Andretti Youngest to Win Major Open-Wheel Race

Marco Andretti gambled on fuel Sunday and became the youngest winner at 19 of a major open-wheel event, beating Dario Franchitti by 0.66 of a second in the Indy Grand Prix at Sonoma, Calif.

While most of the field pitted on Lap 51 of the 80-lap IndyCar Series race, Andretti stayed out to take the lead, then stretched his fuel for the final 30 laps to take the checkered flag in the next-to-last race of the season.

Andretti said it was a bigger thrill than finishing second this year in the Indianapolis 500. The previous youngest open-wheel winner was Scott Dixon at 20.

“This was a win,” he said. “The guys were just brilliant in the pits.”

Andretti won in front of his father, Michael, co-owner of Andretti Green Racing, and his famous grandfather Mario, winner of the 1969 Indy 500.

Michael Andretti told his son to conserve fuel in the final 10 laps, even when Franchitti got around Tony Kanaan and began closing in.

Vitor Meira finished third, 10.65 seconds behind the winner, followed by Dixon and Helio Castroneves. Castroneves’ finish edged him into the IndyCar points lead by one over his Marlboro Team Penske teammate Sam Hornish Jr.

The event at Infineon Raceway’s 12-turn, 2.26-mile road course eliminated Meira and Kanaan from championship contention, setting up a two-team shootout at the final race Sept. 9.

Felipe Massa of Ferrari won the Turkish Grand Prix at Istanbul, his first Formula One victory after starting from the pole position.

Renault’s Fernando Alonso held off Ferrari’s Michael Schumacher over the last 13 laps to take second and increase his lead over the German in the season standings. Alonso has 108 points to Schumacher’s 96.

Heavy rain and standing water on the track forced Champ Car World Series officials to halt the Montreal Grand Prix after six of 72 laps, postponing its completion until today.

TRACK AND FIELD

Lagat Records

Season-Best 1,500

Bernard Lagat won the 1,500 meters in a season-best 3 minutes 29.68 seconds at the Rieti Grand Prix at Italy.

Lagat, originally from Kenyan, set an American record of 3:29.30 at the event last year.

Jason Smoots won the 100 meters in 10.01 seconds. Francis Obikwelu of Portugal won the 200 in 20.20 after a false start.

ROWING

U.S. Women Win World Title in Record Time

The United States women’s eight broke its own world best in the world championships at Dorney Lake in Eton, England, the Olympic rowing venue for the 2012 London Games.

The Americans finished the 2,000-meter race in 5 minutes 55.50 seconds, 1.79 seconds ahead of second-place Germany and nearly five seconds ahead of third-place Australia.

MISCELLANY

Philadelphia Takes Lacrosse Championship

Roy Colsey had six goals and two assists to lead the Philadelphia Barrage to a 23-12 victory over the Denver Outlaws for the Major League Lacrosse championship at the Home Depot Center.

The Barrage won its second title in three years, joining the Baltimore Bayhawks as two-time league champions. Philadelphia has finished as league champion in each of its playoff appearances.

Kenyans Thomas Nyariki and Catherine Ndereba won the New York City Half-Marathon, running in a drizzle from Central Park to Lower Manhattan.

Nyariki, blind in one eye from a 2003 carjacking, finished the 13.1 miles in 1 hour 1 minute 22 seconds.

Ndereba, the Athens silver medalist, won in 1:09.43.

Marshall senior receiver Hiram Moore was suspended for Saturday’s opener at No. 5 West Virginia following his Friday arrest on drunk driving and other misdemeanor charges.

Moore was charged with driving under the influence, leaving the scene of an accident, obstructing a police officer and driving on a suspended license.

Kristine Lilly scored two late goals and Briana Scurry was in goal for the national soccer team for the first time in two years, leading the U.S. past China, 4-1, in an exhibition game at Bridgeview, Ill.

Cat Whitehill and Aly Wagner had the other goals for the U.S., which stayed undefeated this year (10-0-3).

Former Wisconsin football coach Barry Alvarez and TBS’ Charles Davis this week are expected to be named by Fox Sports as commentators for the college football national championship game, to be played in Glendale, Ariz., on Jan. 8.

Fox earlier named Thom Brennaman as the play-by-play announcer. Chris Rose will be host of the pregame, halftime and postgame coverage.

Besides the title game, the team of Brennaman, Alvarez and Davis also will work one of the three earlier BCS bowl games -- Fiesta, Orange or Sugar -- televised by Fox.

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-- Larry Stewart

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The Little League World Series title game between Columbus, Ga., and Kawaguchi City, Japan, was postponed because of rain and will be played tonight for the first time on a Monday at South Williamsport, Pa.