The Central New Jersey Home News from New Brunswick, New Jersey • 23

SATURDAY, MAY 12, 2007 Home News Hubune www.thnt.com PAGE C5 COLLEGES AUTO RACING BASEBALL ROUNDUP INDY 500 NOTEBOOK 1 70, Penifie if for the genie Meade's homer carries Rutgers win m. 1 i nggnt. I rn iAt -it -72, I 1 ir I Pet I Pet. StJohn'i 17 8 ,772 36 13 .729 Rulger 17 5 .772 32 16 .667 Louisville 14 7 .667 33 16 .673 Pitllburgh 13 8 .619 24 22 .521 Notre Dame 10 10 .500 27 21 .562 South Florida 11 11 .500 29 21 .560 Villanova 9 12 .428 24 20 .545 Cincinnati 8 13 ,380 26 24 ,520 Connecticut 7 12 .368 25 23 .520 West Virginia 7 14 .333 26 20 ,565 Georgetown 6 15 .286 18 30 .375 Soton Hall 6 13 ,316 21 23 ,477 By STEVE BALLARD THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR The man whose team owns just about every Indianapolis 500 record worth owning addressed a variety of topics Friday during his annual pre-pole day news conference at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Roger Penske, who last year with Sam Hornish Jr.

won the Indy 500 for the 14th time, has Hornish and Helio Castroneves in contention Saturday for the team's 14th pole. Each is a former pole winner and between them account for three of Team Penske's four Indy wins in the past six years. But before getting down to work, Penske gave his take on, among other things, his future in the sport, competing against his son and his prospects of hiring NASCAR free agent Dale Earnhardt Jr. Penske, who turned 70 in February, said the Indy 500 helps keep him young. "I guarantee I'll be back next year.

I'm not in any position that I have any long-term or short-term plans to get out," he said. "I'm going to come here as long as I can. "I love racing. It's my golf; it's my fishing trip. Indianapolis is still the No.

1 race in the world, I don't care what anyone says." Penske's youngest son, Jay, is heading up a program for driver Ryan Briscoe. Much of the equipment and personnel are being provided by Team Penske. "This came out of Jay's interest in the sport," Penske said. "He came here as a young boy, hanging around as we were at the track. We're focusing on our two cars (but) we want to see them do well." As for entering the Earnhardt sweepstakes, Penske said his contracts with Dodge and current Nextel Cup drivers Ryan Newman and Kurt Busch would seem to take him out of the running, but that doesn't mean he isn't interested.

"Obviously, he's a driver who has a big future," Penske left, Dario Franchitti, center, and Motor Speedway on Friday. Duno still hopes to be able to qualify Sunday, likely in her Samax Motorsports backup car. She felt better after getting a pep talk from Indy Racing League president Brian Barn-hart. "Brian told me, 'Don't worry, don't (get) she said. "Everybody crashes.

He told me some good words that made me not feel so bad." The only other driver to crash this week, Jon Herb, returned to the track Friday for the first time since his accident Tuesday. He was faster thanj only one other driver of the 28 who practiced. VISION DUO IN THE HUNT: Tomas Scheckter has been nothing if not consistent in qualifying for his five previous Indianapolis 500s. The Vision Racing driver has started the race 10th twice, 11th twice and 12th. Thus it's not surprising the South African has relatively modest goals today.

"If we can stick somewhere in the top 11, I'll be happy with that," he said. "I've said that all month." Home (Slews Tribune Capture 11, -11 7k ''I The Associated Press Tony Kanaan chat during a break Scheckfer's best lap of 226.161 mph posted Thursday puts him seventh overall. Teammate Ed Carpenter went 225.015 Friday to become one of 13 drivers to hit 225. SPARK PLUGS: Former Indy pole winner and 2004 race champion Buddy Rice drew the No. 1 spot in line for qualifying.

Saturday's forecast is for sun conditions and temperatures in the 70s. It would be the first Pole Day since 2001 without rain. Ethanol racing fuel is one of four candidates for the Louis Schwitzer Award for engineering innovation. The others are the Delphi accident data recorder 3, trj Honda HI7R engine and the Firestone Firehawk Indy 500 tire. The winner will receive $10,000.

Sarah Fisher's team, Dreyer Reinbold, alsj announced the AAA HoosirJr Motor Club will spend more money to sponsor the No. 5 car. Contributing: The Associated Press 1 (Framed) in Standard Frame $39.95 in Standard Frame $64.95 in Standard Frame $74.95 in Standard Frame $89.95 NASCAR NOTEBOOK STAFF REPORT The Rutgers baseball team survived road trip hardships and a two-run deficit through seven innings to come back and beat Pittsburgh, 10-9, on a Frank Meade home run in the 10th inning in a Big East game Friday night at Trees Field in Pittsburgh. The Scarlet Knights, who began their journey to Pittsburgh at 3 p.m. on Thursday and did not arrive in the Steel City until noon on Friday due to flight cancellations, battled back on less than five hours sleep to down the Panthers and extend their winning streak to seven games.

