NASCAR Probes Gordon’s Tires After Complaints

At the request of some of Jeff Gordon’s competitors, NASCAR officials Monday impounded some of the tires Gordon used to win the CMT 300 at Loudon, N.H., on Sunday.

Officials are investigating how Gordon’s Chevy, using only two fresh tires, outperformed cars using four over the final 133 laps.

Gordon, who struggled through most of the race, changed two right-side tires during a late pit stop, came out first and pulled away to his ninth victory of the season and fifth in the last six races.

“They think that we have to cheat to win, and that just isn’t the case,” said Ray Evernham, Gordon’s crew chief.

After the race, NASCAR impounded several tires from the cars of Gordon and Mark Martin, who finished second in a Ford.

Names in the News

Mike Tyson was involved in a minor auto accident at Gaithersburg, Md., and had to be restrained by his own bodyguards from fighting the driver of the other car, police said.

Tyson was a passenger in the Mercedes convertible driven by his wife, Monica Turner, who apparently struck the car in front of hers, said Derek Baliles, a spokesman for the Montgomery County police.

Tyson got out of the car and “appeared to want to fight the other driver,” said Baliles. “He was restrained by his wife and members of his security detail who were traveling in a second car.”

No arrests were made.

Former heavyweight boxing champion Michael Dokes was arrested at Las Vegas after police said he had beaten his fiancee, then held her against her will before sexually assaulting her.

Latrell Sprewell refiled his dismissed lawsuit against the NBA, charging that three NBA security employees shredded evidence that would have exonerated him.

Sprewell’s original $30-million lawsuit, which accused the NBA of racial discrimination and sought to limit the fine that the Golden State Warriors imposed on him for attacking Coach P.J. Carlesimo last December at $1 million, was dismissed July 30 by a federal judge.

Sprewell refiled the suit in U.S. District Court, adding charges that NBA security chief Horace Balmer and two associates destroyed notes of interviews with Sprewell’s teammates and intentionally suppressed evidence.

Darryl Henley, the former Los Angeles Ram cornerback imprisoned for attempting to have his ex-girlfriend and a federal judge killed, failed in a bid to have his guilty plea set aside.

A federal judge at Los Angeles refused Henley’s request during a closed hearing.

Tennis star Andre Agassi will miss Davis Cup competition later this month because of a scheduling conflict he has with the fourth annual Grand Slam for Children benefit concert at Las Vegas.

Pepperdine baseball Coach Frank Sanchez is recovering at USC University Hospital after undergoing surgery to remove a benign tumor from his brain.

Jack Sprenger, supervisor of Pacific 10 Conference football officials for 16 years, died Friday while playing golf at Auburn, Wash. He was 86.

Pro Hockey

Defenseman Zarley Zalapski has agreed to contract terms with the New York Rangers.

Zalapski, 30, had three goals and 12 assists along with 63 penalty minutes in 63 games with the Calgary Flames and Montreal Canadiens last season.

The Phoenix Coyotes re-signed defenseman Michel Petit to a one-year contract with an option.

The Mighty Ducks signed defenseman Dan Trebil to a one-year contract with a club option for a second year. Trebil, 24, split each of the last two seasons between Anaheim and the minor leagues.

Miscellany

A former East German doctor and a swimming coach, each of whom admitted giving performance-enhancing drugs to young female swimmers, were convicted of causing bodily harm and fined.

Rolf Glaeser, who coached an East German club from 1971-1984, was fined the equivalent of $4,000 by the Berlin state court. Former team doctor Dieter Binus was fined $5,000.

The three doctors and two coaches sentenced so far have avoided prison terms, in part because they admitted administering the drugs. Proceedings are continuing separately against coaches and doctors who have remained silent on the charges.

Cal State Fullerton officials are scheduled to appear before the NCAA infractions committee Sept. 25 in Atlanta in the investigation of its men’s basketball program.

The NCAA has accused Fullerton of recruiting violations and for violating the NCAA’s “extra-benefit” rule in 1993 and 1994, when Brad Holland was coach.