Waco Tribune-Herald from Waco, Texas • 16

TUISPRt JUNK 14. 101 AUTO RACING Texas Motor Speedway straggling with asphalt Associated Press -Uny Papke Race cars are covered by tarps during a thunderstorm which stopped Sunday's IndyCar auto race at Texas Motor Speedway in Fort Worth. By STEPHEN HAWKINS Associated Press FORT WORTH Blame it cm the rain. Or is it because of the Ming asphalt at Texas Motor Speedway that drivers prefer? Really, its both, and became a oggy issue for the third consecutive race weekend at the track over an eight-month period. The IndyCar Series race in Texas is now in what essentially is a 2 -month rain delay, with the resumption scheduled Aug.

27. I think we're going through a rough patch, TMS president Eddie Gossage said. Were just being dealt a tough hand by nature." After several hours unsuccessfully trying to dry the 1 tt-mile track, the IndyCar race was postponed late Saturday night without the cars ever getting on to pit road. Tin race then started late Sunday and didnt get enough laps completed to make it official before more rain came. Two months ago, the start of the NASCAR Sprint Cup race there was delayed nearly two hours and ended after midnight.

During the Chase for the Sprint Cup last November, drivers lost their two scheduled practice sessions the day before the race while officials tried to dry the track following overnight rain, though the Xflnity Series race was run later that day. The Cup race in April 2014 was postponed a day by rain. When Gossage was asked if there was anything the track could do with its drainage system, he started with, Man, I'm just going to get myself in trouble, before a nearly 4-minute answer that included a lecture-like description about the track's surface that was last completely repaved IS years ago. Racecar drivers like old asphalt, right? That's what you always hear, he said. Well, old asphalt becomes old because it oxidizes, and because over time the fines and the smaller aggregate that makes up asphalt comes out.

The result is you have a mire porous asphalt What that means is that there are more small spaces and holes for water to penetrate. An inch of rain, well, that upper level gets saturated, Gossage said. And (water) holds it in there. Gossage said Air Titan track dryers developed by NASCAR and used during those races have accelerated, making the surface more porous by blowing amounts of air into the trade and also pulling up small bits of asphalt Texas used traditional jet dryers during the IndyCar weekend. Without diagrams to show, Gossage described how under three layers of asphalt there is porous concrete that acts as a drainage mat feeding a French drainage system all the way around the track.

He said mine drains have been added recently, and that existing ones were examined to make sure they were still folly functional. High humidity was also an issue Saturday night when trying to dry the track, which still had very noticeable damp spots more than six hours after it had stopped raining. Man, its frustrating to us, Gossage said. But what can you do? You cannot beat Mother Nature." Gossage thought the track was ready late Sunday morning, but IndyCar officials later discovered an issue with water on the apron near where cars come off pit road to Mend back on to the track. Had they tried again Monday, there would have been more issues with the weather.

There was heavy rain there early in the afternoon, about the same time as when the race likely would have been scheduled. When IndyCar returns to Texas in August, the race will resume on lap 72 of 248 with James Hinchdiffe leading. The series has seven races scheduled before then, and only two more after that to finish this season. Its a little unique, but we do a lot of unique things here, said Jay Frye, IndyCar's president of competition and operations. While it almost certainly will be hot in August, when the average temperature in that area is in the low 90s, there is also a pretty good chance the track will be dry and without any significant changes.

If (the track) were mine sealed off on top, (water) wouldn't get into it, Gossage said. So the question is, Do you want to repave and seal it off, or do you deal with it? The answer is, every racecar driver, without exception, tells you, Dont repave. COPA AMERICA NHL After Stanley Cup tide, Penguins have shot at lengthy run at top of league ofla tied an NHL rookie record turned 22 last month. Young forwards Bryan Rust, Conor Sheary and Tom Kuhnhackl are in their mid-20s. Carl Hagdin, Nick Bonino and Petrie Homqvist will be back.

