Briefly

Jamie McMurray gained his release from Chip Ganassi Racing on Monday, clearing the way for a driver swap that affects three teams.

Reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch will now go to Penske Racing to replace Rusty Wallace, retiring at the end of the season. McMurray will take over Busch’s ride at Roush Racing and Ganassi is altering his plans for the 2006 season, deciding to field only three cars rather than replacing McMurray.

“The final piece of the puzzle was related to Chip Ganassi getting his plans finalized,” said Roush Racing president Geoff Smith. “It was something we were expecting, but there was always some uncertainly, which is why we were always hedging on whether the deal was imminent vs. close.”

The driver swap has consumed NASCAR since July, when McMurray signed a deal to drive for Roush in 2007. He announced the contract in hopes of getting Ganassi to let him out of his current deal a year early.

Soon after, Busch announced he signed a deal to drive for Penske in 2007 and wanted out of his contract at Roush.

Roush was willing to negotiate on Busch, but Ganassi refused to release McMurray.

It made McMurray the key to all the driver swapping, because no one could move in 2006 without his release.

Ganassi later softened his stance on letting McMurray leave, saying he would do so if he could find a viable replacement in the No. 42 Dodge – one of four teams he planned to field next season.

But that changed when Ganassi ended his relationship with Home123, slated to sponsor his fourth car next year, and instead moved Casey Mears into the No. 42 and will stick with three cars.

College football

Gregoire likes Eagles

Gov. Christine Gregoire is so confident that Eastern Washington University’s football team will beat Montana State this weekend, she’s betting a salmon she caught at Westport.

Gregoire and Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer have a friendly wager riding on the outcome of the Eagles’ Governors Cup football game with Montana State Saturday in Cheney.

“Brian Schweitzer is a friend and a good governor, but he shouldn’t think he’s going to get the salmon I fought so hard to catch,” Gregoire said in a written statement.

Schweitzer has bet five buffalo steaks.

“Florida receiver Dallas Baker could miss Saturday’s game at South Carolina because of a broken rib and a punctured lung.

Baker, the team’s second-leading receiver with 37 catches for 492 yards and two touchdowns, was hurt Saturday during a 49-42 double-overtime victory against Vanderbilt.

Miscellany

Roddick questionable

Andy Roddick said his status is “so-so” for the season-ending Masters Cup next week in Shanghai, China, because of back and shoulder injuries.

Roddick played in four exhibition sets at the Advanta World Team Tennis Smash Hits, an annual charity event benefiting the Elton John AIDS Foundation, and said he was hurting afterward.

“Oregon State baseball coach Pat Casey, who led the Beavers to their first College World Series appearance since 1952, signed a contract that will keep him in Corvallis through the 2010 season.

“Ashado, the second-leading money winner among female horses, sold for a record $9 million to John Ferguson, the buyer for Sheik Mohammed bin Rashid al Maktoum, the crown prince of Dubai, during the Keeneland November Breeding Stock Sale in Lexington, Ky.

“Sun Yingjie, a leading Chinese distance runner and hopeful for the 2008 Beijing Olympics, failed a second drug test and faces a likely two-year ban.