Johnson City Press from Johnson City, Tennessee • 17

I Johnson City Press Wednesday July 25 2007 OLD TOWN SATELLITES lit Conley Ri Jooesbveagh Ta J7S59 directv LKtyOwKtfjalljOpmM unCTgBDWECTvitfli (40)788-0018 Packages Starting at 29" Free Installation Free DVR Installed within 24 hrs Spok Section Many state high schools to stop drug testing Auto Racing may be Gallatin athletics director Steve Duke said us reason enough to Tennessee students have been tested for drugs since 1986 but attorney general Robert Cooper Jr said in an opinion issued this month that random drug testing of students participating in extracurricular activities violates a state law that requires reasonable suspicion of drug use before testing a student About 75 to 100 public schools across the The Associated Press NASHVILLE Many public schools will stop drug testing athletes this school year after an opinion from the state attorney office said it violates state law But a few schools plan to continue testing because school officials said it deters children from drug use feel it gives kids another reason to say no they do drugs because they state that are members of the Tennessee Secondary School Athletic Association test for drugs said executive director Ronnie Carter Some only test for street drugs while others can find evidence of steroid use The opinion bar schools from drug testing but it could leave them open to court challenges said Rich Haglund legal counsel for the state board of education districts will have to decide on their own if they want to continue Haglund said we had to decide if the law applied to extracurricular activities but now we have someone else saying think you can do it and do it They can keep doing it and gamble that they be sued and if they are that they will The Tennessean newspaper checked with 29 public schools in Middle Tennessee and found only five Franklin County See TESTING Page3C BMS banking: a few degrees of separation Stern feels betrayed by ref The Associated Press NEW YORK David Stern blamed a isolated Tbesday for a betting scandal that has' devastated the league and threatened the credibility of every referee A subdued Stem said he felt betrayed by former referee Tim Donaghy the target of an FBI investigation for allegedly betting on games including some he officiated ovear the last two seasons Stem said he believed no other officials or players would be implicated in the betting scandal Pausing often and carefully choosing his words during the packed 1-hour 10-minute news conference Stem compared Donaghy to someone committed treason feel betrayed by what happened on behalf of the sport regardless of how protective he said is not something that is anything other than an act of betrayal of what we know in sports as a sacred Besides allegedly placing his own wagers investigators also are examining whether Donaghy provided inside information to others including schedules according to a person familiar with the investigation only they permitted to either gamble or provide information to Stem said may not even provide other than to their immediate family the details of then-travel schedules or the games they are going to See STERN Page 8C Dave BoydJohnson City Press Johnson Brad Teague climbs out of his car after turning a few laps New surface continues to draw praise believe everything you hear Sportswriters broadcasters radio personalities and even race commentators have long referred to the famous 36-degree banking at Bristol Motor Speedway It turns out those banks have only been 30 degrees in recent times Track officials discovered the discrepancy when the track was being surveyed for a new concrete surface this summer Project manager Baker Construction Services had a special machine built by the Gomaco Corporation out of Iowa for the resurfacing The machine had to be set to the proper degree for the concrete to be poured never measured banking when preparing for a said BMS vice president of public affairs Kevin TYiplett say if it was ever 36 degrees or not because we have records of how they came up with the figure years ago With the concrete you have one shot to get it right When you have the most successful track in NASCAR and 51 consecutive sellouts you better get it The first 36-degree reference TYiplett found was in a 1971 media guide That figure had been disputed several years by NASCAR driver Ryan Newman who insisted the banking was 28 degrees TYiplett can now say with accuracy die track has progressive-variable banking that goes from 24 degrees at the bottom to 30 degrees on top we can speak of having knowledge of is now because thisls the work we saidH TYiplett have any of the plans from when the track was converted from asphalt to concrete in 1992 I think people in the grandstands will think less banked when they see The original concrete was poured by Kingsport-based Loven Concrete Company owner Joe Loven have the high-tech equipment of today With old-time methods he found a difference in the commonly-referred to figure used an angle finder on a one-foot board and the steepest place in turns 1 and 2 was 34 said Loven turns 3 and 4 it was 33 degrees I walked the track and hunted the steepest place The steepest place was 15 feet off the top right in the center of (turns) one and two On the other side of the track it was right before the center of three and TYack officials were quick to point out they have never used the 36-degree banking in any promotion or even its company newsletter The slogans are the Way It and the Fastest the years been told a lot of said BMS president Jeff Byrd never been important enough to me to send someone out who knew how to measure it I think it really matters The caliber of racing whether 10 degrees or 36 degrees is what is important to the race fan The new -configuration will provide better TViplett equated the difference in banking to a realtor showing a buyer a 2500-square-foot house He gave the example of the buyer likely to get out a tape measure to confirm actually 2500 square feet