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THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR WWW.INDYSTAR.COM Sports 2nd TUESDAY, MARCH 28, 2006 D3 AUTO RACING MLB NOTEBOOK A Kin INTL flfi NOTEBOOK Br. 33 Search for new NFL chief gets slow start ESPNABC SPORTS AP FATEFUL IMPACT: The photo progression shows the accident that killed IRL driver Paul Dana. In the left photo, Ed Carpenter's car, which had hit the outside wall in a one-car accident, is slowly skidding on the track as Dana approaches fast. In the middle photo, Dana's car points upward immediately after impact with the rear half of Carpenter's car. In the right photo, Dana's car creates a spark after it lands on the track.

Dana hit debris before crash Still unknown is why he approached so fast Nationals load up disabled list Star news services Washington shortstop Cris-tian Guzman will miss the start of the season with a right shoulder injury after he was put on the 15 -day disabled list Monday along with four other Nationals. Right-handed pitchers Ryan Drese (right shoulder injury), Luis Ayala and Brian Lawrence also went on the DL, as did first basemancatcher Robert Fick (elbow surgery). Ayala, Washington's top setup man in the bullpen last season, will have ligament replacement surgery on his right elbow Thursday in Los Angeles and miss the entire season. He was hurt while pitching for Mexico in the World Baseball Classic. Lawrence, who came over from San Diego in the offseason trade that sent third baseman Vinny Castilla to the Padres, was diagnosed with a torn labrum in his throwing shoulder after his first bullpen session of the spring.

He could be out for the season. The Nationals are waiting to see whether Guzman will need surgery on his throwing shoulder. Royce Clayton takes Guzman's spot in the starting lineup. Etc. Reds OF Ken Griffey Jr.

doubled twice and hit a two-run homer over the batter's eye against the Pirates. Griffey is 7-for-15 with a pair of homers in four games since returning from the World Baseball Classic. DH Jim Thome hit two home runs, two singles and drove in three runs as the White Sox played a 4-4 tie with the Cubs Royals RHP Runelvys Hernandez will begin the year on the 15 -day DL because of concerns about his weight and stamina. Jason LaRue had surgery to repair torn cartilage in his right knee, then started rehabilitation hoping to be back in the Reds' lineup for opening day. Red Sox reliever Julian Ta-varez punched the Devil Rays' Joey Gathright and both were ejected after a brawl that began with a close play at home plate in which Tavarez stepped on Gathright.

I Xi Barnhart said Monday the league-mandated yellow blinking lights in Dana's car almost certainly came on because the signal was sent as designed and several other cars received it. Many drivers heard Barnhart's radio call to slow down, and they did. For some reason, Dana did not. A camera in Scott Sharp's car showed Dana zipping past on the inside before striking Carpenter's debris and then his race car. Carpenter won't fault Dana for the decisions he made.

"He probably reacted the way he thought was best, and people's first reaction is usually good," said Carpenter, who raced Dana frequently during two seasons in the IRL's development series, the Indy Pro Series. "It was just a bad day for racing." Carpenter, who has lung bruises, was to spend Monday night at the Miami-area home of Steve Olvey, an emergency physician who has spent most of his career improving motor sports safety and rescuing open-wheel drivers in accidents. Carpenter said his availability for Sunday's IRL street course race in St. Petersburg, won't be known until he visits with league doctor Henry Bock today. Most of the IRL personnel remain in Homestead for today's road course test at the track.

Carpenter's car will be tested by Roberto Moreno. Rahal Letterman Racing withdrew Dana's car for St. Petersburg. Call Star reporter Curt Cavin at (317) 444-6409. mm is- By Curt Cavin curt.cavin(3indystar.com HOMESTEAD, Fla.

Paul Dana likely was as helpless as fellow Indy-car driver Ed Carpenter in the seconds before the horrific accident that killed Dana at Home stead-Miami Speedway, television footage showed Monday. The ABC Sports camera captured the front end of Dana's car hopping off the track briefly after striking a large piece of debris from Carpenter's contact with the second- Ed Carpenter says he recalls most of the accident, but wasn't initially aware of Paul Dana's grave condition. turn wall. With damage to his car, Dana likely couldn't have steered away from Carpenter. But that doesn't explain why Dana, a rookie in the series, was traveling so fast so long after the caution came out for Carpenter.

Dana appeared to hit the debris about 30 yards from where Carpenter's car was coming to a stop, and their contact came Dana His wife, Tonya, is a top medical researcher. From Dl first Indy-car contract last year by buying himself a used car. To him, an 8-year-old Saab was an upgrade of significance. After Tonya, his best friend was his brother, Greg, an accountant who works with race teams. They often traveled together, and Greg was at Homestead-Miami Speedway on Sunday when the crash occurred.

The surviving Danas declined to be interviewed for this story and are making private funeral arrangements. There will be a memorial service for the racing community in St. Petersburg, at 5:15 p.m. Thursday. The IRL's next race is Sunday in the city.

