Marlin Cruises to Claim a Somber Quality 500

Sterling Marlin won the UAW-GM Quality 500 in a somber race Sunday in which drivers watched TV images of the U.S. attacks on Afghanistan minutes before the start.

Marlin beat Tony Stewart to the finish line at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., by more than six seconds, about a quarter of the track.

Marlin’s crew ran to him with an American flag, but NASCAR refused to let Marlin take a victory lap. He drove to the winner’s circle, carrying the flag out his window.

It was Marlin’s second win this season and the third for a Dodge, which returned to NASCAR this year after a 15-year absence.

Ward Burton, the other Dodge driver to win a race this season, finished third. He was followed by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in a Chevrolet and Jeff Burton in a Ford.

Series leader Jeff Gordon finished 16th and Ricky Rudd, his closest competitor in the standings, finished 21st. Gordon has 237 points for a 12-point lead.

Before the race, a big-screen TV in the infield showed pictures of the bombing in Afghanistan.

Gil de Ferran took control of the CART championship chase with an overpowering victory at the Texaco/Havoline Grand Prix of Houston.

De Ferran, the defending series champion, led all 100 laps.

He has a 10-point lead with three races remaining.

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John Force earned his 98th career victory by beating Whit Bazemore at the Pep Boys NHRA Nationals at Mohnton, Pa.

Force needed a run of 4.792 seconds at 312.06 mph in his Ford Mustang to outrun Bazemore’s pass of 4.832 at 318.54.

Force is pursuing an unprecedented 11th NHRA Winston Drag Racing Series championship.

Soccer

China qualified for its first World Cup with a 1-0 victory over Oman at Shenyang, China.

The victory ensures China of the Group B title, making it the first Asian nation to advance through competition. South Korea and Japan qualify automatically as hosts.

China Coach Bora Milutinovic is headed to his fifth World Cup with his fifth different team. He coached Mexico in 1986, Costa Rica in 1990, the United States in 1994 and Nigeria in 1998.

In South America, Brazil defeated Chile, 2-0, to improve its chances of qualifying. Uruguay and Colombia tied, 1-1, leaving Brazil alone in fourth place. Uruguay is fifth.

The top four teams in the group qualify for the Cup and the fifth-place team must play Australia in a playoff to qualify.

Tennis

Yevgeny Kafelnikov of Russia won his fifth consecutive Kremlin Cup, beating Nicolas Kiefer of Germany, 6-4, 7-5, at Moscow.

Fifth-seeded Jelena Dokic of Yugoslavia defeated eighth-seeded Elena Dementieva of Russia, 6-3, 6-3, to win the women’s title.

U.S. Open champion Lleyton Hewitt defeated Michel Kratochvil, 6-4, 6-2, to win the Japan Open men’s title at Tokyo.

Top-seeded Monica Seles defeated second-seeded Tamarine Tanasugarn, 6-3, 6-2, for the women’s championship, her 50th WTA Tour singles title.

Pro Basketball

Michael Jordan’s home opener with the Washington Wizards on Nov. 3 against Allen Iverson and the Philadelphia 76ers will be televised on NBC.

NBC also is adding the Wizards’ home game Dec. 1 against the Orlando Magic.

Miscellany

Former Texas Tech men’s basketball coach James Dickey will receive $125,000 as part of a settlement for his dismissal in March.

The firing opened the door for Bob Knight to become coach of the Red Raiders.

Dickey received a $1.3-million contract buyout after being fired by the school.

Joshua Kipkemboi of Kenya won the men’s division and Zinaida Semenova of Russia won the women’s title at the Twin Cities Marathon at St. Paul, Minn.

Haile Gebrselassie of Ethiopia won the men’s half-marathon world championship at Bristol, England. Britain’s Paula Radcliffe retained her title in the women’s race.

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Sasha Cohen of Laguna Niguel won both phases of the competition to win the women’s title at the Finlandia Trophy figure skating event in Helsinki, Finland.

Ilia Klimkin of Russia won the men’s event. Rusty Fein of the U.S. finished 13th.

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Beatrisa Liang of Granada Hills won the Southwest Pacific sectional figure skating championship at Escondido.

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The U.S. women won the team title at the Pan Am Gymnastics competition at Cancun, Mexico.

The U.S. team included Mohini Bhardwaj, formerly of UCLA, and Tabitha Yim of Irvine.

The U.S. finished second to Cuba in the men’s team competition.