THE UNIVERSITY OF BARRY KANSAS
TUESDAY MARCH 13, 2007
TUESDAY, MARCH 13, 2007
SPORTS
7B
》 NASCAR
Keith Shimada/ASSOCIATED PRESS
University of Belfast university staff tutor ditting the NACARC Uppsala series 'UAW-Diamille Chrysilier 4000 aurot race at Las Vegaas Motor Speedway in Las Vegaas on Sunday
Drivers' experience minimizes wrecks Poor track condition at Las Vegas doesn't cause problems for most teams
BY JENNA FRYER ASSOCIATED PRESS
LAS VEGAS — Hours before the race, Brett Bodine gave a pace-car ride around reconfigured Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
At speeds reaching 130 mph, the former NASCAR driver pointed out the trouble spots: bumps in the track surface, uneven lines in the asphaltricky transitions in and out of the banked turns and a curved pit lane unlike anything else on the circuit.
When the tour was over, Bodine's passengers were convinced Sunday's race was going to be a wreck fest.
"Nah, it will be fine," he predicted. "The talent level in this group is too good to let that happen."
Bodine was right.
There were only nine cautions during the Nextel Cup race, a testament to the skill and adaptability of NASCAR's top drivers. But it may have created a mirage masking the event's many problems.
"With the exception of a couple of guys, all the drivers did a great job of give and take," said two time series champion Tony Stewart, a critic of the track changes and the tire Goodyear forced the teams to use.
"I could see situations in front of me and behind me where everybody was giving each other room and trying to be courteous to each another. I think the drivers made the best out of a bad situation here."
After the Busch Series race Saturday, which was plagued by a record 12 cautions, top drivers issued tire warnings. Matt Kenseth called the tires treacherous and Greg Biffle said he felt as if were driving on black ice. Kasey Kahne said every lap was a battle not to wreck, while Stewart criticized LVMS owner Bruton Smith, general manager Chris Powell, and Goodyear for creating a frightening experience for everyone.
But it wasn't.
"I predicted much more gloom and doom than this," Mark Martin said. "I want to give a shout out to all the drivers — they were extremely cautions. Very smart driving, as smart as I've ever seen these guys drive under all the pressure that they're under. They all did a great job, and it wasn't nearly as much of a disaster as I thought it was going to be."
So what happened to create such dire predictions?
Smith wanted better racing, along
with a fan experience that tops any thing in NASCAR. So he pumped millions of dollars into the facility, and on-track changes that added 8 degrees of banking and moved pit road. But the changes pushed speeds over 200 mph during the January test session, and Goodyear had to create a tire strong enough to withstand the loads.
The tire company selected a hard compound for the left side tires, which infuriated drivers who generally prefer a softer tire that sticks to the surface. The harder tire eliminated any grip, turning every lap of Sunday's race into a concentrated effort not to wreck.
There were slips, slides and spins and even winner Jimmie Johnson had to save his car from making a sharp right-hand turn into the wall.
"There were like top 10 saves, there were some saves that were miraculous" said Dale Earnhardt Jr. "There were a lot of guys getting out of control."
But there also was good racing — which is all Smith wanted.
NASCAR's post-race statistics showed that passing at Las Vegas was up 75 percent from a year ago, with 1,123 passes under the green flag compared with 898 in 2006.
"We didn't have near as many cautions as some were expecting, and I don't know if you contribute that to a more experienced field of drivers or the weather," Powell said. "But I thought we had really, really good racing through the field. Behind the leader always seemed to be a lot of drivers competing for position, and through the field was excellent."
But the issue is now on preparations for next year. Will the track weather at all? And will Goodyear find a more favorable tire?
Powell said LVMS has cars on the track almost every day of the year with the Richard Petty Driving experience, wear that could help season the surface.
But the drivers are insistent there must be better communication.
Four-time series champion Jeff Gordon planned to sit down with Goodyear officials.
"We've got to come up with a solution," he said. "There is no reason for us to show up at tracks and have a white-knuckle experience the whole weekend like we did here. They've been doing this too long and they've got too smart people, so we've got to figure out how not to bring tires like this to the track."
》 LPGA
BY IOAN GRILLO ASSOCIATED PRESS
Young golfer claims first tour title to defeat two-time champion
HUIXQUILUCAN, Mexico — Even Meghan Francella found it hard believe: She actually beat Amnika Sorenstam in a playoff for her first LPGA tour victory.
"I can't describe it. It's something I've worked for my entire life," the 24-year old New Yorker said Monday after winning the rain delayed MasterCard Classic in only her sixth LPGA Tour start. "Annika is the best player in the world and I was little intimidated. ... I was on the third tee with her and I thought, 'Man am I really doing this?' I thought I was dreaming. It was pretty exciting."
