Chase Elliott said Saturday night that missing the playoffs for the first time in his Cup Series career is a “bummer,” but it provides a learning experience.

“I appreciate everybody’s support through this season that hasn’t been what I would want by any means,” Elliott said after finishing fourth in the Cup regular-season finale. “But certainly going to be some lessons taken from it, and I think we’ll be better for it on the other end.”

Elliott fails to make the playoffs for an eighth consecutive year after missing seven races this season — six for injury and one for suspension. This dropped him well below the playoff cutline as the end of the regular season approached.

Elliott had an opportunity to point his way into the playoffs, but a crash at Michigan and a fuel issue at Watkins Glen put him in a must-win situation at Daytona.

The 2020 Cup champion did what he could at the superspeedway. He avoided a 16-car incident at the end of stage 2, and he put himself on the second row for the start of overtime. He just couldn’t cap the night with a win due to the teamwork of the RFK Racing drivers.

“I feel like we had an OK chance there, but Brad (Keselowski) and (winner Chris Buescher) just worked so well together there and they were able to stay locked-on,” Elliott said after the race. “They were so locked-on there … they just had a strangle-hold on the top lane.

“Unfortunately, I just couldn’t get to Kevin (Harvick) and stay there like that, and just make the bottom lane work. I kind of bottled it up there and just couldn’t get enough momentum going forward.”

There are multiple areas where Elliott and crew chief Alan Gustafson can make improvements for next season. They can put a bigger emphasis on qualifying after the No. 9 car only reached the final round seven times in his 19 starts.

They can also continue to work on race strategy for road courses and other tracks where they do not have to worry about pitting in a group. Nailing those little details can make the difference between contending for a championship and ending the regular season below the cutline.

While Elliott missed out on the final playoff spot on the driver side, he still checked off a goal that was very important to Hendrick Motorsports. He put the No. 9 Chevrolet in the owner championship over the No. 23 of 23XI Racing.

Elliott now has an opportunity to pursue wins and points that will move the No. 9 through the opening rounds of the playoffs. NASCAR pays the season-end purses based on the owner standings, so Elliott can help deliver a bigger payday with a strong postseason run.

“Obviously we came up a little short, but nonetheless — I hate the way the season has gone, but proud to get the car into the owner’s championship,” Elliott said. “It’s a big deal to get in on the owner’s side, so hopefully we’ll try and go make some noise on that front, and just keep progressing and pushing to be better for next year. We’ll be better through all of this down the road.”

Elliott is not the only prominent driver to miss the playoffs. Teammate Alex Bowman also missed the cut after an injury sidelined him for three races. Reigning Rookie of the Year Austin Cindric missed the playoffs after winning his way in last season.

Austin Dillon and Daniel Suarez, who both won their way into the playoffs last season, missed the cut after falling into must-win situations during the regular season. They joined AJ Allmendinger, who entered the season as one of the favorites to make the playoffs due to the number of road courses on the schedule.

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Elon Musk imposes daily limits on reading posts on Twitter

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Elon Musk has capped the number of tweets most Twitter users can see each day. He described the restrictions as an attempt to prevent unauthorized tapping of potentially valuable data from the social media platform. The site now requires users to log in to view tweets and profiles. That’s a change in longstanding practice that allows anyone to read the babble. The restrictions could result in users being banned from Twitter for a day after scrolling through several hundred tweets. Thousands of users complained on Saturday that they could not access the site. Musk said after facing backlash that he will raise the thresholds on how many tweets accounts can read per day.

After several turbulent days, flight disruptions are easing despite concerns over 5G signals

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Airline passengers, who have suffered tens of thousands of weather-related flight delays this week, got a welcome respite from the headache on Saturday, despite concerns over possible disruption from the rollout of new 5G wireless systems near major airports. Data compiled by tracking service FlightAware shows that flight delays and cancellations have declined from the spikes seen earlier in the week. Another tracking service shows that the cancellation rate in the US is around 1% on Saturday afternoon. A spokesman for the US Department of Transportation said air traffic has returned to “near normal” levels.

