Tumultuous, tiring start to NASCAR’s round of 12 at Texas

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) — The 334 laps at Texas Motor Speedway provided quite a tumultuous start to the NASCAR playoff round of 12. There were a lot of tire issues that contributed to a track-record 16 cautions. There was also a 56-minute red flag for lightning, and a record 36 lead changes among 19 drivers. Chase Elliott entered as the points leader, and was ahead in the race around the midway part when he had hard contact and a fiery finish. Playoff contender Christopher Bell also got knocked out after a tire issue. And there were some bumping between William Byron and Denny Hamlin.