Austin American-Statesman from Austin, Texas • 33

C3 Austin American-Statesman SPORTS Friday, July 6, 2007 SPORTS DIGEST NASCAR dealing with sneaky crew chiefs THIS WEEKEND'S RACES NASCAR NEXTEL CUP Pepsi 400 Site: Daytona Beach, Fla. Schedule: Today, qualifying (Speed, 3 p.m.); Saturday, race (TNT, 5:30 p.m.) Track: Daytona International Speedway (tri-oval, 2.5 miles, 31 degrees banking in turns) Defending champ: Tony Stewart Fast facts: This is one of NAS-CAR's premier prime-time attractions. Kevin Harvick won the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 18, but he is winless in a Cup points race since then. Jeff Gordon finished second at New Hampshire, Dale Earnhardt Jr.

fourth and Jimmie Johnson fifth, despite having their crew chiefs suspended six races last week for inspection violations. NASCAR BUSCH Winn-Dixie 250 Site: Daytona Beach, Fla. Schedule: Today, qualifying (ESPN2, 11a.m.); race (ESPN2, 6:30 p.m.) Fast facts: Dale Earnhardt Jr. won this race last year. Carl Edwards has a whopping 809- point lead over David Reutimann in the standings.

Kevin Harvick won the season-opening Orbitz 300 at Daytona on Feb. 17 after placing third in this event last year. Cup drivers swept the top 10 places in the Busch race last weekend. INDY RACING LEAGUE Watkins Glen Grand Prix Site: Watkins Glen, N.Y. Schedule: Saturday, qualifying, 12:30 p.m.; Sunday, race (ABC, 2:30 p.m.) Track: Watkins Glen International (permanent road course, 3.4 miles, 11 turns) Fast facts: Dario Franchitti dominated at Richmond last week and padded his lead in the standings to 65 points over Scott Dixon.

Dan Wheldon and Tony Kanaan are 72 back. Danica Patrick has five top-10 finishes in her last six starts. FORMULA ONE British Grand Prix Site: Silverstone Schedule: Saturday, qualifying (Speed, 7 a.m.); Sunday, race, 7 preparing for Saturday night's race but Hendrick Motors-ports crew chiefs Chad Knaus and Steve Letarte have five races remaining on their penalties. "We'll throw the fear of God into everybody and hope they aren't seen at the racetrack," Nextel Cup director John Darby said Thursday That's where Eury went wrong. He was somewhat discreet about his presence for the first four races, but many believe he flaunted it last weekend at New Hampshire when he parked his motorhome on a hill outside the track.

He then climbed on top to watch the race in a lawn chair, equipped with his scanner and a laptop computer so he could aid Dale Earnhardt Jr. during the event. "He was parked up on the hill with all the other fans, and I guess there was no real discussions about whether or not he could participate as a fan and come to the race," Earnhardt said. "They never said he totally had to be off the premises. If they had made that clear, we would have definitely worked within their guidelines." Eury believes France only found out about the loophole in suspensions this past week, and is now working to close it.

TTTTTTW Suspended chiefs have been showing up at tracks to help drivers By Jenna Fryer ASS(X'1ATKI1PRKSS DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. When NASCAR suspended crew chief Tony Eury Jr. for six weeks, he figured he'd take his wife on an overdue Hawaiian vacation. Then he found a loophole in his punishment: Although he couldn't be in the garage area, NASCAR wasn't banning him from track property And he was only forbidden from using the team's radio communications, but text messaging, cell phones and instant messenger were fine to use. So Eury called off the trip to Maui and traveled to five of the six races he was suspended from to support driver Dale Earnhardt Jr.

That didn't sit well with chairman Brian France, who has instructed his officials to inform suspended team members they are not permitted to be on track "property during their punishments. The change comes as Eury's suspension ends he's at Daytona International Speedway WIMBLEDON: Venus' serves speeding by Continued from CI "Coming in here, I didn't ex-, pect this," the 19-year-old Iva-j novic said. "Venus is playing so well lately. It's going to be very i tough for me." While the women's draw is one day behind schedule because of the rain, the men are at least two days off. No quarterfinals have been played.

The male finalists facing three straight days of ibest-of-five matches. Williams says she likes the 1 rain. No wonder. Despite all of her health problems over the years, she nearly always finds her footing at Wimbledon. Williams smacked serves at up to 123 mph, even conking Kuznetsova in her cornrows with one 118 mph offering that left the Russian shaking her head.