How the Supreme Court Student Loan Decision Affects You

NEW YORK (AP) — The Supreme Court has ruled that the Biden administration exceeded its powers in attempting to eliminate or reduce student loan debt, effectively nullifying the $400 billion plan. The court’s decision means that barring an order from Congress, these Americans can expect to be paid beginning in October. Still, borrowers concerned about their budget have options. For example, the government has other loan relief programs that are still in effect even after Biden’s plan has been scrapped.

Apple is now the first publicly traded company, valued at $3 trillion

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is now the first public company to close a trading day with a market value of $3 trillion. This marks another milestone for a tech giant that has transformed society with a range of products that are stunningly profitable. Apple shares ended Friday up 2.3% at $193.97, taking its market value to $3.04 trillion. Apple is one of the few tech companies, including Microsoft and chipmaker Nvidia, to have helped the S&P 500 post a nearly 16% gain in the first half of the year.

Nokia renews patent license agreement with Apple for 5G and other technologies

HELSINKI (AP) – Network infrastructure and 5G technology provider Nokia has signed a new long-term patent license agreement with Apple to replace the current deal between the two companies, which expires at the end of the year. The deal, which allows Apple to use the Finnish company’s technology in its products, covers Nokia’s inventions in 5G and other technologies. The terms of the contract remain confidential. Nokia expects to begin generating revenue related to the agreement in January 2024, and the company said the agreement is consistent with its long-term guidance released in the first quarter.

Sánchez is visiting Kyiv on the day Spain begins the EU presidency to underscore the bloc’s support for Ukraine

MADRID (AP) – Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez has kicked off Spain’s six-month presidency of the European Union with a lightning visit to Kiev to underscore the bloc’s support for Ukraine in the face of Russia’s invasion. Sánchez arrived in the Ukrainian capital by train from Poland early on Saturday. The Spanish government said he would address Ukraine’s parliament at 08:30 GMT (4:30 a.m. EDT) and then meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy. The two will hold a press conference around 10:30am GMT (6:30am EDT). Zelenskyy announced the visit on Thursday in an address to European leaders gathered for a summit in Brussels. He emphasized the symbolism of the visit and the importance of the next six months for Europe.

The King of the Netherlands apologizes for his country’s role in slavery on the 150th anniversary of the abolition of slavery

AMSTERDAM (AP) — King Willem-Alexander of the Netherlands has apologized for his country’s role in slavery and asked for forgiveness on the anniversary of the abolition of slavery in the Dutch colonies. During an emotional speech on Saturday, the king said he had commissioned a study into the role of the Royal House of Orange-Nassau in slavery. Recent research found that the king’s ancestors earned what is today’s equivalent of $595 million from it. Willem-Alexander said, “I beg your pardon for the apparent inaction in the face of this crime against humanity.” On July 1, 1863, slavery was abolished in Suriname and the Dutch colonies in the Caribbean. Most of the enslaved workers were forced to work on the plantations for another decade.

Russian attacks in Ukraine claim three dead and 17 wounded. Spain emphasizes European support for Kyiv

KIEV, Ukraine (AP) – Ukrainian officials have reported that three people were killed and 17 others wounded by Russian shelling in the east and south of the country. Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez’s visit to Kiev began on Saturday as a sign of continued support from Madrid and the European Union for Ukraine’s fight to evict invading Russian forces from its sovereign territory. Sanchez told Ukraine’s parliament, “We will be by your side for as long as necessary.” Sanchez also promised further shipments of heavy weapons, including Leopard tanks. At a press conference with President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Sanchez announced that Spain would continue to supply Ukraine with heavy weapons, including four Leopard tanks and armored personnel carriers, as well as a portable field hospital.

