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Busch Switching to Penske Team

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From Times Staff and Wire Reports

Reigning Nextel Cup champion Kurt Busch is changing teams, moving from Roush Racing to Penske Racing South. The only question is when.

Busch signed a multiyear contract to drive for Penske starting in 2007 and asked to be released from his current contract with Roush Racing, apparently in hopes of replacing retiring Rusty Wallace next season. In a statement on Tuesday, Roush said the team will wait for “an indefinite period” before making a decision on Busch’s request to leave after this season.

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Indianapolis Motor Speedway President Joie Chitwood said track officials are still debating whether to bring the U.S. Grand Prix back to the facility for a seventh season.

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Only six drivers competed in the June 19 race after seven Formula One teams pulled their cars off the track to protest safety concerns with Michelin tires.

Tennis

Paul-Henri Mathieu’s 14th ace finished off third-seeded Andy Roddick, 7-5, 6-3, in the first round of the Rogers Cup in Montreal.

Rafael Nadal defeated Carlos Moya, 6-3, 6-7 (0), 6-3, and second-seeded Lleyton Hewitt was forced to retire from his first-round match. Hewitt was trailing qualifier Florent Serra, 4-3, when he suffered a stomach ailment.

Former French Open champion Anastasia Myskina rallied to defeat Viktoria Kutuzova, 4-6, 6-4, 6-0, in the first round of the Nordic Light Open at Stockholm.

Hockey

Forwards Simon Gagne, Branko Radivojevic and Patrick Sharp and defenseman Kim Johnsson agreed to qualifying offer contracts with Philadelphia.

The Tampa Bay Lightning signed goalie Sean Burke to a two-year deal worth $3.2 million.

Center Andrew Cassels and defenseman Lawrence Nycholat signed free-agent deals with Washington.

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The moves came a day after owner Ted Leonsis said the team will spend only about $25 million in salaries, well below the $39-million cap, and offered a 5% rebate on season tickets.

Minnesota signed center Todd White to a multiyear contract and re-signed defenseman Willie Mitchell and left wing Pierre-Marc Bouchard to one-year deals.

St. Louis signed free-agent left wing Dean McAmmond and re-signed defenseman Bryce Salvador.

Atlanta signed defenseman Shane Hnidy and forwards Brian Maloney and Adam Smyth.

Soccer

Freddy Adu of Major League Soccer’s D.C. United is expected to miss two to four weeks after an exam showed he has a sprained ligament in his right knee.

Manchester United beat Hungarian champion Debrecen, 3-0, in a Champions League qualifier at London that marked the first competitive game under owner Malcolm Glazer.

The Turkish Football Federation ruled that Fenerbahce must play one game in an empty stadium after a fan was shot during a friendly match against English club Everton last month.

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Miscellany

George McDonald had three hits, including a three-run home run, and drove in four runs to lead Los Angeles past Newark, N.J., 7-4, in the senior division (16-18 years) championship game of the RBI World Series in Pittsburgh. Los Angeles won the junior division (13-15) with a 7-6 victory over Detroit.

Point guard Jordan Farmar of UCLA has been named to a preseason list of 50 candidates for the John R. Wooden Award.

Gymnast Blaine Wilson, an Olympic silver medalist who won five national titles in a row from 1996 to 2000, announced his retirement.

The USA Cycling Elite Track National Championships begin at 10 a.m. today at the ADT Event Center velodrome at the Home Depot Center.

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