The biggest lapse for Williams came when she tried to serve it out at 5-4 in the second set. She blew four match points, including one with a double-fault, but converted her fifth by hanging tough in a 20-stroke rally that ended when Kuznetsova sent a -forehand long. Williams' five Grand Slam singles titles include Wimbledon in 2000, 2001 and 2005. Ivanovic was in real trouble. Serving while down 5-3 in the final set, Ivanovic was one point from losing three times.

She saved the first match point with a big forehand into a corner that forced an errant forehand from sVaidisova, and the second with a clean forehand winner. On the third, Vaidisova dumped a return into the net, beginning a stretch in which Ivanovic won 13 of 15 points with aggressive play. a.m. (FOX, 11 a.m., tape delay) ITack: Silverstone Circuit (road course, 3.194 miles, 14 turns) Fast facts: The Silverstone course was built off a World War II airfield. Kimi Raikkonen and Felipe Massa gave Ferrari a one-two finish last week in France, the first Ferrari victory since Massa won at Spain in May.

Rookie Lewis Hamilton, a Brit who won the previous two races in Canada and the U.S., has eight straight top-three finishes to lead the standings with 64 points. CHAMP CAR WORLD SERIES Grand Prix of Toronto Schedule: Today, qualifying, 12:15 p.m.; Saturday, qualifying, 12:15 p.m.; Sunday, race (ESPN, 11 a.m.) Track: Exhibition Place (temporary road course, 1.755 miles, 11 turns) Fast facts: Robert Doornbos, who won in Quebec last week for his first career win, has four top-three finishes in six races. He and Sebastien Bourdais are tied atop the standings with 145 points. RfdCarpet Tickets. Com UT FOOTBALL SEASON TICKETS Starting at $700 (512)476-7469 908 Congress Open CHAAGE BY PHONE Sunday 24HOURSAOAY, iU 12.S 7 DAYS A WEEK CV rltblArLUWLKS Racac $1A95 llUSJ IV Dozen 453-7619 38th at N.

Lamar www.charlottesflowers.com new balance shop ffffsmmrr ft SOCCER US. put out of misery by Colombia The United States completed a dreadful performance in Copa America by getting shut out by Colombia 1-0 Thursday night in Barquisimeto, Venezuela. The Americans, who did not send their best players to the tournament, lost all three matches and were outscored 8-2. Brad Guzan made several key saves, including one on a penalty, in a rare start but couldn't get to Jaime Castril-lon's 14th-minute header. Kyle Beckerman's tying goal in the 83rd minute was called back for offside.

The Americans played the last seven minutes with a man advantage when the Colombian goal-keeper was red-carded, but they could not mount a threat. Angel leads voting High-scoring forward Juan Pablo Angel of the New York Red Bulls led voting for the MLS All-Star team. Houston Dynamo midfielders Dwayne De Rosario and Ricardo Clark were selected, along with Juan Toja of FC Dallas. The Major League Soccer stars will face Scottish Premier League champion Celtic FC July 19 in Commerce City, Colo. OLYMPICS Youth games OKti Olympic leaders voted to create a Youth Olympics meant to drag kids from computer screens and onto the playing fields.

The first is planned for 2010 for 3,500 athletes, ages 14-18. STEROIDS Jail term lengthened The attorney who leaked grand jury testimony of Barry Bonds and other elite athletes investigated for steroid use agreed to a maximum sentence of two years and 9 months in prison, nine months longer than his original plea bargain. Prosecutors said Troy Ellerman is willing to accept that sentence after a judge last month rejected the original 24-month maximum sentence as too lenient. From news and wire reports Hill to chase a title with Suns ASSOCIATED PRESS ORLANDO, Fla. Grant Hill is leaving the Orlando Magic after several injury-plagued seasons to join the Phoenix Suns, his agent said Thursday Hill, 34, was considering retirement or returning to Orlando for another season.

