Women make inroads at Indy

Auto racing: Janet Guthrie can see progress moving at full throttle.

The pioneering racer is watching five women try to duplicate her milestone achievement by qualifying for this year’s Indianapolis 500.

It’s been 33 years since Guthrie became the first woman to start a race at the famed Brickyard, and for most of that time, she stood virtually alone.

From her breakthrough moment in 1977 until 1999 only one other woman, Lyn St. James, qualified for Indy’s 33-car starting grid. From 2000 to 2006, the number of females entered in the race was capped at two.

This year’s potential female starters at Indy consist of the glamorous Danica Patrick, the first woman to win an IndyCar race; the personable Sarah Fisher, the first woman to win an IndyCar pole; fan favorite Milka Duno; and two relatively unknown but promising rookies, Brazil’s Ana Beatriz and Switzerland’s Simona de Silvestro.

If each makes the May 30 field, it would mark the first time any has been part of a race featuring five women.

The 72-year-old Guthrie never doubted this day would come.

“Having five women start at Indy? That would be spectacular. I’d love it.”

Associated Press

Cancer can’t slow Martina

Tennis: Martina Navratilova has a tiring schedule lined up for the French Open – radiation therapy for cancer, playing in a senior doubles event and calling matches on TV for Tennis Channel.

Navratilova said Monday that she is in her second week of treatments after being diagnosed this year with a noninvasive form of breast cancer and having a lumpectomy in March. She went public with her illness last month.

The 53-year-old Navratilova has been practicing at Roland Garros with doubles partner Jana Novotna.

Associated Press

NBA lottery on tap tonight

NBA: With their new owner sitting front row, the New Jersey Nets will have the best chance to win the NBA draft lottery.

They could sure use the help.

Mikhail Prokhorov will represent the Nets on stage tonight in Secaucus, N.J., for the lottery, which his team has a 25 percent chance of winning after its league-worst 12-70 record.

Kentucky freshman point guard John Wall is considered the top prize in this year’s class, with player of the year Evan Turner of Ohio State also expected to go high.

Associated Press