In brief: Hall of Fame chooses six for induction
Robert “Red” Byron, the first driver to win a NASCAR points championship, is among a diverse group to be inducted into the International Motorsports Hall of Fame in Talladega, Ala.
The six-person Class of 2008, announced Thursday, also includes Art Arfons, Bill “Grumpy” Jenkins, Frank Kurtis, Everett “Cotton” Owens and Ralph Seagraves. They will be enshrined on April 24.
“With this class we are honoring drivers, an owner, a fabricator, an engine builder and a promoter. These men comprise the building blocks of all motorsports,” said Talladega Superspeedway President and IMHOF Executive Director Rick Humphrey
“Renault was not penalized, despite being found guilty of having confidential information about Formula One rival McLaren.
In September, McLaren was fined $100 million for using confidential data from Ferrari.
Colleges
Feathers off William and Mary logo
The College of William and Mary’s new logo sheds the two feathers that the NCAA deemed offensive to American Indians.
The logo revealed at the college in Williamsburg, Va., updates the familiar “W&M” monogram and uses the school’s more traditional colors of green and gold instead of the more recent green and yellow. The logo, in four similar designs, will be used by the athletic department and campus-wide on business cards, stationary and other items.
Last year, the NCAA ruled William and Mary could keep its Tribe nickname but could not display its athletic logo with feathers at NCAA championship events or host NCAA tournament games where the logo would be shown.
“The Southeast Missouri State women’s basketball team should lose all 79 of its victories during the four-year tenure of former coach B.J. Smith because of several violations, an NCAA committee has ruled.
Miscellany
Masters’ Par 3 event to be televised
Expanding its audience in living rooms and at Augusta National, the Masters said it would televise the Par 3 Contest for the first time and allow its season ticket holders to bring one child free of charge to the golf tournament.
The Masters will be held April 10-13.
ESPN, which earlier signed a deal to televise the first two rounds of the Masters, will televise the Par 3 Contest April 9. The course is 1,060 yards, and players have made 63 aces since the contest began in 1960.
It also has a tradition like no other – no player who won the Par 3 Contest has gone on to win the Masters that week.
“Salt Lake City native Zach Lund edged fellow American Eric Bernotas to win the skeleton event on the first day of the FIBT Bobsleigh and Skeleton World Cup in Park City, Utah.
Lund has won the event in Park City two straight years and even with the day’s snow he was able to get to 82.5 miles per hour.
Earlier in the day, Canada’s Michelle Kelly won the women’s event with a time of 1:40.43.