NEWTON, Iowa — Takuma Sato and Danica Patrick will form an unlikely duo on the front row for today’s IndyCar race at Iowa Speedway.
Sato, a former Formula One driver, is chasing his first podium finish in the open-wheel series. Patrick, the series’ biggest star, is looking for her first win on American soil.
Sato earned his first pole in the IndyCar series Friday, turning in a two-lap average of 180.375 mph on the 0.875-mile oval to finish just ahead of a surging Patrick. It’s the best start of the year for Patrick, whose lone win came in Japan in 2008.
Though Patrick’s initial reaction after averaging 180.210 was to wonder what else she could have done to grab her first pole since 2005, she was more than pleased that strong practice runs led to an even stronger qualifying session.
“It is what it is, and front row is still very good,” Patrick said. “I felt good out there, so it’s nice to get back on the front row. It’s been a long time.”
• Joey Logano won the pole on the road course at Infineon Raceway in Sonoma, Calif., for Sunday’s Sprint Cup race.
Logano posted a lap of 93.256 mph in his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota to take the top qualifying spot. It snapped Kurt Busch‘s streak of three consecutive poles. Jamie McMurray qualified second with a lap at 93.223 and Paul Menard was third.
• Rain washed out qualifying at the Summit Racing Equipment NHRA Nationals in Norwalk, Conn.
Noel to guide Winnipeg team
MINNEAPOLIS — Claude Noel was hired as coach of the transplanted Winnipeg franchise, returning to the NHL and joining a team that has missed the playoffs the last four seasons and will be known as the Jets.
Noel was an interim head coach in the NHL with Columbus. He coached the AHL’s Manitoba Moose last season, leading them to a 43-40-1-6 record.
• The San Jose Sharks acquired defenseman Brent Burns from the Minnesota Wild for forward Devin Setoguchi, last year’s first-round pick (Charlie Coyle) and the 28th pick in this year’s draft.
• Former Atlanta Thrashers general manager Rick Dudley joined the Toronto Maple Leafs front office in an unspecified role.
Contador continues tuneup
VALLAD D’UIXO, Spain — Alberto Contador was third in the Spanish national cycling time trials, part of the three-time Tour de France champion’s preparations for next month’s race.
Luis Leon Sanchez won his third national title by taking the 27.5-mile sprint in 27 minutes, 12 seconds. Jonathan Castresana was second with Contador 24 seconds back in third.
• Three-time Spanish Vuelta winner Roberto Heras was retroactively cleared of a two-year doping ban imposed on him in 2006.
More NFL talks next week.
With training camps set to open in another month, NFL owners and players will resume negotiations next week, hoping to build on recent talks.
