Michigan Pole Won by Gordon

Jeff Gordon won the pole for Sunday’s DHL 400 at Brooklyn, Mich., with a lap of 190.865 mph Friday.

Gordon broke the race qualifying mark of 190.365 set last year by Bobby Labonte, but fell short of Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s track qualifying record of 191.149 at the August race in 2000.

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Jack Sprague earned his 22nd career pole in the NASCAR Truck series with a lap of 118.917 mph at Memphis Motorsports Park in Millington, Tenn.

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Bruno Junquiera won the provisional pole for the Champ Car Grand Prix of Portland, Ore., with a lap of 59.266 seconds, an average speed of 119.603 mph.

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Martin Truex Jr. won the pole for today’s NASCAR Busch Series Meijer 300 at Kentucky Speedway in Sparta, Ky.

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Rookie Eric Medlen topped Funny Car qualifying in the NHRA SuperNationals at Englishtown, N.J., completing a quarter-mile run in 4.830 seconds at a top speed of 317.72 mph.

Tennis

James Blake withdrew from Wimbledon because of nagging neck and spine injuries. He was replaced in the draw by Potito Starace.

Paradorn Srichaphan advanced to his first grass-court final with a 6-2, 6-2 victory over Robin Soderling at the Nottingham Open in England. Paradorn will meet Thomas Johansson for the title. He defeated Taylor Dent, 7-6 (4), 6-1.

Klara Koukalova advanced to the final of the Ordina Open at Den Bosch, Netherlands, when Anabel Medina Garrigues retired because of a stomach ailment. Rain washed out the other semifinal between Mary Pierce and Lina Krasnoroutskaya with the score tied, 2-2.

Daniela Hantuchova rallied to defeat Amelie Mauresmo, 4-6, 6-4, 6-4, and advance to the final of the Eastbourne grass-court tournament in England. Hantuchova will meet Svetlana Kuznetsova, who defeated Vera Zvonareva, 3-6, 7-6 (2), 6-1.

Amanda Coetzer, one of the most popular players in women’s tennis, announced her retirement.

Miscellany

Sen. John McCain rebuffed track star Marion Jones’ request to hold a public hearing into allegations that she violated rules banning the use of steroids. McCain said he believed the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency process was the best forum for her to pursue her case because the committee isn’t a court of law or arbitration panel.

Nicole Harris has withdrawn from next week’s U.S. Olympic gymnastics trials at Anaheim after sustaining a hairline fracture of her left ankle. She will petition the Olympic team selection committee to attend the Olympic selection camp, July 13-18 in Huntsville, Texas.

Tony Harvey resigned as the associate head basketball coach at Missouri, a month after he was accused of violating NCAA rules. Harvey had been on paid leave pending the outcome of NCAA proceedings into the accusations.

Cyclist Lance Armstrong wants the publisher of a new book filled with doping allegations against him to include his denial.

Cheryl Levick was hired as athletic director at Saint Louis University. She spent the last four years at Santa Clara.

UCLA’s Art Venegas was named the men’s track and field coach of the year in the Pacific 10. The Bruins’ Jeanette Bolden was honored as women’s coach of the year.

Passings

Bobbye Sloan, 61, the wife of Utah Jazz Coach Jerry Sloan for 41 years, died after a seven-year battle with cancer.

Gerry McNeil, 78, who won two Stanley Cups as a goaltender with the Montreal Canadiens, died from an undisclosed illness.