Appeals panel upholds penalties against Knaus
Appeals panel upholds penalties against Knaus
CONCORD, N.C. — An appeals panel on Tuesday upheld penalties levied against five-time champion Jimmie Johnson’s crew chief for failing the opening day inspection at the Daytona 500.
The three-member committee heard testimony from Hendrick Motorsports and NASCAR, then ruled unanimously in favor of the sanctions.
NASCAR said Knaus presented a car that had illegally modified sheet metal between the roof and the side windows, the area known as the C Post. Knaus has maintained NASCAR made that determination with a visual inspection, the No. 48 Chevrolet never even made it to the templates at Daytona, and the car had been used at all four restrictor-plate races in 2011.
Team owner Rick Hendrick said the team will appeal to the National Stock Car Racing chief appellate officer, and Knaus will work this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway during the appeal process.
“I don’t accept it,” Hendrick said outside NASCAR’s R&D Center. “Period.”
Knaus was suspended six races and fined $100,000; Johnson was docked 25 points and car chief Ron Malec also was suspended six races.
The three appeals panel members who heard Knaus’ appeal were former USAC chairman John Capels, former Indy Racing League and Goodyear executive Leo Mehl and Dale Pinilis, operator of Bowman Gray Stadium in Winston-Salem.
AP Source: Bucks trade Jackson, Bogut to Warriors
MILWAUKEE — The Milwaukee Bucks agreed to trade Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson to the Golden State Warriors, a person with direct knowledge of the deal said Tuesday night.
The Bucks will receive guard Monta Ellis, forward Ekpe Udoh and center Kwame Brown, the person confirmed to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity because the deal had not been announced. The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported the deal on its website Tuesday night.
Speaking before Golden State’s game at Sacramento, Ellis said he and Udoh were headed back to Oakland.
“It’s not a bad thing, man,” Ellis said. “Not at all. We are going to another team to do the same thing we love to do. I’m riding back home with him.”
The trade represents a parting of ways between the Bucks and Bogut, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2005 draft who has struggled with injuries. It also allows the Bucks to rid themselves of Jackson, who had fallen out of favor with coach Scott Skiles and now gets to rejoin his former team.
Nadal, Federer, Azarenka advance at Indian Wells
INDIAN WELLS, Calif. — Roger Federer outlasted hard-serving Milos Raonic 6-7 (4), 6-2, 6-4 under the lights in the fourth round of the BNP Paribas Open on Tuesday, extending his run of winning 35 of 37 matches since last year’s U.S. Open.
Rafael Nadal didn’t have as much trouble in sunny conditions, beating countryman Marcel Granollers 6-1, 6-4.
It was similarly easy on the women’s side for top-ranked Victoria Azarenka and No. 2 seed Maria Sharapova, who won their matches in just more than an hour to reach the quarterfinals.
Nadal plays No. 21 Alexandr Dolgopolov in the quarterfinals.
Azarenka, a 6-3, 6-1 winner over Julia Goerges, moved on to play fifth-seeded Agnieszka Radwanska, who advanced when American wild card Jamie Hampton retired with cramping in the third set trailing 3-6, 6-4, 3-0. Azarenka (20-0) and Radwanska (20-3) have the most match wins this year on the WTA Tour.
Sharapova, who lost to Azarenka in the Australian Open final, beat Roberta Vinci 6-2, 6-1, and next plays an all-Russian quarterfinal against either 20th-seeded Maria Kirilenko, who beat No. 30 Nadia Petrova 6-1, 5-7, 6-2.
BYU rallies from
25 down to top Iona
DAYTON, Ohio — On an opening night of colossal comebacks in the NCAA tournament, BYU climbed out of the biggest hole.
Noah Hartsock scored 16 of his 23 points in the second half and the Cougars rallied from 25 points down to beat Iona 78-72 in the first round Tuesday night.
Brandon Davies added 18 points and Damarcus Harrison 12 for the 14th-seeded Cougars (26-8), who advanced to play third-seeded Marquette on Thursday in Louisville, Ky.
Iona (25-8) seemed assured of its first official NCAA tournament victory after dominating the first half. But despite 15 points and 10 assists by Scott Machado, the Gaels dropped to 0-8 in NCAA play. Their lone win in 1980 was vacated due to NCAA violations.
Western Kentucky stuns MVSU by one point
DAYTON, Ohio — T.J. Price’s three-point play with 33 seconds left completed a furious rally from a 16-point deficit, and Western Kentucky held on to beat Mississippi Valley State.
President Barack Obama and British Prime Minister David Cameron had front-row seats to see the tournament open with a ragged game that had an engrossing finish.
By wire sources