Formula One considers cuts

Formula One wants to cut team budgets in half and improve fuel efficiency by 2011 to improve racing.

The president of the governing body said Thursday that “urgent” changes were necessary because the sport was becoming “unsustainable.” Max Mosley asked Formula One’s 10 teams to reach a majority on any proposals to the rule changes and put them forward within three months.

“The major manufacturers are currently employing up to 1,000 people to put two cars on the grid,” Mosley said. “This is clearly unacceptable at a time when all these companies are facing difficult market conditions.”

The ruling body said changes were necessary to “allow a back-of-the-grid independent team to operate profitably.”

•David Coulthard will retire from Formula One after the season, ending a career in which he won 13 races but repeatedly fell short of the world championship. The 37-year-old Scotsman, who has driven for Williams, McLaren and Red Bull since 1994, has not won since the 2003 Australian Grand Prix. His best finish this season was third at the Canadian GP on June 9.

NASCAR

Martin Truex Jr., vying to get into NASCAR’s Chase for the championship, started the weekend with a significant setback.

Truex’s Chevrolet failed inspection before practice Thursday, prompting NASCAR officials to impound the car and sending Truex’s crew scrambling to get the backup ready for today’s Sprint Cup qualifying.