Rutgers remained in a first-place tie with St. John's in the Big East, both with a 17-5 league mark. Rutgers improved to 32-16 overall. Pitt fell to 13-8 in the league and 24-22 overall. Down 8-6 through seven innings, Rutgers began its -comeback with a run in the eighth on an RBI groundout from Tim Querns.

The Scarlet Knights then continued their rally in the ninth when Ryan Hill walked and Dave Williams singled to put runners on second and third. Sophomore Tom Edwards then popped up in foul territory down the left-field line for the second out, which allowed Hill to tag up at third and score the tying run. As the left fielder who made the putout went to transfer the ball out of his glove to throw home, the ball dropped to the ground and an alert Williams rounded third and headed for the plate to score the go-ahead run. The play proved crucial as Pittsburgh tied it up with a run in the bottom of the ninth to force extra innings. The tie score didn't last long as Meade took the first pitch of the 10th inning over the left-field fence to make it 10-9.

Pitt made it interesting with a runner on third with two outs in the bottom half of the 10th, but the veteran reliever Chris Lillis got Edgard Sucre to go down looking to earn the win. Earlier in the game, Rutgers appeared to be in control with a 5-0 lead through the top half of the third inning. Junior All-American Todd Frazier led off the game with a double to left field and scored Rutgers' first run two plays later on a Hill RBI single. Back-to-back doubles by Williams and Edwards scored FRANKLIN From Page Cl But not necessarily in that order. Pointer, arguably the best point guard to play at Rutgers, is obviously a candidate at her alma mater.

Recruited by Law coming out of high school in Chicago, Pointer also makes sense for Illinois. Actually she is a priority. With Law stating that Illinois will someday win a national championship, she also left no doubt as to who she wants to help collect the cast. "There's one person that I want to be on my staff," Law said. "IflcangetTasha Pointer here, I'll be forever blessed." Pointer, who chose Rutgers over Illinois 10 years ago, was stunned.

"That's powerful. That's something that will probably stick out with me for the rest of my life, just because coach Law has been a mentor to me," she said, "along with coach Stringer. Coach Stringer is like the master teacher, the mother. Coach Law is like the older sister, slash, mentor. As a young coach, I am really humbled by her statement." Of course, Stringer has yet to make her pitch to one of her all-time favorite players.

"That's a tough situation," Pointer acknowledged, about DEI: We'll survive without Earnhardt k. at 7. lip Teammates Danica Patrick, in practice at the Indianapolis said. "I think everybody has interest. We're not in a situation that we would be in line to offer him a job, (but) we'd sure like to talk with him." DUNO'S HOPES TAKE A HIT: Through two days of rookie orientation and another three days and two hours of open practice, Milka Duno completed 306 laps, most of anyone this week, without difficulty.

But her 307th trip around the 2.5-mile oval ended abruptly. Duno lost control and her car spun backward into the SAFER barrier at the exit of turn one. The car then spun to the right before coming to rest inside turn two. She climbed out unhurt. Practice was halted for several minutes while track crews made repairs to the barrier.

"I just lost the car as I was entering the last part of the corner when I was coming to the peak," the Venezuelan rookie said. "I feel so sorry for my team and for the car because they were doing such a good job. Now we'll have to fix it." of all the things they've done for me." Tony Eury Earnhardt's cousin and crew chief, also is under contract through 2008 and wasn't sure what his future holds. "I would like to stay with Dale Jr, but I'm going to do whatever is best for Tony Jr. leave all my options open," Eury said.

NEW FUED: Don't expect to see Kasey Kahne and David Stremme partying together anytime soon. Just getting the drivers to speak to each other would be a coup. The two are feuding over a late-race incident last week at Richmond Kahne called Stremme "fat" after and Stremme later said Kahne had "mental problems" and it hadn't simmered when they showed up to shoot a commercial together Wednesday. The two didn't speak during the eight-hour shoot, which included Stremme's Ganassi teammates. BOWYER TAKES FIRST NEXTEL CUP POLE Clint Bowyer took care of one goal Friday with his first Nextel Cup pole.

He hopes to accomplish an even bigger one Saturday night. Bowyer's lap at 164.987 mph earned him the top starting position for the Dodge Avenger 500 at Darlington Raceway. It also gave him a place in next winter's Bud Shootout at Day-tona International Speedway. His first Nextel Cup victory would put Bowyer in the NASCAR Nextel All-Star Challenge. "I got in the Bud Shootout, now I've got to get in the All-Star race," Bowyer said.