The former University of North Carolina star from Port Chester, N.Y., won with a 4-foot birdie put out on the fourth extra hole. She closed with a (6) under 9 to match Sorenstam (66) at 11 under 205 on the Bosque Real course — the longest on the tour at 6,932 vards and also the highest at about 8,000 feet above sea level.
Francella, the 2003 Atlantic Coast Conference champion who earned
"I wasn't expecting Annika to miss that putt," Francella said. "I just stayed in my moment and made that putt. I had nothing to lose out there today."
her tour card last year with a fifth-place finish on the Futures Tour money list, made the winning 4-foot putt after Sorentam missed a 7-foot birdie try.
Francella, who earned $180,000 for the breakthrough victory, birdied the par- 14th to tie Sorenstam at 11 under and finished regulation with two straight pars.
Sorenstam, the two-time defending champion making her first start of the year, had seven birdies and a bogey — on the 10th hole.
"I think I'm playing as good as I could have asked for," Sorenstam said. "It's tough reading the putting on the green. It's about who can
hang in there and stay patient. This is my first tournament of the year and I feel very good about my game. I'm very excited about the rest of the year and the upcoming tournament in Arizona."
Angela Stanford (67), Kveong Bae (67) and Stacy Parmanusaidh (71) tried for third at 8 under, and Mexican star Lorena Ochoa (70). Shi
Hyun Ahn (67) and Hyun Jung Choi (69) followed at 6 under.
"My error was in the first day of the tournament," said Ochoa. "After that, it took a lot of work to come back. The leaders were very far ahead. I can't say I had bad luck. It never depends on luck. The more practice you have and the better you hit the ball the more luck you have."
Spring Break is for the beach not ruined road trips.
SURPRISE, AIRI. He worked hard all his life to become a good third baseman, and Mark Teahen did, big time.
BY DOUG TUCKER ASSOCIATED PRESS
Royals move veteran infielder to outfield, father calls it 'a waste'
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Last year, in just his second major league season, Teaben posted a .517 shugging percentage, a jump from his rookie
many posted a 51- age, a jump campa-
ign of 1.41. Since 1876, only 16 players ever made a bigger increase from their first to their second season.
MLB
City, while making just 14 total errors, tied for fourth in the AL.
He hit 355 in his last 46 home games for Kansas
"I think at first he was little angry, which is all right. He thought he was doing a good job at third, which he was."
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At the same time, he became just the third player in franchise history to steal 10 or more bases without getting caught and put up a combined on-base percentage and slugging percentage of 874.
Only one other AL third baseman's was higher — Alex Rodriguez with the New York Yankees.
But the change has worked out for Teahen so far. He is hitting 280 in seven games. He still runs the bases expertly and has not been
His reward for all that production for a team that lost 100 games and had very little in the lineup to protect him?
deal."
The Royals decided they had to make room for Alex Gordon, the crown jewel of their player development system who will probably open at third base this season and could blossom into their finest homegrown product since Carlos Beltran.
Even though everyone could see it coming, it still hurt. Teachen acknowledges he had "issues" with management's decision
BUDDY BELL
Manager
A hearty slap on the back, followed by a swift kick in the pants — all the way into right field.
But there also have been young players who failed at a new position and drifted out of the game. Picking up the ball in right field demands skills and experience a third base man can only guess at.
"We had to talk through some things," he said. "When you work hard your entire career to become the best third baseman you can possibly be, then you get told you're going to the outfield — it was tough initially. But at the same time I understand the situation.
"And I understand a lot of guys have changed position early in their careers and gone on to become great players. It's no huge
It helps that the f- foot 3, 200-pounder is a superior athlete with a powerful throwing arm. It also helps that he grows up in a family he describes as "die hard" have
charged with his first error.
ball" and has a dotting father who is a professional coach with a back ground in semipro baseball.
"Dad was always my hitting coach and my coach in Little League. He taught me how to play the game, Teaheen said.
"It was dad who made me an infielder," Mark Teahen said. "He knew I had good hands for third base. His initial comment was, 'It's a waste.' But he understands the situation. And he believes I have the ability, and know the game well enough to make the transition."
Mike Tealen was!] easily pleased with what Mark, was asked to do, either.
As the Royals go into the final weeks of spring training, the report on the new right fielder are mostly unbeat.
"I think first he was little angry, which is all right," manager Billdell. Bell said. "He thought he was doing a good job at third, which he was."
Everybody, Teachen included is hopeful hell get as many tough chances during the spring games as possible. Several times on balls hard into right, he has taken a step or two in, then had to turn back to get to balls bit over his head.
"He really understands some of the things he has to work on," Bell said. "But he's also made some great plays. The big swing, balls off the end of the bat, the big swing with somebody getting jammed; these are the kind of plays he's going to have difficulty reading right now."
"But he's a ballplayer. And he is smart. He's a very bright lad. I think he's going to be all right."