Ford Plans Switch to Taurus on NASCAR Racing Circuit

The Taurus, the best-selling car in America the past five years, will replace the Thunderbird as Ford Motor Company’s racing entry in the NASCAR Winston Cup series starting next season.

The four-door 1998 model was unveiled at the Indiana Convention Center in Indianapolis on Wednesday and will be introduced to Ford dealers at a car show in San Diego on Saturday.

Ford will stop production of the two-door Thunderbird at the end of this year.

“Although the Thunderbird has been a very successful race car, as evidenced by the 11 wins so far this season, we feel it’s important to race what we sell in the marketplace,” Ford racing director Bruce Cambern said.

The Taurus will be the first four-door car in NASCAR racing in more than 40 years and the first in the series on a full-time basis. The only other cars currently used in the Winston Cup series are the Chevrolet Monte Carlo and the Pontiac Grand Prix.

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Ford Thunderbird drivers did well in the opening practice for Saturday’s Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, turning in four of the top five laps.

Defending champion Dale Jarrett, coming off a victory two weeks ago at Pocono, led with a lap of 178.980 mph, followed by teammate Ernie Irvan at 177.943 mph. Wally Dallenbach Jr. was third in a Chevy Monte Carlo at 177.144, with Thunderbird drivers Ted Musgrave and Lake Speed close behind at 176.908 mph and 176.706 mph.

Qualifying for the 400-mile race begins today.

Pro Basketball

Charles Barkley testified in Cleveland that he pushed the man who is suing him because he was a “drunk redneck” who deserved it.

“I don’t know if I ever got to hit him or not,” Barkley said. “I would hope I did, but I don’t know if I did.”

Barkley, testifying in the lawsuit in which Jeb Tyler, 24, of Spencerport, N.Y., is seeking $500,000 from the NBA star, described a chaotic nightclub scene in which Tyler moved aggressively toward him.

“All hell broke loose, you understand that?” Barkley said. “I was swinging at him, he was swinging at me, then they dragged us away. That’s it.”

Jess Kersey, 56, one of four NBA referees indicted on charges of federal income tax evasion, resigned after 24 years with the league. He was regarded as one of the NBA’s top officials.

Kersey pleaded guilty in Norfolk, Va., to filing false federal income tax returns and was sentenced to three years’ probation. He was fined $20,000 after agreeing to cooperate in the investigation of tax fraud by NBA referees.

Shawn Kemp of the Seattle SuperSonics was involved in a one-car accident in Beverly Hills last Saturday at 2 a.m., Sgt. John Edmundson of the Beverly Hills Police Dept. said.

Kemp was driving a rented 1997 Jaguar when he lost control and hit a fire hydrant in a residential area at Hillcrest and Elavado, Edmundson said. “There were no injuries and no alcohol,” he added. Kemp was not cited.

The Detroit Pistons re-signed Joe Dumars, virtually ensuring that the team captain will end his career as a Piston.

New Jersey Net center Jayson Williams says the team fined him $10,000 last week for making disparaging comments about Coach John Calipari in an article he wrote for GQ magazine’s June issue.

Track and Field

Banned Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson will appeal a ruling by an Ontario judge last week upholding his lifetime ban from the sport.

Johnson’s agent, Morris Chrobotek, said he also planned to take the case to the IAAF council.

Meanwhile, the IAAF, meeting in Athens, Greece, delayed until today a vote to reduce the drug ban from four years to two. The proposal is expected to pass.

Winter Olympics

Olympic organizers recommended a $2-million compensation package for Tom Welch, who brought the 2002 Winter Games to Salt Lake City but resigned amid charges he abused his wife.

“This was an effort to be fair to him in light of the service that he rendered,” said Jim Jardine, legal counsel for the Salt Lake organizing committee’s board of trustees.

Women’s Sports

An international multi-sport event, the Women’s Global Challenge, featuring top female athletes from around the world in sports such as figure skating, basketball and gymnastics, will be held in several cities for the first time in the spring of 1999, organizers announced. CBS will televise the event scheduled for April 28-May 2, 1999.