The Russian media watchdog blacklists media associated with mercenary boss Wagner

Russia’s media regulator has blacklisted at least five media outlets linked to Wagner mercenary boss Yevgeny Prigozhin and blocked their websites in Russia. The move came a week after Wagner militants seized control of a Russian military headquarters and invaded Moscow in what appeared to be an attempted insurgency. Since Saturday, websites of the RIA FAN news agency and four online news portals controlled by Prigozhin’s media holding Patriot have appeared in the Communications Inspectorate’s online register of blacklisted websites. Unconfirmed reports in Russian news outlets on Friday claimed that Prigozhin himself ordered Patriot’s closure. He and his fighters evaded prosecution and were granted sanctuary in Belarus last week.

The Supreme Court rules for a designer who doesn’t want to create wedding websites for gay couples

WASHINGTON (AP) — The conservative majority of the Supreme Court has ruled that a Christian graphic artist who wants to design wedding websites can refuse to work with same-sex couples. The decision is a defeat for gay rights. The court ruled Friday 6-3 in favor of designer Lorie Smith, despite a Colorado law prohibiting discrimination based on sexual orientation, race, gender and other characteristics. Smith argued that the law violated her right to free speech. Smith’s opponents warned that a win for her would allow a number of companies to discriminate against customers. Judge Neil Gorsuch wrote for the court’s six conservative justices that the First Amendment envisions the United States where people “have the freedom to think and speak what they choose.”

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After a strong start to his first NASCAR Camping World Truck Series season, Hickory resident Matt DiBenedetto went through some struggles before finding his way again in May. The 30-year-old Californian came in 11th during a race at South Carolina’s Darlington Raceway on May 6 before finishing seventh at Kansas Speedway on May 14 and 10th at Texas Motor Speedway last Friday.

Over the past three races, DiBenedetto has moved up from 15th in the Truck Series playoff standings to 13th. He has tallied 193 points thus far and has four top-10 finishes in nine races.

The top 10 drivers qualify for the playoffs, so DiBenedetto will look to continue his ascent up the standings when the Truck Series invades Charlotte Motor Speedway on Friday. The North Carolina Education Lottery 200 begins at 8:30 pm and will be televised on FS1.

Here’s a look at how other professional athletes with local ties have fared over the past month or so:

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JT Poston, PGA Tour competitor

After tying for third during the RBC Heritage in mid-April, Hickory native Poston missed the cut at both the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and the Mexico Open at Vidanta. But he bounced back with a tie for ninth during the Wells Fargo Championship May 5-8 at Maryland’s TPC Potomac at Avenel Farm.

Poston and five others — Stewart Cink, Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Schenk, Brian Harman and James Hahn — tied for ninth with four-round totals of 278 (2-under-par). After firing a 68 in the opening round, Poston shot a 69 in Round 2, a 74 in the third round and a 67 in the final round.

A 28-year-old Hickory High alumnus, Poston is in the field for this week’s Charles Schwab Challenge at Colonial Country Club in Fort Worth, Texas. Golf Channel and CBS will share TV coverage of the event, which begins on Thursday and continues through Sunday.

Kyle Troup, Professional Bowlers Association competitor

Taylorsville native Troup collected his second straight Kia PBA Tour Playoffs championship this past Sunday, defeating Tommy Jones of Simpsonville, South Carolina, in the finals. The 30-year-old is the first player to win back-to-back playoff titles, with his victory pushing him over the $1 million mark in career PBA earnings.

Seeded ninth out of 16 total competitors in the PBA playoffs, Troup knocked off Sean Rash, Bill O’Neill and Kris Prather over the first three rounds before facing Jones in a best-of-five match on Sunday at Bowlero Jupiter in Jupiter, Florida . Troup won the opening game by a 217-184 score and the second game by a 276-257 final before falling 279-201 in the third game, but he rebounded with a 288-222 win in the fourth game to win the title.

Troup’s ninth career PBA win surpasses the eight won by his father, Guppy.

“It just shows, keep fighting and keep willing your way through because good things will happen,” Troup told FloBowling.com after the win. “It’s been a rough year physically and mentally a little bit, but I never gave up.

“I am the man of the household now,” he added of surpassing his dad in career titles. “If he wants another belt, he can have it. We will have some fun with the tag team belts come Thursday night league back home.”

