воскресенье, 16 сентября 2012 г.

BRIEFLY : LUYENDYK EARNS TOP PRACTICE LAP IN LAS VEGAS.(SPORTS) - Daily News (Los Angeles, CA)

Netherlands-born racer Arie Luyendyk outdistanced everyone Friday on the opening day of practice for Sunday's Las Vegas 500K, turning a lap of 229.768 mph about five minutes before the end of the day's activity on the 1-1/2-mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway oval.

``I definitely had a draft going on that 229 lap,'' the 1990 Indianapolis 500 winner said, referring to the tow from other cars on the track ahead of him. ``It's so busy out there, it's not easy to run without a draft.''

Mark Dismore was second at 224.859.

Bobby Labonte qualified his Chevrolet at 155.086 mph to win the pole for Sunday's running of the $1.4 million MBNA 500 in Dover, Del. That broke the record of 154.784 held by Jeff Gordon.

Miss Budweiser, facing the prospects of its first winless season since 1978, led first-day qualifying for Sunday's 30th Bill Muncey Cup Unlimited Hydroplane race on Mission Bay in San Diego.

Driven by Mark Evans, Miss Budweiser toured the 2.5-mile course at an average speed of 164.465 mph.

Carlos Sainz of Spain, seeking his first victory Down Under, held a narrow lead over his rivals after the opening stage of Rally Australia in Perth.

FOOTBALL

George Jones of San Diego State, the nation's third-leading rusher last year with a 153.5-yard average, has been suspended indefinitely. The suspension involves possible NCAA rules violations that school officials declined to discuss.

Ryan Tucker, the Texas Christian center indicted with three teammates in the beating of another student, previously was in trouble with the law. The Dallas Morning News reported that based on Fort Worth municipal court records and eyewitness accounts, Tucker was accused in at least two other assaults and has received a public-intoxication charge over the past two years.

A Davenport (Iowa) Assumption High School football player died after collapsing on the sideline during a sophomore game Friday night. Alex Velotas, 15, died at 8:04 p.m., shortly after arriving at Muscatine General Hospital, the nursing supervisor said. She said the death was being called a ``cardiac episode,'' possibly brought on by an asthma attack.

BASKETBALL

USC assistant basketball coach Rob Alexander has resigned to become boys' basketball coach at Canyon High School in Anaheim.

Alexander was the No. 3 assistant on coach Henry Bibby's staff and the only holdover from the Charlie Parker era. Before coming to USC, he had been head coach at Ontario High School.

The Trojans also picked up another blue-chip basketball recruit, when 6-foot-8 forward Greg Lakey from Lynwood gave a verbal commitment. Lakey had been offered a scholarship by UCLA.

Point guard Kevin Augustine of Mater Dei previously committed to USC.

SOURCE: Scott Wolf

Kansas point guard Jacque Vaughn underwent wrist surgery at the University of Kansas Medical Center. ``The surgeon told us that the operation went smoothly and that he expects a successful recovery,'' Jayhawks coach Roy Williams said.

Vaughn is expected to be out at least three months.

Mississippi State basketball standout Marcus Bullard, who helped lead the Bulldogs to the NCAA Final Four last season, was sentenced to three years in prison for violating his probation on drug charges.

The Lakers signed rookie free agent David Booth, but terms were not divulged. The forward from DePaul has played mostly overseas for the past four seasons.

Coach George Karl agreed to a one-year contract extension with the Seattle SuperSonics that would give him the highest coaching salary (about $3 milllion) in the NBA, said Price Johnson, Karl's representative.

TENNIS

In a surprise move, the presiding judge at the tax evasion trial of Steffi Graf's father lifted the arrest warrant that has kept Peter Graf in a Mannheim, Germany, prison for 13 months. The world's No. 1 player was quoted as saying she had hired a new manager and was taking control of her business affairs.

HOCKEY

Right wing Valeri Bure agreed to a one-year contract with the Montreal Canadiens that will pay him $511,000.

ETC.

Ted Smits, who served as sports editor of The Associated Press for 23 years - longer than anyone else - and also appeared as an old-line reporter in the Woody Allen film ``Zelig,'' has died at age 91 in White Plains, N.Y.

A native of Jackson, Mich., and a graduate of Michigan State University, Smits joined the AP in Los Angeles as a reporter in 1934.