then held off Busch in the second overtime for the win that qualified him for next weeks championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Before Kenseths accident, Logano was in danger of elimination.Im like, Oh, shoot, were out, and it was going to be so close there at the end to try to get ourselves through, and next thing you know the caution comes out and the whole game changes, Logano said. We find ourselves as the leader, and we win the race. Thats NASCAR racing at its finest.Logano won the race -- the second time in this Chase that he used a victory in an elimination race to advance -- and will compete for his first Sprint Cup title next Sunday. He will try to give Roger Penske a season sweep during the teams 50th anniversary season. Simon Pagenaud won the IndyCar title in September.Ive never felt this good about a win before, Logano said. There was so much on the line, and everyone brings their A-game when it comes to winning championships and this team did it.I feel like I just won the Daytona 500 again.Busch finished second and earned a chance to defend last years title. He will meet Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Carl Edwards and Jimmie Johnson, who is seeking a record-tying seventh championship, in Homestead.JGR, which was trying to get all four of its Toyotas into the final, wound up with only two, and Busch wasnt feeling celebratory. He said he believed his contact with Bowman triggered the accident that wrecked Kenseths season.Its really unfortunate and devastating to have the race come down like that, Busch said. Thats so frustrating and aggravating, and I feel horrible.Eliminated from the playoffs Sunday were Kevin Harvick, an eight-time winner at Phoenix who had raced in the last two finales, and his Stewart-Haas Racing teammate Kurt Busch. Gibbs drivers Kenseth and Denny Hamlin were also knocked out of the field.Disappointing would be the way to put it lightly, Kenseth said. Finish that race five minutes before that, looked like we had a chance to go race for a championship. It was a big swing in 10 or 15 minutes.Hamlin finished seventh after a bizarre decision not to pit with the rest of the field for track position. Although it gave him a brief lead, he was no match for drivers with fresh tires.I knew it was going to be an uphill climb, Hamlin said.PIT ROAD PENALTIES: NASCAR picked Sunday to enforce a rule against passing the pace car when a driver dips onto pit road for a stop. Martin Truex Jr.?and Johnson were both penalized for the infraction, and the punishment was holding the car for a lap on pit road.Johnson and crew chief Chad Knaus were incredulous.I dont understand that in the least little bit, Johnson said on his radio. This is absolutely ridiculous, NASCAR. I have no clue what I did wrong.Johnson said he will ask for clarification this week.In 15 years, that has never been a concern, and I was always told that the last thing NASCAR wanted to do would be to penalize the leader, Johnson said. I am still baffled, and I dont know if I will stop being baffled.BOWMAN OUT FRONT: Bowman badly wants a job for next year, and his continued strong pace as the replacement driver for Dale Earnhardt Jr.?is giving him a solid case to present to prospective employers.Bowman had led just nine laps in his first 79 career Sprint Cup races. Six of those laps were earlier this year driving Earnhardts Chevrolet. A pole-winning run for Sundays race helped Bowman lead a race-high 194 laps, and he was attempting to win the race before the late accident. He faded to sixth and felt bad about his incident with Kenseth.I hate it for Matt. I would have raced the hell out of him for the win but definitely dont want to do that, Bowman said. Hate that, and it ruined our day too. So its unfortunate.UP NEXT: The season finale at Homestead, where the championship will be decided. Harvick won the race in 2014 to win his championship, and Kyle Busch won last year to claim the title. Mirco Mueller Jersey .J. -- Marty Brodeur beat the Pittsburgh Penguins yet again. Jamie Langenbrunner Devils Jersey . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. http://www.devilssale.com/authentic-cory-schneider-devils-jersey/ . Scott Kazmir allowed four hits in seven shutout innings, Michael Brantley hit a two-run homer in a three-run first inning and the Indians maintained their hold on an AL wild-card spot with a 4-1 win over the Houston Astros on Saturday night. Travis Zajac Jersey . -- For the first time in two months, an opponent was standing up to Alabama. Ken Daneyko Devils Jersey . Laudrup revealed Thursday he was notified of his dismissal in "the briefest of letters which gave no reasons why such hasty and final action was deemed necessary. ISTANBUL -- Another late goal for Besiktas, another heartbreaking draw for Benfica.Vincent Aboubakar scored an 89th-minute equalizer as Besiktas rallied from an early three-goal deficit to draw with Benfica 3-3 on Wednesday and remain with chances of advancing to the knockout stages of the Champions League.Aboubakar scored from close range after a remarkable crossed-foot cross by veteran winger Ricardo Quaresma.Napoli and Benfica top Group B with eight points each, one ahead of third-placed Besiktas. Napoli drew 0-0 with already eliminated Dynamo Kiev in the groups other match on Wednesday.I believed even at 3-3 that we could find the fourth goal, Besiktas Cenk Tosun said. Maybe if we had scored the third goal earlier that would have happened, but we are very happy that we remained in the competition.In the last group round, Benfica hosts Napoli and Besiktas plays at Dynamo Kiev.Again, it was a disappointing finish for Benfica against the Turkish side, which scored deep in injury time to earn a 1-1 draw when they met in Lisbon in their group opener. That goal was by forward Talisca, who is owned by the Portuguese club and is on loan to Besiktas.Benfica scored three goals in the first 31 minutes on Wednesday- including one after three consecutive headers struck the woodwork -- but couldnt hold on to the victory that would have propelled the club into the next round.The more oxygen you give to your opponents, the more they grow, Benfica coach Rui Vitoria said. The result leaves a bitter taste as we played beautifully for 60 minutes. Small details can make all the difference..ddddddddddddGoncalo Guedes opened the scoring for the visitors after dribbling past the goalkeeper in the ninth minute, Nelson Semedo added to the lead with a stunning long-range shot in the 25th, and Ljubomir Fejsa scored after his teammates were denied by the woodwork three times on the same play.Kostas Mitroglou first hit the crossbar with a firm header off a free kick cross, then again off his own rebound, and midfielder Eduardo Salvio struck the post with his attempt in front of the goal. The ball bounced back toward the center of the area and Fejsa, returning from a ligament injury, finally found the net with a low left-footed shot.We did everything we could to win, Guedes said. It is going to be a difficult match against Napoli, but we are counting on the fans to help us win.Besiktas got on the board with a remarkable side-volley by Tosun, and moved closer with a penalty kick converted by Quaresma in the 83rd after a hand-ball inside the area.It nearly got the equalizer on an 88th-minute header by Aboubakar that prompted a spectacular save by Benfica goalkeeper Ederson, but the forward came through one minute later after the defense failed to clear Quaresmas right-footed cross from the left-flank. The veteran sent the ball into the area by crossing his right foot behind the left.The goal allowed Besiktas to keep alive a 15-game unbeaten streak at home.Benfica made it the quarterfinals last season, when it was eliminated by Bayern Munich. ' ' '