CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Clint Bowyer‘s NASCAR championship chances were crippled Wednesday when his No. 33 Chevrolet failed a follow-up inspection and he was penalized 150 points after winning Sunday’s first race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
NASCAR also fined crew chief Shane Wilson $150,000 and suspended him for the next six Sprint Cup races. Car chief Chad Haney was also suspended six races, and team owner Richard Childress was docked 150 owner points.
With Sunday’s win, Bowyer vaulted from 12th to second in the standings. The penalty drops him back to last place, 185 points behind leader Denny Hamlin.
NCAA suspends two Tar Heels
RALEIGH, N.C. — The NCAA suspended North Carolina defensive back Kendric Burney six games and safety Deunta Williams four games for receiving improper benefits.
Both players must also repay benefits to become eligible, though the school plans to appeal the length of the suspensions. The NCAA said Burney received $1,333 in benefits, while Williams received $1,426 in benefits.
• Texas and Maryland will play in 2017 in Austin, Texas, and in 2018 in Landover, Md.
Els aces first-ballot entry into hall
ATLANTA — Ernie Els was the only player to receive enough votes from the PGA Tour to be elected into the World Golf Hall of Fame, the first year his name was on the ballot. Els has won 62 times around the world, including two U.S. Opens and a British Open.
“It makes you feel very good about what you’ve done,” Els said.
Els will be inducted May 9 in St. Augustine, Fla. Doug Ford and Jock Hutchison were elected through the Veteran’s Category, while former President George H.W. Bush was selected through the Lifetime Achievement category.
• European captain Colin Montgomerie told his players who their partners will be in the opening series of matches Oct. 1 against the United States in the Ryder Cup.
The Scotsman would not reveal his pairings for the fourballs and foursomes, but said he will use all 12 team members on opening day.
Armstrong’s friend testifies
LOS ANGELES — Stephanie McIlvain, a longtime friend of Lance Armstrong‘s, testified before a federal grand jury hearing evidence connected to allegations of doping in professional cycling.
McIlvain is important to the case because she was present in the hospital room where Armstrong was being treated for cancer in 1996, when former teammate Frankie Andreu and his wife, Betsy, claim the cyclist told doctors he had used performance-enhancing drugs.
Cunningham lifts FC Dallas to tie
FRISCO, Texas — Jeff Cunningham scored in the final minute of stoppage time to give FC Dallas a 2-2 tie with the New England Revolution, extending its MLS club-record unbeaten streak to 16 games.
• Josh Wolff came on as a late sub and scored on a diving header seven minutes into second-half stoppage time, and the Kansas City Wizards overcame a two-goal deficit to top the visiting Houston Dynamo 4-3.
The Associated Press
