INDIANAPOLIS — One of the biggest names in IndyCar racing is leaving the series next season.
Newman-Haas Racing, the team started by late actor Paul Newman, decided it will not compete in 2012. It’s the first time since 1982 Newman-Haas will not field an open-wheel team.
“The economic climate no longer enables Newman-Haas Racing to participate in open-wheel racing at this time,” Carl Haas, the team’s co-founder, said in a statement Thursday.
The move came as a surprise after a solid season in which Spanish driver Oriol Servia finished fourth in the points.
• Penske Racing signed Brad Keselowski and his crew chief to contract extensions after the duo raced to a fifth-place finish in NASCAR’s top series.
Choi has three-stroke lead on Woods, Stricker
THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — K.J. Choi fired a 6-under- par 66, giving him a three-shot lead over Tiger Woods and Steve Stricker in the Chevron World Challenge.
They were the only three players to break 70 in the 18-man field in the final official event in the United States this year.
“Anything under par is a good day today with the wind up,” said Woods, a four-time winner of this event and the tournament host. “If the wind stayed down, you’re going to have to shoot probably 68 or below for it to be a good score.”
• Defending champion Lee Westwood birdied the last hole to shoot a 4-under 68 and share the first- round lead with Masters winner Charl Schwartzel at the Nedbank Golf Challenge in Sun City, South Africa.
• U.S. Open champion Rory McIlroy shot a 6-under 64 in blustery conditions to share the lead with Alvaro Quiros and David Horsey after the opening round of the Hong Kong Open.
Grier retires after 14-year NHL career
BUFFALO, N.Y. — Forward Mike Grier retired after a 14-season NHL career that featured stints with four teams, including two separate stops with the Buffalo Sabres.
Grier finished with 162 goals and 221 assists for 383 points in 1,060 regular-season games.
• The Boston Bruins signed top-line center David Krejci to a three-year contract extension. Krejci’s new deal carries an annual salary-cap hit of $5.25 million.
Footnotes.
With her surgically repaired left knee aching a bit, Dara Torres finished second in the 50-meter freestyle at the U.S. Winter Nationals in Atlanta, the 44-year-old swimmer’s highest finish since the Beijing Olympics. Jessica Hardy won the event with a time of 25.08 seconds, with Torres next at 25.24 and Lara Jackson at 25.30.
• Alex Bogomolov Jr. will play for Russia instead of the United States after the International Tennis Federation approved the switch — a decision the U.S. Tennis Association found disappointing. Bogomolov, born in Moscow, has represented the U.S. since turning professional in 2002 but has never played at senior level in the Davis Cup. He is listed by the ATP as Russia’s top-ranked player at No. 34. He was the fourth-ranked American.
The Associated Press
