In brief: Newman, Busch give opportunity to Penske
Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch gave Penske Racing a grip on the front row for the Coca-Cola 600. Now they hope to end Penske’s drought at Lowe’s Motor Speedway at Concord, N.C.
Newman won his 39th career pole Thursday with a lap at 185.312 mph. Busch, showing no ill effects after getting tangled up with brother Kyle in a wreck during last weekend’s All-Star race, qualified second at 185.065.
Roger Penske has won 14 Indianapolis 500s as a car owner, and Penske driver Helio Castroneves will be on the pole Sunday. But Penske has never won a race at Charlotte.
Newman acknowledges there’s pressure to put Penske in Victory Lane.
“He’s only been trying here for like 20 years, so yeah it would be special,” said Newman, who will make his 200th career start Sunday. “It’s been something that weighs on the drivers and the teams.”
Elliott Sadler qualified third, followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth.
“At Monte Carlo, Monaco, two-time world champion Fernando Alonso clocked the fastest times at the Monaco Grand Prix’s opening practices and rookie teammate Lewis Hamilton crashed in the second run.
Hockey
Leetch calls it quits
Brian Leetch, one of the NHL’s top defensemen who helped the New York Rangers win the Stanley Cup in 1994, retired after an 18-year career.
Leetch sat out last season as an unrestricted free agent after spending 2005-2006 with the Boston Bruins, when the 10-time NHL All-Star had five goals and 27 assists in 61 games.
“Craig Leipold patiently worked to build an NHL franchise and turned the Nashville Predators into one of the league’s best teams.
If they win a Stanley Cup, it won’t be with him. Leipold confirmed he has signed a letter of intent to sell the franchise to Canadian billionaire Jim Balsillie for $220 million after losing $70 million in 10 years of ownership.
“Plymouth defeated Lewiston 5-1 in Memorial Cup play at Vancouver, British Columbia. Plymouth will meet Vancouver today, with the winner advancing to Sunday’s title game against Medicine Hat.
Drugs
Tour riders admit guilt
Eric Zabel and Rolf Aldag, former teammates of two Tour de France winners, admitted at Frankfurt, Germany, that they took performance-enhancing drugs while riding for the Telekom team in the 1990s.
“Austrian Olympic leaders pledged to crack down on national ski team officials after being hit with a $1 million fine by the IOC for the doping scandal at the 2006 Turin Games.
Miscellany
Lewis offers apology
Cincinnati Bengals coach Marvin Lewis, whose team has had several run-ins with the law, apologized for comments about police possibly targeting his players.
“Yesterday, I gave a radio interview and made some comments that did not illustrate the high regard I have for the Cincinnati Police Department. I apologize that what I said did not reflect my true feelings,” Lewis said.
“Tim Howard has replaced Kasey Keller as the top U.S. men’s soccer goalkeeper heading into the CONCACAF Gold Cup.
The 37-year-old Keller has 97 international appearances and started for the United States at the 1998 and 2006 World Cups. Howard, 28, was a backup at last year’s tournament in Germany and played 18 games for the national team.
“A former NBA player was sentenced to five years in federal prison after pleading guilty to selling crack cocaine to an undercover police officer last summer.
Henry Charles James, 41, of Fort Wayne, Ind., pleaded guilty to one charge of distribution of a controlled substance. The prison term will be followed by four years of supervised release, Assistant U.S. Attorney Anthony Geller said.