Contenders Are Ready for Nextel Cup Chase

Kevin Harvick won the pole Friday for the NASCAR Nextel Cup Chevy Rock & Roll 400 at Richmond, Va., but most of the attention was on drivers positioning themselves for a final shot at earning a berth in the “Chase for the Championship.”

Heading into tonight’s race at Richmond International Raceway, Matt Kenseth, Jamie McMurray, Ryan Newman, Jeff Gordon and Elliott Sadler are separated by only 62 points in the battle for the final two positions in the 10-man, 10-race playoff that begins next weekend in New Hampshire.

Other than the honor of winning the pole, most of the emphasis on qualifying is to gain a good starting spot in order to choose a strategic pit for the race.

Harvick, out of contention for the Chase in 15th place, had a fast lap of 128.425 mph in a Chevrolet to earn his fourth career pole and second of the season.

He was followed by Greg Biffle at 128.309, rookie Travis Kvapil at 128.163, Mark Martin at 127.968 and Kurt Busch at 127.859. Biffle, Martin and defending Cup champion Busch have already clinched spots in the Chase.

Gordon -- the four-time series champion who is in 12th place, 30 points behind 10th-place McMurray -- did the best job among the quintet of contenders, qualifying sixth at 127.672.

“We have to make gains, but that’s a good start,” Gordon said. “It’s a good way to start the weekend.”

Newman, one point behind McMurray, crashed during practice earlier Friday and had to use a backup car in qualifying. He got the last shot at knocking Harvick from the top spot, but he fell short, taking the eighth spot in the 43-car field at 127.352.

“It was good, not great,” said Newman, who has won the most poles in each of his first three Cup seasons and leads again this year with five.

“We’ll just see if we can put 400 laps under us [tonight]. That will be important. I think we have a good shot.”

Kenseth, in ninth place in the standings, 10 points ahead of McMurray, was 13th at 127.238, with 13th-place Sadler 19th at 127.041 and McMurray -- who missed out on the inaugural Chase last year by 15 points -- 32nd at 126.227.

*

Harvick capped a big day at Richmond by pulling away from Paul Menard in a two-lap dash to the finish for his third Busch Series victory of the season.

Harvick had the dominant car all night but lost the lead during pit stops just past the midpoint of the race. Menard held on until the 217th lap, when Harvick slipped inside him and left Menard, Martin and Kenseth to fight for second.

The race also tightened the points race after leader and defending series champion Martin Truex Jr. crashed with about 50 laps to go and wound up 27th. That was one better than third-place Carl Edwards, who also crashed late, but allowed second-place Clint Bowyer to cut a 142-point deficit to 94 after finishing 11th.

Seven races remain in the season.

The victory, completed after a green-white-checker finish in 253 laps because of a caution for debris on Lap 250, was Harvick’s 16th in the series.

Track and Field

American Tyson Gay bounced back from his fourth-place finish at the world championships by winning the 200 meters at the World Athletics Final in Monte Carlo.

Gay finished in 19.96 seconds, followed by Jamaica’s Christopher Williams in 20.19 and Wallace Spearmon in 20.21. World champion Justin Gatlin slowed on the final stretch and finished fourth in 20.25.

At the world championships in Helsinki, Finland, last month, Gatlin led an American top-four finish ahead of Spearmon, John Capel and Gay. Capel finished eighth.

Gay’s victory was not the biggest surprise of the night. That was produced by fellow American Tyree Washington in the 400. His time of 44.51 was the sixth best this year and a huge improvement on his previous season best of 45.02.

American Jeremy Wariner, the Olympic and world champion, was apparently slowed by an injury in the final meters and finished last in 46.37.

Hockey

St. Louis defenseman Al MacInnis retired after a 23-year career, citing the NHL lockout last season and not an eye injury that forced him to sit out virtually all the 2003-04 season.

“My health is good and my will is strong,” MacInnis said at a news conference. “But today it is time to count my blessings. This game has given me everything I’ve got today. It’s time to unlace my skates and give thanks.”

The 42-year-old MacInnis, known for his 100-mph slap shot, will remain in the Blues’ organization in an operations capacity.

MacInnis won his only Stanley Cup with the Calgary Flames in 1989 and spent his last 10 seasons with the Blues.

*

The Pittsburgh Penguins made it official, signing No. 1 overall draft pick Sidney Crosby to an $850,000 contract with performance bonuses that could double his salary.

*

Buffalo Sabre defenseman Jay McKee accepted his one-year qualifying offer nearly a month after the NHL-imposed deadline. He will earn $1.6 million this season before becoming an unrestricted free agent in 2006.

Pro Basketball

Boston Celtic coaching legend Red Auerbach was alert and comfortable after being hospitalized earlier this week for an unspecified ailment, a team spokesman said.

The 87-year-old Auerbach has been in and out of the hospital over the last month for tests and a successful surgical procedure, team spokesman Jeff Twiss said.

Auerbach, the team’s president, was being treated at an undisclosed hospital in Washington, where he lives. He was readmitted for an unspecified problem within the last 10 days.

*

NBA representatives toured the Ford Center in Oklahoma City and met with local officials about the possibility of temporarily moving the displaced New Orleans Hornets to the city.

Mayor Mick Cornett said five NBA officials walked around the facility and discussed possible terms of a lease should the Hornets decide to play their 41-game home schedule at the arena, which seats 19,675 for basketball.

*

Devin Brown officially became a member of the Utah Jazz when the San Antonio Spurs declined to match an offer sheet. Terms of the multiyear deal were not released.

Baseball

Marlon Abea hit a three-run home run to lead Nicaragua to a 14-2 victory over the U.S. in the World Cup at Amsterdam.

It was the first loss for the Americans (4-1) in the tournament and dropped them into a tie with Japan in their group. Nicaragua is 5-0.