NASCAR to Limit Team Cars

Big-money teams will be allowed to field four cars under a cap limit set by NASCAR on Thursday, a move that angered the five-car Roush Racing organization.

The limit goes into effect next season, but NASCAR said it would work to set a timeline for compliance for teams with more than four entries. Jack Roush is the only owner with five cars, all of which are in the 10-man Chase for the Championship that crowns the Nextel Cup champion.

“It is hard for Jack not to believe that there is a laser bulls-eye on his forehead,” Roush Racing President Geoff Smith said.

The move had been expected since last month, when NASCAR Chairman Brian France said he was looking to limit the number of cars one owner could have.

Smith said Roush officials were told in a recent private meeting with NASCAR that a “grandfather clause” would be included to allow them to keep their five teams at least through the 2009 season.

NASCAR officials did not return calls seeking comment on Smith’s assertion.

Seventy of the best touring drivers in NASCAR’s two top-ladder system series -- 40 from the Autozone Elite and 30 from the Grand National -- will compete in the $500,000, two-night Toyota All-Star Showdown this weekend at Irwindale Speedway in what amounts to NASCAR’s national short-track racing championship.

Elite cars are late model-style stock cars; Grand Nationals are similar to Nextel Cup cars.

Two 50-lap races in each division tonight, starting at 8, will establish the fields for Saturday’s championship finals. Racing Saturday will begin at 5 p.m., the Elite division running a 125-lap feature, the Grand National cars going 150 laps.

-- Shav Glick

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COLLEGE BASKETBALL

UCLA’s Farmar Returns in Exhibition Victory

UCLA sophomore guard Jordan Farmar, showing no lingering effects from the groin injury that forced him out of the team’s exhibition opener, returned to the lineup Thursday night to lead the Bruins to a 104-41 romp over Cal State Monterey Bay at Pauley Pavilion.

Farmar had a game-high 17 points in 21 minutes, hitting six of 10 shots from the field, including three of six from beyond the three-point arc. UCLA hit seven of 18 three-point attempts in the final Bruin exhibition game.

Coach Ben Howland said afterward that he expects senior center Michael Fey, who has yet to practice because of a severe groin strain, to play in Tuesday night’s NIT opener against New Mexico State at Pauley Pavilion.

-- Steve Springer

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The USC men’s team received a signed letter of intent from Kasey Cunningham, a 6-foot-7 forward from Cibola (N.M.) High, Coach Tim Floyd said.

Eric Williams had 22 points and nine rebounds to lead No. 18 Wake Forest past Mississippi Valley State, 78-64, in the first round of the 2K Sports College Hoops Classic at Winston-Salem, N.C.

Earlier, Jai Lewis had 18 points and 11 rebounds to lead George Mason to a 79-56 victory over UC Irvine (0-1), which will play Mississippi Valley State in a consolation game today.

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SOCCER

Revolution’s Twellman Earns MLS MVP Award

Major League Soccer scoring leader Taylor Twellman was selected the league’s MVP, three days before the New England Revolution forward is to play in the MLS Cup against the Galaxy.

Twellman had 17 goals this season.

U.S. forward Brian McBride will not play in Saturday’s exhibition against Scotland because of a groin strain. The game at Glasgow is the last this year for the U.S., which is 13-3-3 -- a team record for victories in a season.

UCLA and Cal State Fullerton will play host to first- and second-round games in the NCAA women’s soccer tournament beginning tonight.

UCLA (17-1-2) will play Mississippi Valley State at 5 p.m, followed by UC Riverside against Colorado at 7.

Fullerton (17-3) will play Nevada Las Vegas at 7 with USC (12-5-2) taking on Gonzaga in the first game at 5.

Pepperdine (13-3-3) will play Mississippi in Nashville at 3 PST.

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OLYMPICS

U.S. Women’s Team Drops One in Hockey

The U.S. women’s Olympic hockey team lost to Canada, 5-0, but qualified for the final of a test event taking place at the Olympic venues in Turin, Italy.

The U.S. (2-1) will face Canada (3-0) on Saturday. The U.S. team, which won its first world championship earlier this year, has lost its last five games to Canada, which won Olympic gold at Salt Lake City.

Gymnast Alicia Sacramone, the 2005 U.S. vault and floor exercise champion, has signed a national letter of intent to compete at UCLA next season. Sacramone, of Winchester, Mass., is attending a selection camp for the world championships, which will be held in Melbourne, Australia, later this month.

Also signing letters of intent were U.S. national team gymnast Brittani McCullough of Corona and U.S. junior national team member Ashley Jenkins of Laguna Niguel.

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GOLF

Woods Falters Late and Is Second in Shanghai

Tiger Woods bogeyed his last hole, costing him a share of the first-round lead in the $5-million HSBC Champions at Shanghai.

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, the 1999 British Open winner; England’s Nick Dougherty and Australia’s Peter O’Malley led at eight-under-par 64. Woods was at 65 with England’s David Howell, the Netherlands’ Robert-Jan Derksen and South Korea’s K.J. Choi.

U.S. Open champion Michael Campbell and Kenneth Ferrie were at 66, a shot ahead of an eight-player group featuring Vijay Singh. Colin Montgomerie, who won the European money title, opened with a 74.

Woods mixed 10 birdies, including five in a row, with three bogeys. The last bogey came at No. 9, where his tee shot, hit with a three-wood, landed deep in a large fairway bunker.

Sweden’s Liselotte Neumann returned from a monthlong layoff and shot a six-under 66 to take a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the LPGA Tournament of Champions at Mobile, Ala.

Juli Inkster and Christina Kim, teammates on the winning U.S. Solheim Cup squad, were one stroke back after opening 67s. Defending champion Heather Daly-Donofrio and Patricia Meunier-Lebouc were two back.

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MISCELLANY

WBC Declares Rahman As Its New Champion

The World Boxing Council voted to give its heavyweight title to Hasim Rahman, one day after champion Vitali Klitschko announced his retirement.

Five days ago, Klitschko, facing a six-month recovery after tearing a ligament in his right knee, pulled out of a title defense against Rahman in Las Vegas.

Mike Tyson was questioned by police early Thursday after a television cameraman accused the former heavyweight champion of assaulting him outside a nightclub in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

Hurdler Larry Wade of Irvine committed a doping violation by testing positive for a steroid during an out-of-competition test, an independent arbitration panel said.

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PASSINGS

Former Steeler Courson Dies in Tree Accident

Steve Courson, a former offensive lineman for the Pittsburgh Steelers who developed a heart problem after becoming one of the first NFL players to acknowledge using steroids, was killed when a tree he was cutting fell on him. Courson was 50. See B section.