His seven-year, $93 million contract finished this season. Agent Lon Babby said the seven-time All-Star agreed to a two-year deal worth about $1.8 million for the first year, with a second-year player option for about $2 million. Bobcat FOR RENT S420week 512-217-1378 Back Pain? Gel Beds "UVw can help Intelli-Bed 306-1833 www.intellibedaustin.com WOOOFORD RESERVE 90 4' 750 Ml 25.99 JIM BEAM 80' 88N 1.75 UT 19.99 CROWN ROYAL 80' 1.75UT 49.99 JACK DANIELS EtK 80' 1 75 UT 32.99 CANADIAN MIST 80' 1.75UT 14.99 SEAGRAM'S 7 80' 1.75 UT 18,99 W.IWEUJ3W 1.75UT 26.99 WILD TURKEY 101 'BBN 1.75UT 31.99 18,99 SKYV00KA 80 1.75 UT 20,99 ST0U VODKA 80' 750ML 18.99 UV VODKA 80 1,75 UT 13.99 GiLBEYS VODKA 80 1 75 UT 12.99 BACARDI RUM IT UK 80" 19.99 SAILOR JERRY 92' 1UT 16.99 SCORESBY SCOTCH 80' 175UT 18.99 DEWAR'S SCOTCH 80' 1.75 UT 29,99 RED SCOTCH 80' 1 75 UT 31.99 CHIVAS REGAL 1.75 LIT 49.99 HENDRICKS GIN 88' 750 ML 25.99 1F0iOTlot0rS0iMwlWtniWnp MM CT riT fa Venus Williams, above, defeated Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia and will now face Ana Ivanovic in the Wimbledon semifinals. Ivanovic had a Anja Niedringhaus ASSOCIATED PRESS more difficult quarterfinal match than Williams, who says she likes the rain that has been delaying matches repeatedly at the tournament. ARENA FOOTBALL Dallas' Dolezel looks to I I if set another of championships." After getting a first-round bye, the Desperados are home Saturday night for a division playoff game against Columbus (8-9), which advanced with a 56-55 victory over Tampa Bay last week.

Dallas has won 12 straight home games, including all eight this season. While the Destroyers have a losing record, including two losses to the Desperados, Dallas had to overcome a 30-point deficit at home in April and won 53-51 with a field goal on the final play of the game. Dolezel threw his 800th TD pass in the seventh game this season against Philadelphia. That milestone has since been reached by Arizona's Sherdrick Bonner (829), New Orleans' Andy Kelly (809) and New York's Aaron Garcia (802). At 865 TD passes, Dolezel has more than twice as many as the NFL career leader, Dan Marino (420), had in his 17-season Hall of Fame career with the Miami Dolphins.

Green Bay's Brett Fa-vre goes into his 17th season this fall with 414. Dolezel is second on the AFL career charts, behind Kelly, with 3,494 completions and 5,306 attempts for 41,528 yards. "What makes people glow about Brett Favre and all the kVJl it AFL record things about being the best, Clint is the mirror image of that in the AFL," Desperados coach Will Mc-Clay said. As the Dallas offensive coordinator, Dolezel gets to call his own plays. That works in his future plans of being an AFL coach after he's finished playing.

But he'd like to throw 1,000 TD passes, which will require at least two more seasons as a player-coach. "Probably 1,100 if things go the way they're going right now," Dolezel said. "I've probably lost a little bit of skill, but my mind is far more advanced than when I first got into the game. I feel like I'm a better offensive coordinator than I am a quarterback now." Austin Ticket Co. OCT FOOTBALL BuySell-All Games 481-1200 NEW LOCATION 2110 White Horse Trail 6 Near Burnet Koenig By Stephen Hawkins ASSOCIATED PRESS DALLAS Clint Dolezel already has an impressive a list of firsts the first pro quarterback with 800 touchdown passes, consecutive 100-TD seasons and six straight seasons.

And the Dallas Desperados this year became the first Arena Football League team to win 15 regular-season games. Yet Dolezel only cares about a second chance in the playoffs with Dallas and the opportunity to win his second AFL championship. "I feel like anybody can kind of fluke into one and people look at that and say, 'Yeah, he won one, is it that big of a said the 37-year-old Dolezel, whose first AFL title came six years ago with Grand Rapids. "With two, people start taking a little more notice and respect for what you've done." Dolezel, in his 12th AFL season with his sixth team, threw for 4,685 yards and 105 TDs last year after signing as a free agent to play at home in Texas. But after a 13-3 regular season, the Desperados were upset by Orlando in their first National Conference championship game.

That playoff loss motivated Dolezel, who threw for 4,474 7 Clint Dolezel Dallas Desperados QB hopes to win second AFL championship. yards and 107 more TDs this season when Dallas clinched a playoff spot with five games left. "I feel bad that we didn't get it last year. I felt like we really had the best team in the league last year, hands down," Dolezel said. "A lot of things went wrong (in that game) that normally don't go wrong.

It's not like basketball and hockey. We don't get to play seven games. If we play seven games, we're going to win a lot Women: "Lj'" CN 2A, B. 2E and Men: D. 2E.

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