Johnson’s crew chief fined, suspended

NASCAR suspended crew chief Chad Knaus for three more races Tuesday and fined him $25,000 for making an illegal modification to Jimmie Johnson’s car during preparation for the Daytona 500.

Knaus was ejected from Daytona following the cheating scandal, and Johnson went on to win the race in a legal car.

Now Johnson must compete in the next three events without his crew chief. Knaus won’t be eligible to return to a race track until the March 26 race in Bristol, Tenn.

NASCAR, without comment, also placed Knaus on probation for the rest of the year.

•Hall of Fame Racing, the NASCAR team owned by former NFL quarterbacks Troy Aikman and Roger Staubach, received its first penalties for infractions during the Daytona 500.

NASCAR found an unapproved carburetor on the No. 96 Chevrolet during qualifying for the 500.

NASCAR penalized Hall of Fame Racing by fining crew chief Philippe Lopez $25,000 and docking driver Terry Labonte 25 points. William Saunders, a partner of Aikman’s and Staubach’s, was docked 25 car owner points.

Football

Williams will appeal

Troubled running back Ricky Williams is appealing a positive drug test that could force the Miami Dolphins star to sit out the 2006 season.

If the positive test result is upheld, it would be Williams’ fourth violation of the NFL’s substance-abuse policy, meaning at least a one-year suspension.

Previous positive tests were for marijuana, which Williams acknowledged using. But the latest test involved a drug other than marijuana.

•New York Jets’ defensive end John Abraham was designated the team’s franchise player for the second straight year.

•The Buffalo Bills hired Matt Sheldon as linebackers coach. Sheldon spent the past five seasons as an assistant with the St. Louis Rams.

•The Rams completed their coaching staff with the hiring of defensive line coach Brian Baker from the Minnesota Vikings.

•The Cincinnati Bengals re-signed punter Kyle Larson to a one-year contract.

Miscellany

Padgett out for season

Louisville sophomore center David Padgett will miss the rest of the basketball season because of an injured left knee and is expected to be ready to play next fall, coach Rick Pitino said.

•Michigan basketball player Amadou Ba and an unnamed Michigan State fan involved in an altercation before last weekend’s game between the Wolverines and the Spartans were both disciplined by the Big Ten. Ba sat out Tuesday’s game against Illinois and will sit out half of the Feb. 25 game at Ohio State. The Michigan State student will not be allowed to attend the Spartans’ home game Wednesday against Ohio State or the first half of the March 2 game against Wisconsin.

•The owner of Kentucky Derby hopeful Lawyer Ron was found dead at his home in Owensboro, Ky. James T. Hines Jr., 69, was found by his housekeeper in his indoor swimming pool in an apparent drowning, Daviess County Coroner Bob Howe said.