"Maybe this is the weekend I get both of them." Two-time defending race champion Greg Biffle was second at 164.878 mph, followed by Jamie McMurray and Carl Edwards. For McMurray, jt's his best starting spot inseven Nextel Cup events at Darlington Raceway. I special dates. ntlDHY.HMll Connecticut 5 West Virginia 0 South Florida 4 SetonHall2 RuljerelO Plttburgn9(10j St. John'i 10 Cincinnati 0 MTUR.DY,MAY12 Notre Dame at Louisville (DH) Noon West Virginia at Connecticut Noon Gncinnati at St Jonn'a 1p.m.

South Flortda at Seton Hall 1 p.m. Rutgers at Pittsburgh 3 p.m. Villanova at Georgetown (DH) ......4 p.m. Cincinnati at St, John's Noon Rutgsrs at Pittsburgh Noon South Florida at Seton Hall Noon West Virginia at Connecticut Noon Notre Dame at Louisville 1 p.m, Villanova at Georgetown p.m. two more runs as the Scarlet Knights jumped out to an early 3-0 advantage.

A two-run home run by Ryan Hill in the third made it 5-0. Pittsburgh answered Rutgers with two runs in the bottom half of the third and pulled within one with a two-run fifth inning. The Scarlet Knights and Panthers then traded single runs in the sixth to make it 6-5. Pitt's Seth Button hit a two-run double to highlight a three-run seventh as the Panthers took their first lead of the game with an 8-6 advantage, setting up the late-inning dramatics. Lillis improved to 3-2 with two scoreless innings of relief.

Pitt reliever Kyle Landis (3-4), who entered the game with a 1.77 ERA, was tagged with the loss with three runs on two hits in three innings. Williams led Rutgers with three hits, while Hill and Edwards each drove in three runs for the Scarlet Knights. Junior Jon Gossard finished the day 0-for-3, ending his 24-game hitting streak. PIRATES FALL: South Florida built a 4-0 lead through the first seven innings and held off Seton Hall 4-2 at Owen T. Carroll Field in South Orange.

Mark Pappas led the Pirates (21-23, 6-13 Big East) with three hits and an RBI while Mike Morano drove in the other run for the Pirates. Both teams tallied seven hits. South Florida left nine runners on base while Seton Hall left five. the possibility of having to choose between the two schools again. "Obviously I'd have to consider Rutgers because it's my alma mater.

"I don't know what will happen," she added, "but it will be interesting." So would the hiring of Williams, considered one of the top recruiters in America. The 42-year-old interviewed at Rutgers two years ago, so interest has already been established. A 1987 graduate of Howard University, he just completed his fourth season at the Big East school. He is a natural to step up to a program with a national profile. "I can't comment on that right now," he said politely from his office Friday afternoon.

Asked if he was willing to say he is absolutely not interested in interviewing for the job, he chuckled and said, "I just can't comment." Prior to Pitt, Williams was an assistant coach at Georgia Tech for two years, Howard for five years, George Mason for two and at South Carolina State one year. Once again it is that time of year. One coach goes out, another comes in. "It is time," Law said, "for me to step out of the nest, spread my wings and fly." Stringer has to deal with that now. She may have to deal with it again next week.

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is doomed with-' out its namesake driver, no one told Martin Truex Jr. Truex, who won two Busch Series championships for DEI, said Friday he has no plans to follow Dale Earnhardt Jr. out the door. Earnhardt is leaving at the end of the season, but Truex said his contract runs through 2008. "People think I'm crazy when I say this, but I really don't think it's a big deal," Truex said at Darlington Raceway.

"Just 'cause Junior isn't driving for us, I don't see it making that big of an impact. Maybe long-term, but not in the next couple years." DEI's employees put up a strong front in their first visit to a track since Earnhardt announced his seventh season with his late father's company would be his last. His crew has promised to continue to work hard and make a run at the Nextel Cup championship. "Dale Jr. made a decision at a much higher level than what we do at the race track with the race cars," DEI technical director Steve Hmiel said.

"The things that happen in terms of business, or planning your future, decisions with a family business they are huge. We would never presume to be a part of that. "Junior's driving the wheels off and we're working like mad to make sure he can run up front. It's our job to do things right and it's in our interest to do things right." But Junior's departure certainly raises questions about the future of many employees. Truex said he owes it to DEI to remain committed.

"I've got to give it a fair shake," the second-year Cup driver said. "TJjey gave me my opportunity, and I've decided I'm going to finish out the year and honor my contract because Name of photographer under picture: Black White Reprint Quantity: Color Reprint Price per print: Framed Reprint Add 7 NJ sales tax: Add $5.95 shipping handling: Total amount enclosed: Section and page number: home thnt.com ocobwvn-oonj Dimensions could vary depending on original photo format. I Photo quality will reflect condition and quality ol original photo. Payment must be sent in advance with order form and may be I made by personal checks or money orders. AH sales are final, and photos are for persona) use only.

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