So will Sullivan, who began the season molding prospects for Pittsburghs American Hockey League affiliate in Wil-kes-BarreScranton. He ended it posing at center ice with his sport's biggest trophy as the centerpiece after taking the pieces given to him by Rutherford and creating a relentless, swarming team that often tilted the ice for long stretches. We felt as though, if we were a team that could play bst in every aspect of the game, it could be our competitive advantage on some of our opponents," Sullivan said. "I thought Jim Rutherford did a tremendous job in acquiring some guys along the way that enhanced foat speed for us. The only real questions heading Into the offaeason sur-round goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and forward Matt Cullen.

Fleury kept foe Penguins sfloat early in the season, then played the role of dutUbl mentor to Murray after a concussion suffered on March 81 limited him to aw playoff appearance, an overtime loss to Mexico grabs tie for 1st in Group Associated Press HOUSTON Jesus Manuel Tecati-to Coronas goal in the 80th minute gave Mexico a 1-1 tie against Venezuela on Monday night and first place in Group of the Copa America. Corona had missed several opportunities to score before he took on five defenders before firing off a shot from 10 yards to tie it and thrill the overwhelmingly pro-Mexico crowd. By winning their group, El Tri avoids a quarterfinal matchup with Lionel Messi and tournament fevorite Argentina. Theyre likely headed for an easier matchup with (foils in the knockout round, leaving Venezuela to face mighty Argentina. Venezuela surprised Mexico with an early goal The Vinotinto used a free kick to get it in the box, and Jose Manuel Velazquez gave Venezuela foe lead in the 10th minute after taking an assist on a header from Christian Santos and volleying it in for the goal Venezuela had a chance to take the lead in the 84th minute, but goalkeeper Jose de Jesus Corona saved a bicycle kick shot by Josef Martinez.

Mexico has won 11 in a row and has a 22-game unbeaten streak, which is its longest unbeaten streak ever. Mexico is 9-1-0 since Juan Carlos Osorio took over for interim coach Ricardo Fer-retti last fell. The team has scared 16 goals and allowed just two since he took over. Monday marked foe first time Venezuela had given up a goal in this tournament after Los Vlnotintos were the surprise of the tournament by winning their first two games 1-0. Venezuela goalkeeper Dani Hernandez came through again snd again before Tecatitos goal and even pulled off a double save in the 73rd minute.

His play in the first two games left Venezuela as the only team in the tournament that hadn't allowed a goal. Mexico had a chance to tie it in the 49th minute, but Oribe Peralta could not get a foot on the ball from 5 yards off a short pass from Hirving Lozano. Another opportunity came in foe 56th minute when Tecatlto took a shot from 20 yards, but it sailed wide off the post Miguel Layun almost put it in for Mexico in the 61st minute, but this time Hernandez knocked it out of the air and away from the goal WILL GRAVES Assoditftd Prs PITTSBURGH When the Pittsburgh Penguins won the Stanley Cup in 2009, a dynasty appeared to be in the offing. It didn't quite work out feat way. Injuries and Inconsistent postseason play sent the franchise into a full-fledged Identity crisis.

The long, seemingly interminable wait for Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin to bookend the championship the helped capture seven years ago came to a blissful, euphoric end on Sunday night in San Jose. Their six-game triumph over the Sharks in the final capped a meteoric six-month sprint under Mike Sullivan, whose arrival in mid-December provided the wake-up call the talented but erratic roster desperately needed. fts not an easy win in this league, Malkin said. Every team in the league deserves to win. We play against San Jose and they haven't won in 25 years.

Its not easy. Maybe, but for the Penguins the path might be smoother Uun moat. The group that poured over the boards and onto the lea when the ham sounded at foe end of a 100-game plus marathon that spanned from September to June appears to be well-appointed for the ftiture thanks to a series of moves by general manager Jim Rufoetferd to build around his two store. Oddsmakers made Pittsburgh an early fevorite to win it all again next year, heady territory considering there hasn't been a repeat champion in nearly two decades. Then again, flwns reason to be optimistic foe run at foe top foat seemed a near certainty in 2008 could etill come to fruition, if later than expected.

