All 10 Bodies Recovered From Hendrick Crash

Crews on all-terrain vehicles Monday recovered the bodies of all 10 people killed in the crash of a Hendrick Motorsports plane that was carrying family and friends of one of NASCAR’s top syndicates.

Federal investigators said they did not know what caused the Beech 200 King Air to crash Sunday en route from Concord, N.C., to Martinsville (Va.) Speedway, about seven miles east of the crash site on Bull Mountain in the foothills of the Appalachians.

A bulldozer cleared a path to the crash site so ATVs could recover the bodies.

There was no flight data record, cockpit voice recorder or ground proximity monitoring system on the plane, so investigators will try to piece together what happened from the wreckage, radar data and communications between the pilot and the airport, a National Transportation Safety Board investigator said.

The crash victims included the son, brother and two nieces of owner Rick Hendrick, who was not on the flight because he was not feeling well, a team spokesman said.

*

Formula One has signed a five-year agreement to hold a race in Cancun, Mexico, starting in 2006.

Construction on a $70-million track is expected to begin in January.

*

Hockey

New Jersey Devil center Scott Gomez signed a $500-a-week contract with the minor league Alaska Aces for the duration of the NHL lockout.

Gomez, the NHL’s rookie of the year in 2000, attended East High in Anchorage. He will make his debut for the Aces (0-2-0) on Friday against San Diego.

The NHL lockout began 40 days ago, and no negotiations between the league and the players’ association are scheduled.

Gomez joins Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Brad Lukowich as the only NHL players to sign with North American minor league teams. Last month, Lukowich signed with Fort Worth of the Central Hockey League.

*

Tennis

Olympic men’s silver medalist Mardy Fish defeated Jan Hernych of the Czech Republic, 6-2, 6-4, in the first round of the St. Petersburg Open in Russia.

Hernych, ranked 85th, saved four break points late in the match to get even, at 4-4, in the second set, but his backhand failed him in the last game, when he lost the first three points and then the match to the third-seeded American.

Former Australian Open champion Thomas Johansson of Sweden rallied to defeat Xavier Malisse of Belgium, 7-6 (4), 7-6 (1), in the first round of the Stockholm Open.

Johansson, the 2000 Stockholm Open champion, took the first set when Malisse broke his racket while returning a shot on set point. The second tiebreaker ended when Malisse’s return sailed long on match point.

Robby Ginepri of the United States quit because of a lower-back injury while trailing Fernando Verdasco of Spain, 6-2, 2-1.

Ninth-seeded Elena Bovina of Russia defeated Jelena Kostanic of Croatia, 6-4, 6-2, in the first round of the Generali Ladies Open at Linz, Austria.

French Open winner Anastasia Myskina of Russia pulled out of the tournament because of flu.

The seedings will remain unchanged despite her absence, but No. 3 Serena Williams will move to the other end of the roster and take Myskina’s place in the draw.

Third-seeded Silvia Farina Elia of Italy defeated Stephanie Foretz of France, 6-3, 6-2, in the first round of the SEAT Open at Luxembourg.

Wimbledon champion Maria Sharapova of Russia is the latest to qualify for the eight-player WTA Tour Championships Nov. 10 to 15 in Staples Center.

Sharapova joins No. 1-ranked Lindsay Davenport, Amelie Mauresmo of France, U.S. Open champion Svetlana Kuznetsova of Russia, Elena Dementieva of Russia and Myskina.

*

Miscellany

In college basketball, Boo Wade, expected to compete to be Wisconsin’s starting point guard this season, is taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team.

Coach Bo Ryan said Wade, a junior, needed to “concentrate on some personal issues,” and there was no timetable for his return. Ryan didn’t give any details.

Former Arizona Diamondback first baseman-outfielder Alex Cabrera hit a two-run home run to lead the Seibu Lions over the Chunichi Dragons, 7-2, at Nagoya in the decisive Game 7 of the Japan Series. Cabrera had three homers, including a grand slam, in the series. It was the first title since 1992 and ninth overall for the Lions.

Former NFL players Pat Tillman and John Brodie, and boxers Jim Harryman and Andy Heilman will be inducted Thursday into the San Pedro Sports- walk -- now known as the Sportswalk to the Waterfront -- and St. Paul High football Coach Marion Ancich will receive an award for contributions to local athletics.

Tillman left the Arizona Cardinals after the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, and joined the Army. He was killed in combat in Afghanistan in April.

Brodie was a longtime quarterback of the San Francisco 49ers, and Harryman and Heilman were local fighters.

Information: (310) 832-7272.

*

Passings

Charles Seaver, father of Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver and a top amateur golfer in the 1930s, died in Pebble Beach, Calif., after a short illness, the New York Mets said. He was 93.

Seaver played on the 1932 Walker Cup team and won his two matches in the 8-1 victory by the United States over Britain at Brookline, Mass.

The Seaver Cup, an amateur golf tournament in California, is named in his honor.