It brings into question the banking at other NASCAR speedways Is Talladega now the most steeply banked track at 33 degrees or did the repaving at that track last year reveal a figure less impressive? Are the turns at Daytona really 31 degrees or the ones at Charlotte 24 degrees? The only thing one can now say with clarity is Bristol has been measured at 30 degrees You can take that to the bank By Jeff Birchfield Press Sports Writer Jblrchfieldjohnsoncitypresscom Dodge to victory lane in the 2005 Food City 250 He quickly discovered a different line in the No 12 Dodge he was testing have to run right up next to the wall like you used said Newman used to worry about knocking the right side of the car off on the Mike Wallace who has 20 starts in the Busch Series and is a former pole winner in the Craftsman TVuck Series said the changes forced a different way of getting around the speedway He had talked to older brother Rusty before coming to Bristol and got information about the track me a different said Wallace is nice about it but different the way you enter the comers You blast down in the comer Where you used to come off of turns 2 and 4 and would have a little rear-slide transition you were prepared to hit the wall Now the wall is four to five feet away I had to change my driving style from the way I came to Bristol in the A lap around Bristol before had been compared to a bumpy roller-coaster ride with an added twist of nerves when you nearly spun out exiting the comer Wallace said the new concrete helped on both accounts you took a lap around Bristol before you pass the start-finish line at full accleration and then off when you entered the said Wallace See BRISTOL Page 3C BRISTOL With two Nextel Cup and three Busch Series wins Matt Kenseth was apprehensive when he first heard about a new racing surface at Bristol Motor Speedway After Tuesday's Busch Series test around the 533-mile oval the two-time defending champion of the Sharpie 500 complaining about the new concrete did a nice job of re-doing said Kenseth are some differences but they are subtle differences I think nice It seems like there is more potential than ever before to have two Kenseth had led 656 laps at Bristol over the past two seasons However he failed to lead a single lap in debut for the of Asked if the new track surface would end his dominance in the August race Kenseth responded hope not I think the changes in the track are as big a deal as the changes with the cars all about the Car of Tbmorrow anyway It was like starting over this spring with that car and now going to be starting over again new for Fellow Nextel Cup star Ryan Newman was a little surprised the first time he got on the new track surface Like Kenseth he was pleasantly surprised to find some of the changes to Dave BoydJohnson City Press Ryan Newman was surprised he have to run up against the wall on Tuesday the track looks really smooth but I went around in a rental car and it was rougher than I said Newman bad still got plenty of character but more room on the exit of the comers You should have a second groove or at least a groove and a half to work with Before it seemed like you had no opportunity to get beside someone on the straightaway You had to get beside them in the Newman is a former Bristol winner in the Busch Series taking the No 39 The Associated Press A grim-faced Falcons owner Arthur Blank speaks during a news conference Tuesday in Atlanta future with Falcons cloudy at best The Associated Press ATLANTA Horrified by the dogfighting allegations against their star player the Atlanta Falcons planned to suspend quarterback Michael Vick for four games until the NFL asked them to hold off while the league conducts its own investigation What remains unclear: Has Vick played his final game for Atlanta? sort of behavior is really Falcons owner Arthur Blank said Tbesday the first public comment since Vick was indicted last week is certainly not the player or the person that I knew the last six The Falcons said they have discussed cutting Vick and seemed to signal he will miss at least a fourth of the season even if NFL commissioner Roger Goodell impose his own punishment against the quarterback indicted on federal charges of sponsoring a dogfighting operation Most tellingly Blank said he would encourage Vick to give up any thoughts of playing while the case is pending even if it means sitting out the entire season He is scheduled to be arraigned in Richmond Va on Thursday the same day the Falcons open training camp See VICK Page 5C pay tribute to Ripken exclusive fraternity on Sunday The Baltimore Orioles held a tribute for Ripken on Tbesday night before their game against Tampa Bay Camden Yards was nearly filled and it had nothing to do with the matchup between the fourth- and fifth-place teams in the AL East It was about giving Ripken a proper sendoff to Cooperstown just here to help him celebrate He did all the said Earl Weaver first manager The event was attended by Murray Weaver Brooks Robinson and Robin Roberts all of whom played for the Orioles and are now in the Hall of Fame The Orioles and Devil Rays watched from the top step of their respective dugouts many of them applauding the player known as the Iron Man See RIPKEN Page 4C The Associated Press BALTIMORE With the numbers 2-6-3-2 posted on the warehouse beyond the right-field wall at Camden Yards Cal Ripken Jr gripped the baseball and threw die ceremonial first pitch toward home plate Eddie Murray caught it walked toward Ripken shook his hand and accepted a hug One member of the Hall of Fame embracing someone slated to join the Washed out Rain again played havoc with Johnson City and Eliza bethton on Tuesday night A night after storms shortened their game to six innings the teams were in a rain delay at Cardinal Park The Cards riding a six-game win streak led 1-0 in the top of the fifth They will make up the game on Aug 8' Jeff Birchfield is a sportswriter for the Johnson City Press You may contact him at Jbirchfieldjohnsoncitypresscom.