The core of Crosby, Malkin, forward Phil Kessel and defensemen Kris Letang and 01-li Maatta are all SO or under and all signed through least 2022. Goattender Matt Murray whoee 15 wins in the play- Associated Pkh Ritt Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby gets off the team's flight from California with the Stanley Cup at Greater Pittsburgh International Airport on Monday. ey to retired forward Pascal Dupuis to Fleury. It took everybody to get this, Crosby said, who earned foe Conn Smythe as the playoff MVP. And it will almost certainly take everybody to get back The Penguins are optimistic but also pragmatic.

They know 2009 was supposed to be foe first of many, which is maybe why they didn't cherish it as much as they should have. They have no plans to matai foe mim mistake this time around. Its a great year, said Malkin, who welcomed a son last month. I have lots of emotion. Pm glad the season is over like this.

Its going to be a great summer. playofb. Ftar now, foe chance to savor a triumph few saw coming when Sullivan took over is enough If i pretty amazing, Cullen said. We went through an awful lot this year and we really became a dose knit group. It was pretty cool how everybody seemed to play a special part as we went through the end of foe year and into foe playoffk.

Everybody shares a big piece of it Its truly a team win. As if to emphasize foe point, the first Penguins outside of Crosby to lift foe Civ an Sunday night were those who played a vital role in the nm but didnt play a minute during the final, going from injured defenseman Trevor Dal Tampa Bay in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference finals. Fleury has three years left on a deal with an average cap hit of $5.75 million, a high pice to pay for player who just watched his backup backstop the team to its fourth title. Rutherford insists Fleury remains a part of the teams future, though Fleury acknowledged at times during the playoflk he wasnt sure what the future will hold. Ditto foe 89-year-ald Cullen, who pledged that this season would be his last If hard to imagine finding a sweeter way to go out than skating around with the Cup.

Yet he also looked and played like a guy a decade younger, and he didn't miss a game in the regular season or SPIETH nwnPsgtlC back-to-back years. Strange won in 1968 and 1989. No one has come particularly close, either. Retlef Gooaen was defending champion in 2005 and took a three-shot lead into foe final round at Pinehurst No. 2 only to dose with an 81 to finish eight shots behind.

Different about this major title defense is foat 8pieth doesn't go to a special locker room for champions. He doesn't have to host a dinner for past champions. It just honestly feels like a normal week that I got here earlier for and Im preparing harder for, he said. I feel very con-fident about my game right now. I wish the tournament started Rain could change that But rain wont make the rough shrink.

The density of the gran is as fearsome as the speed of the greens. Graeme McDowell had a bet with his caddie on Sunday in which foe former U.S. Open champion would get $30 for every birdie, and he would lose $10 for every bogey. He played the back nine and lost $50. The wind was so strong Sunday that Spieth said he would have shot somewhere around 75 or 76 at best, and he would have been happy with it But today, with leas wind, I thought that it was more play able, he said.

StUl extremely challenging, where par is a great acore, but I thought if you hit the ball where you were looking you could have birdie opportunities on quite a few holes. At the same time Td sign for even par. I dont think anyone is going to be in foe red come 72 hides. So it will be a challenge. But Pm looking forward to it.

Spieth is coming off a stretch of playing four straight weeks, with one very Important tournament He missed the cut at The Players Championship, his first tournament back since losing a five-shot lead on the back nine at the Masters. He lost a good chance to win in his hometown at the Byron Nelson when he shot 74 in the final round. The Important week was Colonial, where Spl- eth blrdied his last three holes to win. He started well at foe Memorial until feeling badly on the weekend, but that win in Texas was big for his morale. And it eased some of the sting from Augusta.

That was a huge week for us, especially to win before any of the next majors, he said. If we can get ourselves in contention here, I can draw back on Colonial, what happened at the end there. I think it would have been that much tini-Hwr The really hard part is winning at Oakmont not just because its Oakmont, but the history against him. Curtis Strange is the only player in the last 65 years to win the U.S. Open in longest stretch of top 5a was six majors from the 1999 PGA Championship through the 2001 Masters.

He won five of those six ma-jors. Whether the 22-year-old Texan can extend his streak depends largely on Oakmont The course has lived up to its reputation as the toughest championship test in golf over the last couple of days of dry weather. Spieth was among those who predicted no one will finish the week under par, as was foe case in 2007 at Oakmont when Angel Cabrera woo at Sever 285..