Foyt Takes CART Flap to Court

The feud between the established Championship Auto Racing Teams and the fledgling Indy Racing League is headed to court with four-time Indianapolis 500 winner A.J. Foyt leading the charge.

Foyt, now a car owner who wants to field cars in events staged by the IRL, is suing CART in a federal antitrust action. Foyt’s 14-page suit accuses CART of trying to monopolize Indy-car racing, of pressuring companies--specifically Texaco--to stay away from sponsoring his IRL cars and of costing his A.J. Foyt Enterprises, Inc. at least $5 million.

Foyt is seeking actual damages plus triple damages as allowed by law plus unspecific costs and fees.

Prep Sports

CIF Southern Section Commissioner Dean Crowley has asked Inglewood High officials to investigate whether Coach Patrick Roy used undue influence to get guard Jason Hart to transfer from Westchester last summer. Hart, suspended from the basketball team pending a review of his enrollment status, played with Inglewood in a summer tournament while attending Westchester. City Section Commissioner Barbara Fiege also said it appears Hart may have been improperly enrolled at Westchester, which he attended for three years. Hart, who lives in the Crenshaw High attendance area, said he had a permit to attend Westchester, but no record of such a permit has been found.

Miscellany

Greg Menton, a star swimmer for Massachusetts, died of a heart attack after collapsing during a meet at Dartmouth. Menton, 20, collapsed about 10 minutes after he finished swimming the 50-yard and 100-yard freestyles, a school spokesman said.

Track’s world leaders have bowed to the concerns of runners and doctors and will start the men’s marathon at this summer’s Olympics in the morning. . . . Shut out by NBC in the United States, Rupert Murdoch is offering a reported $2 billion for European broadcast rights to the first five Olympic Games of the next century. . . . Sprinter Michael Johnson and skier Picabo Street were honored as the 1995 sportsman and sportswoman by the U.S. Olympic Committee. . . . British middle-distance runner Diane Modahl, fighting to clear her name after a doping scandal, has been authorized to compete internationally and seek to qualify for the Olympics. . . . Sinjin Smith and Carl Henkel have qualified as the first of three U.S. men’s teams for beach volleyball’s Olympic debut.

World Cup leader Lasse Kjus of Norway suffered a severe concussion in a fall in downhill ski practice at Kitzbuehel, Austria, that could jeopardize his chances for the season title. . . . A heavy snowfall in Spain, and predictions of more snow in the next several days, cheered worried organizers of next month’s World Alpine skiing championships.

Andre Agassi defeated Pat Rafter, 7-6 (7-4), 6-7 (8-6), 7-6 (7-5), in a three-hour tennis match in his first test at the Colonial Classic at Kooyong, Australia. . . . Winning Mary Joe Fernandez, defeated South Africa’s Amanda Coetzer, 6-4, 6-2, and Lindsay Davenport beat Sweden’s Asa Carlsson, 6-2, 6-2, in the second round of the Peters International at Sydney, Australia. . . . Top-seeded Thomas Enquist of Sweden was upset in the second round of the BellSouth Open in Auckland, New Zealand, by Peruvian Jaime Yzaga, 7-5, 6-4.

The Dodgers hired former major league infielder Jerry Terrell, 49, to become their advance scout. They also signed starting pitcher Narciso Elvira, 28, to a minor-league contract and will invite him to spring training. . . . The Montreal Expos traded infielder Wil Cordero to the Boston Red Sox for left-hander Rheal Cormier. Boston also gets right-hander Brian Eversgerd, and sent minor-leaguers Shayne Bennett and Ryan McGuire to Montreal. . . . Cal Ripken Jr. was an overwhelming choice as Associated Press male athlete of the year for 1995. . . . Outfielder Rob Deer and infielder Mike Sharperson were among 14 nonroster players invited to spring training by the San Diego Padres. . . . Former Cincinnati Red Tommy Helms was acquitted of a domestic violence charge. A judge decided Helms’ wife, Cathy, was the aggressor.

England soccer coach Terry Venables, saying he needed more time to fight court cases against British broadcasting and newspaper companies, will resign after this summer’s European Championship. . . . Pele said he is stepping down as a director of his former club, Santos of Brazil.