DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Tony Stewart and Joey Logano will not be on probation in the NASCAR Nationwide Series after all.
A three-man panel of the National Stock Car Racing Commission issued a decision Wednesday rescinding the probation handed down to the drivers after the Joe Gibbs Racing team was caught trying to manipulate an engine horsepower test after the Nationwide race in Michigan last month.
The team used magnets under the gas pedals of the Nos. 20 and 18 JGR Toyotas in an attempt to keep NASCAR from getting an accurate read of the horsepower in the two engines.
NASCAR came down hard on the team a few days later, suspending indefinitely seven crew members, including crew chiefs Dave Rogers and Jason Ratcliff, who were also fined $50,000 each.
In addition, Stewart and Logano were each docked 150 driver points and placed on probation until the end of the year, while the Gibbs team was also stripped of 150 owner points for each car.
The team appealed only the probation to the two drivers, saying they had nothing to do with the test that took place long after the race had ended. The rest of the penalties remain intact.
McIlroy leads Euro Masters
CRANS-SUR-SIERRE, Switzerland — Rory McIlroy, a 19-year-old Northern Irishman, shot an 8-under-par 63 to take the lead after the first round of the European Masters.
Garry Houston (66) chipped in for a birdie on the 18th hole for a share of second place with Kyron Sullivan and Julio Zapata.
A large group at 67 included defending champion Brett Rumford. Miguel Angel Jimenez, a member of the European Ryder Cup team, bogeyed the last three holes for a 68.
• The first round of the BMW Championship was washed out by storms that dumped 3 inches of rain on Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis. The round was postponed until today, with 36 holes Saturday to get back on schedule.
• California Sen. Leland Yee said he’s seeking a legal opinion to determine whether the LPGA Tour’s language requirement for players violates state or federal law.
The rule is effective immediately for new players, while veteran members will be suspended if they can’t pass an oral English test. The LPGA Tour expects to have the policy written by the end of the year.
Yee, a Democrat from San Francisco, said the rule might violate California laws covering workplace discrimination or disabilities.
Footnotes.
Vadim Devyatovskiy and Ivan Tsikhan, the Belarus silver and bronze medalists in the men’s hammer throw at the Beijing Olympics, are being investigated for doping offenses by the International Olympic Committee.
• Australia’s Alicia Molik has retired from international tennis after a long run of injuries, including a debilitating inner-ear virus.
• Sue Bird scored 19 points to help the Seattle Storm clinch a WNBA playoff berth with a 70-62 victory over the Chicago Sky.
• Curlin will get his chance to become thoroughbred racing’s richest horse in the $750,000 Jockey Club Gold Cup on Sept. 27 at Belmont Park in New York. The Associated Press