While other aspiring Indy-car drivers complained about the lack of rides in the sport, Dana did something about it. He talked to potential sponsors, working them like the aggressive and astute businessman he was. His efforts landed him a sponsorship package with Ethanol, an Star news services The search for Paul Taglia-bue's successor may take awhile. As the NFL meetings started Monday in Orlando, Tagliabue postponed appointing a committee to begin a search for the next commissioner and was vague on when he might do it. Nor did the owners seem in a hurry.

"It's not a race for speed, it's a race for success," said Jeffrey Lurie, the owner of the Philadelphia Eagles. "This is the CEO of a 32-team operation, so it's not the speed, it's the quality." Despite a last-minute agreement on enhanced revenue sharing that resulted in an extension to the NFL's labor deal with the players' union, there is still considerable disagreement by low-revenue and high-revenue teams. Tagliabue is aware of that and will have to ensure the committee is balanced with the various factions among the owners. Tagliabue, who has said he wants to step down in July, was asked whether he would stay on through the season if he had to. "Ask me in September," he replied with a smile.

In other action, the competition committee recommended a series of rule changes and tweaks. They will be voted on later in the week: Getting tougher on end-zone celebrations to forbid players from demonstrating on the ground, such as doing sit-ups. They also can't use props, but can spike, dunk or spin the ball as long as they are standing up and are in the end zone. Modifying illegal procedure to allow receivers to flinch if they get back into position before the play and the defense doesn't react to the move. Toughening enforcement on pass rushers who hit quarterbacks below the knees.

Proposing that "down by contact" calls be subject to instant replay review, a proposal that was turned down last year. Etc. Panthers coach John Fox has received a new five-year contract after leading the team to the NFC championship game twice in four seasons. Cowboys WR Terry Glenn signed a five-year, $20 million contract extension. Glenn's new contract, which runs through the 2010 season, comes a little more than a week after Terrell Owens signed a three-year, $25 million deal with the Cowboys.

The Redskins re-signed restricted free agent Derrick Dockery The Dolphins signed FB Fred Beasley to a one-year contract. The Texans signed DE N.D. Kalu. Kalu, an unrestricted free agent, played in 15 games for the Eagles last season. 'Offer valid until April 1 3, while supplies last.

Original Indianapolis, IN 46204 between 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Mon-Fri. about eight seconds after Carpenter slid into the wall. An Indy Racing League review has not been completed, the league's president said Monday. "We're still not sure what happened, and we haven't been able to determine what that was that (Dana) hit," IRL president Brian Barnhart said.

"My guess it was something from Ed's left rear (suspension), given the size of it." Dana, a 30-year-old Indianapolis resident, died in surgery at Miami's Jackson Memorial Hospital less than two hours after the Sunday morning accident during practice for the Toyota Indy 300. Carpenter was knocked unconscious, but he woke up in the race car and suffered no significant injuries and was released from the same hospital Monday. Carpenter, a 25-year-old Indianapolis resident, remembers most of what happened and feels fortunate to have survived it. "I remember my crash, sliding down the track, talking to my spotter on the radio, and I remember not being able to breathe, which was probably when I got hit," he said. "I didn't see (Dana) coming the way the automobile fuel from corn.

Together, they struck a deal with Rahal Letterman Racing, one of the Indy Racing League's top teams co-owned by Hall of Fame driver Bobby Rahal and television talk show host David Letter-man. Dana became a teammate of 2004 Indianapolis 500 winner Buddy Rice and national sensation Danica Patrick. He qualified ninth among 20 drivers for last Sunday's race. He was ecstatic. "I've never seen a guy more determined who understood the business of racing," said Dave Conti, who engineered Dana's race car in the IRL's development series in 2003.

"He didn't wait for something to happen; he went out and did it. "His life was so much more than driving." So is Tonya's, which probably explains why she wasn't at the track for the IRL's season-opening race. Instead, she was at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Indianapolis when the news came. In addition to being a classically trained pianist, she is a leading researcher in childhood speech and cochlear implants, and is an assistant professor at CVSpharmacy' information call (317) 444-4340. Concept and design are sarnie" J.

PAT CARTER AP REST IN PEACE: Race fan Tim Mincey, West Palm Beach, offers his best thoughts for driver Paul Dana, who died Sunday. car was turned." Carpenter flew to the hospital on the same helicopter with Dana, but he didn't learn of the other driver's grave condition until after a league doctor told him Dana had died. "I wish I hadn't been there to collide with, but that's racing," Carpenter said. "All in all, I feel pretty lucky." the IU School of Medicine based at Riley Hospital for Children. But she has not sought the limelight, especially in racing.

"They met before he was a race car driver," Linda Conti said. "They were two very complete people." Few in the racing community knew the Danas away from the track. Ed Carpenter, whose damaged car sat helplessly in Dana's path Sunday and then was struck, raced with him at different times over the past four IRL seasons. But Carpenter acknowledged Monday he didn't know Dana well, having only shared little with him away from the track. Most of those were sponsor-related activities last year while Dana was recovering from a broken back suffered in a crash at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Another was at a go-kart track in New Castle. "But I had a lot of respect for him," Carpenter said. "I congratulated him at Saturday's autograph session because he had a really good qualifying run. All weekend he had done better than anyone expected." Call Star reporter Curt Cavin at (317) 444-6409. property of Activa Consumer Promotions, Inc.

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