Caleb Farley, Tennessee Titans cornerback

After his rookie season in the NFL ended prematurely due to a torn ACL, Maiden native Farley has been working his way back and will attempt to earn a starting spot in 2022. The 23-year-old was showing improvement before suffering the season-ending injury.

Prior to the start of the 2022 season, Farley is scheduled to return to his alma mater, Maiden High, on July 15 to host a free football camp. The camp, which is for children ages 8-14 and will last from 9 am to 1 pm, has already sold out.

Tennessee’s first preseason game will be a road contest against the Baltimore Ravens on Aug. 11, while the Titans’ regular-season opener will see them host the New York Giants on Sept. 11.

JaQuan Artis, Northern Arizona Wranglers defensive end

The Wranglers have won four straight games and seven of their past eight since dropping their season opener. Since the last Local Pro Roundup was published on April 20, former Lenoir-Rhyne standout Artis has 22 tackles (14 solo), seven tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks.

A 24-year-old Kinston native, Artis has helped the Wranglers win their past four contests by a combined total of 98 points. Northern Arizona is tied with the Arizona Rattlers and the Frisco Fighters for the top spot in the IFL standings entering Saturday’s road game against the Tucson Sugar Skulls, which begins at 6:05 pm

Madison Bumgarner, Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher

Although he’s only 2-2 in 2022, Hickory native Bumgarner has won two of his last three decisions. In nine starts this season, the 32-year-old left-hander has totaled 28 strikeouts against 14 walks in 42 1/3 innings.

The South Caldwell High alum also has a 2.76 ERA, which would be his lowest mark since posting a 2.74 ERA with the San Francisco Giants in 2016. Arizona entered Tuesday’s home game against the Kansas City Royals with a record of 22-22 after finishing 52 -110 last year.

Hunter Harvey, Washington Nationals pitcher

Harvey has been on the injured list since April 21 after making four appearances out of the Nationals’ bullpen. The 27-year-old right-hander, who graduated from Bandys High and grew up in Catawba, posted a 0.00 ERA with three strikeouts, one walk and one hit allowed in 2 2/3 innings before being placed on the IL with a pronator strain in his pitching arm.

Harvey could return as early as this week. Washington, which hosts the Los Angeles Dodgers in the finale of a three-game series today at 4:05 pm, is currently in last place in the National League East.

Hayden Deal, Mississippi Braves pitcher

Another Bandys High alum, Deal has made 11 relief appearances for the Atlanta Braves’ Double-A affiliate in 2022. The 27-year-old southpaw from Newton has a 1-0 record with a 1.88 ERA and 23 strikeouts against nine walks in 24 innings.

Batters are hitting .200 against Deal, who has recorded more than three outs on nine occasions. In 11 road innings, he has a 0.00 ERA with 13 strikeouts, one walk and a .105 batting average against.

Deal’s statistics were compiled prior to Tuesday’s road game against the Pensacola Blue Wahoos, who entered the contest 3 1/2 games ahead of both Mississippi and the Biloxi Shuckers for first place in the Southern League’s South Division.

Justin Dean, Mississippi Braves outfielder

After hitting .204 in 19 games with the Triple-A Gwinnett Stripers, Dean was sent back to the Double-A level, where he is batting .222 with six hits including two doubles and a triple in eight games. The former Lenoir-Rhyne standout, who is now 25 years old, is currently on the seven-day injured list.

Prior to his injury, Dean had seven total stolen bases in 2022 (two with Mississippi) and nine RBIs (four with Mississippi). He is a native of Mauldin, South Carolina.

Julian Smith, Great Lakes Loons pitcher

Smith has enjoyed a solid start to the season, entering 13 games out of the bullpen for the Dodgers’ High-A affiliate. The left-hander, who previously pitched at Catawba Valley Community College and is now 24 years old, has a 2-0 record and a 3.72 ERA in 19 1/3 innings.

Additionally, Smith has 20 strikeouts, 10 walks, three holds and one save. Great Lakes is currently in the midst of a six-game road series with the South Bend Cubs that began on Tuesday.

Josh McKinney is the sports editor for the Hickory Daily Record.

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